Claudio Monteverdi’s opera The Coronation of Poppea had its premiere in Venice in 1643, shortly after the city became the first place to open a public opera house: no longer would opera be the preserve of princes and their courts.
Venetian audiences liked some spice in their opera; Poppea provides it in its portrayal of a Rome riddled with sexual intrigue, corruption and violence. It’s 64 CE; Emperor Nero, no longer in love with his wife Ottavia, is in a distinctly unchaste relationship with Poppea, who likes the idea of becoming Empress.
