Offenbach Orpheus in the Underworld - Орфей в подземном мире - Lyon Opera House ,1998

Lyon Opera House (Lyons, France) Production date: 1998 Cast Laurent Pelly — Stage director Agathe Melinand — Rewriting of the dialogs Chantal Thomas — Set designer Michel Dussarat — Costume designer Laurent Pelly — Costume designer Dominique Boivin — Choreographer Joël Adam — Lighting Natalie Dessay — Eurydice Yann Beuron — Orpheus Laurent Naouri — Jupiter Jean-Paul Fouchécourt — Pluto / Aristaeus Martine Olmeda — Public Opinion Steven Cole — John Styx Cassandre Berthon — Cupid Etienne Lescroart — Mercury Virginie Pochon — Diana Lydie Pruvot — Juno Alketa Cela — Minerva Maryline Fallot — Venus Sherman Pleismer — The violinist Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra de Lyon Grenoble Chamber Orchestra Marc Minkowski — Music director Program notes In his famous “opera bouffe“ Orpheus in the Underworld, Jacques Offenbach explores in a comic way the tragic story of lovers Orpheus and Eurydice. It is staged here by Laurent Pelly at the Opéra National de Lyon and performed by Natalie Dessay (Eurydice) and Yann Beuron (Orpheus). In this funny version of Orphée’s ancient myth, his highly famous complaint “I have lost my Eurydice“ seems to be a victory roar... In this opera composed after a libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy, premiered in 1858 at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, Offenbach and the librettists give characters back to life in a highly humorous way. It is the story of a domestic squabble between bitter lovers Eurydice and Orpheus: Eurydice is fed up with Orpheus musical talent, but they cannot break off. So that Orpheus decides to ask shepherd Aristaeus – who is Pluto himself disguised – for his help. He wants him to seduce Eurydice to lead her die in a trap. Eurydice dies and goes to the Underworld. Everything is for the best in the best of all possible worlds, but Public Opinion comes to moralize Orpheus: he must save his honour in saving Eurydice... The fanciful staging perfectly highlights Offenbach’s Genius and humor: indeed he was the composer who created the genre of French “opéra bouffe“. Natalie Dessay and Yann Beuron remarkably perform this opera with voices full of expressiveness and a beautiful stage presence. They really transform this domestic squabble into a funny story.