I was blown away by this rendering of Gluck's 18th century opera. It's not a film of an opera performance - there's no audience, and some of the action is away from the stage. The recording is based at the Baroque theatre in the castle at Cesky Krumlov, which is full of atmosphere, and the soloists are accompanied by the Prague orchestra and vocal ensemble Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704, in traditional dress. I'm not an opera buff - I'm someone who enjoys the occasional trip to the opera, but I'm not qualified to evaluate this from a musical perspective, but can rather give my opinion on it as entertainment - which was superb. And perhaps all the better for encountering it from a position of ignorance.
I'd never seen this opera and had a vague idea of the story of Orpheus going to the underworld to retrieve his beloved Eurydice after her premature death, only to lose her again, when he disobeys the gods and turns round to look at her. I gather that Gluck cheered the story up by having the God, Amor, reprieving them so that they return triumphantly to Earth for a celebration. But in this version, things are more complicated - it becomes clear that Orfeo's initial complex emotional state is not just driven by grief, but also by guilt. And then, shockingly, at the end, having brought Eurydice back to Earth, he appears to fall rapidly out of love with her, when she parades around enjoying the company of others, and he stumbles away, heartbroken.
Like most opera plots, this is daft, but Bejun Mehta, who plays Orfeo, is a fantastic actor, and even before he opened his mouth, I was entranced by his performance, depicting conflicting emotions as he prepares for the funeral. When he did start to sing, I was astounded, as I had expected a traditional male voice, instead of which we had a very masculine-looking man singing in a soprano voice. (I realise opera buffs would not have been surprised by this, but I was!). But it was glorious. I gather he is perhaps the most famous counter-tenor in the world, and I can see why, as his voice has a richness and complexity that is quite unique.
There are just two female soloists: Regula Mühlemann, who plays the god Amore as a rather cheeky, sexy creature - which works well as a counterpoint to Orfeo's seriousness. And Eva Liebau is convincing as Eurydice - though much of the challenge of her part is lying around looking convincingly dead.
The whole setting is beautifully done - lavish costumes, dancing, candlelit scenes. Overall, this left a lasting impression and I was very glad I had found it.
I'd never seen this opera and had a vague idea of the story of Orpheus going to the underworld to retrieve his beloved Eurydice after her premature death, only to lose her again, when he disobeys the gods and turns round to look at her. I gather that Gluck cheered the story up by having the God, Amor, reprieving them so that they return triumphantly to Earth for a celebration. But in this version, things are more complicated - it becomes clear that Orfeo's initial complex emotional state is not just driven by grief, but also by guilt. And then, shockingly, at the end, having brought Eurydice back to Earth, he appears to fall rapidly out of love with her, when she parades around enjoying the company of others, and he stumbles away, heartbroken.
Like most opera plots, this is daft, but Bejun Mehta, who plays Orfeo, is a fantastic actor, and even before he opened his mouth, I was entranced by his performance, depicting conflicting emotions as he prepares for the funeral. When he did start to sing, I was astounded, as I had expected a traditional male voice, instead of which we had a very masculine-looking man singing in a soprano voice. (I realise opera buffs would not have been surprised by this, but I was!). But it was glorious. I gather he is perhaps the most famous counter-tenor in the world, and I can see why, as his voice has a richness and complexity that is quite unique.
There are just two female soloists: Regula Mühlemann, who plays the god Amore as a rather cheeky, sexy creature - which works well as a counterpoint to Orfeo's seriousness. And Eva Liebau is convincing as Eurydice - though much of the challenge of her part is lying around looking convincingly dead.
The whole setting is beautifully done - lavish costumes, dancing, candlelit scenes. Overall, this left a lasting impression and I was very glad I had found it.
