"Baroque before: In this anthology of music centred on the figure of the Emperor Nero, the tyrant of the title, the central tracks are devoted to a selection from Monteverdi's Poppea. There's a very wide range of moods on this recording, all splendidly encompassed by Kate Lindsey, with a little help from Nardus Williams and Andrew Staples (one track each) and, more substantially, from Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen ... The various works are arranged in roughly chronological order of Nero's life ... but the arrangement works much better than might be imagined. If the Monteverdi and the work of the young Handel steal the show, the other pieces are well worth hearing in such fine performances".