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Take an in-depth look at Orfeo ed Euridice with the following articles and essays.
When Gluck began composing Orfeo ed Euridice in 1762, he had already made a conscious decision to attempt a reform of contemporary opera and its performance style. He was convinced that the essence of the art form was being lost in extraneous musical and production values which had corrupted the genre of opera seria, and Gluck was even more unhappy with the excessive vocal ornamentation so fashionable with star singers who rivalled each other in technical display. Gluck decided it was time for opera to return to the basics, which meant a return to a simple and direct expression of essential human emotion. It was equally clear to him that the essence of this could be found primarily in the Greek theatre and Mythology.
Orfeo ed Euridice is the opera that marked Gluck’s attempt to reform the art of opera.
His librettist, Ranieri de’Calzabigi, was instrumental in this shift. They sought to do away with what they considered ridiculous and disfiguring aspects of much opera seria: complex plots featuring disguises and subplots, ornate musical lines, and a dramatic flow that was often interrupted for a singer to show off their technique in an overly ornate aria.
"The results are magical . . . a revelation on various levels." Chicago Sun Times
Lawrence Zazzo as Orfeo and Isabel Bayrakdarian as Euridice in the Canadian Opera Company production of Orfeo ed Euridice. Photo Credit: © 2011 Michael Cooper.