Each week I listen to a classical piece I've never heard before, and then I report out my thoughts. For the week of 01/03/21, I listened to "L'Orfeo," also known as "Favola d'Orfeo" by Claudio Monteverdi. I have posted my rating and comments below.
Baptized in May 1567 and died in November 1643, Monteverdi is considered an important transitional figure between the Renaissance and Baroque periods of music history. I'm not sure if/when I've ever heard anything composed by him. It's entirely possible I've heard a piece by Monteverdi air on the radio, but if so, it didn't register with me.
Written and performed in 1607 and still performed today? Impressive! That is how I came to select "L'Orfeo." ‘L’Orfeo” based on the Greek myth of Orpheus’ descent into Hades in an attempt to bring his dead bride Eurydice back to the living world, has been a popular story to tell in the opera house and music theatre. Most recently, the legend was retold in “Hadestown,” a musical on Broadway with music and lyrics by Anaïs Mitchell. Another popular version is “Orphée aux enfers” (“Orpheus in the Underworld”), a comic opera with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy. Below left: A poster for Broadway's "Hadestown." Below right: A poster for "Orphée aux Enfers." Below left: The complete overture to Jacques Offenbach's "Orpheus in the Underworld." Below right: The "Galop Infernal" from Offenbach's opera -- commonly known as the "Can Can."
Sooo…not being a huge fan of operas or music from the renaissance, how did I like “L’Orfeo”? Well, I rated it YELLOW for ‘Liked It, I did” – and I did like it – but I think it was the historic significance of the piece that helped tip the scales from BLUE, “Okay, it was,” to YELLOW. I loved the fanfare and the entrance of the conductor at the onset – timed perfectly for the start of the regal (and buoyant) overture – and I loved the deceptive “conclusion” at 1:44 only to crescendo to a drumroll and a start of the flourish again. I loved the instrumentation and the use of instruments from the day, and I loved imagining myself in 1607 hearing this for the first time. According to an article on Wikipedia, “By the early 17th century the traditional intermedio – a musical sequence between the acts of a straight play – was evolving into the form of a complete musical drama or ‘opera.’ Monteverdi's ‘L’Orfeo’ moved this process out of its experimental era and provided the first fully developed example of the new genre” – so can you imagine being there in 1607 when “L’Orfeo” premiered? The audience must have just been in awe. Although I'm not an opera buff nor a fan of the traditional madrigal style of the 16th century or recitative and monodic singing, I did like “L’Orfeo.” It’s not a piece that I would listen to over and over again, but since it is such a historically significant piece, if it were performed in my area, I would go to listen and see how it was staged.
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A New Hope:As the header above says, each week I will listen to a piece of classical music that I've never heard before, and then I will report out what I thought about it. Archives
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