Considered to be one of the first operas in history, Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo (1607) re-enacts the tragic Greek saga of Orpheus and Euridice. In an attempt to bring his dead bride, Euridice, back to life, Orpheus descends to the underworld. But he fails to fulfil one vital condition: Orpheus is not allowed to look back at Euridice when she follows him back to the living world. Since he cannot prevent himself from turning around, his bride is forced to return to the world of the dead. Orpheus loses himself in the violence of grief, suffering but also growing and finally coming to a new and deeper understanding of himself. Called ‘a fable in music’ by Monteverdi, L’Orfeo was one of the most frequently performed operas of its era and is a magical introduction to Monteverdi’s probing investigation of human nature, character and desire by means of music.

Director: John Eliot Gardiner