{"id":115930,"date":"2025-07-11T13:44:05","date_gmt":"2025-07-11T17:44:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=115930"},"modified":"2025-07-14T08:00:01","modified_gmt":"2025-07-14T12:00:01","slug":"scrutiny-toronto-summer-music-festival-2025-opens-grand-style-coronation-poppea","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/07\/11\/scrutiny-toronto-summer-music-festival-2025-opens-grand-style-coronation-poppea\/","title":{"rendered":"SCRUTINY | Toronto Summer Music 2025 Opens In Grand Style With Coronation Of Poppea"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Cappella
Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo Garc\u00eda-Alarc\u00f3n, conductor, performs Monteverdi\u2019s opera L\u2019incoronazione di Poppea at Toronto Summer Music (Photo: Lucky Tang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Toronto Summer Music: Monteverdi: L\u2019incoronazione di Poppea (concert performance)\u2028. Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo Garc\u00eda-Alarc\u00f3n, conductor, Soloists\u2028 – Poppea: Sophie Junker\u2028Nerone: Nicol\u00f2 Balducci\u2028Ottavia \/ Virt\u00f9: Mariana Flores\u2028Ottone: Christopher Lowrey\u2028Seneca \/ Console: Edward Grint\u2028Arnalta \/ Nutrice \/ Famigliare 1: Samuel Boden\u2028Fortuna \/ Drusilla: Luc\u00eda Mart\u00edn Cart\u00f3n\u2028Amore \/ Valetto: Juliette Mey\u2028Lucano \/ Soldato 1 \/ Famigliare 2 \/ Tribuno: Valerio Contaldo\u2028Liberto \/ Soldato 2 \/ Tribuno: Riccardo Romeo\u2028Littore \/ Famigliare 3 \/ Console: Yannis Fran\u00e7ois. July 10, 2025, Koerner Hall.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Time flies when you are having fun, as the saying goes\u2026<\/p>\n

It\u2019s hard to believe, but this year\u2019s Toronto Summer Music (July 10 \u2013 August 2) marks its 20th season. It all began in the summer of 2006, when TSM under its Artistic Director Agnes Grossmann launched its first full, four-week Festival, offering a program that featured a mix of home grown talents and celebrated international artists.<\/p>\n

As someone who has been attending TSM events from the very beginning, I can honestly say that it has contributed immeasurably to the musical life of Toronto in the summer months, usually a time of year when concert programming takes a hiatus. With TSM there\u2019s no need to travel out of town for a musical fix. I heard many terrific TSM events that have forever etched in my memory bank.<\/p>\n

Last evening in Koerner Hall, a well attended, highly enthusiastic if not quite full audience witnessed a scintillating concert performance of Monteverdi\u2019s Coronation of Poppea (1643), his last opera and one of a handful of the oldest operatic works still performed today. In fact, this opera was staged by the Canadian Opera Company way back in 1983, starring Carmen Balthrop and Michael Myers as the lovers.<\/p>\n

There are several versions of this piece, all quite lengthy at approximately three hours with one intermission. I am pretty sure the COC production was cut. Therefore, I was surprised to read in the TSM brochure that it was only two hours long, which turned out to be inaccurate. Last evening was quite the marathon, clocking in at three hours 20 minutes! Never mind \u2014 every minute was enjoyable.<\/p>\n

The French troupe, Cappella Mediterranea, currently on tour in North America, made a welcome stop at TSM. A cast of 11n soloists, some tackling multiple roles, brought this early classic to life, supported by 12 musicians, playing on a mix of contemporary and period instruments.<\/p>\n

\"Cappella
Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo Garc\u00eda-Alarc\u00f3n, conductor, performs Monteverdi\u2019s opera L\u2019incoronazione di Poppea at Toronto Summer Music (Photo: Lucky Tang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Concert Performance<\/h3>\n

It was a concert performance with no sets to speak of. But it was decidedly not the \u201cstand and sing\u201d \u2014 or more indelicately coined \u201cpark and bark\u201d \u2014 variety.<\/p>\n

In fact, there was plenty of stage action. We got a cast of young and energetic singers with (mostly) fine voices, totally game when it comes to stage antics. There was literally not a dull moment. They wore character-appropriate attires, nothing too elaborate mind you, with costume changes for those assuming multiple roles.<\/p>\n

\"Cappella
Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo Garc\u00eda-Alarc\u00f3n, conductor, performs Monteverdi\u2019s opera L\u2019incoronazione di Poppea at Toronto Summer Music with soprano Sophie Junker (Poppea) and countertenor Nicolo Balducci (Nero) (Photo: Lucky Tang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Singers<\/h3>\n

For such an early work, Coronation of Poppea has quite a lot of demanding vocal writing, particularly for the women, with vocal lines that go above the stave, albeit no high Cs. All the soloists were up to the task and sang up a storm.<\/p>\n

Kudos to the two leads, soprano Sophie Junker<\/strong> (Poppea) and countertenor Nicolo Balducci<\/strong> (Nero). They had excellent chemistry and the requisite charismatic stage presence. Their love duet was a highlight of the evening.<\/p>\n

Perhaps it\u2019s a bit unfair to single out only one or two in the supporting cast for praise, as I can honestly say that there was not a weak link. That said, I was quite struck by Argentine soprano Mariana Flores<\/strong> for her fierce, in-your-face Ottavia.<\/p>\n

Also noteworthy was the Lucano of Italian tenor\/Tafelmusik soloist Valerio Contaldo<\/strong>. In the crystal-clear acoustics of Koerner Hall, the Cappella Mediterranea, a 12-member chamber ensemble under Music Director Leonardo Garcia-Alarcon, produced truly lovely sounds that was a pleasure to the ear.<\/p>\n

\"Cappella
Cappella Mediterranea, Leonardo Garc\u00eda-Alarc\u00f3n, conductor, take a bow after Monteverdi\u2019s opera L\u2019incoronazione di Poppea at Toronto Summer Music (Photo: Lucky Tang)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A 21st Century Staging<\/h3>\n

While this opera is some 380 years old, the overall feel of this performance is decidedly 21st Century. The staging of this supposedly concert performance begs the question \u2013 can we, or should we, consider this performance historically authentic or accurate?<\/p>\n

While it\u2019s impossible to know for sure what performance practice was like in the 17th century, I rather doubt that a performance nearly four centuries ago would be as dramatically rousing as what we saw last evening. That said, this opera premiered in the Carnival in Venice, so perhaps that there were lots of fun and game for the occasion. We\u2019ll never know!<\/p>\n

In any case, the enthusiastic audience last evening lapped it all up, giving the performers huge, repeated, and much deserved ovations at the end. It was a grand start to the 2025 Toronto Summer Music Festival, with plenty more gems for the eyes and ears, until August 2.<\/p>\n