An air of mystery surrounds Monteverdi’s last opera. As the original version has been lost, musicologists have had no other choice but to use a copy whose libretto differs greatly. Nevertheless, The Coronation of Poppea remains a gem of Italian opera and stands out as an innovative and powerful work, where the music combined with dramatic action confronts us with our own contradictions.

Ambitious and cruel, the emperor Nero will do anything to achieve his ends. With no regard to his wife Octavia, he takes the irresistible Poppea as his mistress. Equally ambitious, she has her eyes set on the crown. Together, nothing and no one can stop them. With Octavia exiled, Poppea will take her place on the throne. Which one will triumph: adulterous love or carnal desire? Agora musicians will perform this concert on period instruments, a first for the ensemble!