Inside the Music
I Grotteschi

The new diptych I Grotteschi merges Claudio Monteverdi’s three surviving operas – L’Orfeo, Il ritorno d'Ulisse in patria and L'incoronazione di Poppea – into a poignant family saga. Over the course of two months, this project will open up La Monnaie to the charms of late Renaissance and early baroque music. What exactly makes this repertoire so unique? Why is a distinct, expert ensemble needed to perform it? How did Monteverdi come to be known as the father of opera? And in a ‘historically informed performance’, what exactly is historically informed and what is performance?

Conductor Leonardo García Alarcón has established himself as an international authority on early and baroque music thanks to his intense and often daring interpretations. During this accessible lecture, he will address the above questions as he guides you through the score of I Grotteschi on the harpsichord. This event will conclude with a drink.