Orphée

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, Paris, France

Scene 1 from the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", photo 1

Scene 2 from the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", photo 2

Scene 3 from the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", photo 3

Scene 4 from the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", photo 4

Scene 5 from the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", photo 5

Scene 6 from the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", photo 6

Scene 7 from the opera "Orfeo ed Euridice", photo 7

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5 PM

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Important Info

Type: Opera

City: Paris, France

Starts at: 17:00

Duration: 1h 40min

Sung in: French

Titles in: French,English

Ticket delivery: E-Tickets

E-tickets: Print at home or at the box office of the event if so specified. You will find more information in your booking confirmation email.

Can I choose my seats?

Cast

Performers

Conductor: Speranza Scappucci

Soprano: Camille Chopin (Amore)

Soprano: Lauranne Oliva (Euridice)

Choir: Le Concert Spirituel

Orchestra: Les Siècles

Mezzo-Soprano: Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Orfeo)

Creators

Composer: Hector Berlioz

Composer: Christoph Willibald Gluck

Librettist: Ranieri de Calzabigi

Director: Ted Huffman

Overview

Gluck’s masterpiece interpreted by Berlioz.

The story of Orphée is the founding myth of the history of opera. Monteverdi was the first to bring it to life, and Gluck composed two versions, one in Italian (where Orfeo was sung by a castrato) and then one in French (featuring a tenor), before Berlioz gave it a new vocal and orchestral existence. Gluck’s versions caused a huge stir in Enlightenment Europe, but were ultimately compromised by numerous adaptations and corrections. In the late 1850s, Berlioz was tasked with revisiting the work and adapting it for Pauline Viardot, a singing star of the era who was renowned for her range and could move effortlessly from contralto to soprano. Berlioz retained the French score, but transposed the tenor part into a register that suited Pauline Viardot and standardised the keys to adapt them to the instruments of his day.

This 19th-century version will be presented by Italian conductor Speranza Scappucci and Les Siècles, an ensemble specialising in historically-informed performances, who are seasoned Berlioz repertoire musicians. American director Ted Huffman, the recently appointed Director of the Aix-en-Provence Festival, who is known for his stripped-back creations, will have to delve into the depths of this drama of intimacy to bring this allegory of music and poetry to the stage. And who better than an artist of the calibre of Marie-Nicole Lemieux to champion this operatic myth, ably accompanied by young singer Lauranne Oliva, who is already in considerable demand on major European stages.

Coproduction Théâtre des Champs-Élysées | Dutch National Opera | Musiktheater an der Wien

Version by Hector Berlioz (1859)

From 1784 to 1859 the Parisian diapason (concert pitch) rose steadily from 820 to 896 cycles per second, thus Gluck's French version for haute-contre became increasingly impractical. When Adolphe Nourrit sang the role at the Opéra in 1824 his music was altered. Giacomo Meyerbeer suggested to the French mezzo-soprano Pauline Viardot that she should perform the role of Orfeo. The composer Hector Berlioz was a close friend of Viardot and the leading expert in France on the music of Gluck. He knew the score of "the largely forgotten Italian original as thoroughly as he knew the French", and agreed to prepare a version of the opera – in four acts – with Viardot's voice in mind: thus, he did not simply "return to the original contralto version, but rearranged and retransposed the Paris version into keys more suitable for a mezzo". In his adaptation, Berlioz used the key scheme of the 1762 Vienna score while incorporating much of the additional music of the 1774 Paris score. He returned to the Italian version only when he considered it to be superior either in terms of music or in terms of the drama. He also restored some of the more subtle orchestration from the Italian version and resisted proposals by Viardot and the theatre's director Léon Carvalho to modernize the orchestration. In the end Camille Saint-Saëns, who was acting as Berlioz's assistant on the project, did some of the minor rewriting which Berlioz had declined to do.

The Berlioz version was first presented at the Théâtre Lyrique on 18 November 1859 with Viardot as Orphée, Marie Sasse as Eurydice, Marie Ernestine Marimon as L'Amour, Mlle Moreau as L'Ombre, and Adolphe Deloffre as the conductor. The sets were designed by Charles-Antoine Cambon and Joseph Thierry, and the choreography was by Lucien Petipa. (The seventeen-year-old Jules Massenet was the orchestra's timpanist. During the rehearsals Berlioz had complimented the young player on the accuracy of his tuning.) The production was a popular and critical success, filling the house every night, and was given a total of 138 times by the company.

History

Premiere of this production: 05 October 1762, Burgtheater in Vienna

Orfeo ed Euridice is an opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck, based on the myth of Orpheus and set to a libretto by Ranieri de' Calzabigi. It belongs to the genre of the azione teatrale, meaning an opera on a mythological subject with choruses and dancing.

Synopsis

The first lines of arias, choruses, etc., are given in Italian (1762 version) and French (1774 version).

Act 1

A chorus of nymphs and shepherds join Orfeo around the tomb of his wife Euridice in a solemn chorus of mourning; Orfeo is only able to utter Euridice's name (Chorus and Orfeo: "Ah, se intorno"/"Ah! Dans ce bois"). Orfeo sends the others away and sings of his grief in the aria "Chiamo il mio ben"/"Objet de mon amour", the three verses of which are preceded by expressive recitatives. This technique was extremely radical at the time and indeed proved overly so for those who came after Gluck: Mozart chose to retain the unity of the aria. Amore (Cupid) appears, telling Orfeo that he may go to the Underworld and return with his wife on the condition that he not look at her until they are back on earth (1774 only: aria by Amour, "Si les doux accords"). As encouragement, Amore informs Orfeo that his present suffering shall be short-lived with the aria "Gli sguardi trattieni"/"Soumis au silence". Orfeo resolves to take on the quest. In the 1774 version only he delivers an ariette ("L'espoir renaît dans mon âme") in the older, showier, Italian style, originally composed for an occasional entertainment, Il Parnaso confuso (1765), and subsequently re-used in another one, Le feste d'Apollo (1769).

Act 2

In a rocky landscape, the Furies refuse to admit Orfeo to the Underworld, and sing of Cerberus, its canine guardian ("Chi mai dell’Erebo"/"Quel est l'audacieux"). When Orfeo, accompanied by his lyre (represented in the opera by a harp), begs for pity in the aria "Deh placatevi con me"/"Laissez-vous toucher", he is at first interrupted by cries of "No!"/"Non!" from the Furies, but they are eventually softened by the sweetness of his singing in the arias "Mille pene"/"Ah! La flamme" and "Men tiranne"/"La tendresse", and let him in ("Ah, quale incognito affetto"/"Quels chants doux"). In the 1774 version, the scene ends with the "Dance of the Furies" (No. 28).

The second scene opens in Elysium. The brief ballet of 1762 became the four-movement "Dance of the Blessed Spirits" (with a prominent part for solo flute) in 1774. This is followed (1774 only) by a solo which celebrates happiness in eternal bliss ("Cet asile"), sung by either an unnamed Spirit or Euridice, and repeated by the chorus. Orfeo arrives and marvels at the purity of the air in an arioso ("Che puro ciel"/"Quel nouveau ciel"). But he finds no solace in the beauty of the surroundings, for Euridice is not yet with him. He implores the spirits to bring her to him, which they do (Chorus: "Torna, o bella"/"Près du tendre objet").

Act 3

On the way out of Hades, Euridice is delighted to be returning to earth, but Orfeo, remembering the condition related by Amore in act 1, lets go of her hand and refusing to look at her, does not explain anything to her. She does not understand his action and reproaches him, but he must suffer in silence (Duet: "Vieni, appaga il tuo consorte"/"Viens, suis un époux"). Euridice takes this to be a sign that he no longer loves her, and refuses to continue, concluding that death would be preferable. She sings of her grief at Orfeo's supposed infidelity in the aria "Che fiero momento"/"Fortune ennemie" (in 1774, there is a brief duet before the reprise). Unable to take any more, Orfeo turns and looks at Euridice; again, she dies. Orfeo sings of his grief in the famous aria "Che farò senza Euridice?"/"J’ai perdu mon Eurydice" ("What shall I do without Euridice?"/"I have lost my Euridice") Orfeo decides he will kill himself to join Euridice in Hades, but Amore returns to stop him (1774 only: Trio: "Tendre Amour"). In reward for Orfeo's continued love, Amore returns Euridice to life, and she and Orfeo are reunited. After a four-movement ballet, all sing in praise of Amore ("Trionfi Amore"). In the 1774 version, the chorus ("L’Amour triomphe") precedes the ballet, to which Gluck had added three extra movements.

Venue Info

Théâtre des Champs-Elysées - Paris
15 Avenue Montaigne

The Théâtre des Champs-Élysées is an entertainment venue situated near Avenue des Champs-Élysées, from which it takes its name. Its eponymous main hall may seat up to 1,905 people.

Commissioned by impresario Gabriel Astruc, the theatre was built from 1911 to 1913 upon the designs of brothers Auguste Perret and Gustave Perret following a scheme by Henry van de Velde, and became the first example of Art Deco architecture in the city. Less than two months after its inauguration, the Théâtre hosted the world premiere of the Ballets Russes' Rite of Spring, which provoked one of the most famous classical music riots.

At present, the theatre shows about three staged opera productions a year, mostly baroque or chamber works more suited to the modest size of its stage and orchestra pit. It also houses an important concert season. It is the home venue of the Orchestre National de France and the Orchestre Lamoureux and serves as a French base for the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra as well.

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, the Orchestre des Champs-Élysées and Ensemble orchestral de Paris play most of their concerts here too, along with other dance, chamber music, recital, and pop events.

Important Info

Type: Opera

City: Paris, France

Starts at: 17:00

Duration: 1h 40min

Sung in: French

Titles in: French,English

Masterclasse : Jan Versweyveld le mercredi

Opera National de Paris - Paris

15 May 2019, Wed, 7 PM

Idomeneo

Opera National de Paris - Paris