''La descente d'Orphée aux enfers'' H.488 (English: ''The Descent of Orpheus to the Underworld'') is an incomplete chamber opera in two acts by the French composer
Marc-Antoine Charpentier
Marc-Antoine Charpentier (; 1643 – 24 February 1704) was a French Baroque composer during the reign of Louis XIV. One of his most famous works is the main theme from the prelude of his ''Te Deum'', ''Marche en rondeau''. This theme is still us ...
. It was probably composed in early 1686 and performed either in the apartments of the Dauphin that spring or at Fontainebleau in the autumn. Charpentier himself sang the title role, joined by musicians of Mademoiselle de Guise and members of the Dauphin’s little ensemble; it was Charpentier’s last appearance with this ensemble.
The libretto, whose author is unknown, is based on the myth of
Orpheus
Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with J ...
as told by
Ovid
Pūblius Ovidius Nāsō (; 20 March 43 BC – 17/18 AD), known in English as Ovid ( ), was a Roman poet who lived during the reign of Augustus. He was a contemporary of the older Virgil and Horace, with whom he is often ranked as one of the th ...
in Book 10 of the ''
Metamorphoses
The ''Metamorphoses'' ( la, Metamorphōsēs, from grc, μεταμορφώσεις: "Transformations") is a Latin narrative poem from 8 CE by the Roman poet Ovid. It is considered his ''magnum opus''. The poem chronicles the history of the ...
''. It is debatable whether the opera as it survives in the manuscript is complete or not. The musicologist H. Wiley Hitchcock believes Charpentier may have planned (and composed) a third, concluding act.
The opera is not to be confused with an earlier work, by Charpentier, ''Orphée descendant aux enfers'' H.471, which is a cantata for three male voices, 2 violins, recorder, flute, and bc.
Roles
Synopsis
Act 1
Orphée (Orpheus) is celebrating his marriage to Euridice (
Eurydice
Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music.
Etymology
Several meanings for the name ...
) in a beautiful, pastoral landscape. Euridice and her
nymph
A nymph ( grc, νύμφη, nýmphē, el, script=Latn, nímfi, label= Modern Greek; , ) in ancient Greek folklore is a minor female nature deity. Different from Greek goddesses, nymphs are generally regarded as personifications of nature, are ...
companions gather flowers, but Euridice steps on a snake, is stung and dies. Encouraged by his father Apollon (the god
) Orpheus decides to follow Euridice to the underworld and rescue her.
Act 2
Orpheus arrives in the underworld where he sees Tantale (
Tantalus
Tantalus ( grc, Τάνταλος ) was a Greek mythological figure, most famous for his punishment in Tartarus: he was made to stand in a pool of water beneath a fruit tree with low branches, with the fruit ever eluding his grasp, and the wate ...
),
Ixion
In Greek mythology, Ixion ( ; el, Ἰξίων, ''gen''.: Ἰξίονος means 'strong native') was king of the Lapiths, the most ancient tribe of Thessaly.
Family
Ixion was the son of Ares, or Leonteus, or Antion and Perimele, or the not ...
and Titye ( Tityus) being punished eternally for their crimes. Orpheus' singing allays their suffering. His music also wins over Pluton (
Pluto
Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest ...
, the god of the underworld), who allows him to return with Euridice to the world of the living providing he does not turn back to look at her before they have left the realm of the dead.
Selected recordings
*
Paul Agnew
Paul Agnew (born 1964 in Glasgow) is a Scottish operatic tenor and conductor.
Biography
Agnew read music as a Choral Scholar at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with various groups specializing in early music (Ex Cathedra, the ...
, Orphée,
Sophie Daneman
Sophie Daneman is a British soprano specializing in the baroque repertoire.
Biography
Sophie Daneman, a daughter of the actor Paul Daneman, studied at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.
She became known during the 1990s with ...
, Eurydice,
Patricia Petibon
Patricia Petibon (born 27 February 1970) is a French soprano.
Life
Born in Montargis, Petibon's parents were both teachers. She initially studied the visual arts, including painting and subsequently changed her academic focus and earned a ba ...
Amanda Forsythe
Amanda Forsythe (born 1976) is an American light lyric soprano who is particularly admired for her interpretations of baroque music and the works of Rossini. Forsythe has received continued critical acclaim from many publications including '' ...
, Eurydice, Teresa Wakim, Jesse Blumberg, Boston Early Music Festival, Vocal & Chamber Ensembles, conducted by Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs (CPO 2014) Grammy Award For Best Opera Recording 2015
*Robert Getchell, Orphée , Violaine Le Chenadec, Eurydice, Ensemble Correspondances, conducted by
Sébastien Daucé Sébastien Daucé is a French conductor, born in Rennes (France) on 4 June 1980. He is artistic director and founder of Ensemble Correspondences, formed from alumni of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Lyon.Céline Scheen, Eurydice, Floriane Hasler, Proserpine, Etienne Bazola, Pluton, Ensemble Desmarest, conducted by Ronan Khalil (Glossa, 2018)
*Reinoud Van Mechelen, Orphée, Déborah Cachet, Euridice, Stéfanie True, Proserpine, directed by Lionel Meunier and Reinoud Van Mechelen, Vox Luminis a nocte temporis, (with ''Orphée descendant aux enfers'' H.471, cantata). (Alpha, 2020). Diamant Opéra magazine