Monteverdi and Berg Operas Address Violence and War in Paris

Two opera productions in Paris, Monteverdi's "Il Nerone" (L'Incoronazione di Poppea) and Berg's "Wozzeck", confront themes of violence and mortality, with performances dedicated to victims of the war in Ukraine. "Il Nerone", directed by Alain Françon with musical direction by Vincent Dumestre, runs at the Théâtre de l'Athénée-Louis-Jouvet in Paris until March 12, 2022, then travels to the Opéra de Dijon (March 20–26) and Maison de la culture d'Amiens (April 1). The production features young singers from the Académie de l'Opéra de Paris, including Marine Chagnon as Poppea, Alejandro Baliñas Vieites as Seneca, and Fernando Escalona as Nero. Dumestre uses a reduced orchestral ensemble of ten musicians and minimalist staging. "Wozzeck", directed by William Kentridge with musical direction by Susanna Mälkki, runs at the Opéra Bastille in Paris until March 30, 2022. Kentridge's staging incorporates charcoal drawings, silent films, and a set of piled furniture, projecting a military map of the Ypres region and a nuclear cloud. The cast includes Johan Reuter as Wozzeck, Eva-Maria Westbroek as Marie, and John Daszak as the Drum Major. Performances are dedicated to Ukrainian war victims, symbolized by a blue-and-yellow armband worn by the cast. The article by Emmanuel Daydé in Art Press links both operas to contemporary conflict, describing them as explorations of power, madness, and tragedy.