One of the first operatic masterpieces, Monteverdi’s darkly troubling, morally complex depiction of violence and intrigue at the heart of the Roman court was first performed in 1643.

The story of Emperor Nero’s illicit love for his ambitious courtesan Poppea, it contains music and dramatic characterisation that feel strikingly modern. Multi-genre musician and composer Yshani Perinpanayagam conducts, and there is a new English translation of the libretto from poet and classicist Helen Eastman.