Orpheus in the Underworld

• Orpheus, a music teacher (Tenor)
• Eurydice, his wife (Soprano)
• Public opinion (Alt )
• Pluto / Aristaeus, lord of the underworld / Schäfer ( Tenor)
• Hans Styx, his servant ( bass)
• Jupiter, supreme god, Lord of Olympus ( baritone)
• Juno, his wife, supreme goddess (mezzo- soprano)
• Venus, goddess of love (Soprano)
• Diana, Goddess of the Hunt (soprano )
• Minerva, goddess of wisdom (soprano )
• Bacchus, god of wine ( bass)
• Mars, god of war (baritone )
• Mercury, messenger of the gods (Tenor)
• Cupid, god of love (Soprano)

Orpheus in the Underworld ( Orphée aux enfers French ) is a comic opera in two acts and four scenes by Ludovic Halévy and Hector Crémieux. The music was composed by Jacques Offenbach, the first performance took place on 21 October 1858 in Offenbach's Théâtre des Bouffes in Paris.

General

After Offenbach had two years composing one-act plays for his theater because of the license terms, Orpheus was the first full-length work, and a sensational success. The story satirizes the Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. With the gods of Olympus, visiting the Hades in order to enjoy yourself at the same time the double standard of the better society of the Second Empire is caricatured. At the time of the premiere, many people of the fine Parisian people could recognize in the play. The Greek mythology was a popular topic of conversation the better society and Offenbach took with his Orpheus, the cult of antiquity belonging to poke fun. Even the reigning Emperor of the French Napoleon III. not spared. He could find itself in the figure of the great love supreme god Jupiter. The operetta pleased the Emperor apparently; he took Offenbach allusions apparently not bad and applauded loudly.

The most famous piece of music is Hell Cancan ( in the original, however, referred to as " Galop infernal " ) in the second act, a popular song that is used even today in many cases.

In addition, numerous musical quotations, among others, the French national anthem, the aria Che farò presence ' Euridice can be found in the piece (Alas, I have lost ) from Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck, and a fugue theme of Johann Sebastian Bach.

The 1860 premiered in Vienna processing of Orpheus probably comes from Johann Nestroy, who also took over the role of Jupiter.

Occupation

The work is in addition to the vocal soloists staffed with four-part choir and an orchestra of 2 flutes (2nd with piccolo ), 1 oboe, 2 clarinets, 1 bassoon, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 1 trombone, timpani, percussion and strings (violins 1, 2 violins, violas, cellos, double basses ).

Action

Act One ( First Photo )

The action takes place on Earth, at Thebes in ancient Greece.

The couple Orpheus and Eurydice has grown apart. The music teacher and violinist Orpheus cheats on his wife with the nymph Chloé. He had long since separated from his wife unloved, were it not for the public opinion. Eurydice, which leads a bored life, knows this, and it does not bother. Also she has a lover, the shepherd and beekeeper Aristaeus. What Eurydice does not know is that her lover Aristaeus actually Pluto, the lord of the underworld. Pluto wants to seduce his mistress into the underworld, waiting for an opportune time. After a heated argument between the couple Pluto sees his time has come. He bites Eurydice in the neck, and this kiss of death delivers him out of Eurydice.

As Eurydice regains consciousness, she writes along with Pluto a " farewell letter " to Orpheus, her husband:

As Orpheus reads their message, he is pleased. He thinks to be finally free of his wife, and wants to immediately bring his mistress, the good news. But as he enters the public opinion in the way and invite him to his wife of Jupiter, the supreme god reclaim. Once again the public opinion may prevail, and they accompanied Orpheus up to Mount Olympus.

Act One ( Second picture )

On the gods of Mount Olympus.

There is also the gods of boredom and weariness. God Head of Jupiter enjoys himself openly with young women. Diana is sad because she has not found the beautiful mortal Actaeon their stays on the earth below. Juno, wife of Jupiter, makes her hubby a scene. On earth, a beautiful wife had been abducted by a god. Jupiter denies having anything to do with the kidnapping.

There comes Mercury, the messenger of the gods, with the news that Pluto had just returned from a stay on earth with a beautiful woman named Eurydice in the underworld. Jupiter is pleased he is by this news initially dismissed the allegations. In order to give his innocence reprint, he quotes Pluto from the underworld to Mount Olympus. Pluto appears before the Supreme God, but he denies the abduction.

Since Orpheus appears with the public opinion and calls back his wife. Jupiter decides to investigate the matter in the Underworld detail. He wants to bring Eurydice from the Underworld, but not for Orpheus, but for themselves, the whole gods flock follows him into Pluto's realm of hell.

Act Two ( Third picture )

Underworld Pluto's boudoir.

Here Pluto holds the kidnapped Eurydice hidden. It is guarded by Hans Styx, the always drunken servant of Pluto. Hans Styx wooing the beautiful and tells her about his time in wealth and splendor as Prince of Arcadia. But Eurydice leaves the cold.

She longs to return to her husband on earth. The charm of adventure is already faded. The arrivals from Olympus in the underworld gods can not find the hiding place of the first Eurydice. But Jupiter is suspicious. In the form of a fly he comes through the keyhole and discovers Eurydice. He fawns around them, gives himself as the supreme God to recognize and promises to free them and to take you on Mount Olympus.

Act Two ( fourth image )

Pluto is a hell festival. There will be dancing and drinking.

Jupiter reaps general applause with a minuet, soon rising to a wild cancan. Eurydice is as Bacchante at the festival. Again the divine society is disturbed by the mortals. Again Orpheus calls in support of the public opinion of Jupiter back his wife. Jupiter is in accordance with the request, but he makes one condition: if Orpheus climb up to the upper world before Eurydice, he must not turn again after his wife.

The public opinion, then Orpheus and Eurydice, by Hans Styx out: So the march begins in the direction of the upper world. But when they reach the gate, Jupiter hurls a flash. Orpheus turns around startled and thus has lost his wife.

But Pluto is Eurydice did not, and thus determines Jupiter:

Complete recordings (selection)

In French:

• Demigny, Linden Fields, Chalot, Jonqueres, Pebordes, Mansfield, Choeurs et Orchestre Philharmonique Paris under René Leibowitz Line 1951
• Mesplé, Rhodes, Berbie, Sénéchal, Burles, Trempont, choir and orchestra du Capitole de Toulouse under Michel Plasson, EMI 1978
• Dessay, Naouri, Fouchecourt, Podles, Cole, choir and orchestra of the Opéra National de Lyon conducted by Marc Minkowski, EMI 1997

In German language:

• George Shirley - Hans Beirer - Donald Grobe - Helmut Lohner - Peter Maus - William Pell - Manfred Röhrl - Julia Migenes -Johnson - Janis Martin - Astrid Varnay - Annabelle Bernard - Carol Malone - Maria Jose Brill - Maria Teresa Reinoso - Chorus of the German Opera Berlin - Orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin - Jesús López Cobos
• Benno Kusche - Grit van Jutes - Kari Lövaas - Brigitte Lindner - Ferry Gruber - Theo Lingen - Adolf Dallapozza - Anneliese Rothenberger - Gisela Litz - Chorus of the Cologne Opera - Philharmonia Hungarica - Willy Mattes EMI 1978.

Children's version

The poison in the lift - why Orpheus went all the way down. Children operetta by Kay link by Jacques Offenbach Orpheus in the Underworld. Premiere: March 18, 2012 Commissioned by the culture at Bayer, Leverkusen.

Filming

In 1974, the operetta was filmed as Orpheus in the Underworld by DEFA as a musical comedy. Participants were Wolfgang Greese and Dorit Gaebler in the lead roles. Was also affected with actors like Rolf Hoppe, Fred Delmare and Gerry Wolff. The government took over Horst Bonnet. The vocals were sung in part by the actors themselves. They were supported by the choir and members of the Berlin State Opera, the Ballet of the Komische Oper Berlin and the Metropolitan Theatre and the DEFA Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Robert Hanell.