# Orfeo and Euridice...............



## classidaho (May 5, 2009)

Why do I absolutely adore the opea/ballet? Probably, one reason, is that it contains one of my favorite melodies.......'Dance of the Blessed Spririts'. I especially like the 1762 Vienna version with female Orfeo. (my LP version uses mezzo Rice Stevens as the husband (Orfeo), Lisa Della Casa as wife (Euridice) and Roberta Peters as the messenger (Amore).

It is also one of the few tearjerkers with a happy ending (Amore bringing Euridice back from hell 

It is a well done opera (ballet if you like) and probably my favorite. Chuck


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## Il Seraglio (Sep 14, 2009)

Choices choices choices.

This has to be one of the most recorded _and_ adapted operas in history and I don't know where to look first. Just to be clear, I'm interested in hearing the 1762 Vienna version first, simply because I prefer the alto castrato/mezzo-soprano/countertenor Orfeo to the high tenor Orphée of the 1774 Paris adaptation, plus I can't get used to the Paris version's strange arrangement of the climactic chorus 'L'Amour Triomphe' ('Trionfi Amore' in the Vienna version). Not that the words don't sound great in French. And the Berlioz adaptation in Italian is possibly not an ideal place to start either.

I've sampled a couple so far. Rene Jacobs' version sounds good if unusual, but Bernarda Fink's voice lacks some of the depth and drama I liked in Marilyn Horne and Jennifer Larmore in the same role (I don't know if this was intentional for the sake of authenticity). Some excerpts of the John Eliot Gardiner recording sound great, but Derek Lee Ragin, although I usually really like him, doesn't sound quite right here and I can't place my finger on why. Jochen Kowalski as Orfeo in Hartmut Haenchen's recording seems popular, but I don't care for it myself. I'm no sound engineer so I could be wrong, but is that some very heavy reverb I can hear on top of his singing?

But the good news is there are many many more recordings available. The bad news is I don't know where to start. If there are none better than the three I mentioned, then I'll probably go for the 2001 Rene Jacobs/Bernarda Fink set. Otherwise, I'd really really appreciate some recommendations from your good selves in addition to recommending the best recording of the Paris version too.


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## guythegreg (Jun 15, 2012)

I think there's just something about Gluck that gets to people very effectively ... I've seen it done as opera with dance thrown in and as dance with opera thrown in and it works wonderfully either way ... I'd love to see what Robert LePage could do with it


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

I also like this opera very much, but prefer the Paris version with the tenor Orfeo (Orphée). I have the Rousbaud recording with Leopold Simoneau, Susanne Danco, and Pierrette Alarie.


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## rborganist (Jan 29, 2013)

If you can find it (and I just happened across it years ago), there was a live recording of a radio broadcast of Orfeo with Kathleen Ferrier as Orfeo. I think it was a Radio Netherlands broadcast. It's well worth seeking out.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Il Seraglio said:


> Jochen Kowalski as Orfeo in Hartmut Haenchen's recording seems popular, but I don't care for it myself. I'm no sound engineer so I could be wrong, but is that some very heavy reverb I can hear on top of his singing?


the production in that one is ghastly but I liked JK all right. My favourite versions are with Kasarova and Croft, respectively. It's probably my favourite opera so far. I think I've sampled 7-8 versions and most of them are very good, imo, except the one with Alagna who is a rubbish Orfeo. JD Florez wasn't all that either, strangely; he seemed to lack emotional depth.


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## TxllxT (Mar 2, 2011)

Massive choirsinging, very broad romantic interpretation, an ungluckish adaptation of Orfeo's voice for Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau's barytone, but all these minuses melt away, when you will hear this masculine longing for "Euridice, Euridice!" from this Orfeo together with the full blossom lyric soprano of Gundula Janowitz. Sorry, but the squeaking counter-tenors of Gardiner & Jacobs just are unable to get me where Gluck intended me to get: in love.


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## Il Seraglio (Sep 14, 2009)

deggial said:


> the production in that one is ghastly but I liked JK all right. My favourite versions are with Kasarova and Croft, respectively. It's probably my favourite opera so far. I think I've sampled 7-8 versions and most of them are very good, imo, except the one with Alagna who is a rubbish Orfeo. JD Florez wasn't all that either, strangely; he seemed to lack emotional depth.


Thanks. I love what I've heard of the Richard Croft recording actually so that'll be an easy choice for the 1774 version. Kasarova sounds really impressive singing "L'espoir renaît dans mon âme" although it's hard not to compare her to my favourite performance by Shirley Verrett.

I think I've decided on John Eliot Gardiner for the Vienna version since Derek Lee Ragin as Orpheus begins not to sound all that bad once you've heard Rene Jacobs in a singing capacity playing the same role (all due respect to the man). Just a shame Gardiner rushes the overture so much.


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## deggial (Jan 20, 2013)

Il Seraglio said:


> I think I've decided on John Eliot Gardiner for the Vienna version since Derek Lee Ragin as Orpheus begins not to sound all that bad once you've heard Rene Jacobs in a singing capacity playing the same role (all due respect to the man). Just a shame Gardiner rushes the overture so much.


hehehe! the overture is so out of place, isn't it? all chipper and joyful.

I must check out Verrett's version, then. I've heard so many I honestly can't remember if I've heard hers or not. I myself am smitten with Kasarova's, but I love the aria so much, the more the merrier :tiphat:


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## Novelette (Dec 12, 2012)

I've noticed that about Gardiner's Gluck recordings. He rockets quickly through the overture of Iphigénie en Aulide, too. It's disappointing. =\


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

Well I had a detailed post that I spent about 10 minutes putting together and then when I tried to load an image the input frame froze and I lost everything, so I'll be brief. What is the difference Orfeo ed Euridice vs Orphée et Eurydice. Orphee is French version, but what is Orfeo, Italian? And what is the Berloiz version? I have it in Orphee as it says Berloiz right on the cover.


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## schigolch (Jun 26, 2011)

Briefly, too.

"Orfeo ed Euridice" is the original version of the opera, with an Italian libretto. When the opera was premiered in Paris, Glück used a French translation of the libretto, hence the name change to "Orphée et Eurydice". He also made changes to the score. Later, in the 19th century, Berlioz prepared a version to be sung by Pauline Viardot in the role of Orphée.


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## SixFootScowl (Oct 17, 2011)

schigolch said:


> Briefly, too.
> 
> "Orfeo ed Euridice" is the original version of the opera, with an Italian libretto. When the opera was premiered in Paris, Glück used a French translation of the libretto, hence the name change to "Orphée et Eurydice". He also made changes to the score. Later, in the 19th century, Berlioz prepared a version to be sung by Pauline Viardot in the role of Orphée.


Thank you for sorting that out. So Pauline must be the one Berloiz made the "contralto version" for, as it says on Wikipedia. I have that one with Jennifer Larmore and I have never heard Larmore sounding better. Absolutely wonderful set. I recommend it to all:


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