Gluck’s Orpheus: the French version from Covent Garden to Teatro alla Scala

Gluck’s Orpheus is on stage now and until March 17th at Teatro Alla Scala (Milan). For the first time, Gluck’s Orpheus is performed in Milan Teatro Alla Scala  its second version, the French-language version Gluck produced for Paris in 1774, 12 years after the original had caused such a sensation at its Vienna premiere in 1762.

The Italian-language Orfeo ed Euridice was the first of Gluck’s great “reform” operas, where he replaced the complicated plots and ornate music of opera seria with a “noble simplicity” driven by music.

The opera’s 1762 premiere in Vienna was a triumph. Twelve years later, Gluck decided to make his opera even greater for the Paris Opéra: he extended his score to full-evening length, added extra ballet music, revised the orchestration and recasted the role of Orpheus.

There are two big differences between the two versions: the first it the language, since the 1774 edition was written in French. The second main difference stands in Orpheus’ role which is not anymore performed by a castrato but by a tenor or, to be more specific, by a haute-contre.

The opera remains Gluck’s most popular work and is regarded as a landmark in operatic history.

Why is French language better than Italiano for Orpheus? First, because it is the original language. Then French phrases make more sense than their Italian translation and make the opera more comprehensible.

French language allows also to respect the historical references of the time of the Opera.

The Milan’s show comes directly from the London Covent Garden, Royal Opera House with the direction of John Fulljames e Hofesh Shechter (a coreographer also responsible for many ballets of the opera).

Orchestra is a main focus of the show: no orchestra pit but t a midstage platform that can be raised above stage level or dropped below it so that action takes place around and beneath the orchestra. This way orchestra is visible and it is possible to associate the single instruments to any action happening on stage ( in the London performance the orchestra pit itself provides student standing places).