What made Orpheus into underworld?
Orpheus, singer, musician and poet, carrying a lyre on his shoulder, had recently married Eurydice, but on the day of their wedding, 'in the very bloom of her life', she was bitten by a viper and died of its venom. Distraught with grief, Orpheus descended into the underworld determined to restore her to mortality.
Why did Orpheus go to King Hades?
After the death of his beloved wife, Orpheus was no more the same carefree person he used to be. His life without Eurydice seemed endless and could do nothing more than grief for her. This is when he had a great but yet crazy idea: he decided to go to Underworld and try to get his wife back.
What did Orpheus do in the afterlife?
Orpheus in the Underworld Through his musical prowess, Orpheus persuaded Hades and Persephone to restore Eurydike to life, only to lose her again when he disobeyed the gods' instruction not to look back as they returned to the world above.
What did Orpheus do after Eurydice died?
Overcome with grief, Orpheus ventured himself to the land of the dead to attempt to bring Eurydice back to life. With his singing and playing he charmed the ferryman Charon and the dog Cerberus, guardians of the River Styx.
What was Hades real name?
Hades, Greek Aïdes (“the Unseen”), also called Pluto or Pluton (“the Wealthy One” or “the Giver of Wealth”), in ancient Greek religion, god of the underworld. Hades was a son of the Titans Cronus and Rhea, and brother of the deities Zeus, Poseidon, Demeter, Hera, and Hestia.
Why was Orpheus not allowed to look back at her?
Hades gave permission to Orpheus to bring Eurydice back to the surface of the earth to enjoy the light of day. There was only one condition--Orpheus was not to look back as he ascended. He was to trust that Eurydice was immediately behind him.
What is the moral lesson of Orpheus and Eurydice?
The moral of Orpheus and Eurydice is to be patient and keep one's faith. When Orpheus travels to the underworld, he convinces Hades using music to let him take Eurydice back to the world of the living.
How does a person enter the underworld?
The deceased could enter the underworld through various routes, but perhaps the most common depiction is that of the ferryman Charon to take them across the river.
Where did Orpheus go Hades?
In a desperate attempt to save his love, Orpheus traveled to the Underworld and met with Lord Hades and his wife Persephone.
Did Hades trick Orpheus?
Orpheus played his lyre, attracting Hades. Hades told Orpheus that he could take Eurydice back with him but under one condition: she would have to follow behind him while walking out from the caves of the underworld, and he could not turn to look at her as they walked.
Why did Orpheus decide to rescue his wife from the underworld?
Why did Orpheus decide to rescue his wife from the underworld? He decided to rescue his wife from the underworld because he loved her so much. He decided to rescue his wife from the underworld because he loved her so much.
What did Orpheus do wrong?
In this version of the legend, it is said that Orpheus was torn to shreds by the women of Thrace for his inattention. had abstained from the love of women, either because things ended badly for him, or because he had sworn to do so.
What happens to Eurydice and Orpheus when Jupiter uses a thunderbolt?
Disobey and she will be lost to him forever. Orpheus and Eurydice start out for home when Jupiter uses a thunderbolt to startle Orpheus, who turns abruptly and cannot help but look at Eurydice, who then vanishes. Pluto thinks she will be his again, but in fact she’s been promised to Bacchus.
What happens when Pluto and Styx can't find Eurydice?
Styx and Pluto return. When they can’t find Eurydice, Pluto realises that Jupiter has snatched her.
What does Jupiter accuse Pluto of?
Jupiter accuses Pluto of taking Eurydice. Heaven and Hell shake at the hypocrisy of Jupiter’s words: mortals and gods alike have lost their faith in him. Revolution is in the air and the gods now want Pluto to be in charge. Cupid announces the arrival of Orpheus and Public Opinion at Mount Olympus.
What happened to Eurydice when she was bitten by a snake?
She is bitten by a snake, at which point Aristaeus reveals his true identity – Pluto! Before she dies her welcome death, Eurydice leaves a note for Orpheus. Pluto and Eurydice set off for Hell. When Orpheus returns, he discovers Eurydice’s note and collapses in relief. No more grief, confusion or pain.
What does Pluto do to Jupiter?
Pluto leads Jupiter off to the party he is throwing for the gods. Eurydice emerges from her hiding-place. A swarm of bee-ghosts warn her about Jupiter’s intentions towards her. Jupiter returns in the form of a fly, enters Eurydice’s cell and begins to seduce her.
What happens when Orpheus returns to Olympus?
When Orpheus returns, he discovers Eurydice’s note and collapses in relief. No more grief, confusion or pain. Public Opinion reminds him that he must do the right thing: he must go to Olympus and beg Jupiter to help get Eurydice back.
Why does Styx drink himself into oblivion?
Styx boasts to her of his status when alive, and, admits that he now has to drink himself into oblivion in order to take orders from Pluto. When Jupiter and Pluto arrive, Styx hastily hides Eurydice. Jupiter searches the cell for Eurydice in vain, until he notices something peeping out from under the bed.
What is the opera Orpheus in the Underworld?
Orpheus in the Underworld and Orpheus in Hell are English names for Orphée aux enfers ( French: [ɔʁfe oz‿ɑ̃fɛʁ] ), a comic opera with music by Jacques Offenbach and words by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy. It was first performed as a two-act " opéra bouffon " at the Théâtre des Bouffes-Parisiens, Paris, on 21 October 1858, and was extensively revised and expanded in a four-act " opéra féerie " version, presented at the Théâtre de la Gaîté, Paris, on 7 February 1874.
What was the satire of the opera?
The opera was widely seen as containing thinly disguised satire of the régime of Napoleon III, but the early press criticisms of the work focused on its mockery of revered classical authors such as Ovid and the equally sacrosanct music of Gluck's Orfeo. Faris comments that the satire perpetrated by Offenbach and his librettists was cheeky rather than hard-hitting, and Richard Taruskin in his study of 19th-century music observes, "The calculated licentiousness and feigned sacrilege, which successfully baited the stuffier critics, were recognized by all for what they were – a social palliative, the very opposite of social criticism ...The spectacle of the Olympian gods doing the cancan threatened nobody's dignity." The Emperor greatly enjoyed Orphée aux enfers when he saw it at a command performance in 1860; he told Offenbach he would "never forget that dazzling evening".
How many players were in the orchestra at the Bouffes-Parisiens?
The orchestra at the Bouffes-Parisiens was small – probably about thirty players. The 1858 version of Orphée aux enfers is scored for two flutes (the second doubling piccolo), one oboe, two clarinets, one bassoon, two horns, two cornets, one trombone, timpani, percussion (bass drum/cymbals, triangle), and strings. The Offenbach scholar Jean-Christophe Keck speculates that the string sections consisted of at most six first violins, four second violins, three violas, four cellos, and one double bass. The 1874 score calls for considerably greater orchestral forces: Offenbach added additional parts for woodwind, brass and percussion sections. For the premiere of the revised version he engaged an orchestra of sixty players, as well as a military band of a further forty players for the procession of the gods from Olympus at the end of the second act.
What is the music of the Galop Infernal?
In the last decade of the 19th century the Paris cabarets the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère adopted the music of the " Galop infernal" from the culminating scene of the opera to accompany the can-can, and ever since then the tune has been popularly associated with the dance.
What is the opera about?
The opera is a lampoon of the ancient legend of Orpheus and Eurydice. In this version Orpheus is not the son of Apollo but a rustic violin teacher. He is glad to be rid of his wife, Eurydice, when she is abducted by the god of the underworld, Pluto. Orpheus has to be bullied by Public Opinion into trying to rescue Eurydice.
Why did Orpheus have to be bullied?
Orpheus has to be bullied by Public Opinion into trying to rescue Eurydice. The reprehensible conduct of the gods of Olympus in the opera was widely seen as a veiled satire of the court and government of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French.
What is the scene in Act 2 Scene 1?
Act 2, Scene 1: Pluton's boudoir in the Underworld. Jupiter transformed into a fly – Désiré, in the 1858 production. Eurydice is being kept locked up by Pluton, and is finding life very tedious. Her gaoler is a dull-witted tippler by the name of John Styx.
Who was Orpheus?
Orpheus was a musician, poet and prophet in Greek mythology. His parents were the king of Thrace Oeagrus and the muse Calliope.
What was the name of the expedition that the Argonauts took part in?
It is also said that he took part in the Argonautic Expedition, playing the lyre on the way. If it weren't for him, the Argonauts would never be able to avoid the beautiful songs of the Sirens.
Why did Orpheus start singing songs?
Orpheus found his wife's body and due to his grief, started singing the most mournful songs. The nymphs and the gods started weeping upon hearing Orpheus ' songs, and advised him to go to the Underworld and bring his wife back.
What is the most famous story about Orpheus?
The most famous story about Orpheus is that of him and his wife Eurydice. Eurydice was having a stroll, when a satyr tried to rape her. She tried to avoid him, but she fell into a nest of vipers and she was fatally bitten. Orpheus found his wife's body and due to his grief, started singing the most mournful songs.
Why did Orpheus die?
One day, he went to pay tribute to the sun near the oracle of Dionysus, where he was caught by the Maenads, and was killed for being an infidel to the god Dionysus.
Did Orpheus look back when he reached the surface?
However, they told him not to look back until they had reached the surface. They started walking towards the surface; when Orpheus reached the opening of the cave with his wife following, he looked back, anxious to see if Eurydice was behind him.
Who did Orpheus meet in the Underworld?
Orpheus at the Underworld. Orpheus indeed followed their advice and met with the god of the Underworld Hades and his wife Persephone. He pleaded to let him take his wife back, and after singing to them, their hearts were softened so much that they agreed.
What did Hades tell Orpheus?
Hades told Orpheus that he could look at Eurydice when she finally entered the light of the upper world, but he could not look at her while she was in the dark in the underworld. Hades warned that if Orpheus turned and looked at Eurydice while she was still in the dark, she would be condemned to the underworld forever.
How did Orpheus see Eurydice?
When he turned around, Orpheus saw Eurydice had stepped on a venomous snake that had bitten her. She was dying, and Orpheus was unable to save her.
Why did Orpheus ask Apollo to help him go into the underworld?
Orpheus asked Apollo to help him go into the underworld and retrieve his wife. Apollo went to Hades, the god of the underworld, and told him that Orpheus wanted to visit him to request the return of his wife, Eurydice. With his lyre in hand, Orpheus made his way into the underworld and found Hades.
What was Orpheus drawn to?
Eurydice had heard Orpheus playing the lyre, and she was drawn to the beautiful music. Likewise, Orpheus was drawn to the beauty of Eurydice. It was love at first sight for them.
What is the tragic story of Orpheus and Eurydice?
Eurydice was a beautiful nymph. Their tragic love story would tell the tale of losing someone you love and having the opportunity to get them back if you can follow one simple rule.
Who found Hades in the Underworld?
With his lyre in hand, Orpheus made his way into the underworld and found Hades. Orpheus played his lyre and sang to Hades and those in the underworld to hear. Everyone in the underworld was moved by the beautiful song that Orpheus played for his wife.
Who grabbed Eurydice and ran away?
As Eurydice and Orpheus neared, Aristaeus jumped out but was unable to kill Orpheus. Instead, Orpheus grabbed Eurydice, and they began running through the woods away from Aristaeus. As they ran, Aristaeus chased them. Orpheus held Eurydice’s hand as they ran through the woods until he felt her fall and slip out of her hands.
What is the story of Orpheus and Eurydice?
Orpheus and Eurydice. The story of Orpheus and Eurydice is the ultimate tragic love story. Perhaps one of the most famous Greek myths, it has inspired many important painters, such as Peter Paul Rubens and Nicolas Poussin. Moreover, many operas, songs and plays have been composed to honour these two great lovers who tragically lost ...
What was Orpheus's role in the Argonautic Expedition?
He was believed to have taken part in the Argonautic expedition, which is the voyage of Jason and his fellow Argonauts to get to Colchis and steal the Golden Fleece.
What did Orpheus spend his early years doing?
Orpheus used to spend much of his early years in the idyllic pursuits of music and poetry. His skill had far surpassed the fame and respect of his music. Humans and beasts alike would be enchanted by it and often even the most inanimate of objects would yearn to be near him.
What was Orpheus' voice?
Orpheus had a divinely gifted voice that could charm everyone who heard it. When he was presented first the lyre as a boy, he had it mastered in no time at all. The myth says that no god or mortal could resist his music and even the rocks and trees would move themselves to be near him.
What was the girl in Orpheus's eyes called?
It was at one such gathering of humans and beasts that his eyes fell on a wood nymph. The girl was called Eurydice, she was beautiful and shy. She had been drawn to Orpheus enamored by his voice and such was the spell of beauty in music and appearance that neither could cast their eyes off each other.
Did Orpheus see Eurydice?
Unfortunately, he got only a glimpse of Eurydice before she was once again drawn back into the underworld. When Orpheus turned his head, Eurydice was still in the dark, she hadn't seen the sun and, as Hades had warned Orpheus, his sweet wife was drowned back to the dark world of the dead.
Where did Orpheus' body go?
It is said that his head and his lyre floated downriver to the island of Lesvos. There the Muses found them and gave Orpheus a proper burial ceremony. People believed that his grave emanated music, plaintive yet beautiful.
Overview
Synopsis
A spoken introduction with orchestral accompaniment (Introduction and Melodrame) opens the work. Public Opinion explains who she is – the guardian of morality ("Qui suis-je? du Théâtre Antique"). She says that unlike the chorus in Ancient Greek plays she does not merely comment on the action, but intervenes in it, to make sure the story maintains a high moral tone. Her efforts are hamp…
Background and first productions
Between 1855 and 1858 Offenbach presented more than two dozen one-act operettas, first at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Salle Lacaze, and then at the Bouffes-Parisiens, Salle Choiseul. The theatrical licensing laws then permitted him only four singers in any piece, and with such small casts, full-length works were out of the question. In 1858 the licensing restrictions were relaxed, and Offenbach …
Music
The score of the opera, which formed the pattern for the many full-length Offenbach operas that followed, is described by Faris as having an "abundance of couplets" (songs with repeated verses for one or more singers), "a variety of other solos and duets, several big choruses, and two extended finales". Offenbach wrote in a variety of styles – from Rococo pastoral vein, via pastich…
Reception
From the outset Orphée aux enfers divided critical opinion. Janin's furious condemnation did the work much more good than harm, and was in contrast with the laudatory review of the premiere by Jules Noriac in the Figaro-Programme, which called the work, "unprecedented, splendid, outrageous, gracious, delightful, witty, amusing, successful, perfect, tuneful". Bertrand Jouv…
Revivals
Between the first run and the first Paris revival, in 1860, the Bouffes-Parisiens company toured the French provinces, where Orphée aux enfers was reported as meeting with "immense" and "incredible" success". Tautin was succeeded as Eurydice by Delphine Ugalde when the production was revived at the Bouffes-Parisiens in 1862 and again in 1867.
Recordings
There are three full-length recordings. The first, from 1951 features the Paris Philharmonic Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by René Leibowitz, with Jean Mollien (Orphée), Claudine Collart (Eurydice), Bernard Demigny (Jupiter) and André Dran (Pluton); it uses the 1858 version. A 1978 issue from EMI employs the expanded 1874 version; it features the Chorus and Orchestra of the Toulou…
Notes, references and sources
• Clément, Félix; Pierre Larousse (1881). Dictionnaire des opéras (Dictionnaire lyrique) (in French). Paris: Larousse. OCLC 174469639.
• Crémieux, Hector (1860). Orphée aux enfers: libretto (in French). Paris: Bourdilliat. OCLC 717856068.
• Faris, Alexander (1980). Jacques Offenbach. London: Faber & Faber. ISBN 978-0-571-11147-3.