L'Orfeo

Composer: Monteverdi, Claudio

Librettist/Text Author: Striggio, Alessandro

Conductor: Gardiner, John Eliot

Orchestra: English Baroque Soloists

Chorus: Monteverdi Choir

Apollo: Zanasi, Furio

Caronte / Plutone: Buratto, Gianluca

La Musica / Euridice: Blazikova, Hana

Messaggera: Richardot, Lucile

Ninfa: Dennis, Anna

Orfeo: Adam, Krystian

Pastore I: Fernandez-Rueda, Francisco

Pastore II / Spirito I / Eco: Treseder, Gareth

Pastore III: Czerniawski, Michal

Pastore IV / Spirito III: Ward, John Taylor

Proserpina: Boncompagni, Francesca

Speranza: Kim, Kangmin Justin

Spirito II: Wilder, Zachary

Costume Designer: De Sabata, Isabella

Costume Designer: Hofstede, Patricia

Lighting Designer: Fisher, Rick

Stage Director: Gardiner, John Eliot

Stage Director: Rooke, Elsa

Television Director: Glas, Sebastian

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Date of Production: 06-2017

Venue: Teatro La Fenice, Venice

Playing Time: 01:59:16

Catalogue Number: OA1347D

UPC: 809478013471

Libretto

L'Orfeo EN

L'Orfeo IT

Synopsis

L'Orfeo

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The history books tell us that L'Orfeo was one of the earliest surviving operas, and the most frequently performed of its era. Monteverdi and his librettist called it a 'fable in music', one which re-enacts the famous story of Orpheus who descends to the underworld in an attempt to bring his dead bride, Eurydice, back to life.

His journey through Hades proves fruitless, as, being unable to resist looking back at Eurydice as she follows him back to the living world he thus inadvertently condemns her to return to the world of the dead. Orpheus su?ers, loses himself in the violence of grief, grows and fnally comes to a new and deeper understanding of himself.

L'Orfeo is a magical introduction to Monteverdi's probing investigation of human nature, character and desire by means of music.