To become Empress of Rome, the courtesan Poppaea will stop at nothing. A mistress of Emperor Nero, she removes every obstacle in her path to the throne. At the cost of breaking with her lover Otho, the enforced suicide of the philosopher Seneca, and the repudiation of the Empress Octavia, she ultimately achieves her goal: Poppaea marries Nero.

What might have been a mere celebration of amorality instead becomes, through Monteverdi’s music, a hymn to overwhelming desire and an exaltation of humanity trapped in its own contradictions. Monteverdi’s final opera is also the first great masterpiece of the genre, strikingly modern despite being four centuries old.

Opera in a prologue and three acts, with a libretto by Giovanni Francesco Busenello, based on the Annals of Tacitus, first performed in Venice in 1642–1643.

Concert in Italian, with French and English surtitles.

First part : 1h20

Intermission

Second part : 1h15

PRESTIGE VIP CATEGORY : Best seats in house, you will receive a complimentary programme and a glass of champagne.

PRESTIGE CATEGORY : Excellent seats, you will receive a complimentary programme and a glass of champagne.

CORPORATE GROUP RATE : for more information, please refer to our page dedicated to works councils and groups.

REDUCED GROUP RATE : available for groups of more than 10 people, excluding corporate offers.

In case of any technical problem, the box office service remains available to complete your order by phone at +33 (0)1 30 83 78 89 (Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm) or in our box office-shop (3 bis rue des Réservoirs, 78000 Versailles ; Monday-Friday from 11am to 6pm, and on Saturdays with concerts or shows except during the Musical Fountains Shows, from 2pm to 5pm).

To ensure the best welcome possible, people with limited mobility are advised to book their seats by telephone.