Opera in three acts by Christoph Willibald von Gluck (1714-87)
Libretto: Ranieri de' Calzabigi, translated into French by Pierre Louis Moline
First Performance: 2 August 1774, Paris (The original Italian version was first performed on 5 October 1762 in Vienna)
CAST
Orphée
- Magdalena Kozená
Eurydice - Madeline Bender
Amour - Patricia Petibon
Monteverdi Choir
Orchestre Revolutionnaire et Romantique
Conductor- John Eliot Gardiner
Directed by Robert Wilson
Recorded live at the Théatre du Châtelet, Paris, during August 1999
Sung in French with English sub-titles
Synopsis
Introduction
On the wedding day of her daughter, Eurydice is bitten by a snake and dies. Amour brings Orphée the news of her death. Orphée however does not want to resign to his fate.
Act One
The friends bid their final farewells at Eurydice's grave. They carry wreaths made of flowers and myrtle. Orphée mourns the death of his wife and asks his friends to leave him alone for a while. With all his might he wishes Eurydice back again, and he is prepared to go down to the underworld himself. Amour, the god of love, appears and brings him a message from the gods: Orphée may bring his wife back to life from the world of the dead. He is however forbidden to look Eurydice in the eyes and to mention this pact. Otherwise she shall be doomed to eternal death.
Act Two (Scene One - Entrance to the underworld)
The furies and spirits try to frighten Orphée be performing an eerie dance. He seeks their mercy. Yet the shadows only slowly relent to his cries. Finally they clear the way to Elysium.
Act Two (Scene Two - The Elysian fields)
In Elysium Orphée meets the blessed spirits and learns that Eurydice is amongst the dead. They awaken her from her state of peace and lead her to Orphée.
Act Three
Without looking at her, Orphée leads Eurydice through a labyrinth of cliffs. Yet his strange behaviour leads Eurydice to doubt her husband. And since Orphée doesn't speak to her or look at her, she decides to stay in the world of the dead. Orphée can no longer endure the agony, and he turns around to face her. At the same moment Eurydice falls dead to the ground. In his despair Orphée wants to kill himself. Yet Amour prevents him from doing this and as a reward for his great love, Orphée can awaken Eurydice to life for a second time. Both retun to Orphée's world and praise the might of Amour in the temple of the god of love.
