GLUCK

Orphée et Eurydice

Juan Diego Flórez, Ainhoa Garmendia, Alessandra Marianelli

Coro y Orquesta del Teatro Real, Madrid. Jesús López-Cobos

Juan Diego Flórez stars as the musician and poet Orpheus in Gluck's mythical opera of love and loss.

Following acclaimed performances at the Teatro Real in Madrid, Juan Diego Flórez records his first major opera role outside the bel canto repertoire, as he stars as Orphée in Gluck's most enduringly popular opera, sung in the original French of his 1774 Paris version

Includes the much-loved aria 'J'ai perdu mon Eurydice' ('Che faro senza Euridice') sung by Juan Diego Flórez, and the popular 'Dance Of The Blessed Spirits'

Eurydice is sung by rising Spanish soprano Ainhoa Garmendia, with soprano Alessandra Marianelli as L'Amour.

The opera tells of the poet and musician Orphée who travels to the underworld in search of his wife Eurydice, on the understanding that he doesn't look at her until they are back on earth. When she misinterprets his distance, he is compelled to turn and face her, only to see her die a second time. Moved by the intensity of Orphee's devotion, L'Amour returns Eurydice to life once more as all ends happily

Twelve years after the Vienna premiere of his original Italian version, Gluck adapted his opera for Parisian audiences. Apart from the change of language, the most significant difference is that the central role, sung in the Italian version by a castrato, was rewritten for the particular kind of high tenor voice that French audiences adored.

Decca 2cds 4782197