Publisher's Synopsis
This book analyses the story of Nero and Octavia, as dramatically told in the pseudo-Senecan Octavia, and its transformations in (early) modern opera and related pieces of other performative genres. In a close examination of the libretto (and dramatic) texts, the impact of this fascinating story is shown from the beginning of historical opera. The volume is therefore of relevance to literary scholars as well as to readers interested in the history of opera.
