Claudio Monteverdi

A recent east coast premiere of 'The Comet / Poppea,' presented by Curtis Opera Theatre, was a reminder of how Philadelphia has become a new epicenter for bold contemporary opera.

As he prepares for the east coast premiere of 'The Comet / Poppea' at Curtis Opera Theatre, visionary director Yuval Sharon talks about his bracing new book, and his vision for enlivening the art form.

Monteverdi stood on the divide between two great musical periods, the Renaissance and the Baroque. His Vespers illustrates a mastery at blending the new with the old in a way that's coherent, expressive and moving, especially in John Eliot Gardiner's atmospheric recording made in Venice.