Orfeo - Glimpse the origins of opera with conductor John Eliot Gardiner, who brings his “relentless intelligence and audacity” (Guardian, U.K.) to what is widely considered the first great work in the opera repertoire. Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo places the tragic Greek lovers Orpheus and Eurydice in an entirely new sound world, taking the dramatic arc of their myth to new heights of emotion.
The Return of Ulysses - The Monteverdi Choir and founding director John Eliot Gardiner represent “the best of the early-music movement in England” (New York Times). In this semi-staged performance, The Return of Ulysses portrays the moving conclusion of Homer’s Odyssey, in which Monteverdi highlights the essential humanity of Ulysses amongst quarrelling gods, scheming servants, and conniving courtiers.
The Coronation of Poppea - Monteverdi’s surprising operatic swan song, The Coronation of Poppea, is a celebration of carnal love and ambition triumphing at the expense of reason and morality. John Eliot Gardiner and the Monteverdi Choir bring this early opera to life in a semi-staged performance, including the earliest version of a great diva scena by the self-proclaimed “despised queen,” Ottavia.
Part of the White Light Festival 2017
