Department of Theatre and Dance in conjunction with
The School of Music-Opera Theatre
present:
by Claudio Monteverdi
February 9-11 at 7:30
February 12 at 2:00
Pipe Dreams Studio Theatre
Corner of Wood and Oakland
Decatur, IL


(originally scheduled to be performed in Albert Taylor Theatre)
Director
Terry Stone
Music Director/Conductor
Daniel Carberg
Set Designer
Matt Willer
Costume Designer
Stephanie Paradiso
Lighting Designer
Brian Wussow
Cast
 Fortune
soprano
Emilie Stanley
Virtue
soptrano
Allison Novak
Love
soprano
Christina Paul
Poppea
 soprano
Sara Kendall
Rachel Routson
Nerone
soprano
Alexandra Batsios
Victoria Watts
Arnalta
alto
KatherinE Thomson
Ottavia
 soprano
Christina Simonin
Emily Sites
Damigella
alto
Lyndsay Brault
Seneca
bass
Adam Stefo
Valletto
soprano
Emilie Stanley
Athena
soprano
Allison Novak
Drusilla
soprano
Christina Paul
Ottone
bass
DJ Robinson
hans royal-Hedinger
Men's
Ensemble
Tenor
Baritone
Alan Akers
Zachary Devin
Scot Mincey
Sean Stephenson
Crew
 Stage Manager
Courtney Primm  
Assistant Stage Manager
 Amy Seto Musser
Lindsay Binkley
Technical Director
Rob Kovarik 
Asst. Technical Director
Matt Borysewicz
 Production Manager
Sarah May
 Properties Master
 Jenn Flentge
Paint Charge
Megan Stadick 
Costume Director
Jana Henry
Assistant Costumer
Glenda Richardson
Costume crafts
Amanda Koons
Cutter/Draper
Matt Willer
Wardrobe Supervisor
Missy Brassie
Master carpenter
Maggie Crawford
Master Electrician
Kyle Van Sandt
Shop Foreman
Nick Adelsberger
Synopsis
The goddesses Fortune, Virtue, and Love test their relative strengths in Claudio Monteverdi’s mid-seventeenth century operatic masterpiece. The clear winner is Love, in the person of Poppea, whose passionate yet calculating manipulation of the infatuated Emperor Nero enables her to seize the throne and title of Empress of Rome. The great philosopher Seneca and Nero’s first wife Ottavia both find themselves unable to match the sensuous machinations of Poppea as citizens and slaves in first century Rome watch their own fates rise or fall in conjunction with THE CORONATION OF POPPEA.
Notes
It is almost two thousand years since the people and events on which L’incoronazione di Poppea is based lived and acted on the world’s stage. Much has changed, yet sadly a tale in which the leader of the most powerful empire on earth is involved in an extramarital affair, accused of abusing his powers and being out of touch with the needs of the common people still seems to have relevance. The audience for Monteverdi’s opera in mid-seventeenth century Italy would have known their Roman history well enough to be aware of the unpleasant deaths awaiting both Poppea and Nero despite her apparent triumph at the end of the opera. The key to their understanding and enjoyment of events related in the opera takes place in the Prologue, where the goddess Love invites Fortune and Virtue to observe a tale that will illustrate her superiority. The ensuing story, in which the great philosopher and teacher Seneca is forced to commit suicide, empress Octavia is banished from Rome and Poppea’s former love Ottone is sent into exile serves only to illustrate, not justify, the overwhelming power of love in both its physical and psychological manifestations. The opera invites us to observe how physical desire, psychological need, and the possession of “absolute power” can combine to sweep reason and compassion aside in a quest for fulfillment.

Composed in the late 1640s The Coronation of Poppea is Monteverdi’s final opera, and one of his last compositions. At the time of its writing the fledgling art form of opera was barely fifty years old. It had begun as an attempt by a small group of reformers to enhance through rhythm, melody and harmony the emotional content of dramatic texts, to heighten the effect and power of spoken text through it’s musical recitation. Monteverdi was (and still is) considered a master of this new style of vocal writing, now referred to as monody – using supple melodic lines and striking harmonic effects to mirror and reinforce the meaning of the words. At the same time, in response to changing audience preferences, he imported lovely songlike movements and duets into his later works. The Coronation of Poppea is especially rich in duets and larger ensembles.

The widespread preference in seventeenth century Italy for treble (soprano) voice for both heroic and romantic leading roles, whether male or female, creates difficulties for twenty-first century performance. Male sopranos, known as castrati are (thankfully) no longer available to perform these roles, yet if the notes are transposed downward into appropriate ranges for male singers today much of the close harmony and interplay of vocal lines is lost. Our choice for this production is to use the soprano voice for Nerone, as well as Poppea. The couple has four significant scenes together, and the intensity of their dialogue in Monteverdi’s vocal writing rests in great part on the closeness and interweaving of their melodic lines. Additionally, we are adding stylistically appropriate ornaments to vocal lines, in accordance with what is now considered to be standard performance practice for this time period. Tonight you will hear, and we hope enjoy, some of the same improvised additions to vocal lines and phrase endings that a seventeenth century audience would have experienced.
– Terry Stone, Director
Poster
Poster design by Kyle Nelson, '06

Poster photo by Kate Adams, '10