L'incoronazione di Poppea (The Coronation of Poppea)
by Claudio Monteverdi | libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello
Cara Consilvio, guest stage director
Gary Thor Wedow, conductor
The Coronation of Poppea, is a darkly entertaining Baroque opera filled with lust, betrayal, intrigue, conspiracy, and passion. The opera follows the courtesan, Poppea, and the corrupt and heartless emperor, Nero, as they scheme to be together and dethrone Nero’s current wife, Octavia, so Poppea can be queen. Across three acts, Monteverdi weaves a web of interpersonal dramas, affairs, and power struggles that reveal the selfishness, greed, ambition, and desire at the heart of human nature. The Coronation of Poppea features some of the most transcendently beautiful music in all of opera, with characterization and emotional intensity that still feels strikingly modern today. As one of the first operatic masterpieces, it remains a compelling portrait of passion, ambition, and humanity’s excess.
Proudly supported by Ideastream Public Media, official media partner of Oberlin's Artist Recital Series and Opera Theater productions.
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TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets will go on sale September 1, 2026
Reserved Seats $15 ($10 for students, faculty, staff, military & seniors)
For assistance in purchasing tickets, please contact Oberlin College Central Ticket Service.
This fully-staged production of Oberlin Opera Theater will be presented in four performances, March 4 through 6 at 8pm and March 7 at 2pm. Sung in Italian with English supertitles. Estimated Run Time: 3 hours with one intermission.
