Glyndebourne is about to unleash a masterpiece that will shatter the very fabric of opera as we know it – Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, widely regarded as the earliest opera still performed today. Composed in 1607 for the ducal court of Mantua, this 'favola in musica' (legend in music) is a work that still resonates with its timeless themes of music and art.
At the helm of this visionary production is none other than the brilliant director and artist William Kentridge, who describes L'Orfeo as 'an opera about opera', and 'the power of art to construct the world'. His innovative take centres on La Musica, the enigmatic character who conjures the entire opera into being with her brushstrokes. Think of it – a painter bringing the sets and characters to life before our very eyes, as she paints and projects images onto the stage.
And what artistry is on display! Kentridge's own charcoal drawings are projected onto the stage, transporting us to diverse landscapes, from serene nature to the underworld. The set itself is a fusion of a Bauhaus-era studio and Kentridge's Johannesburg studio, with some elements shipped directly from South Africa. It's a match made in heaven!
Conductor Jonathan Cohen is just as excited about Monteverdi's genius, praising how the opera immediately establishes music's power through La Musica's prologue, where she claims control over nature and human emotions. The Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment will bring this masterpiece to life on period instruments, including theorbos, a lirone, viols, harps, and various keyboards – an authentic soundscape for a true baroque masterpiece.
Kentridge's bold staging also breathes new life into Eurydice's role. Gone is the limited original script – this production gives her agency, keeping her present until the opera's conclusion as she searches for her own voice. 'There were always two songs', Kentridge notes, 'not one. There's Orpheus' song, but there's also the unheard song of Eurydice.' Drawing inspiration from Ovid's original myth and Rainer Maria Rilke's Sonnets to Orpheus, this production is set in 1920 – a fascinating blend of ancient and modern.
So what does it all mean? In Kentridge's words, the openness in baroque music allows for 'sideways thoughts about the story', providing space for his reflective drawings to take shape. And that's exactly what makes this production so groundbreaking – Monteverdi's L'Orfeo, a work that has survived centuries due to its rare printing and detailed instrumentation, is now given new life through Kentridge's contemporary lens.
What it means for you: get ready to experience the essence of opera history like never before. This production promises to make baroque opera more accessible and engaging for modern audiences – a truly unforgettable encounter with the power of music and art.