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Orphée (1783) - Christoph Willibald Gluck
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Background
Gluck wrote the Italian version, Orfeo ed Euridice (1762), as the first experiment of his and Calzabigi’s vision for opera reform. This first foray was followed by Alceste (1767) and Paride ed Elena (1770).
The Viennese premiere of Orfeo was extremely well received, and Gluck decided to revise the opera as Orphée et Eurydice for Paris in 1774, with the French adaptation and additions provided by Pierre Louis Moline. The role of Orpheus was lowered slightly for an haute-contre singer (a male operatic voice type more in line with an alto range), adhering to French preferences. The opera was lengthened, to create a more magnificent spectacle, with extra arias, ensembles, and instrumental numbers. Gluck also modified the orchestration to accommodate the orchestra at the Académie Royale de Musique. This version, Orphée et Eurydice, became one of the most popular operas in France. It reflects Gluck’s maturity as a composer between 1762 and 1774.
In the nineteenth century, Berlioz adapted the French edition to suit current taste, relying to a certain extent on the Gluck-Calzabigi endeavor. His four-act version was popular throughout the century, although other adaptations also appeared. However, a publication by Ricordi in 1889 represents a return to Italian, at least in language, but even this edition includes modifications. These various versions prove the sustaining appeal of Gluck’s first reform opera, even if others have been compelled to contribute their own “voice.”
Plot
Act One opens with Eurydice’s funeral, as Orpheus mourns the loss of his wife. During a long lament, Orpheus decides to travel to Hades (the Underworld) and retrieve Eurydice. Jove sends his permission to Orpheus through the messenger Cupid, but Orpheus must sing for the Furies in order to win Eurydice. However, Orpheus is forbidden from looking at his wife until they have exited Hades, yet he must refrain from explaining this stipulation to Eurydice. Orpheus is concerned that Eurydice will not understand his conduct, but he realizes it is the only way to restore life to his wife. While in the Italian version of the opera, this part of the drama appears as a recitative, Gluck eliminated much of the recitative in the French version, replacing it with a flashy Italian-style aria, “L’espoir renaît dans mon âme.” This is a radical departure from Gluck and Calzabigi’s reform ideals, but it allowed the haute-contre singer Joseph Legros to display his abilities.
Orpheus descends to the Underworld in Act Two, with colorful, orchestral music underscoring the suspense of the scene. He encounters demons and the Furies, the latter who engage in a short, horrific dance. Although Orpheus pleads with the Furies to release his wife, he is interrupted a number of times. After a series of exchanges, Orpheus finally convinces the Furies to set his wife free. In the next scene, he appears in the pastoral Elysian Fields, where the Blessed Spirits revive Eurydice. Orpheus and his wife begin the journey to the world of the living.
While the second Act ends in the beautiful Elysian Fields, the beginning of the third act is full of intensity, as Orpheus implores Eurydice to continue following him, now in a dark cave. She persistently questions why he will not look at her, but he refrains from explaining, in accordance with Jove’s prescription. Finally, she faints, and Orpheus turns around, causing her to die again. He is tormented by this second loss, and he decides to join her by taking his own life. Just as he is on the verge of suicide, Cupid appears to tell Orpheus that his dedication to Eurydice will be rewarded: Eurydice will be returned to him. In the final scene, a grand, celebratory ballet commemorates Eurydice’s restoration.
Bibliography
Title from title page: ORPHÉE / ET / EURIDICE / TRAGÉDIE / Opera en trois Actes
Genre: Azione teatrale (Italian); Tragédie opéra (French)
Siglum from Gluck thematic catalog: W. 30
Composer: Christoph Willibald Gluck, 1714-1787
Librettist (Italian): Ranieri de’ Calzabigi, 1714-1795
Librettist (French): Pierre Louis Moline, c. 1740-1821
Libretto based on: Greek mythology
Setting: Classical Thrace
Premiere (Italian): Vienna, Burgtheater, 5 October 1762
Premiere (French): Paris, Opéra, 2 August 1774
First published: Paris: Lemarchand, n.d.
Volume in the UNT Lully Collection: Paris: Des Lauriers, n.d.
For further reading on Orphée et Euridice, see:
Brown, Bruce Alan. Gluck and the French Theatre in Vienna. Oxford: Clarendon, 1991.
Buller, Jeffrey L. “Looking Backwards: Baroque Opera and the Ending of the Orpheus Myth.” International Journal of the Classical Tradition 1 (1995): 57-79.
Croll, Gerhard. “Christoph Willibald Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice.” Zwischen Bach und Mozart: Vortrage des Europaischen Musikfestes Stuttgart 1988. Kassel, Germany: Barenreiter, 1994. 74-89.
Del Monte, Claudio. Christoph Willibald Gluck nel 200’ anniversario della morte. Edited by Vincenzo Raffaele Segreto, Quaderni del Teatro Regio Citta di Parma, no. 19. Parma, Italy: Grafiche, 1987.
Hayes, Jeremy. “Orfeo ed Euridice (i).” Grove Music Online, ed. Laura Macy. [Accessed 17 December 2003]. <http://www.grovemusic.com>
Heartz, Daniel. “Orfeo ed Euridice: Some Criticisms, Revisions, and Stage-realizations During Gluck's Lifetime.” Chigana. Rassegna annuale di studi musicologici 30 (1973): 383-94.
Howard, Patricia, ed. C.W. von Gluck: Orfeo, Cambridge Opera Handbook. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1981.
Kerman, Joseph. Opera as Drama. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988.
Martina, Alessandra. Orfeo/Orphée di Gluck: Storia della trasmissione e della recezione, Tesi, no. 7 (Firenze: Passigli, 1995).
Orphée, Avant-scène opera 23 (1979).
Physical
Dimensions: 34 x 25.6 cm.
Collation: [20: unsigned, 1-542 553]; 111 leaves, pp. [4] 1-217 [218].
Conservation: Light foxing; cover worn at edges.
Binding: Red buckram-covered board; brown spine with gold-stamped red leather label that reads “GLUCK / ORPHEE / ET / EURIPIDE”.
Comments: Copper-plate engraving (plates measure 26.7 x 19.6 cm); dealer plate reads “KENNETH MUMMERY / Books and Music / Bournemouth, England”; from the Lloyd Hibberd Collection.