Orfeo!

First performed in the year 1607, Monteverdi's Orfeo is a great representation of not only 17th century music, but art, poetry and acting. While it was not truly the first opera ever written, it is one of the few that remains in modern repertoire. For its time it was unusual in few ways. 

To begin with... Instrumentation! Monteverdi used one of the largest ensembles to date (which can be seen in the video I attached). But don't be fooled. It is not very often that Monteverdi takes advantage of all of the instruments at once in the score and often limits sections to very small groups within the larger "orchestra." This screams extravagance. He used just about every instrument that had been invented at that point. Although public opera was just around the corner, Orfeo would have only been possible with a patron of extreme wealth, which Claudio had in Mantua.  It wasn't too long after this opera was performed that Monteverdi lost his job at the Mantua court. Maybe his employer had to fire him after he "busted the bank." 

Orfeo begins with an Aria sung by the Muse of Music. She helps tell the tragic story of Orpheus and Eurydice; their wedding, Eurydice' death, and Orpheus's painful attempt to get her back. It is deeply depressing and frustrating. Of course the storyline is not foreign to anyone who knows about Greek mythology but for those that don't... Orpheus enters the underworld to get his beloved back and would succeed if he can only walk out of the underworld without looking back. Much like Lots wife, the temptation is too great! He worries Plutone (god of the underworld) will change his mind He looks back and is doomed to never see Eurydice again. The story ends with Artemis taking Orpheus to the heavens and away from mortal life.  

The reception of Orfeo was wonderful and only boosted Monteverdi's already famous name (other than the haters like Artusi). The next year his opera L'Arianna would also premier in the courts of Mantua. Both of these composition exemplified his Seconda Practica which I brought up yesterday a bit. If Monteverdi can take credit for anything in music history, he set up the Baroque era. It would be hard to describe Monteverdi as anything other than "early baroque," even though he wrote a new manifest and helped free the next generations of composers. 

Now for a few last comments. I really think its important to also compare  the older works I'm studying to their modern counterparts. One of the largest differences I noticed while doing my research on Orfeo was the length and variety within the Libretto. The actual length is surprising for the almost 2 hour long opera. And the dialog is not varied in a lot of ways: unlike modern operas which go on for forever. Many of my opera friends complain about how their scripts come in two books because it can't be comfortably fit into one. 

Ultimately, Orfeo is the perfect example of what would later be known as opera seria or the aristocratic style of opera. But Monteverdi, even though he only wrote 5 operas, also contributed to the publicly funded opera buffa. The Crowning of Poppea, performed in 1642, is what I will attempt to get into in my next post! 

Side note: I respect that no one has time to just randomly watch a two hour opera like I posted above. But it is worth it to at least listen to the first five minutes and imagine sitting in the court of Mantua! Its a satisfying feeling :)