Opera Explained Orfeo

Author: Thomson Smillie

Narrated by: David Timson

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At a Glance

Format
Digital Audiobook

Duration
01:06.15

Published: 26th July 2017

Digital Audiobook

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Monteverdi's Orfeo, first performed in 1607, generates a special excitement because it is the first unquestioned masterpiece of opera. Notable for its precise orchestration and powerful drama it was a groundbreaking work. It concerns the legend of Orpheus, the demi-god whose music had the power to conquer the forces of Hell and to bring his wife back, briefly, to life. The extracts used in this introduction are from Naxos's full recording; it uses authentic period instruments, which serve to evoke the early Baroque period of the opera's composition.