Orpheus

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Image courtesy of Gran Teatre del Liceu

Countess artists over the centuries have been fascinated by the character of Orpheus, whose seductively powerful singing enabled him to enter the underworld to save his beloved Euridice.

The legend, an insuperable example of constancy in love and the power of music, is ideal for any musical drama. This has prompted René Jacobs to propose a journey spanning three seasons during which we will visit the same myth through the music of Telemann, Gluck and Monteverdi.

Telemann's version, premiered in Hamburg in 1726, is considered the finest German opera of the first half of the 18th century and the composer's own best work. Because it includes passages in different languages (German, French and Italian), it was long considered a pastiche and the score remained in oblivion at Wisentheid Castle for centuries until rediscovered only 25 years ago.

In this partially dramatized version, René Jacobs will highlight its dramatic qualities and the refined psychological nuances conveyed by the music, while uncovering the secrets of this synthesis of different styles and schools of composition.

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