Details

Rossi's Orpheus is one of several operatic versions of this enduring classic myth At the centre is Orpheus, who uses his musical gifts to try to win his beloved Eurydice back from Hades. Torment, jealousy and the intervention of the gods are also part of this engrossing drama in which the spurned lover Aristaeus turns to madness, while the devoted lover Orpheus earns a place among the stars. Once again, the period and candlelit setting of the Sam Wanamaker Theatre are ideally suited to this Baroque opera, first staged in Paris in 1647. When the opera was given its premiere at the Palais Royal, it drew much admiration, not least for its wealth of duets and ensembles alongside inventive and delightful arias. Rossi composed an ever-shifting musical mosaic to match the interweaving comic and tragic strands of the story. Performed in English.

Cast/Performers

Louise Alder (Eurydice), Mary Bevan (Orpheus), Caitlin Hulcup (Aristeus), Philip Smith (Charon / Endymion), Keri Fuge (Cupid), Sky Ingram (Venus), Mark Milhofer (Momus / Old Woman / Jupiter), Verena Gunz (Aegea), Lauren Fagan (First Grace / First Fate / Himeneo), Jennifer Davis (Second Grace / Second Fate), Emily Edmonds (Third Grace / Third Fate)

Creatives/Company

Music: Luigi Rossi
Producer(s): Shakespeare's Globe, Royal Opera
Director: Keith Warner
Conductor: Christian Curnyn
Design: Nicky Shaw
Choreographer: Karl Schreiner
Translation: Christopher Cowell
Company(s): Orchestra of Early Opera Company, Orchestra of Early Opera Company