My preference in the Renaissance/Baroque repertoires has -for the past 40 years or so- been in the HIP and period instrument camp. However, this performance (or the excerpts presented) simply demands to be enjoyed at any level!Research informs me that Bruno Maderna, conductor, composer and arranger, had conducted (what I believe was) his own orchestration of Il Ritorno d’Ulisse at the Holland Festival in 1966. It was therefore entirely appropriate for him to follow up with Poppea at La Scala the following year. I’m not sure if the version is his own but it (and Maderna’s conducting) ticks all the lyrical and dramatic boxes without feeling outrageously out-of-style. Each member of his cast -and what a cast!- gives us the feeling of Something Special, both in Monteverdi’s best opera [yes, I know that some of the music is not actually his!] and in their performances.Bumbry, Gencer and Lane: how does one encompass their individually-fabulous renderings of Monteverdi? Their vocal excellence and opulence can be taken for granted – whether in Gencer’s imperious, wronged empress, wringing every drop of heartbreak from her two solos, or Lane’s gentle, caring, unusually-young Arnalta, in whose lullaby time seems to be suspended. Grace Bumbry’s gorgeous-toned Poppea rightly dominates Nero and his court and the singer rightly seems to be having a great time! More than all this, though, is their total identification with the drama (and let’s not forget what a cracking libretto Busenello gave to the composer). However, the point of most interest here, even for those not particularly enthusiastic about the early-Baroque repertoire, will be the controversial casting of Giuseppe Di Stefano as Nero, a somewhat weird idea perhaps comparable to that of Jon Vickers in Paris in 1978. Being 1967, will “Pippo” be straining (I asked myself)? Will we just get a bland, uninteresting character-study, with the tenor content to simply pour out what remained of his signature generous, exciting tones, as though he were singing a bel canto or spinto role? Will it even be worth listen to Di Stefano in such a context? Well, I’m delighted to report that, even though he agreed to perform for only two nights out of the planned run of five, he rises to the occasion in excellent voice and -complimenting the principal women- presents a marvellously dramatic and lyrical Nero, with no straining...just the occasional tightness which would not have been there ten years before. A wholly admirable assumption of perhaps the last role in which you would expect to see Giuseppe Di Stefano -BRAVO!Even though we only get extended excerpts here, this is a very exciting addition to the Monteverdi historical bag – don’t miss it...PLEASE don’t miss it!Thanks, Andy, for your wonderful new free streaming goodies and ‘Coming Soon’ selection of complete if as yet unedited tasters...just priceless!