Orpheus

16 important questions on Orpheus

What was Orpheus' background?

He was already a famous singer in Archaic Greece. His mother was the muse Calliope, his father was either Apollo or Oeagrus from Thrace. He lived near Thrace (what is now Romania/Bulgaria).

What is the Derveni papyrus?

The oldest Greek commentary in existence, commenting on Orpheus' cosmogony.

What are the two versions of Orpheus' descent into the underworld?

The happy version, in which he is reunited with his wife, and the unhappy version, in which he turns around and she disppears. The happy version is older, even though the unhappy version also dates back to the 5th century BC. Virgil and Ovid knew about both.
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Which two versions are there for Orpheus' death?

1. After Eurydice's death, he rejects the love of all women and chooses men, which angers the Thracian women who tear him apart in a Bacchic frenzy.
2.  Orpheus used to be a follower of Dionysus, but defected to Apollo (two kinds of art), and gets torn apart by the angry Bacchantes.

What is the tale of the head and the lyre?

After Orpheus was torn apart, his head (OR LYRE, depending on the myth!) got thrown into the river Hebrus, leading to Lesbos. It kept on singing/playing and inspired many others into writing poetry (like Sappho). His lyre was then turned into a constellation to honour it, and was often used for astronomic purposes.

What are the possible allegorical readings of Orpheus?

- According to Horace, the moving animals, rocks, planting, etc, refer to the power of speech/song over mankind. In reality, Orpheus was able to calm down angry, fighting people.
- Him looking back at Eurydice could refer to being too attached to earthly things, and being punished for that.

Both explanations were favoured in the Middle Ages and Renaissance for being Christian!

What is the role of song in Poliziano's play?

- Everyone is a shepherd, and like in pastoral plays, the shepherds typically sing.
- Orpheus sings because he is the singer and his song is what persuades Proserpina and Pluto.
- The Bacchantes sing when they kill Orfeo.

How was opera first created?

At the end of the 16th century in Florence, it was mistakenly thought that the dialogues in Greek and Roman theatre were sung entirely. This was basically called "singing speaking"/stile rapprasentativo. These dialogues soon turned into grand plays, that were performed at big festivals.

Why was the opera Euridice, performed in 1600, so important?

Because it was performed for the marriage between Maria de Medici and Henry IV.

Who was Claudio Monteverdi?

A music director at the court of Mantua. He wrote sacred music, madrigals (worldy, solo songs) and operas, with topics from ancient mythology.

What is the big difference between Monteverdi's Orfeo and the Euridice?

In the Orfeo, Orpheus does not sing to Proserpina and Pluto but to the boatman Charon, who falls asleep.

What are the two used endings of Monteverdi's Orfeo?

1. Originally, a chorus of Bacchantes sings a drinking song and does not kill Orpheus. Fitting, because this play was performed during Carnival and was not supposed to be very dark.
2. As published two years later, Apollo takes Orpheus to the stars to be reunited with Euridice in a happy ending. This is also the catasterismos of Orpheus turning into the constellation Lyre.

Who as Christoph Willibald von Gluck?

He lived in the 18th century in Bohemia, worked in Vienna/Paris and was the creator of the "reform opera". He didn't like the enormous amount of singing in opera seria, as it came at the cost of dramatic consistency. The first opera he wrote still had Orpheus as theme, though, and was meant to refer back to Monteverdi. Orpheus was still the embodiment of song and emotion.

What was Gluck's version of Orfeo ed Euridice about?

- The story starts with Orfeo at Euridice's grave, without any mention of Aristeo. In this version of the tale, Euridice gets angry at Orfeo for not looking at her, but when he does look, they are reunited by Amore (Love) to live happily ever after. This was also written for a festival, so it is a happy tale.
Although Orfeo, Euridce and Amore are the only real characters, there are many background dancers such as satyrs and nymphs.

Why was Gluck's version of Orfeo ed Euridice very popular in the 19th century?

Because it contained lots of songs and dances.

What is the main point of Offenbach's Orphée aux Enfers?

That mythology exists to be satirised, and that the gods control mythology to control what the people think of them. They don't care about morality, but about Public Opinion. This was all about society.

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