L’Orfeo

Semperoper Dresden, Dresden, Germany

Scene 2 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 2

Scene 1 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 7

Scene 3 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 8

Scene 4 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 9

Scene 5 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 10

Scene 6 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 11

Scene 7 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 12

Scene 8 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 13

Scene 9 from the opera "L'Orfeo", photo 14

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Important Info

Type: Opera

City: Dresden, Germany

Starts at: 19:00

Acts: 5

Intervals: 1

Duration: 2h 10min

Sung in: Italian

Titles in: German,English

Cast

Performers

Tenor: Rolando Villazón (Orfeo)

Orchestra: Staatskapelle Dresden

Soprano: Alice Rossi (Euridice)

Chorus: Saxon State Opera Chorus

Conductor: Wolfgang Katschner

Creators

Composer: Claudio Monteverdi

Librettist: Alessandro Striggio the Younger

Staging: Nikolaus Habjan

Overview

Orpheus sings to vanquish death, hoping to save his dead wife from the underworld. And so it is entirely fitting that the history of opera should begin with a work celebrating the power of music.

Orpheus sings to vanquish death, hoping to save his dead wife from the underworld. And so it is entirely fitting that the history of opera should begin with a work celebrating the power of music. The premiere of Claudio Monteverdi’s "L’Orfeo" on 24 February 1607 is regarded as the birth of musical theatre. In the Semperoper, Monteverdi’s opera about the power and impotence of music can now be experienced for the first time in a new production of the original version. The conductor and lutenist Wolfgang Katschner will bring the score to life with an orchestra consisting of members of the Staatskapelle Dresden supported by performers of period instruments from Monteverdi’s time. Director and puppeteer Nikolaus Habjan, a shooting star of the Austrian theatre scene, will stage the work with a mixture of singing actors and life-size puppets.

History

Premiere of this production: 24 February 1607, Carnival season Mantua

L'Orfeo is a late Renaissance/early Baroque favola in musica, or opera, by Claudio Monteverdi, with a libretto by Alessandro Striggio. It is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, and tells the story of his descent to Hades and his fruitless attempt to bring his dead bride Eurydice back to the living world. It was written in 1607 for a court performance during the annual Carnival at Mantua. While Jacopo Peri's Dafne is generally recognised as the first work in the opera genre, and the earliest surviving opera is Peri's Euridice, L'Orfeo is the earliest that is still regularly performed.

Venue Info

Semperoper Dresden - Dresden
Theaterplatz 2

Not only one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world, the Semperoper is renowned both in Germany and abroad for the brilliant star-studded performances by Saxon State Opera as well as numerous international guest artists.

This is the home of the Staatskapelle Dresden, an orchestra which looks back on 460 years of uninterrupted music-making. The State Opera Chorus was founded by Carl Maria von Weber in 1817. Operatic history has been written here, with the Semperoper playing host to numerous important premieres, such as Richard Wagner’s "Rienzi", "Der fliegende Holländer" and "Tannhäuser". There is also an indissoluble link to Richard Strauss, nine of whose 15 operas were premiered in Dresden, including "Salome", "Der Rosenkavalier" and "Elektra". The small venue Semper Zwei provides space for diverse forms of music theatre as well as theatrical experiments, and is also the venue for performances of Semperoper Junge Szene.

The magnificent Semperoper dominates the Theaterplatz be-side the river Elbe, forming the centrepiece of the historic old city. The original building opened its doors in 1841, constructed to a design by Gottfried Semper which combined a late Classical style with Renaissance elements. Following a devastating fire in 1869, the citizens of Dresden immediately set about rebuilding their beloved opera house. This was completed in 1878, also to a design by Semper. In 1945, during the final months of World War II, the Semperoper was once again razed to the ground.

After a second reconstruction was successfully completed in 1985, the reopening of one of Europe’s most beautiful opera houses was celebrated with a performance of Carl Maria von Weber’s "Freischütz".
The dazzling interiors were painstakingly reconstructed by local craftsmen and artists according to original plans, with state-of-the art stage machinery and technical fittings in the auditorium. A modern annex was added to house the administrative offices and rehearsal rooms. Internationally renowned for its brilliant acoustics and incomparable performances, audiences from around the world continue to flock here to enjoy unforgettable experiences at the Semperoper Dresden.