Sunday 1st of November 2009 at 3 - 5.10 pm
COMPOSER
BACKGROUND
UNDERGROUND
SYNOPSIS
LIBRETTO (Italian)
MONTEVERDI: L'Orfeo, an opera in five acts
La Musica/Euridice ....... Emanuela Galli
Orfeo ........................... Mirko Guadagnini
Messaggiera ................. Marina De Liso
Proserpina .................... Cristina Calzolari
Plutone ......................... Matteo Bellotto
Speranza ...................... Josè Lo Monaco
Caronte ........................ Salvo Vitale
Apollo .......................... Vincenzo Di Donato
Ninfa ............................ Francesca Cassinari
Ensemble La Venexiana/Claudio Cavina (Glossa GES 920913-E)
La Favola d'Orfeo (The Fable of Orpheus), music by Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), text by Alessandro Striggio (a friend of Monteverdi; he was at the court of the Duke of Mantua, but not when Rigoletto was there!); it was first performed in 1607, in a tiny theatre in which the audience barely outnumbered the performers.
Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice (1762) had a happy ending, with the couple being reunited and surviving death. Not quite so in Monteverdi's version.
The true fictional myth is this: Orpheus was a poet and singer who could charm wild animals with his beautiful music; by the same means he won the right to bring his dead wife back from Hades, on condition that he would not look at her until they reached the upper world again; in his anxiety (and possibly because of her pleading, not to say nagging, and I won't) he turned around at the last moment, only to see her snatched back to Hades; his grief turned him off women; subsequently and/or consequently he was torn to pieces by maenads (raving raging women) in Thrace; the Muses buried his bits and pieces, at the foot of Mount Olympus. By a remarkable serendipitous coincidence the alleged tomb of Orpheus has recently been found in Bulgaria (where ancient Thrace was). Perhaps. It is a Thracian rock sanctuary, allegedly older than the Egyptian pyramids.
http://international.ibox.bg/news/id_1942829985
We will see what Monteverdi and Striggio did with this sad tale. They were not the first to make it into an opera; the oldest-surviving opera is Peri's Euridice (1600); also Caccini (1602), and Ferrari (1607). But it is affirmed that Monteverdi's Orfeo (1607) is the first real opera, though it might sound like continual recitative with numerous symphonic interludes (as in Wagner's late operas).
Monteverdi's Orfeo
The work begins with a fanfare (for the 'Highnesses' in the audience; in the first instance it was Don Francesco Gonzaga, Duke of Mantua, Monferrato, etc).
Prologue
Musica (Music personified) greets the audience: Dal mio Parnasso amato a voi ne vegno (From my beloved Parnassus I come to you). Later she sings: My desire now is to tell you of Orpheus, who tamed wild beasts with his song, and even constrained Hell (l'inferno) with his pleading.
Act 1
In an Arcadian landscape, nymphs and shepherds celebrate the marriage of Orfeo and Euridice.
His words: Rose of Heaven [reminiscent of Dante's Paradiso]..., Sun who surrounds all and sees all, tell me, did you ever see a more gladsome and fortunate lover than me?
And to her: Happy was the day, my beloved (mio ben) when I first saw you, and happier the hour when I sighed for you, because you sighed in response to my sighs; happy the moment when you gave me your white hand as a pledge of pure faithfulness. Etc .
Her reply: I cannot say how great my bliss is, Orpheus, because of your bliss.
And the chorus continues rejoicing over the arrival of spring and the felicity of Orpheus.
Act 2
Orpheus is in the place of his youth: Ecco pur ch'a voi ritorno, care selve e piagge amate (Behold I return to you, dear woods and beloved hills). He remembers his former sadness, and contrasts that with his present gladness.
The shepherds and nymphs support him, but then a woeful messenger arrives, bemoaning cruel fate and eventually blurting out to Orpheus that his beloved wife is dead. The proverbial snake in the grass had sunk its fangs into her foot.
Orpheus sings: You are dead, my life, yet I am breathing? You have parted from me, nevermore to return, and I remain? No, if my verses have any power at all, I will assuredly go down to the deepest abysses, and having moved the heart of the king of the shades I will lead you back to see again the stars; or if impious destiny denies me this I will remain with you in company of death. Goodbye earth, sky, and sun.
[Orpheus has learned of Eurydice's death (from snake-bite), and he has decided to go to the realm of the dead and bring her back.]Act 3
Orfeo is escorted into the Underworld by Speranza (Hope) and comforted by her; she brings him to the place where the boatman Caronte (Kharon) transports the naked spirits across the Styx river, to the empire of Pluto. The infernal ferryman refuses to take him, since no bodily being is permitted to enter this realm. Caronte is slightly soothed by the singing of Orfeo and is touched by the reason for his journey; when Caronte falls asleep, Orfeo crosses over.
Act 4
Proserpina discusses Orfeo's plight with Plutone (Pluto); she prevails upon her spouse to release Euridice, but his condition is that while Orfeo is making his way out of the abyss, he may not turn round to look at her, for a single glance will condemn him to eternal loss. Proserpina is grateful to him. The spirits rejoice that pity and love have triumphed in Hell.
One spirit describes the scene: 'See the gentle singer leading his wife away to daylight above'. Orfeo praises his lyre for having moved the infernal hearts of stone; but, being uncertain that his beloved is actually following him, he looks back, and loses her. As she disappears she laments her fate.
Orfeo departs, as the spirits declare that Orfeo overcame Hell but was overcome by his passion; only one who overcomes himself is worthy of eternal fame.
Act 5
Back on the plains of Thrace, disconsolate Orfeo seeks consolation in a conversation with Echo, but only receives the last word of each utterance in response: Lament! Enough! Sorrow! (Is he about to be torn to pieces by harpies?)
Then Apollo, who is Orfeo's father, descends in his solar chariot, and admonishes him for giving in to his passions. Orfeo admits that he is immersed in anger and grief. because of his lost love, but he submits to his father's will. Apollo conducts him to the heavenly realm, where he will recognize the beautiful figure of Euridice in the sun and the stars.
Radio New Zealand Concert network
Sunday 15th of June 2008 at 3 - 5.10 pm
MONTEVERDI: L'Orfeo, an opera in a prologue and five acts
La Musica..................... David Cordier
Orfeo............................ Jeremy Ovenden
Euridice......................... Judith van Wanroij
Silvia............................. Tania Kross
Speranza....................... Pascal Bertin
Caronte......................... Alan Ewing
Proserpina..................... Wilke te Brummelstroete
Pluto/Shepherd.............. Panajotis Iconomou
Apollo/Shepherd........... Paul Agnew
Ninfa............................. Ilse Eerens
Concerto Palatino/Stephen Stubbs
(recorded at Netherlands Opera by Radio Netherlands)
Monday 16th of June 2008 at 8 - 10 pm
performance conducted by Jordi Savall
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