2002 Spring Brooklyn Academy of Music Alan H. Fishman William I. Campbell Chairman of the Board Vice Chairman of the Board Karen Brooks Hopkins Joseph V. Melillo President Executive Producer presents Lincoronazione di Poppea by Claudio Monteverdi Dutch National Opera (De Nederlandse Opera) Les Talens Lyriques Approximate BAM Howard Gilman Opera House running time: April 16 & 19, 2002 at 7pm 4 hours 15 April 21 at 2pm minutes with two intermissions Conductor Christophe Rousset Director Pierre Audi Set designer Michael Simon Costumer designer Emi Wada Lighting designer Jean Kalman En gli sh titles Chris Bergen Production premiere: November 7, 1993 (revived in 1994, 1996, and 2001), Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam The Monteverdi Cycle has been made possible by The Peter Jay Sharp Foundation with additional leadership grants from BAM Opera Honorary Chairman Alberto Vilar and The Andrew W Mel/on Foundation. This performance is made possible by a grant from the Netherlands Culture Fund, the program set up by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education, Culture & Science to strengthen the Netherlands' international cultural relations. Leadership support for BAM Opera is provided by The Fan Fox and Leslie R. Samuels Foundation, Inc.; The Norman & Rosita Winston Foundation, Inc.; The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation; The Isak and Rose Weinman Foundation, Inc.; with additional spport from The Vincent Astor Foundation; and Anne and Gordon Getty Foundation. Major support for this performance is provided by Fleet. Additional support is provided by The Eleanor Naylor Dana Charitable Trust; The Netherland-America Foundation; and the Consulate General of The Netherlands. 17 Soloists and choir Poppea Cynthia Haymon Nerone Brigitte Baileys Ottavia Graciela Araya Ottone Michael Chance Seneca Andrea Silvestrelli Drusilla Sandrine Piau Amalta Jean-Paul Fouchecourt Nutrice Christopher Gillett Valletto Cassandre Berthon Fortuna Elena Vink Amore/Damigella Gaele Ie Roi Virtu/Pa llade Clarissa Meek Mercurio/Console 1 Evgueniy Alexiev Lucano/Soldato 1fTribune l/Famigliare 2 Mark Tucker Liberto Capitano/Soldato 2fTribune 2 Philip Sheffield Littore/Famigliare 3/Console 2 Romain Bischoff Famigliare 1 Thierry Gregoire Orchestra Continuo Orchestra Les Talens Lyrique Christophe Rousset Stefano Montanari Yvon Reperent Gilone Gaubert-Jacques Stephen Stubbs Makoto Akatsu Erin Headley Meillane Wilmotte Ophelie Galliard Jean-Pierre Canihac Richard Myron Fritz Heller Anne Marie Lasla HeloIse Gaillard Maxine Eilander Production staff Assista nt director Wim Trompert Stage manager Rudy Van Wiyk Assistant stage manager Alvin Williams Master carpenter Wim Kuyper Second master ca rpenter Dimitri de Groot Lighting supervisor Jan Koremans Wardrobe supervisor Robby Duiveman Wardrobe assistant Krystyna Peda Makeup Ilona Wozniak Special effects/props Niek Gersen Production ma nager Dein Schmidt Tour coordinator Ellen Uerz Les Talens Lorraine Villermaux Lyriques staff Benoit Thivel Dutch National Opera Staff (De Nederlandse Opera) Chorus Artistic Director Winfried Maczewski Direction Chorus Administrator Bridget Kievits Artistic Director Pierre Audi Artistic Administrator Peter de Caluwe General Administrator Truze M. Lodder Dramaturge Klaus Bertisch Principal Conductor Edo de Waart Head of Planning Jaap Mosterd Principal Guest Conductor Hartmut Haenchen Associate Conductor Julian Reynolds Head of Communications Pablo Fernandez DNO counts some 40 artistic and Senior Librarian Ed Versteeg administrative staff members. Economic Policy Coordinator Eva Kolarik 18 Fortune, Virtue, and Love struggle for sovereignty over gods and men in the Prologue. Love wins the day and promises that he will show how far his influence extends that same day. The Roman Emperor Nero is in love with the courtesan Poppea. He wants her to be his wife and to repudiate his lawful spouse, Octavia. Nero's mentor Seneca finds these plans both morally and politically reprehensible. He is ordered to commit suicide as payment for his opposition. Octavia is desperate and decides to have Poppea murdered. She blackmails Otho-Poppea's former lover-and forces him to carry out the murder. Otho calls upon Drusilla, whom he abandoned for Poppea. Torn apart by love and resentment Otho, disguised in Drusilla's cloak, creeps up on Poppea as she sleeps . Her murder is prevented by Love, who promises to ensure that Poppea will be crowned Empress that day. Drusilla 's cloak has been recognized; she is arrested and brought before Nero, who questions her closely. In order to protect Otho she takes th e entire blame upon herself. Otho hears this and reveals the true course of events. Otho is banished from Rome, but Drusilla may go with him as a reward for her proven fidelity. Nero now has sufficient reason to repudiate Octavia and banishes her permanently from Rome. Poppea is crowned Empress. In a euphoric final duet Nero and Poppea sing a hymn honoring their love . Janneke van der Meulen. Translated by Peter Lockwood. \I\/ho', \I\/ho Dutch National Opera (De Nederlandse Opera , policy pursued by the company. I want to build or DNO) was founded in 1946 as a repertory this company into one of the major art institu­ company with a permanent ensemble. As a tour­ tions in the Netherlands. Opera has reached a ing company it gave about 200 performances a crossroad in its history. Al l at once, opera is wit­ year in the four major cities and in the nessing an increasing popularity as well as fac­ provinces. In 1964, the Nederlandse ing a tremendous crisis." DNO is committed to Operastichting was founded, establ ishing the seeking out and encouraging Dutch talent. The stagione system (contracted on a production-by­ company seeks to operate on an international production basis). The company was based in level and is committed to involving Dutch the Amsterdam Stadsschouwburg (Municipal singers, designers, conductors, composers, and Theatre) and performed in other cities. In 1986, directors in th is goal. DNO is cu ltivating an iden­ upon moving to Het Muziektheater on tity as an adventurous, risk-taking institution Waterlooplein, the company was renamed De with an eye on the future, not content to play Nederlandse Opera (DNO). Since 1988, the safe and become a company of 'museum company is jointly run by Pierre Audi (artistic operas.' At DNO, artistic considerations are pa ra­ director) and Truze Lodder (general administra­ mount and take precedent over administrative tor). DNO stands for contrast and diversity and matters. The artistic direction has developed a pursues an adventurous policy. Artistic Director vision which strongly determines the identity of Pierre Audi is building a wide range of repertory, the company. The administrative management is juxtaposing classical with contemporary and at the service of the artistic policy, doing what is well-known with lesser-known works-variety necessary to create a climate where dreams can not for variety's sake, but to emphasize that be realized. Recent seasons have focused on each performance offers the opportunity to dis­ large and complex productions including cover a new facet of opera history. Audi says of Schonberg's Moses und Aron and a complete his task: "I offer the public a coherent vision of cycle of Wagner's Oer Ring des Nibelungen. opera ... a vision which represents my relation to Each season DNO mounts an average of ten this art form as well as my reaction to an existing productions, each of which receives around ten 19 \/\/bo', \/\/bo performances in Het Muziektheater. In addition /I mercato di Malmantile (Cimarosa), Armida to these regular productions, DNO also stages abbandonata (Jommelli), Antigona (Traetta), one or two small-scale productions each yea r in Didone (Cavalli) and Les fetes de Paphos a different venue. These opera-related produc­ (Mondonville) . His discography includes the com­ tions-usually of contemporary works-form an plete harpsichord works by Rameau and Couperin extension of Audi's programming policy. DNO (Gramophone Award, Prix Caecilia, Cannes also regularly collaborates on co-productions Classical Award). Recent appearances include with opera houses and festivals outside the Mozart's Mitridate (in Lyon, together with a CD Netherlands, such as Hyperion with the Festival recording at the Chatelet in Paris) , and Handel's D'Autom ne in Paris and the Wiener Festwochen; Giulio Cesare (Montpellier), Serse (Montpellier and Snatched by the Gods/Broken Strings with the Dresden), and Tamerlano (Drottningholm). Current Munich Biennale, and Moses und Aron with the and future engagements include Didone Salzburg Festival (1996). In 1993, at the invita­ (Lausanne and elsewhere), Traetta 's Ippolito e tion of BAM, the production of /I Ritorno d'Ulisse Aricia (Montpellier), Bach's Sl. John Passion in Patria was performed in New York and also in (Turin), Pergolesi's Stabat mater (intemational Sydney in 1999. The world premiere of Louis tour) , Lully's Cadmus et Hermione (Ambronay), Andriessen's/Peter Greenaway's Writing to Cimarosa's /I matrimonio segreto (Theatre des Vermeer (2000) travelled to Adelaide and Champs Elysees) , Handel's Arianna (new New York. production), and Tamer/ana (reprised in Drottningholm). Les Talens Lyriques , an international Baroque ensemble, was founded in 1991 by Christophe Pierre Audi was born in Beirut in 1957 and edu­ Roussel. The group comprises members of a cated there, in Paris , and at Oxford University­ younger generation of Baroque specialists. The Exeter College (1975-78) where he studied name refers to a work of the