For those who have become accustomed to Claudio Monteverdi as rendered by early music specialists, this performance will likely come as quite a shock. The orchestration is completely reimagined and unapologetically romantic. The drawback of this approach is that the singers lack the same kind of rhythmic freedom they would have enjoyed with continuo accompaniment alone. Yet after the initial stylistic surprise, the romantic treatment proves unexpectedly persuasive, ultimately drawing out the intensely sexual energy between Nerone and Poppea.

Giuseppe Di Stefano finds a comfortable fit for his voice as Nerone. By the late 1960s, his top notes were becoming somewhat unreliable, and the lower range of the role relieves him of that burden while still allowing ample opportunity to invest the music with the same emotional charge he brought to his finest roles. Grace Bumbry makes an alluring Poppea, conveying a woman who relishes her agency. Leyla Gencer, as Ottavia, brings a touch of verismo to the 17th century, which goes a long way toward conveying the character’s anguish. Sadly, Seneca’s music is not included in this collection of highlights.