Monteverdi: L'incoronazione di Poppea - Seneca's death

Seneca is ordered to commit suicide by Nero, his students beg him not to, but he is convinced that it is time to put into practice the virtuous behaviour he has preached. Matti Salminen sings Seneca in this extract from Jean-Pierre Ponnelle's film of L'incoronazione di Poppea conducted by Nikolaus Harnoncourt.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Matti
• Salminen
• Monteverdi
• Seneca
• L'incoronazione
• di
• Poppea
• Jean-Pierre
• Ponnelle
• Harnoncourt
• basso
• profondo

[KrishnaWashburn]

I think that the people who dislike this scene are discounting the fact that this opera is telling the story of Rome's worst decadence. Even the students of Seneca's virtue and ethics are fixated on nothing but life's pleasures, and they misunderstand Seneca's choice. The fact that their trio devolves into total buffo is a perfect illustration of the decadent character that permeates the entire opera.

[CzarDodon]

@KrishnaWashburn true and not only, the period when the opera was written, mid 17th century, was also Venice's declining period, after controlling trade with the east and much of the eastern Mediterranean for several centuries Venice was losing its commercial and political power and gradually turning into the decadent pleasure ground of Europe, full of theatres, gaming houses and brothels, we are only a century and a half from 1797 the abdication of the doge and end of the Serenissima.

[wellbn1]

Seneca è sfottuto fino alla morte: davanti ad un personaggio tanto tronfio i discepoli (educati, al pari di Nerone, da un così gran maestro) non esitano a magnificare la vita lasciando cadere nel ridicolo la sua scelta . Senz'altro il pensiero del Busenello è da identificare in quello dei "famigliari" di Seneca. Tale contrasto si fa poi stridente nella scena successiva che vede il diletto amoroso del valletto (che già nel primo atto aveva insultato Seneca).

[CzarDodon]

@wellbn1 parte della grandezza di questo capolavoro sta nella capacità di presentarci punti di vista diversi, Seneca non perde la sua dignità, Nerone invece cade ancora più nel ridicolo nel duetto con non Luciano (?). Il trionfo dell'amore (della sensualità e lussuria) è anche il trionfo del male ed è questo aparente paradosso che fa di questo uno dei piùgrandi capolavori della musica.

[erar01]

Thera are plenty of opportunities for comic elements in this wonderful opera. But Seneca's death is beautifully composed by Monteverdi and not an occation for joy and dance. The choir that begs Seneca not to commit suicide is absolutely ridiculous and ruins the moment.

[CzarDodon]

I think you are misinterpreting this scene, when they dance they are trying (read the text) to convince Seneca of the joys of life "questa vita è dolce troppo" and anyhow the joy and dance is in the music itself. I believe Monteverdi was aiming exactly for this contrast. We could indeed argue that Seneca is too weary of the world and his friends are simply incapable of getting that message through: contrast between life and death, both of which are legitimate visions depending where we stand.

[Ocendesert]

This is the best aria in the whole opera; I saw this in the Netherlands last year and I wept openly in the Stopera. Seneca's stoic death and the friends who don't want to die...such tragi-comedy resonates deeply

[aldiboronti]

@CzarDodon I agree. The joy and vitality of life is conveyed brilliantly through the music, contrasting with the chill and funereal tones of Seneca, which seem to issue from the crypt itself. Few if any peces of music contrast so vividly Life and Death.

[Salamon2]

@erar01 I view it as a liberty akin to Shakespeare's later plays (Pericles, The Winter's Tale, The Tempest, and Cymbeline). In both cases the authors are trying to create "new genres" and they're doing so by reaching for archetypical truths & by mixing already existing genres to create something new. The contrast between the mixing of "genres" is experimental and supposed to jar us out of our set definitions in order to try and express something new. That's what I think at least. :-)

[hugodraslik]

Salminen is a wonderful singer. Totally relaxed Seneca, not as dramatic and powerful as Tadeo, but just a calm wise man...

[lavl1234]

I hope that one day someone will post the Leppard/Peter Hall version of this scene. It is magnificent.

[steel18]

Thank you very much for" sharing your Lifetime"(Seneca :) uploading this incredible performance.

I really appreciate!!!

[Graoutine]

Staging at its best.