`CORONATION' A CROWNING ACHIEVEMENT IN OPERA.

Byline: David Mermelstein Correspondent

If ``Hansel and Gretel'' is an opera to take the kids to, Monteverdi's ``The Coronation of Poppea,'' which opened Saturday night at the Los Angeles Opera, is definitely adults-only.

Loosely based on history, it tells of the love affair between the Roman emperor Nero and Poppea, his social-climbing mistress.

And in Pierre Audi's production -- new to L.A., but much traveled since its 1994 premiere -- this early opera, first performed in 1643, gets the kind of riveting treatment we wish all music dramas received.

Audi's staging, minimalist save for Emi Wada's gaudy costumes, eschews an overwhelming directorial conceit and instead emphasizes Gian Francesco Busenello's libretto and Monteverdi's hypnotic score. In truth, there is dispute as to how much of this music is by Monteverdi, though the majority seems to be. In any event, the orchestration is a matter of conjecture, given the scant materials surviving from the period of its composition.

But without a cast capable of accomplishing the director's worthy goals, his efforts wouldn't much matter. Happily, Audi has struck gold with the glittering singers assembled, led by the much-adored mezzo-soprano Susan Graham in her L.A. Opera stage debut. Graham's impassioned portrayal of Poppea -- not too scheming, but no pushover, either -- is consistently riveting, her rich, amber-hued voice a constant pleasure.

As her lover, tenor Kurt Streit offers a Nero more interested in sex than violence. A strapping presence, Streit sings with commensurate vigor, something essential when performing this role opposite a singer as formidable as Graham.

But thanks to Audi, this Nero is not just a stock he-man. In one of the production's most indelible moments, Streit sings a paean to passion while pawing his pal Lucano (tenor Nicholas Phan) in a duet of mutual attraction.

The cuckold here is Ottone, a role debut for countertenor David Daniels, who has made Nero a signature part in recent years. Yet he is ideal for Ottone and invests the role with deep feeling, made all the more touching thanks to the seamlessness of his singing and the perfect placement of his unusual voice.

Mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade sang one of the leads in the last production Audi brought to L.A. Opera, ``The Return of Ulysses,'' also by Monteverdi, a decade ago. Since then, her voice has understandably aged, but what it lacks in suppleness, von Stade makes up for in dramatic expression as Ottavia, Nero's spurned wife.

As Seneca, the stoic philosopher forced to commit suicide for offending Nero, bass Reinhard Hagen brings to the stage a gripping fatefulness, as well as an earth-shaking voice.

Even in small parts, this cast consistently wows. In addition to Phan, tenor Keith Jameson (as Valletto, a page) also appears to a have a bright future before him. And including accomplished singers like soprano Christine Brandes and mezzo-soprano Jill Grove in minor roles is pure luxury casting.

They are all partnered by outstanding work from the pit, which is largely visible in this production -- a move without which the audience could not hear the small number of players required for this opera. Led by Harry Bicket, a specialist in opera from before Mozart's time, the playing -- nearly all on period instruments -- emerges as alchemic, supporting and elevating the stage drama while never diluting our focus from it.

THE CORONATION OF POPPEA - Four stars

What: L.A. Opera presents Pierre Audi's production of Monteverdi's opera of love and (attempted) murder in ancient Rome.

Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.

When: 7 p.m. Thursday and Dec. 7, 13 and 16; 2 p.m. Sunday and Dec. 10.

Tickets: $30 to $220. [phone]. www.laopera.com.

In a nutshell: With an emphasis on text and music, and an all-star cast to beat the band, Audi's production, even at nearly four hours, is not to be missed.