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Monteverdi: L'Orfeo

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description Monteverdi: L'Orfeo Overview

L'Orfeo is an early Baroque opera by Claudio Monteverdi, set to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio. Commissioned by the Gonzaga family, it was first performed at the Ducal Palace in Mantua in 1607. The work recounts the Greek myth of Orpheus descending into the underworld to retrieve his wife Eurydice. It is notable for its use of recitative, varied instrumentation, and is considered one of the earliest operas in the standard repertory.

help Monteverdi: L'Orfeo FAQ

When and where was Monteverdi's L'Orfeo first performed?

L'Orfeo received its first performance on February 24, 1607, at the Ducal Palace in Mantua during the Carnival season, before the Gonzaga court. It was published the following year in Venice in a printed score.

Is L'Orfeo one of the earliest operas still regularly performed today?

Yes, L'Orfeo is among the earliest operas still in the active repertoire, composed only about a decade after Jacopo Peri's Dafne (c. 1598) and Euridice (1600), which are generally considered the first operas. Monteverdi's work is regarded as the first great opera because of its dramatic depth and sophisticated orchestration.

Who wrote the libretto for Monteverdi's L'Orfeo?

The libretto was written by Alessandro Striggio, a Mantuan court official and musician. It retells the Greek myth of Orpheus descending into the underworld to retrieve his dead wife Eurydice.

What instruments did Monteverdi specify for L'Orfeo?

Monteverdi provided unusually detailed instrumentation for L'Orfeo, specifying approximately 40 instruments including viols, lutes, cornetti, sackbuts, recorders, and a regal organ. This was far more specific than was typical for early 17th-century scores.

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