The summary of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" (plot)

Opera called "Orpheus and Eurydice" is the first piece in which the new ideas of the composer Gluck were realized. Its premiere took place in 1762, on October 5. The summary of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" is set out in this article.

Reform of the opera in the work

This work initiated the reform of the opera. Recitative was written in such a way that in the first place was the meaning of words, and the orchestra party submitted to the mood of the scene. Static singing figures in the play began to play. Singing, thus, was connected with action. This greatly simplified his technique, but it became much more attractive and natural. Overture contributed to the introduction into the mood and atmosphere of the subsequent action. In addition, Gluck turned the chorus into an integral part of the drama. The dramatic structure of the opera is based on the finished musical numbers. They, like arias, are captivated by completeness and melodic beauty.

The plot of the love of Eurydice and Orpheus

The plot of the love of Eurydice and Orpheus is in the opera one of the most common. Before Gluck, it was used in their works Landi, Monteverdi, Caccini, Peri and other authors. However, it was Gluck who embodied and interpreted it in a new way. After reading the summary of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice", you will learn, for example, what was the peculiarity of the finale. For the first time new features presented in the work reflect author's searches during long years of creativity.

Option selected by Gluck

Of the many variants of this legend was chosen set out in the "Georgics", created by Virgil. This reflects the summary of the opera Orpheus and Eurydice. We will describe not the work of Virgil himself, namely the opera in brief form. In it, the characters appear in a touching and majestic simplicity, endowed with the ordinary person's senses. The choice was influenced by the author's protest against rhetoric, false pathos, and pretentiousness of feudal-noble art.

The first and second revisions

In the first edition of the work presented in Vienna in 1762, on October 5, Gluck was not yet completely freed from the tradition of ceremonial ideas that existed at the time. The content of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" was somewhat different than now. For example, the party of Orpheus was entrusted with the altus castrato, the role of Cupid (ornamental) was introduced, the ending turned out to be happy, contrary to the myth. The second edition (1774, August 2, Paris) was significantly different from the first. The content of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" in it has changed significantly. The de Molina text was re-written. The Orpheus party, which was given to the tenor and expanded, was more natural and expressive. Scene in Hell, which also describes the summary of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice", Gluck concluded with music from the ballet "Don Giovanni" (final part). Introduced solo flutes into the music of "blessed shadows." Later it was known as Gluck's "Melody" in concert practice.

The opera was resumed in 1859 by Berlioz. Polina Viardot played the role of Orpheus. Since that time, there is a tradition by which the title role is performed by the singer.

Next, we propose to read the contents of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" (Gluck).

First action

Just now Orpheus lost Eurydice, his beautiful wife, and the opera after a rather cheerful overtone rhythm begins before her tomb, in the grotto. First, accompanied by a choir of shepherds and nymphs, and then in solitude, as the content of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" says, Orpheus mourns his girlfriend. He decides finally to return her from the underworld. To do this, he wants to take possession of Hades, while armed only with inspiration, tears and lyre. The gods, however, took pity on him. Cupid (that is, Cupid, or Eros) tells Orpheus that he can enter the underworld. If the singing voice of him, the delight of the tender lyre, will calm the wrath of the lords of the fatal darkness, he can take his beloved out of the abyss of hell.

The conditions set by the gods

The protagonist needs to fulfill only one condition at the same time: do not throw a single glance at Eurydice and do not turn around until he brings the unharmed spouse back to earth. Do not look at it - this is the hardest to accomplish, so the hero asks for the help of the gods. The sound of the drums at this moment represents thunder, lightning flashes. This marks the beginning of a difficult journey.

Second action

The second action takes place in Hades, the underworld of the dead. Here, Orpheus won at the beginning of the furies (otherwise - eumenide), after which he takes the wife from the Blessed Shadows. The chorus of furies is frightening and dramatic, but gradually, as the protagonist sings and plays the lyre, they soften. His music is extremely simple, but it conveys the drama dramatically. In the opera, the rhythm picture used in this episode is repeated again and again in the future. Furies in conclusion dance the ballet. Gluck composed it a little earlier, in order to depict the convergence of Don Juan to hell.

The kingdom of blessed shadows is called the Elysium. At first the scene is poorly lit as if the morning dawn. However, gradually the light fills it. There is a sad Eurydice with a wandering gaze that yearns for her friend. After she leaves, the blissful shadows gradually fill the scene. They walk in groups. This action is a dance of the Blessed Shadows (in a different way - the Gavotte), well known now. He is accompanied by a solo flute, extraordinarily expressive.

After Orpheus with the furies leaves, Eurydice with the Blessed Shadows sings of a quiet life in the afterlife of the heavenly world - Elysium. After their disappearance, Orpheus reappears. He is alone now, singing the beauty that represented his gaze. The orchestra enthusiastically plays a hymn in which the beauty of nature is lauded. The blissful shadows attracted by his singing return again. They themselves are still invisible, but their chorus sounds.

Here is a small group that leads Eurydice. The girl's face covers the veil. Connects one of the Shadows of the hands of his beloved, removes the veil from Eurydice. She, recognizing her husband, wants to express delight, but the Shadow gives Orpheus a sign that he does not turn his head. He holds his wife by the hand and walks ahead, rises along the path to the exit from the underworld. He does not turn his head toward her, remembering well about the condition put by the gods.

Third action

The last action begins with the fact that the protagonist leads his wife to the earth with gloomy transitions along the rocky terrain, winding paths, and dangerously overhanging rocks over them. Nothing knows Eurydice about the prohibition of the gods of Orpheus to throw at her even a fleeting glance before the spouses reach the earth. As Evridik moves, he gradually transforms into a real woman from the Blessed Shade, which she was in the previous action. She has a hot temperament. Therefore Eurydice, not understanding why Orpheus behaves this way, bitterly complains to him how he is indifferent to her now. She turns to her husband with enthusiasm, then tenderly, now with desperation, then with perplexity. The heroine makes the assumption that, perhaps, Orpheus stopped loving her. While he convinces his wife in the opposite, she becomes even more insistent. The woman eventually tries to drive her husband away. Their voices merge at this dramatic moment.

Orpheus embraces Eurydice, looks at her. She dies when he touches her. Then follows the most famous in the opera moment - the aria called "I lost Eurydice". The protagonist desperately wants to kill himself with a dagger blow. This dramatic moment continues the content of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice." Orpheus mourns (Eurydice is already dead) the death of his wife. The protagonist takes a dagger, but Cupid is at the last moment and stops him. The God of love calls passionately: "Eurydice, rise again." She seems to wake up from a dream. The gods are so impressed with the loyalty of the main hero, Amur says, that they decided to reward him.

Happy Finals

The final scene takes place in the temple of the god Amur. This is a series of dances, choirs and solos for the glory of love. The end is much more happy than known for mythology. Eurydice, according to the myth, remains dead, and her husband breaks Thracian women into pieces, resenting that he neglected them, indulging in selflessly sweet sorrow.

This is in brief the content of the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" (plot of the work).