L'Orfeo

 

Luigi Rossi L'Orfeo opera to a libretto by Francesco Buti. Directed 2016 by Jetske Mijnsseniat at l'Opéra national de Lorraine (Nancy). Stars Judith van Wanroij (Orfeo), Francesca Aspromonte (Euridice), Giuseppina Bridelli (Aristeo), Giulia Semenzato (Venere, Proserpina), Luigi de Donato (Augure, Plutone), Ray Chenez (Nutrice, Amore), Renato Dolcini (Satiro), Dominique Visse (Vecchia), Victor Torres (Endimione, Caronte), Marc Mauillon (Momo), and David Tricou (Apollo). Raphaël Pichon conducts Pygmalion (a combination of orchestra and choir). Directed for TV by Stéphane Vérité. Sung in Italian. This is an Italian opera from 1647, performed and published as a French product, with English, Italian, and French subtitles. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts sound. Grade: NA

This work is rather obscure. For example, it’s now April 2020 and ArkivMusic doesn’t have subject title or any other recording of the Rossi L’Orfeo in its database! This title will be of interest mainly to those interested in the history of baroque opera. The original work, part art and part royal propaganda, involved lavish production values, lasted over 6 hours, and cost so much it contributed to a political revolt! It has been cut here about in half and updated to modern costumes. It would seem this is, therefore, a far cry from the original, but you will doubtless know if it’s of interest to you!

We usually don’t attach reviews by others to our stories, but we will make an exception to this scholarly review written by Roger Freitas, an expert on early opera, that was released when published to the common domain.

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