Arts & Events

Right from the outset, indeed, beginning with the overture, this new production of Orfeo ed Euridice, staged by Matthew Ozawa and choreographed by Rena Butler, strikes boldly at the heart of this drama — the grief of Orpheus at losing his Eurydice to a deadly snakebite on their wedding day. As acclaimed early music interpreter Peter Whelan conducts Gluck’s vigorous overture, dancers in flowing costumes perform harrowing break-dances emphasising the writhing, tortured expressions of grief as couples embrace then are violently separated. Included among the break- dancers is none other than Polish countertenor Jakub Józef Orliński, himself an accomplished break-dancer who sings the role of Orpheus in this production. As that rare phenomenon a distinguished opera singer who is also a remarkable break-dancer, Jakub Józef Orliński has been the subject of feature articles in the New York Times, New Yorker and Polish Vogue. 

One might wonder what break-dancing has to do with an ancient Greek myth retold in an 18th century opera, but in some ways this is true to everything the composer Gluck sought to achieve in creating a unity of simple, directly emotional arias, choral music and dance. Christoph Willibald Gluck is famous, above all, for instituting a reform of opera practices, especially those that had accrued in Italian opera seria, with its stilted rhetoric and convoluted librettos by Metastasio. In Vienna Gluck began working with a like-minded librettist, Ranieri de’ Calzabigi, to pare away all elements that did not advance in direct fashion the basic drama. In some ways, Gluck and Calzabigi took as a model the 17th century French operas of Jean-Baptiste Lully, which were noted for their extreme dramatic unity of arias, choruses and dance. In using this model for their 1762 Orfeo ed Euridice Gluck and Calzabigi combined the best of French musical style with the declamatory style of Italian comic opera, thereby setting the course of opera on a new path, one devoid of the stilted rhetoric of Metastasio’s convoluted librettos for opera seria and its reliance on pyrotechnic effects and melismas to show off the singers’ flexibility. (There are almost no syllables in Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice that are sung with more than one note and at the most two.) 

Once the overture is completed, there ensues in Orfeo ed Euridice a funeral chorus for Eurydice. 

Amidst this chorus, Orpheus utters three grief-stricken outbursts comprised simply of the name “Euridice.” These unearthly cries, as uttered in extreme distress by Jakub Józef Orlińsky, are almost beyond grief, indeed, almost beyond anything human. Thus we are instantly plunged into the developing stages of grief explored in this opera. Orfeo’s first great aria, “Chiamo il mio ben così’ finds him lamenting that all he gets when in anguish he utters his beloved’s name is the echo of his own voice resounding in nature. 

In Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice there are only three characters, and Euridice herself does not appear until near the end of Act Two. The third character is the goddess Amore, who in this production descends from the heavens on a swing and takes pity on Orpheus. Sung by soprano Nicole Heaston, Amore is portrayed almost as a caricature, gesturing floridly with fluttering hands as she grants Orpheus the right to enter Hades and reclaim his Eurydice on condition that he not look at her or even reveal why he will not look at her until they have successfully returned from Hades to the upper world. Orpheus foresees the difficulties these conditions will entail, but he accepts the challenge and sets off for Hades. 

In an impressive scene, Orpheus confronts the monstrous, black-shrouded Furies, who try to strike terror in this intruder’s heart, writhing in tortured dances and shrieking their “NO!” in response to Orfeo’s request to pass. But Orfeo uses his immortal gift of song to express the love that leads him onward to the depths of Hell. The Furies, finally impressed by his devotion, let him pass. Then Orpheus proceeds to the Elysian Fields, where souls who have come to terms with their grief enjoy a blissful oblivion. In his aria “che puro ciel” Orpheus finds this realm of Hades almost a paradise, though he laments that he still hasn’t encountered his Eurydice. There ensues the famous “Dance of the Blessed Spirits.” Then a chorus of blessed spirits assures Orpheus that Eurydice approaches, and, at last they are reunited. 

In the role of Eurydice, Chinese soprano Megui Zhang sang beautifully in a light, lyric soprano voice. Initially, Eurydice can hardly believe that her life is restored. But very soon, Eurydice is In aback that her husband will neither embrace her nor even look at her. She asks why this is so, but gets no answer from Orpheus other than his urging that they hastily depart from Hades. Imploring Orpheus to at least look at her, Eurydice complains at the cruel fate that makes her pass from death to such grief as a seeming loss of love from Orpheus. Torn by anguish, Orpheus eventually fails to abide by the conditions set by Amore and embraces his beloved. But in this embrace, Eurydice dies once more. Realising that she is now lost forever, Orpheus sings the famous aria, “Che farò senza Euridici.” He is now utterly beside himself in his grief and is ready to take his own life. 

Once again, however, Amore descends from the heavens and with more fluttering hand gestures that are almost comical — and did indeed evince audience laughter at the November 18 performance I attended— Amore brings Eurydice back to life yet again and grants the couple release from Hades. The opera ends with a choral celebration. 

In the role of Orpheus, countertenor Jakub Józef Orlińsky sang impressively. His refined legato and impeccable diction served the direct simplicity of Calzabigi’s libretto and Gluck’s music. 

Conductor Peter Whelan led the Opera Orchestra in a splendidly brisk performance that proceeded without intermission over a 90-minute duration. As mentioned earlier, Matthew Ozawa was director and Rena Butler was choreographer. Sets were by Alexander V. Nichols and Yuki Nakase Link was lighting designer. Costumes were by Jessica Jahn. The Opera Chorus was ably led by John Keene. Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice continues on 11/20, 11/26, and 12/1.