ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE

Christoph Willibald Gluck

Cast

Trailer | Trailer

Announcements

[...] Orpheus lives in another world, his lament is spherical, the Opera an aesthetic space. Static, out of this world, beautiful - this is the way how Patricia Bänsch sings and plays the delicate young man with the white strand of hair, who mourns the death of the beloved. The world around him is in patent and leather, love is sex and lust, Orpheus' feelings are misplaced. The opera shows not a real event, but a parable. Orpheus seeks its second half, which blends with him. The sphere, round and perfect, is broken. He seeks the missing piece. He moves like a spiral, which seems to lead always towards the middle. And yet nothing changes. [...]

Prior to the closing hymn is a dance interlude. It takes up the symbols of the staging and comments on the story with obvious pleasure. Dan Pelleg and Marko E. Weigert have devised a humorous and compelling choreography. The symbols run through the whole production and culminate in the closing hymn when they become the sole form of expression.

Gluck's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" is about the human longing for perfection. [...] The premiere audience was enthusiastic.

Reviews

Jens-Daniel Schubert - Sächsische Zeitung

"Orpheus and Eurydice" in Görlitz is highbrow and yet very catchy music theatre.

[...] Sebastian Ritschel consequently leads the characters in this powerful scenery. He does not reduce them to small picture elements, but shows them humanly living in events and encounters. Orpheus, staged as a lean, almost ascetic man with a plain black frock coat and a pale face gets his support in the form of a plump Cupid with changing, flamboyant costumes and dazzling make-up. This plump Cupid plays the clown and the joker, is pulling the strings and keeps the story ticking over.

[...] In this staging Gluck's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" is an aesthetically demanding, comprehensible and catchy music theatre. The audience was enthusiastic.

Boris Michael Gruhl - MDR-Figaro

Gluck's spherical theater.

[...] Sebastian Ritschel has staged an almost comical artist-drama with Patricia Bänsch as Orfeo. [...] Ritschel stages a passionate playing of suppression, repression and refuge in the convention of his illicitly upstanding hero.

He finds his inspiration in Plato and in the ancient philosophy. [...] We do not see when and how Orpheus and Eurydice have suddenly caught on, but it is intended. Music, singing, performance, image and dance come together in an entertaining way.

Boris Michael Gruhl - MDR-Figaro

Much commitment to high standards

Sebastian Ritschel [...] has worked out well, how unstable the relationship between Orpheus and Eurydice in fact is, that there is the will to hold out, but that the trial may go wrong, because after the long period of separation, memories no longer match with the fact of mutual perception. Ritschel asks in his production, whether the love of the two is truly enough that they stand the manners of the other even in moments of unclear behaviour. He is looking for an answer by bringing in the history of the Androgynous of the Greek philosopher Plato. [...]

The audience was very enthusiastic. Particularly well received were the dances. The three leading characters and the director were celebrated with many bravos. That night we have seen very well how important it is that our cultural scene has these rays of hope, which meet the high demands with great commitment. If these were dropped, they were impossible to replace.

Axel Göritz - opernnetz.de

The most convincing part of the production is the staging of the god of love Cupid as always present power behind the throne. [...] The successful enhancement of the role of Cupid, which is musically regarded a small part, was made to the centre of attention in this new production through Antje Kahn's brightly gleaming soprano even in the lively parts of the play.

[...] strictly stylized staging concept [...]

The scene had its strongest moments in the hell picture whose winked and revue-like appearance with the coat-tails and top hats made us think more of a sinful red den of iniquity then of furies and demons [...]

Quite elaborate inclusion of the ballet, as you can't find it very often in large opera houses. Not only integrated into the singing scenes, but staged with independent dance interludes (Dan Pelleg), the ballet was able to represent itself in a great way.

Jens-Daniel Schubert - dasorchester.de

Desire for perfection

Gluck's Orpheus and Eurydice as parable.