Орфей

C. Monteverdi

Opera

12+

April 9, 2013 19:00–21:10

April 9, 2013

19:00–21:10

Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre

Opera in two acts

Performed in Italian with Russian subtitles

Staged for the first time in Russia to mark 400 years since it was written

Libretto by Alessandro Striggio, based on an ancient myth

Musical and stage setting by the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre

The opera was written in 1607. This version was first performed in Perm in 2007. Running time: 2 hours 10 minutes including 1 interval

Exactly 400 years elapsed between the first performance of Monteverdi’s opera and its première in Perm. Orfeo was one of the first operas in history, and has managed to survive for centuries. The story of the ancient Singer has been one of the most popular subjects in opera for hundreds of years.

According to legend, Orpheus’s singing tamed wild beasts and made rocks move. Eurydice, Orpheus’s wife, died from a snake bite. The strength of the hero’s love and the sounds of his lyre touched the gods of the underworld, and they allowed him to go down into the kingdom of shadows and carry Eurydice away. However, he was not permitted even to glance at her on his way back to the world of the living.

The singer did not obey this condition, and lost his loved one forever.

Only 130 people can see this production on the same evening, as the audience seats are situated on the stage itself. This original use of space and the director’s unexpected concept won the production a Golden Mask.