Orfeo (Rossi)
Encyclopedia
Orfeo is an opera
in three acts, a prologue and an epilogue by the Italian
composer Luigi Rossi. The libretto
, by Francesco Buti, is based on the myth of Orpheus
and Eurydice
. Orfeo was first performed at the Palais-Cardinal, Paris
on 2 March 1647. It was one of the earliest operas to be staged in France
.
, for Rome
. This aroused the interest of Cardinal Mazarin, then regent for the young king of France Louis XIV, who was eager to bring Italian culture to Paris. In 1646 Mazarin hired Rossi to write an opera for the Paris carnival
the following year. During his stay in France, Rossi learnt that his wife, Costanza, had died and the grief he felt influenced the music he was writing. The premiere was given a magnificent staging, with scenery by Giovan Battista Balbi. It required 200 men to work the theatrical machinery, designed by Giacomo Torelli
. The performance, which lasted six hours, was a triumph. However, Rossi proved to be a victim of his own success. The expense of the performance was just one of many reasons stoking popular discontent against Cardinal Mazarin which soon broke out into full-scale rebellion (the Fronde
). When Rossi returned to Paris in December, 1647, he found his patron had fled and his services were no longer required.
will be turned into constellations.
. He ends by wishing the young King Louis a long life.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts, a prologue and an epilogue by the Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
composer Luigi Rossi. The libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
, by Francesco Buti, is based on the myth of Orpheus
Orpheus
Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who...
and Eurydice
Eurydice
Eurydice in Greek mythology, was an oak nymph or one of the daughters of Apollo . She was the wife of Orpheus, who loved her dearly; on their wedding day, he played joyful songs as his bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr saw and pursued Eurydice, who stepped on a venomous snake,...
. Orfeo was first performed at the Palais-Cardinal, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
on 2 March 1647. It was one of the earliest operas to be staged in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Background and performance history
Rossi had already written one opera, Il palazzo incantatoIl palazzo incantato
Il palazzo incantato or Il Palagio d’Atlante, o vero La guerriera amante is an opera in a prologue and three acts by the Italian composer Luigi Rossi. The libretto, by Giulio Rospigliosi, is based on Ariosto's Orlando furioso...
, for Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. This aroused the interest of Cardinal Mazarin, then regent for the young king of France Louis XIV, who was eager to bring Italian culture to Paris. In 1646 Mazarin hired Rossi to write an opera for the Paris carnival
Paris Carnival
The Paris Carnival is a carnival in the city of Paris in France. It occurs after the Feast of Fools and has been held since the sixteenth century or earlier, with a long 20th century interregnum.-History of Carnival in Paris:...
the following year. During his stay in France, Rossi learnt that his wife, Costanza, had died and the grief he felt influenced the music he was writing. The premiere was given a magnificent staging, with scenery by Giovan Battista Balbi. It required 200 men to work the theatrical machinery, designed by Giacomo Torelli
Giacomo Torelli
Giacomo Torelli was the most important set designer of the middle of the seventeenth century. Born in 1608 in the town of Fano, the year of Giulio Parigi’s work on Il Giudizio di Paride in Florence, Torelli was of noble birth. His work in stage design was extensively engraved and hence survives...
. The performance, which lasted six hours, was a triumph. However, Rossi proved to be a victim of his own success. The expense of the performance was just one of many reasons stoking popular discontent against Cardinal Mazarin which soon broke out into full-scale rebellion (the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
). When Rossi returned to Paris in December, 1647, he found his patron had fled and his services were no longer required.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast |
|---|---|---|
| Orfeo/La vittoria (Orpheus Orpheus Orpheus was a legendary musician, poet, and prophet in ancient Greek religion and myth. The major stories about him are centered on his ability to charm all living things and even stones with his music; his attempt to retrieve his wife from the underworld; and his death at the hands of those who... /Victory) |
castrato Castrato A castrato is a man with a singing voice equivalent to that of a soprano, mezzo-soprano, or contralto voice produced either by castration of the singer before puberty or one who, because of an endocrinological condition, never reaches sexual maturity.Castration before puberty prevents a boy's... (contralto Contralto Contralto is the deepest female classical singing voice, with the lowest tessitura, falling between tenor and mezzo-soprano. It typically ranges between the F below middle C to the second G above middle C , although at the extremes some voices can reach the E below middle C or the second B above... ) |
Atto Melani Atto Melani Atto Melani was a famous Italian castrato opera singer, also employed as a diplomat and a spy.-Life:... |
| Euridice (Eurydice Eurydice Eurydice in Greek mythology, was an oak nymph or one of the daughters of Apollo . She was the wife of Orpheus, who loved her dearly; on their wedding day, he played joyful songs as his bride danced through the meadow. One day, a satyr saw and pursued Eurydice, who stepped on a venomous snake,... ) |
soprano Soprano A soprano is a voice type with a vocal range from approximately middle C to "high A" in choral music, or to "soprano C" or higher in operatic music. In four-part chorale style harmony, the soprano takes the highest part, which usually encompasses the melody... |
Anna Francesca Costa |
| Aristeo (Aristaeus Aristaeus A minor god in Greek mythology, which we read largely through Athenian writers, Aristaeus or Aristaios , "ever close follower of the flocks", was the culture hero credited with the discovery of many useful arts, including bee-keeping; he was the son of Apollo and the huntress Cyrene... ) |
castrato (soprano) | Marc'Antonio Pasqualini Marc'Antonio Pasqualini thumb|right|200px| Marcantonio Pasqualini Crowned by Apollo by [[Andrea Sacchi]].Marc'Antonio Pasqualini was an Italian castrato opera singer who performed during the Baroque period. He has been described as "the leading male soprano of his day"... |
| Giove (Jupiter) | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Jacopo Melani |
| Giunone (Juno Juno (mythology) Juno is an ancient Roman goddess, the protector and special counselor of the state. She is a daughter of Saturn and sister of the chief god Jupiter and the mother of Mars and Vulcan. Juno also looked after the women of Rome. Her Greek equivalent is Hera... ) |
soprano | Margherita Costa |
| Pluto/Augure (an augur Augur The augur was a priest and official in the classical world, especially ancient Rome and Etruria. His main role was to interpret the will of the gods by studying the flight of birds: whether they are flying in groups/alone, what noises they make as they fly, direction of flight and what kind of... ) |
bass | Alessandro Cecconi |
| Proserpina (Proserpine) | castrato (soprano, travesti) | Domenico Dal Pane |
| Himeneo/Sospetto (Hymenaeus Hymenaeus Hymenaeus may refer to one of the following:* Hymenaios, a deity in Greek mythology* Hymenaeus , a heretical teacher in Ephesus* Grady McMurtry, also known as Hymenaeus Alpha... /Suspicion) |
castrato (soprano) | Marc'Antonio Sportonio |
| Caronte (Charon Charon (mythology) In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon is the ferryman of Hades who carries souls of the newly deceased across the rivers Styx and Acheron that divided the world of the living from the world of the dead. A coin to pay Charon for passage, usually an obolus or danake, was sometimes placed in or on... ) |
tenor | Venanzio Leopardi |
| Amore (Cupid Cupid In Roman mythology, Cupid is the god of desire, affection and erotic love. He is the son of the goddess Venus and the god Mars. His Greek counterpart is Eros... ) |
soprano | |
| Venere (Venus) | soprano | Rosina Martini |
| Endimione (Endymion Endymion (mythology) In Greek mythology, Endymion , was variously a handsome Aeolian shepherd or hunter or a king who ruled and was said to reside at Olympia in Elis, but he was also said to reside and was venerated on Mount Latmus in Caria, on the west coast of Asia Minor.... ) |
tenor | |
| Momo (Momus Momus Momus or Momos was in Greek mythology the god of satire, mockery, censure, writers, poets; a spirit of evil-spirited blame and unfair criticism. His name is related to , meaning 'blame' or 'censure'. He is depicted in classical art as lifting a mask from his face.-In classical literature:Hesiod... ) |
tenor | |
| Bacco (Bacchus Dionysus Dionysus was the god of the grape harvest, winemaking and wine, of ritual madness and ecstasy in Greek mythology. His name in Linear B tablets shows he was worshipped from c. 1500—1100 BC by Mycenean Greeks: other traces of Dionysian-type cult have been found in ancient Minoan Crete... ) |
soprano (breeches role Breeches role A breeches role is a role in which an actress appears in male clothing .In opera it also refers to any male character that is sung and acted by a female singer... ) |
|
| Satiro (satyr Satyr In Greek mythology, satyrs are a troop of male companions of Pan and Dionysus — "satyresses" were a late invention of poets — that roamed the woods and mountains. In myths they are often associated with pipe-playing.... ) |
baritone Baritone Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or... |
|
| Nutrice (nurse) | castrato (soprano, travesti) | |
| La gelosia (Jealousy) | contralto | |
| Mercurio (Mercury) | castrato (contralto) | |
| Apollo Apollo Apollo is one of the most important and complex of the Olympian deities in Greek and Roman mythology... |
castrato (contralto) | |
| Una vecchia (old woman) | tenor (travesti) | |
| Le grazie the three Graces Three Graces The term The Three Graces may refer to:* Charites, known in Greek mythology as The Three Graces, goddesses of such things as charm, beauty, and creativity... |
sopranos | Marc'Antonio Sportonio, Domenico Dal Pane, (not reported) |
| Le parche (the three Parcae Parcae thumb|#00px|Early 16th-century [[millefleur tapestry]] depicting the Three Fates under their Greek namesIn Roman mythology, the Parcae were the personifications of destiny, often called The Fates in English. Their Greek equivalent were the Moirae. They controlled the metaphorical thread of life of... ) |
two sopranos and one contralto | Marc'Antonio Sportonio, Domenico Dal Pane, (not reported) |
Prologue
The French armies win a glorious battle. Victory predicts France will triumph over evil just as Orpheus triumphed over the powers of the underworld.Act One
Orpheus and Eurydice are due to be married. But when Eurydice's father, Endymion, takes auguries they forebode trouble. Aristaeus is unhappily in love with Eurydice and calls on the goddess Venus for aid. She tells him the marriage cannot be stopped but she will do her best to seduce Orpheus and Eurydice away from one another. As the wedding takes place, the torches suddenly go out, another evil omen.Act Two
Venus, dressed as an old woman, tries to persuade Eurydice to love Aristaeus, but she is inflexible. Cupid betrays his mother, Venus's, schemes to Orpheus and he rushes off to warn Eurydice. But Eurydice is bitten by a snake as she is dancing and dies.Act Three
The grieving Orpheus sets off to rescue Eurydice from the underworld. Eurydice's ghost drives Aristaeus mad and he commits suicide. The goddess Juno persuades Proserpine, the wife of Pluto (the king of the underworld), that she should be jealous of Eurydice's beauty and allow her to return to the land of the living with Orpheus. Proserpine persuades Pluto to release Eurydice and he does so on condition that Orpheus does not turn round to look at her before they have reached the upper world. Orpheus fails in this task and loses Eurydice again. In his grief, he seeks only death but Jupiter appears to tell him he, Eurydice and his lyreLyre
The lyre is a stringed musical instrument known for its use in Greek classical antiquity and later. The word comes from the Greek "λύρα" and the earliest reference to the word is the Mycenaean Greek ru-ra-ta-e, meaning "lyrists", written in Linear B syllabic script...
will be turned into constellations.
Epilogue
Mercury explains that Orpheus's lyre represents the fleur-de-lys of France. The transformation of Orpheus and Eurydice into constellations is a symbol of the ResurrectionResurrection
Resurrection refers to the literal coming back to life of the biologically dead. It is used both with respect to particular individuals or the belief in a General Resurrection of the dead at the end of the world. The General Resurrection is featured prominently in Jewish, Christian, and Muslim...
. He ends by wishing the young King Louis a long life.
Recordings
- Orfeo Agnès Mellon, Monique Zanetti, Sandrine PiauSandrine PiauSandrine Piau is an opera soprano. Trained as a harpist, she studied voice at the Collège Lamartine and the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique du Paris....
, Les Arts FlorissantsLes Arts Florissants (ensemble)Les Arts Florissants is a Baroque musical ensemble in residence at the Théâtre de Caen in Caen, France. The organization was founded by conductor William Christie in 1979. The ensemble derives its name from the 1685 opera by Marc-Antoine Charpentier. The organization consists of a chamber orchestra...
, conducted by William ChristieWilliam Christie (musician)William Lincoln Christie is an American-born French conductor and harpsichordist. He is noted as a specialist in baroque repertoire and as the founder of the ensemble Les Arts Florissants....
(Harmonia Mundi, 1991)
Sources
- The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
- Del Teatro (in Italian)
- Amadeus Online (in Italian)
- Le magazine de l'opéra baroque (in French)
- Booklet notes to the above recording.
- The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera ed. Parker (OUP, 1994)
- Murata, Margaret, Orfeo (ii), in Sadie, Stanley (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Grove (Oxford University Press), New York, 1997, III, pp. 743-744 (ISBN 978-0-19-522186-2)