Until I stumbled across the video that is included below, I had no idea that one of my more favorite classical pieces was actually part of an opera. I heard the Monteverdi piece on an LP many years ago and just loved the way that the song played out (the piece was also on one of Wendy Carlos' electronic interpretations of classical music on the Moog synthesizer).
L'Orfeo was written in 1607 by Claudio Monteverdi (Libretto - the words of a musical piece of work that are to be sung - by Alessandro Strigil). As I said, I had only heard the overture, so I had no idea until doing some research on the piece, that it was actually part of an opera.
The opera is based on the Greek legend of Orpheus, in particular, his descent into hades to bring his bride back into the world. The libretto was based on books 10 and 11 of Ovid's Metamorphoses among many varied sources.
The version that follows is footage from the Opera as presented in Spain. The dramatic entry of the conductor heightens the overture. I just love the drummer - he could make a nice Dumbledore or Gandolf! Placing the trumpets and drums in the alcove boxes on the sides of the stage was a very neat touch, adding drama and flair to the opening.
I will watch the entire two hours at some point soon, but for now, just enjoy the 2-3 minutes of the overture:
L'Orfeo - Monteverdi
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