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ORFEO ED EURIDICE Comes to Salzburg in May

Performances run Fri 26 May - Sun 28 May.

ORFEO ED EURIDICE Comes to Salzburg in May

The creators of musical theatre made early use of the myth of the Thracian singer Orpheus who follows his dead bride Eurydice down into the underworld in order to restore her to the realm of the living by the power of his song. What makes Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice so outstanding is that despite the title it concentrates on a single figure: Orfeo. The work shows an artist in his loneliness, for whom the death of a loved one be­comes the central theme. In the process, Gluck places his music wholly at the service of dramatic expression.

Dance also plays an important role in Orfeo ed Euridice, making a merging of the roles of director and choreographer an obvious choice. In Christof Loy's view, dance should by no means be seen as a discrete element: the borders between dance and text, music and movement should be fluid. The notion of boundlessness is also emphasized by the stage in its evocation of a path that could begin all over again without end.

The new Salzburg production is based on the 'Parma version' of the opera from 1769 for which Gluck eliminated the three-act structure of the first, Viennese version, combining the scenes to form a single act. The production follows the notion of unity on various levels, enabling the dilemma confronting Orfeo to appear as purely as possible in order to en­gage the emotions of the audience and offer possibilities for identification.



LORFEO Comes to Salzburg in May Photo
Just a few years after opera as a genre had originated in Italy, a substantial contribution to the emergent genre appeared on a stage this side of the Alps with a performance of Claudio Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo at the prince-archbishop’s residence in Salzburg on 27 January 1612. Composed in1607 for the carnival at the ducal court of Mantua, Monteverdi’s work, which is based on the ancient Orpheus myth, marks the actual ‘big bang’ of operatic history.

PING PONG Comes to Salzburg This Summer Photo
In this musical and theatrical show featuring singing, guitar, saxophone and percussion, a volley of insecurities, taunts and common interests fly around the table in a musical quickfire game of table tennis.

Daniel Barenboim Will Be Honored With a Charity Gala Concert in May Photo
Hommage Daniel Barenboim comes to Salzburg in May. The charity gala concert is set for Saturday 29 May 2023.

PING PONG Comes to Salzburg This Summer Photo
Ping Pong comes to the Salzburg Festival this summer. Performances run 20 July - 18 August 2023.


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