1

Orpheus: From Myth to Stage

By
Rachel Evans

Senior Honors Thesis

Department of Music
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

3/9/2018

Approved:

Tim Carter, Thesis Advisor

Brent Wissick, Reader

Annegret Fauser, Reader

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Preface……………………………………………………………………..1

1 The Myth……… …………………………………………………..2

2 Virgil and Ovid…………………………………………………….3

3 From Ovid to Peri……………………….…………………………8

4 Peri’s Euridice (1600)………………………….….……………...13

5 Monteverdi’s Orfeo (1607)……………………. ………………...22

Appendix………………………………. ………………………………...29

Bibliography…………………………… ………………………………36
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Preface

I became interested in the topic of Orpheus operas through a page on Wikipedia. While trying to

decide on the topic for my honors thesis, I stumbled upon a list of them and found that there were

close to eighty works based on this myth, some of which I was familiar with and many of which

I had never even heard. I performed excerpts from Offenbach’s Orpheus in the Underworld as a

child in Youth Orchestra and was made aware of Monteverdi’s Orfeo and Gluck’s Orfeo ed

Euridice through music-history courses. My original plan for my thesis was to study these three

famous interpretations of the Orpheus myth, but realizing that this was too general I decided to

focus on the genesis of the trend of operas based upon it.

The aim of this thesis is to discover why the story of Orpheus and his voyage to the

Underworld has become a popular subject for operatic composition and how the historical

contexts of its use contribute to and benefit from this history. I chose to focus on two operas that

came seven years apart and each hold particular historical significance. The first, Jacopo Peri’s

Euridice, is known for being the first opera to survive complete, and the second, Monteverdi’s

Orfeo, for its revolutionary musical characteristics and is the earliest opera still performed with

any regularity today. I approached this topic by first researching the Orpheus myth and its

journey throughout time, focusing particularly on its growth and change from the early days of

the Roman Empire to when the first of the two operas was written, around 1600. I paid special

attention to the historical contexts of the operas as ways to further explain the interpretational

decisions made by the respective librettists. I then chose to focus on the events that take place

from Orpheus’s descent into the Underworld until the conclusion of each opera. Through the
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historical context and the history of the myth, I was able to discuss how two operas based on the

same myth could have such different endings.

I would like to thank my family and friends who read a great deal of my writing and gave

me an outside opinion on many aspects of my work, and also my committee for reading my

paper and helping me to grow as an academic. Finally, I would like to thank Dr. Tim Carter, who

has been an amazing adviser throughout this process. He has helped my writing in ways I could

not even imagine and enabled me to think more critically about the music I have studied for this

project and beyond.

1 THE MYTH

In Greek mythology, Orpheus is a poet,

musician, and prophet who has a particular

gift for music. It is said that he was able to

entrance animals, trees and even rocks with

his lyre playing and singing. Orpheus’s

parentage is often contested, with his mother

nearly always thought to be the muse

Calliope, while his father is said to be a king

of Thrace, Orpheus’s homeland, in some

accounts and in others, Apollo, the Greek

god of sunlight, music and poetry. In the Ancient Roman Floor Mosaic depicting Orpheus surrounded by
animals, entranced by his lyre playing. The mosaic resides in the
Museo Archaeologico Regionale di Palermo.
latter case, he is considered a demigod. In
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the story which has become the centerpiece of many artistic renderings, Orpheus falls in love

with Eurydice, a nymph. On their wedding day, she is bitten by a snake and dies. Upon hearing

this sad news, Orpheus is overcome with grief and decides to try to retrieve her from the world

of the dead. He travels to the Underworld and convinces Hades and his wife Persephone to

release her. They eventually agree, but with the stipulation that he may not turn around to look at

her until they are back in the world of the living. This is where the story begins to splinter, due to

its origins in oral retelling as well as versions that are meant to stress certain morals, ideals, or

outcomes. Ultimately Orpheus turns around and loses Eurydice before the journey is complete.

In some accounts, he turns to check that she is there, while in others he sees the light of the world

of the living and wants to share his happiness. Still in others there is a sound that either makes

him turn around or warns him not to before setting eyes on her and losing her once again. After

he returns to Thrace, he is deeply saddened by the events that have taken place. Some stories say

that he shuns women and lives out his days becoming a prophet. Other stories have him torn

apart by Maenads, followers of Dionysus, because they longed to be with him, but he had sworn

off women. Many other versions of the story exist, with different paths taken by Orpheus, and

different outcomes for his life. There are many famous retellings of the story that would later

influence its musical settings.

2 VIRGIL AND OVID

Throughout Western history, ancient Greek culture has often been revered and used for

inspiration. The growing Roman Empire was one such culture which drew heavily from the ideas

and stories of the Greeks, including a polytheistic religion that consisted of many of the same

deities and stories, though the gods and other characters often carried different names. Two
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famous Roman poets wrote about the story of Orpheus in their body of work. The first was

Virgil, a writer in the Augustan Period of the Roman Empire who lived from 70 to 19 BCE.

Virgil recounted the story of Orpheus in his fourth book of the Georgics.1 In fact, he went a step

further and discussed the relationship between Orpheus and Aristaeus, a minor god who

sometimes makes an appearance in the telling of Orpheus and Eurydice’s story. In Virgil’s

telling, Eurydice is fleeing from Aristaeus, who is attempting to capture her, along the banks of a

river and does not see the snake before it bites her. Orpheus hears the mourning of her friends

and others and becomes grief stricken. He decides to attempt to get her back and proceeds to the

land of the dead, where Charon, the ferryman of the river Styx, Cerberus, the three-headed dog

who guards the gates of Tartarus, and all the other spirits are charmed by his sad song. Pluto, the

god of the Underworld in Roman mythology, is not mentioned, but his wife, Proserpine, is said

to have given the order that he cannot turn around to look at his bride until he reaches the land of

the living again. As Orpheus leads her back, he sees the light of the entrance and, in his

happiness, forgets the command and turns around to look at her, only to lose her once again. She

gives an impassioned farewell speech, the only spoken words in this portion of the poem, and is

gone. Orpheus weeps for seven months and shuns the affection of women, singing his sadness to

the trees and animals after Charon refuses to give him a second chance at retrieving Eurydice.

Eventually the Thracian women, who are upset by his rejection of them, tear him apart and his

head floats down the river, still singing the name Eurydice.

This story is told in the context of Aristaeus’s life. The fourth book of Georgics centers

around the life and cultivation of bees, a practice said to have been started by Aristaeus. In the

book, Aristaeus is told by Proteus, a sea god, that his bees died because he caused both the death

1
See Virgil Georgics for full translation by A.S. Kline.
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of Eurydice and Orpheus’s consequent suffering. Virgil accords Orpheus’s story limited space

and does not go into great detail, suggesting that it has been told many times before, despite the

fact that Virgil’s

version is the first

prominent written

example of it.

Eurydice’s name is

not spoken until This depiction of Orpheus, Eurydice and Aristaeus was painted from 1475-80 by Jacopo de Sellaio. It
shows Eurydice being bitten by the snake and consequently taken to the Underworld by demons
(center and right) and Orpheus learning of her untimely death (left).
the end,

identifying Orpheus (rather than Euridice) as the tragic figure in this story and the main reason

why Aristaeus is guilty. This paints Orpheus in a sympathetic light through the nature of the

narration. Proteus, who has been captured by Aristaeus in order to determine why the bees have

died, tells the story of Orpheus to his captor. Naturally, Proteus would be more inclined to

sympathize with Orpheus. However, Orpheus never ceases mourning the loss of his wife out of

both anger and guilt. Ultimately, in Virgil’s telling, he takes on less of a heroic role—given his

incessant weeping without further attempts to continue his life—than Aristaeus who, upon

finding out that his guilt is to blame for the death of his bees, goes on a quest to make sacrificial

amends and is rewarded.

Shortly after Virgil, another famous Roman poet, Ovid, turned to the Orpheus myth. Ovid

lived from 43 BCE to about 17 CE and is most famous for his Metamorphoses, a narrative telling

the history of the world through hundreds of mythological stories. It is believed that Ottavio

Rinuccini based his libretto for Jacopo Peri’s Euridice on books X and XI of this collection.2 In

2
See Ovid Metamorphoses for full translation by Frank Justus Miller.
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Ovid’s version of the story, Orpheus and Eurydice are about to be married without the disruption

of Aristaeus’s pursuit of the bride, but there are other bad omens. Instead of fleeing from

Aristaeus, Eurydice is simply walking with her friends along the riverbank when she is bitten by

the snake and dies. Orpheus tries to retrieve her from the land of the dead and this time charms

everyone, including Pluto and Proserpine (his address to the gods is given in the Appendix,

below). They again give their assent to the return of Eurydice, once more with the stipulation not

to look back. As Orpheus and Eurydice approach the passage from Hades to the world of the

living he worries that she is not behind him, so he looks back and she immediately begins to

vanish. According to Ovid, she does not call him out for this mistake, unlike in Virgil’s telling of

the story, because it was borne out of too much love. Instead she only says a one-word goodbye

and departs. He tries to appeal to Charon to let him cross the river Styx again, but is denied and

ascends back to Earth, where he shuns the love of women and, eventually, becomes known as the

first person in Thrace to practice pederastic love. Ovid uses the rest of the chapter to describe the

song of the woeful Orpheus. Chapter 11 begins with the Bacchantes, followers of Bacchus (the

Roman equivalent of the Greek Dionysus), finding Orpheus and—angry at his rejection of

them—making such a fuss that even his song was overpowered and could not be heard so that

the rocks and animals were no longer affected by his musical talent. As in Virgil, they tear him

apart, but this time both his head and his lyre float down the river. The head is saved from a

snake by Apollo, and Orpheus’s spirit, departed from his body, returns to his Eurydice.

This telling of the story comes after a marriage with a happy ending in chapter IX of

Metamorphoses, therefore creating the contrast of ultimate happiness and impending tragedy by

removing the threat of Aristaeus, making Eurydice’s death the work of bad omens and not the

guilt of another character. In this version, there is evidence of misogynistic undertones, turning
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Orpheus from a grief-stricken and somewhat pathetic widower weeping for his lost love to a man

who is angry at his wife for dying and who resents other women because of the difficulty he

faced. This anger could be the reason for Orpheus’s change in romantic affection. He goes on to

sing songs that tell mythological stories, some with pederastic themes and others displaying the

difficulty of love, especially with women. Such negative opinions from Orpheus about women

change the narrative of the Bacchantes from one in which they feel spurned by him to one where

they are angry because he has insulted their femininity.3

Both of these versions of the Orpheus myth are meant to serve a specific purpose within a

larger work. The stories themselves are not the main point of the narrative but rather function to

underscore a particular argument. As mentioned earlier, the version of the Orpheus myth in

Virgil’s Georgics is to offer an explanation as to why Aristaeus lost his bees. The Georgics focus

on themes of agriculture and what it has done for human kind, as well as the effect humanity has

had on it. It describes many different aspects of agricultural work and life, which quite obviously

has very little to do with the story of Orpheus. The fourth book deals with the life and cultivation

of bees with special emphasis on how their communities are similar to human societies. When

Aristaeus, who is thought to have created the practice of apiculture, suddenly finds that his bees

have all died, the story of Orpheus serves not only as an explanation—Aristeaus has offended the

gods— as the impetus for his quest to improve bee-keeping for the future of humanity. In

narrative terms, the story is meant purely to present a hermeneutic support for the development

of another story and not stand on its own at all, meaning that, in effect, it has neither a beginning

nor an end.

3
See Anderson, “The Orpheus of Virgil and Ovid,” for a fuller interpretation of Ovid’s account, and likewise for
Virgil’s.
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A similar situation applies to Ovid’s Metamorphoses. This book discusses the history of

the world and what changes have been made to it: hence the title. The problem with Orpheus’s

story is that he and the others in the story do not necessarily transform until after his quest has

concluded. This telling is framed by two different transitions, the first being the wedding of Iphis

and Ianthe. Iphis, who was raised as a boy in order to avoid being killed by her father, is to be

married to Ianthe. They love each other and want to be married, but their wedding is complicated

by the fact that they are both women. In a last minute act, Iphis’s mother prays to Isis for help,

and Isis turns Iphis into a boy. They are happily married, and Hymen, who performs their

ceremony, leaves to go perform the ceremony of Orpheus and Eurydice.4 Following this telling

of Orpheus’s tale, we are introduced to several stories of mortals who have been transformed, or

metamorphosed, into plants and animals because of their relations to the gods. This can be seen

as possible foreshadowing to chapter 11, in which the Bacchantes tear the sorrowful Orpheus

apart and the god Bacchus, angry with them for killing the musician, turns them into trees. In this

way, the story of Orpheus can be seen as a stepping stone to keep the story going, but it also adds

the complication of a narrative that, when taken out of context, lacks a definitive beginning and

end.

3 FROM OVID TO PERI

The versions of the Orpheus story in the Metamorphoses and the Georgics were not the only

ones that continued circulating between the time they were written in the first century CE to the

4
The story of Iphis and Ianthe as well as Orpheus’s punishment at the hands of the Bacchantes present a
heteronormative ideal in this period of Roman history. This transformation of the Orpheus story to either scorn or
more simply ignore homosexual circumstances is seen later in the discussion of the myth.
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writing of the first operas in the beginning of the seventeenth century. Another famous account

came from Boethius, who lived in the fifth to sixth century CE. Boethius was a Roman politician

and philosopher who wrote his Consolation of Philosophy while imprisoned for conspiracy to

overthrow the recently declared King of Italy.5 In his version, Orpheus, who symbolizes reason

and enlightenment, is not able to give up earthly pleasures, symbolized by Eurydice. He has

almost attained a new level of spirituality and knowledge (returning to the world of the living)

when he is tempted by Eurydice (pleasure) and loses himself in the process. In this version,

Eurydice becomes that which hinders heightened

spiritual and intellectual enlightenment.

This metaphor is furthered to a moral

context by Notker Lebeo, a Benedictine Monk

from the tenth to eleventh century.6 Lebeo adds

Aristaeus back into the story but this time

symbolizing virtue, from which Eurydice is

running away. It was within this string of thought

that people began to apply the story of Orpheus

and Eurydice to a biblical context. The presence

of the snake harkens back to the story of Adam

A table support carved during the reign of the Byzantine
Empire, in which Constantine established the Christianity as
the official religion. and Eve. In effect, Eurydice represents earthly

pleasure and Eve; Orpheus represents reason and Adam; and the serpent represents the Devil.

Even with the absence of Aristaeus—the symbol of virtue in the tellings of Ovid and Boethius—

5
See Vicari, “Sparagmos” for further information on Boethius’s writing about Orpheus.
6
See Vicari, “Sparagmos” for further information on Lebeo’s writing about Orpheus.
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the biblical metaphor still holds with those who studied their versions of the tale. Those who

discussed Boethius’s rendering saw Orpheus as a man who did not have the ability to shun

worldly pleasures in pursuit of philosophical enlightenment, while those who discussed Ovid

idealize Orpheus as someone who, in their realization of wrongdoing, decides to shun women,

who symbolize uncivilized and sinful behavior. These thinkers even go so far as to make the

connection that the “boys” he turns his love to after swearing off women in Ovid’s story are

symbolic of turning to God himself. Some say that the boys refer to his religious followers and

apostles, in this instance creating a comparison between Orpheus and Christ. Such associations

look back at Ovid’s misogynistic ending to the Orpheus story but in the context of spiritual

ideals.7 This rethinking of the Orpheus myth could be a way to tackle or even eliminate sin

within an established story while still reaping the benefits of the characteristics and symbolism.

Orpheus represents very important ideals to the Christian Church, being the philosophical figure

who has the ability to calm the barbaric nature of the world through song. This ability as well as

music in general were very important in the Church at this time, but it would have been difficult

for them to present Orpheus as a religious symbol without transforming the perception of his turn

to pederastic love into a more Church-friendly example.

These versions led to the use of Orpheus to symbolize Christian spiritual ideals. Through

the use of the story as biblical metaphor, Orpheus’s story was taken out of the context of his life

and was more about the symbolism of his character than part of a narrative. When Orpheus was

first discussed in the context of the Church, he was treated the same way that many other pagan

figures were depicted. His background as a philosopher in Greek religion led to the idea that he

7
See Vicari, “Sparagmos: Orpheus Among the Christians,” for more discussion of Christian themes in the
interpretation of the Orpheus myth.
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was a figure who preached heathenistic ideals to the people of Greece and was therefore to be

condemned. However, with the dawn of humanism in the Renaissance he began to be redeemed

in Christian tellings. In these reconfigurations, he is considered a symbol of the natural power of

art and is said to have helped establish some of the arts still practiced today, including music,

poetry, and philosophy. He becomes a symbol of the harmony of nature as well as the teaching

of the first monotheistic thoughts. Through his ability to charm trees, rocks, animals, and other

things in nature, he is seen as teaching civilized ideals to the barbaric and wild forces of earth.

He becomes a metaphor for Christ and Reason, combating sinful ideals with his artistic

expression.8

As the story of Orpheus began to become more and more about morality and increasingly

used Orpheus as a stand-in for religious figures, the plot began to distort and scarcely resembled

the original version of the myth. This can be seen in Celtic versions of the story in the twelfth

and thirteenth centuries such as the poem Sir Orfeo.9 The poem, the first manuscript of which

dates back to 1330, tells the story of a King of England who lives in his capital city of

Winchester, which the poem calls Thrace. After his wife, Heurodis, has a dream predicting her

abduction by a fairy king, Orfeo attempts to protect her as best he can, but she is still taken away.

He sends himself into exile for many years in order to find her until one day he catches a glimpse

and follows her to the kingdom of the fairies, where he charms first the gate keeper and then the

fairy king with his harp playing and singing, at which point he is granted one wish. He wishes for

Heurodis and they return to Winchester, where he is initially unrecognized but proves himself to

be Sir Orfeo. The story ends with the kingdom rejoicing that their king and queen have returned.

8
See Vicari for more discussion of the symbolism of Orpheus in Christian settings.
9
See “Sir Orfeo: Translated into Modern English” for full text. See Warden, “Orpheus: The Metamorphoses of a
Myth” for further discussion of the history and meaning of the text.
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Despite the fact that this story departs greatly from the original, the similarities are very telling.

Orpheus’s reputation as a musician with almost magical powers of persuasion serves as a main

plot point, even going so far as to be his identifying feature when returning to Winchester at the

end of the poem. Sir Orfeo is no longer of divine descent as earlier instatiations of the figure who

claimed Apollo as their father, but his ability to charm even his main adversaries into doing what

he wants remained a theme that never quite disappeared.

As humanism became a main tenant of Renaissance thought, there were many depictions

of Orpheus’s story in order to maintain the ideal of the enlightened artistic thinker who had

power over the natural world. Because the priority of these writers and artists was to heighten the

importance of such thought and action, many of these works focused less on his story with

Eurydice and more on Orpheus the man and his contributions as one of the first artistic

philosophers. Therefore the endings of such depictions rely less on the tragic sadness that

Orpheus feels after the second loss of his wife, even if the story ends with his violent death at the

hands of the Bacchantes. Rather, the artists focus on the artistic nature of Orpheus and his

powerful abilities over the forces of nature and sometimes other people. Due to the prevalence of

the myth of Orpheus, many theatrical versions were written for joyous occasions in which more

lighthearted endings were expected in order to fit with the mood of the event taking place.

One version of the Orpheus story that included humanist ideals came just over a hundred

years before Peri and Monteverdi’s operas. This Orfeo was written by fifteenth-century Italian

poet Angelo Poliziano (1454–94) and, while it does not have a celebratory ending as described

above, the production features an increased emphasis on music, which speaks to the background
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and talents of the title character.10 Not only did Poliziano’s Orfeo influence the librettos of

Ottavio Rinuccini and Alessandro Striggio, but it was also a stepping stone in the creation of the

genre of opera. The play contained many musical elements, including several pieces meant to be

sung on stage, and emphasized Orfeo’s laments. Poliziano also draws on the storylines of Virgil

and Ovid. In the play, Eurydice is simply bitten while fleeing Aristaeus. When Orpheus descends

to the Underworld, Proserpine is the first of the two rulers to take pity on him. When he looks

upon Eurydice in the end, her response is simply to say that he has lost her out of too much love.

Poliziano goes along with the ending in which the Bacchantes rip Orpheus to shreds, but the

actual play ends with the women singing a drinking song that incites a feeling of revelry in the

audience. In effect, Poliziano’s is an ending to a story that does not end. By avoiding an ending

that incorporates the main characters, the actual narrative can stop without having to choose a

point at which to cut off the story. In addition, this ending is not happy, but it does mirror the

tone of the context for which it was written: for a Mantuan banquet in the fifteenth century. The

main difference between what is seen in Virgil and Ovid and what is written in Poliziano’s play

is the increased amount of pleading and lamenting from Orpheus. This is typical of the

importance of music and artistic expression in the time period and also focuses more on

Orpheus’s human experience and worldly desires despite his elevated knowledge and

spirituality.11 Through this we take a step back to Virgil’s Georgics, where Orpheus’s inability to

move on with his life following the death of his wife paints him as a tragic character, contrary to

the ideals that earlier humanistic Christian thinkers asserted in their Orpheus-as-Christ metaphors

during the sixth to tenth centuries.

10
Further discussion of this is found in Sternfeld “The Orpheus Myth and the Libretto of Orfeo”.
11
See Sternfeld, “The Orpheus Myth and the Libretto of Orfeo,” for a discussion of the inspiration for Striggio’s
libretto.
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4 PERI’S EURIDICE (1600)

The first official performance of Peri’s Euridice took place on October 6, 1600, in a private room

in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence for the wedding celebration of Maria de’ Medici and King Henri

IV of France. It was just one work in the grand scheme of the festivities and was performed in

the presence of family members and selected guests after the actual ceremony took place. The

opera was dedicated to Maria and performed for her without her groom present, as she was

married by proxy. Peri himself performed as Orfeo in a cast consisting mainly of court

musicians. Peri’s colleague and rival, Giulio Caccini, also composed an opera on the same

libretto by Rinuccini. Despite the fact that Caccini beat Peri to the press, however, the latter’s

opera was performed first, albeit with some music written by Caccini, and therefore it is known

as the first Orpheus opera. Not only that, but given that the score to Peri’s Dafne (1598) is lost,

Euridice has become known as the first surviving opera. While it is rarely performed today, it is

discussed through Western-music historyas the first musical work to utilize some of the elements

we associate today with the genre.

The libretto was based heavily on the sections of Ovid’s Metamorphoses previously

examined, but with a modified ending to fit the celebratory spirit of the occasion. The libretto

ends happily, with Orfeo and Euridice returning to the world of the living unscathed and

rejoicing with friends. This is a far cry from the original myth and the versions discussed above,

but it can hardly be considered shocking in the context of the wedding itself. Rinuccini’s version

of the myth relies heavily on character and situational symbolism in order to move the plot

forward, and it is through the representations of the main characters that such alterations to the

plot become possible.

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The second half of Euridice covers Orfeo’s initial descent to the Underworld through to

the return to the living at the conclusion of the opera. In Rinuccini’s libretto, the scene in

question begins with Venere (Venus), the goddess of love, guiding Orfeo to the world of the

dead and giving him instruction in how he may regain Euridice. She tells him that if he laments

in song and prayer, the ruler of the Underworld may give him back what he has lost, and then she

leaves him. He begins to sing to the spirits of the Underworld in an attempt to reach anyone who

may help him in his quest. Plutone appears and questions him, initiating a debate between the

god of the Underworld, who believes he should not bend his rules for anyone—and that doing so

for one man would open the floodgates—and his wife, Proserpina, as well as the ferryman,

Caronte, who argue that if anyone has the power to bend the rules in order to show mercy, it is a

ruler of the Underworld himself. Eventually, Plutone yields and grants Orfeo his request.

However, unlike in most of the versions of the myth that have been discussed so far, Plutone

does not give the stipulation that Orfeo must wait until they return to the world of the living to

look at his bride. The two return back to their world and everyone rejoices. This version of the

myth shifts the focus of the central conflict in an intriguing way. Instead of the focus being on

Orfeo’s journey and the consequences of his actions, the main point of the plot seems to be the

debate over the fate of Euridice. This is indicated most noticeably by the title of the opera, which

is named after her as opposed to the apparent hero of the story, Orfeo. Yet another indication is

the extended deliberation scene between Plutone, Proserpina, and Caronte (Rinuccini’s text is

given in the Appendix).

After Venere leaves him in the Underworld, Orfeo begins to sing in a speech-like

manner, presenting the reason for his descent to the Underworld and tying in with the theme of

the talented musician and his power of persuasion through music. The plea (given in bold font in
 16

the Appendix) lasts for three consecutive (but irregular) stanzas, uninterrupted by any other

character. Each stanza is dedicated to a different task, the first to address the Underworld and

implore its rulers to listen to his plea, the second to state his intent, and the third to speak directly

to Euridice, if she can indeed hear him. Orfeo is the only person onstage and is speaking to a

specific person or group, the spirits of the Underworld in stanza 1 and Euridice in stanza 3. In

addition, he again speaks to the spirits through his repeated refrain at the end of each stanza

“Lagrimate al mio pianto, ombre d’Inferno” (“Weep at my lament, shades of Hell”). Neither

party is present on stage, but he continues to focus on them in the hope that they may hear and he

may be able to proceed in his quest. While this can be seen as a symbolic choice—with the

outcome both of emphasizing the importance of Orfeo’s plea and of highlighting the entrance of

the characters that will make the final and most important decision of the opera—it can also be

seen as a production necessity, allowing for anyone double-cast the opportunity to change

costumes while Orfeo sings his extended song.

It is here that Rinuccini strays from the source material. Only the first and second stanzas

seem to follow Ovid’s version, the main inspiration for the libretto, as Ovid does not have

Orpheus speak directly to Eurydice. Orfeo’s pining and pleading for his wife again puts

emphasis on Euridice as a character, despite her limited physical role in the opera. Following the

conclusion of Orfeo’s speech, Plutone appears and begins questioning him about his presence in

the world of the dead. This suggests that he did not hear the plea, which therefore forces Orfeo to

restate his purpose. After hearing his statement, Plutone refuses to grant his request. Orfeo again

tries to convince him, alluding to the love story of Plutone and his wife, Proserpina, to try to gain

his sympathy. This same attempt at sympathy is utilized in Ovid’s version of the myth and

continues to be a plot point in future interpretations. Plutone admits that his heart has softened
 17

after hearing this, but stands firm on his decision as he cannot bend his rules for anyone. Orfeo

once again tries to convince him, after which Proserpina comes to his aid to try to convince her

husband to help him. Caronte, the ferryman also joins the debate, reminding Plutone that he has

the ability to bend the rules, as he was the one who created them. At this point, Orfeo all but

disappears from the story, leaving room for the other three to argue and adding only small

interjections of agreement with Proserpina and Caronte following his original statement of

purpose. This is the first time that such deliberation is depicted in a version of the Orpheus myth,

which is made possible by the use of an operatic setting. Because the myth was passed down

orally and then written, it was perhaps difficult within a single narrative frame to make such

judicial rhetoric compelling to audiences. However, with a cast of multiple characters, the

deliberation is being acted out and therefore becomes more interesting. Rinuccini’s libretto takes

advantage of this and turns it into the main conflict of the opera. The heightened tension of the

dialogue builds to a climax, concluding with the happier, stipulation-free ending. Without this

judicial conflict, highlighting a central theme of power struggle and monarchical jurisdiction,

there would need to be some other climactic point between the decision being made and Orfeo

and Euridice’s simple journey back to the world of the living. This ending may not have been

possible without the extension of the judicial rhetoric, and in the absence of such rhetoric the plot

and libretto of the opera would be drastically different and would contain very different

messages.

The reason for this change in emphasis could very likely be the historical context of the

opera within the marriage celebration of Maria de’ Medici to King Henri IV of France. Several

aspects of the opera point to themes of love and happiness, but—more importantly—they explore

how figures from the past might have engaged with the role of monarchs and decisions that must
 18

be made by the ruling class. While Euridice was one of several productions during the wedding

festivities that spanned several days, the symbolism played a significant role in this production as

well, shaping especially the final scenes of the opera. King Henri IV did not attend the wedding

festivities, but Maria de’ Medici was present for them all. If there was any symbolism in the

opera, it would most likely be geared towards her or her family. In reading the opera as such, the

main questions become which character of the opera best represents Maria de’ Medici, and what

are the consequences of such representation.

One relatively obvious reading of the opera would be that Maria de’ Medici is

represented by Euridice, meaning that the opera speaks directly to her role and the story of her

marriage. This reading could be aided by the fact that, while Euridice is the main plot point of

the opera, she has barely any dialogue and is seen only briefly in the opera. In this period, such

dynastic marriages were negotiated and planned by the bride’s parents or guardians, in this case

her uncle, Grand Duke Ferdinando de’ Medici, and aunt, Grand Duchess Christine of Lorraine.

Her marriage to Henri IV was purely for political and monetary gain on both sides. In this way

Maria de’ Medici almost serves as a commodity in the grand scheme of these historical events.

By marrying her to the king of France, the Medici family was able to further elevate its status in

the royal and political bloodline of Europe, and Henri was absolved of a portion of his debts to

the Medici. While Euridice is far from being just a commodity in the opera, many of her

decisions are being made by the people that were, for all intents and purposes, “in charge” of her;

in other words, once she has died she belongs to the rulers of the Underworld, who therefore

control her return to her husband.

This symbolic reading can be furthered by Orfeo’s diminished role during the

deliberation scene, mirrored in the absence of Maria’s bridegroom during the wedding
 19

celebration. Furthermore, there is an allusion to a power struggle in terms of the status of her

guardian. By marrying off his niece to a king, Ferdinando de’ Medici was effectively lowering

his own status in the family, considering that Maria would now outrank him as a queen. In a time

where male dominance was still considered normal, this may not have been particularly easy.

The idea of voluntarily giving a higher status to a woman, especially someone he would have to

relinquish power over, was most likely an awkward moment for a man in the great Medici

family. Such internal struggle for a man in power can be seen through the hesitancy and very

wording of Plutone’s arguments against granting Orfeo’s request. Plutone several times refuses

to return Euridice to Orfeo, stating that there is no mercy for mortals in the land of the dead, and

that even if Orfeo’s pleas have softened his heart, he will not be moved and cannot break his own

laws. Plutone, here representing Ferdinando de’ Medici, is adamantly against relinquishing his

power and breaking his laws for a mortal, despite the fact that he is moved by what Orfeo is

saying. In the same way, Ferdinando was perhaps reluctant to give up his status as the highest

member of the family, even though he was aware of the status that his family would gain by him

doing so. In this way, Rinuccini’s libretto is advising the grand duke to let go of his doubts in

order to allow the family’s status to rise.

Another aspect of this reading is the lack of a stipulation. In allowing his niece to outrank

him, Ferdinando was not actually gaining anything monetarily. In fact, the agreement leading to

the wedding of Maria and Henri allowed for decreased repayment for loans made to France by

the Medici, resulting in an all-out loss of money in the long run. Therefore, the gains made by

this union were mostly intangible, relying on title and the benefits that come with being

associated with someone in power, such as protection and status. Aside from the fact that

Rinuccini may have wanted a happy ending to fit with the celebratory mood of the wedding
 20

festivities, the lack of stipulation that Orfeo may not turn around until he and Euridice have once

again reached the land of the living could represent the idea of giving away something valuable,

in the case of Plutone breaking his own rules despite the dangers of granting such exceptions in

order to gain something symbolic as opposed to physical: the appearance of being a merciful and

just god in the eyes of those he rules. This advises the grand duke to allow the wedding to take

place because the symbolic gains are greater than physical ones and will be better for the family

in the long run, something with which a member of the powerful Medici would clearly

sympathize.

In looking at Maria de’ Medici through the lens of Euridice, we see an increased

emphasis not so much on the physical actions and words of the title character, but more on the

implications of the choices made about her life. Yet another reading, however, puts the symbolic

emphasis on the actions of the bride, as opposed to the implications of her fate. In this case,

Maria de’ Medici is represented, instead, by Proserpina, the queen of the Underworld. This

conclusion can be drawn for obvious reasons, considering the fact that the wedding would make

Maria de’ Medici the queen of France. In this reading, the message is sent to the future queen as

opposed to her guardian, and Proserpina does indeed have a much larger role in the deliberation

over the fate of Euridice. In this scene, she appears only after Orfeo has stated his purpose and

Plutone has refused him. When she begins to speak, she is defending Orfeo and imploring her

husband to allow him to take back his lost love. While most of her lines appeal to their own love

story as the reason for granting Orfeo his request, the message is one of the role of a queen in

relation to her king. This reading of the opera advises the future queen of France on how to

handle her husband and guide him down the correct path. Plutone, being the king of the

Underworld, must decide how to proceed without harming his legitimacy as a ruler, which treads
 21

a fine line. Plutone does not want to break the rules of his realm, even though he was the one

who created them: “To break one’s own laws is a misuse of power; censure and injury are often

caused thus” (“Romper le proprie leggi è vil possanza, / anzi reca sovente e biasmo e danno”)

While this is an important message for a king, Proserpina is more effective in attempting to

convince Plutone to set this principle aside. Through this, the opera could be read as advising the

future queen to help her husband in the case of difficult decisions to be a firm but merciful ruler.

Therefore the opera would be telling her that it is her job to help make sure that, while her

husband should hold fast to his rule with a strict code of conduct, he should be able to be

merciful as well, although in situations where mercy is prompted, the consequences should be

weighed heavily before proceeding. In this context, Caronte, who speaks just as much as, if not

more than Proserpina, could represent the ruling class that helps the king to make his decisions in

terms of what they believe is best for the monarchy. In this way, the opera is showing the good

outcome of such merciful decisions. By deliberating the options to the fullest extent before

deciding on such matters, it is possible to make such decisions without stipulations, and the

people will rejoice in their good fortune, represented with the happy ending of the opera.

In reality, the symbolism within Euridice may have been geared toward both of these

readings of the opera. Wedding celebrations for the ruling class often lasted multiple days and

included several productions of different types, and Euridice was just one of these. Besides, the

opera was not the main event in the 1600 festivities. It was produced in a more private chamber

for family and close friends, and with the king being absent for the ceremony it is possible that

the audience for which Euridice was intended was the extended ducal family. To them, it may

have had the symbolic significance discussed here and, through reading Maria as both Euridice
 22

and Proserpina, it would have spoken simultaneously to Grand Duke Ferdinando de’ Medici and

Maria de’ Medici as to their roles in the process of the wedding and ensuing marriage.

While this marriage was purely for political and monetary gain and not love, there is a

certain element of love throughout the opera, including its very beginning and end. Rinuccini

decided to have Venere, the goddess of love, guide Orfeo to the Underworld in search of his

deceased bride. Likewise, the opera concludes happily with people rejoicing at the return of

Orfeo and Euridice. In the deliberation scene, one of the main arguments made by both Orfeo

and Proserpina is that of the association with the love story of the rulers of the Underworld. By

connecting his story to that of Proserpina and Plutone, Orfeo hopes to soften the heart of the ruler

to assent in his request. While this allusion is made in the source material—and in Ovid’s

Metamorphoses in particular—there seems to be an overload of love symbolism in the opera.

This particular theme of love situates the story in its socio-political context so as to make it

recognizable as a myth and not just a moral. By emphasizing the idea of love, we are reminded

of the reason for Orfeo’s journey in the first place, that of his intense and unending love for his

bride. Through this symbolism, the opera moves back and forth between being a fictional work

that is meant for pure entertainment and a functional work that conveys a message to a particular

audience. Arranged marriage, the convention of the time especially in the ruling classes, did not

grant priority to love within a union. This was true of the couple being celebrated. Thus it was

important to balance the symbolic aspects of the opera with the fantastical aspects in order both

to serve a purpose and to entertain, which was most likely the goal of the work in the first place.

5 MONTEVERDI’S ORFEO (1607)

 23

During the celebration of the 1600 wedding, the Medici kept track of everything that was going

on through meticulous records. The guest list included the party of Duke Vincenzo I Gonzaga of

Mantua, members of which were Alessandro Striggio and several “musici” (musicians). While

there is no proof that Monteverdi was present at the production of Euridice during the festivities,

one might assume that word of this production was at least brought back to him, either by his

fellow court musicians or by his future librettist, Striggio. In addition, those present would have

had access to the libretto, which was printed for the early performance, and the score was

published a year later. Monteverdi would have been able to lay hands on these resources while

writing his own Orpheus opera. It was just seven years later that Monteverdi’s Orfeo premiered,

becoming the third in a long line of operas based on the Orpheus myth. This production was

originally performed in Mantua during the ongoing Carneval, a celebration similar to Mardi Gras

but lasting up to two weeks before the beginning of Lent in some cities throughout Italy. The

premiere took place on the last Saturday of Carnival, on February 24, 1607. This new opera

hearkened back to Ovid’s version of the Orpheus story and quotes other famous figures as well.

In the case of Monteverdi and Striggio, the story of Orfeo’s journey to the Underworld

(Tartarus) begins in act 3 and ends with the opera in act 5. Act 3 opens similarly to the parallel

scene in Euridice with a goddess leading Orpheus to the Underworld; in this version, however,

he is being led by Speranza (Hope) as opposed to Venere (Venus), whom we saw in Rinuccini’s

libretto. As in the earlier opera, upon arriving at the entrance to the Underworld, Orfeo’s guide

informs him that she is not allowed to continue and must leave him to do what he needs to in

order to regain Euridice. This change is symbolic, clearly indicated within the libretto when

Speranza tells him that the law of the Underworld states “Abandon all hope, you who enter.”

This inscription on the gates of hell comes from Dante’s Inferno, demonstrating Striggio’s
 24

familiarity with another famous Italian writer. The statement has a dual meaning in this instance,

one in which the mortal who proceeds must abandon all hope in his journey, and another that

forces Orfeo’s guide, Hope, to abandon him. After Speranza leaves, Orfeo is confronted by

Caronte (the text is given in the Appendix), who bars him from entrance to Tartarus. After

several attempts to appease him through song with few results, Caronte suddenly falls asleep,

allowing Orfeo to commandeer his boat and steer himself across the river Styx, ending act 3. In

act 4, the libretto differs greatly from Rinuccini’s version in that Orfeo does not meet with the

king and queen of Tartarus at all.

Act 4 opens with Proserpina attempting to convince her husband, Plutone, to grant Orfeo

his request. He does not need much convincing, for after one short speech from Proserpina

detailing her pity for the poor Orfeo and attempting to persuade him by reminding him of their

love story, he gives in. However, he immediately gives the stipulation that Orfeo must not set his

eyes upon Euridice until they have returned to the world of the living. At this point Orfeo is

informed of the arrangement without meeting the rulers at all. He and Euridice begin to ascend

back to their world, but Orfeo, afraid that he has been deceived in order to trick him out of living

happily with Euridice, turns around and sets eyes upon her. The spirits immediately appear and

inform them that he has disobeyed a divine order, and they take Euridice away after her final

farewell in which she laments that Orfeo lost her for loving her too much. He is drawn away

from the darkness and toward the light, despite his efforts, ending act 4.

Act 5 is a bit trickier to study due to the fact that there are two versions. Striggio

originally wrote an act 5 in his libretto, published in 1607, in which Orfeo returns lamenting to

the fields of Thrace, where he is heard by the Bacchantes. After he leaves the stage, they speak

of their anger over his refusal of their advances and threaten to pursue him, but his fate is left
 25

untold. The Bacchantes end the opera with a chorus praising their master, Bacchus. In the

version included in the score of Orfeo that Monteverdi published in 1609, act 5 begins with

Orfeo’s lament, which is then heard by his father Apollo. He tells Orfeo that the good things in a

mortal life do not last and that true happiness can be found in immortality. He invites Orfeo to

join him in heaven where he can contemplate Euridice’s beauty in the stars, and where he will be

happy forever, which is affirmed by the final chorus. There is no written music that survives for

the ending that appears in the published version of the libretto, so the happier ending is almost

always performed in modern productions of the opera.

What stands out in this opera compared to its predecessor is its musical complexity.

Monteverdi’s compositional style is highly regarded as the model for the move from Renaissance

to Baroque music. In addition, while Peri’s operas came first, Monteverdi’s are more widely

known and performed to this day for many reasons, one of which is his operatic structure.

Monteverdi took elements of instrumental and vocal performance that had already been created

and used, but put them together in new ways that come closer to what modern opera audiences

expect of the genre. He utilizes choruses, both within and at the end of every act, recitatives,

arias (such as Orfeo’s “Possente spirto e formidabil nume” in act 3), and multiple duets

throughout the final three acts. “Possente spirto” is actually of great importance, not only

because of its composition and content, but also in terms of its function within the plot. It comes

after Caronte gives his first warning to the mortal who has entered the realm of Tartarus. Orfeo

begins his plea to the spirit, but unlike Rinuccini and Peri’s “Funeste piagge,” the poetry here is

more clearly designed for song rather than sung speech. The libretto again references Dante, but

this time through structure instead of text. The rhyme scheme implemented here by Striggio is
 26

called terza rima, consisting of five three-line stanzas rhyming aba, bcb, cdc, etc., plus a final

quatrain (nineteen lines in all).12

This rhyme scheme is somewhat Possente Spirto, e formidabil Nume, a

Senza cui far passaggio a l’altra riva b
archaic, and not often used in later Alma da corpo sciolta in van presume; a
Non viv’ io, nò, che poi di vita è priva b
librettos. Mia cara sposa, il cor non è più meco c
E senza cor com’ esser può ch’io viva? b
A lei volt’ ho il cammin per l’aer cieco, c
Monteverdi produces a set of
A l’Inferno non già, ch’ovunque stasis d
Tanta bellezza, il Paradiso ha seco. c
strophic variations (each stanza varies
Orfeo son io, che d’Euridice i passi; d
the melody over the same bass line), also Seguo per queste tenebrose arene, e
Ove giammai per huom mortal non vassi. d
with interjections and then a ritornello O delle luci miei luci serene, e
S’un vostro sguardo può tornarmi in vita, f
from a sequence of instruments (two Ahi, chi niega il conforto à le mie pene? e
Sol tuo, nobile Dio, puoi darmi aita, f
violins in the first stanza, two cornetts in Nè temer dei, che sopra una aurea Cetra g
Sol di corde soavi armo le dita f
the second, a double harp in the third, Contra cui rigid’ alma in van s’impetra. g

and a string ensemble in the fourth and fifth). The various string instruments seem to represent

the original lyre of Orpheus, and they are also evocative of Orfeo’s forceful attempt to try to

convince Caronte to allow him entry through his persuasive power of music. Thus “Possente

spirto” becomes the focus of the act and propels the opera into the final conflict. This is a shift

from Euridice, in which more space is devoted to the subsequent deliberation scene, putting

emphasis on the choice that is being made by Plutone. In Monteverdi’s case, however, the

emphasis on the song Orfeo sings is indicative of a move back to the importance of the

conventional hero and his seemingly magical abilities. By following the original storyline more

closely, Striggio’s libretto stresses the importance of the character as a musician with the power

12
Text is written out in full through the source “Orfeo (Orpheus)” on Naxos, found below.
 27

of persuasion and emphasizes the steps he must take successfully to complete his quest for

Euridice.

For all the esteem in which Monteverdi’s Orfeo is held to this day, the work does not

come without its problems. While Monteverdi’s compositional style is far more complex than

Peri’s, Striggio’s libretto is riddled with plot holes that leave the story lacking a sense of

completion. For example, in act 3, Orfeo pleads his case to the ferryman of the River Styx and

requests Caronte’s help, who refuses him in a manner very similar to the refusal from Plutone in

Rinuccini’s version of the story, stating that while his pleas, or in this case his music, have

softened his heart and prompted sympathy, he still does not feel strongly enough to bend the

rules in Orfeo’s favor. But it makes very little sense for Orfeo to request any mercy from a minor

deity who, seemingly, does not have much power in his own right. Furthermore, “Possente

spirto” appears to fail: Orfeo shifts into a recitative-like passage that has no greater effect on

Caronte, who then falls asleep to the sound of a string sinfonia (another reference to Orfeo’s

lyre), allowing Orfeo to board the ferry and proceed in his quest. It makes more sense to have

one or both of the rulers of Tartarus on stage in this act as silent witnesses to Orfeo’s song and

even making some gesture for Caronte to succumb to slumber—a number of modern productions

have Proserpina do the deed13—given that at the beginning of act 4, Proserpina refers to Plutone

having heard Orfeo’s sweet lament. As for act 4 itself, the negotiations over Euridice’s release

are much more compressed compared with Rinuccini’s treatment of the same scene: Proserpina

gives a heartfelt speech to her husband in order to convince him, and in turn Plutone gives in

immediately, without needing much persuading . He also quickly determines the stipulation that

13
One such example is the performance with John Elliot Gardiner at La Fenice, in which Proserpina stands on stage
during the discussion between Orfeo and Caronte who, right before he falls asleep, is seen staring directly at
Proserpina before lying down on the stage and succumbing to slumber.
 28

Orfeo may not turn around until the couple has returned to the land of the living. Moreover,

Orfeo is entirely absent from that act: he does not even meet the king and queen of Tartarus and

in essence disappears during this scene. It is entirely unclear where Orfeo is and what he is doing

whilst the decision over his fate is being made. After Plutone agrees to accept his request, several

spirits announce the ruler’s verdict , but there seems to be no direct notification of it to either

Orfeo or Euridice. They suddenly appear walking one behind the other, leaving it up to the

audience to guess as to what, how, and when they were told as well as the manner in which they

were reunited.

These differences between Orfeo and Euridice can be seen as clues as to the function of

Monteverdi’s opera, which is far less rich in political symbolism compared with Peri’s. The fact

that Orfeo was intended for Carnival (immediately preceding Lent) suggests that it was cast more

as a simple entertainment, devoid of a more particular meaning. The very presence of two

endings can lead to a reading in which there is no moral to the story since they differ greatly, one

relatively happy and the other both ambiguous and abrupt. The presence of several plot holes

also suggests that Striggio and even Monteverdi saw less of a need to produce a coherent drama.

Instead, and unlike Rinuccini and Peri, they place more emphasis on Orfeo, his story, and his

abilities. While the musical aspects of Orfeo are much more mature and complex, the plot leaves

something to be desired.

The history of the Orpheus myth allows it to be molded in ways that not many other

stories can be. While there are obvious reasons for choosing it, including the musical aspects that

would fit well with opera and the compelling plotline that makes for an interesting form of

entertainment, the main one seems to be its malleability. Throughout time, we see the myth grow

and change and, ultimately, become a vessel in which a moral or point can be made. The myth,
 29

as an inserted tale, takes on different meaning and emphasis depending on its context. In Ovid’s

Metamorphoses, the story itself does not exactly depict any change in the characters but acts as a

bridge between two stories that do discuss change. In Virgil’s Georgics, the story serves merely

to explain why the central conflict is being cast upon the main character (Aristaeus). Throughout

time, the story of Orpheus has taken on the task of telling other stories within its own rhetoric. In

the case of Euridice, the main reason for choosing this myth could be the possibility of depicting

the role of a monarch. Through this characterization, which is already present in the original

myth, but expanded upon in the operatic interpretation, Rinuccini was able to provide a great

deal of symbolism that fits with the moral he wanted to convey. On the other hand, Striggio and

Monteverdi’s version of the Orpheus story seems to have put a much greater emphasis on the

opera as a work that spoke to the power of art for its own sake, whether to entertain, showcase

new musical compositions in celebration, or—in the case of Monteverdi’s finale, at least—to

transport the audience to some higher sphere.

 30

APPENDIX

Ovid o positi sub terra numina mundi, in O ye divinities who rule the world
quem reccidimus, quicquid mortale which lies beneath the eart, to
creamer, si licet et falsi positis which we all fall back who are born
ambagibus oris vera loqui sinitis, mortal, if it is lawful and you
non huc, ut opaca viderem Tartara, permit me to lay aside all false and
descendi, nec uti vollosa colubris doubtful speech and tell the simple
terna Medusaei vincirem guttural truth: I have not come down hither
monstri causa viae est coniunx in to see dark Tartara, nor yet to bind
quam calcata venenum vipera the three necks of Medusa’s
diffudit crescentesque abstulit monstrous offspring, rough with
annos. Posse pati volui nec me serpents. The cause of my journey
temptasse negabo: vicit Amor. is my wife, into whose body a
Supera deus hic bene notus in ora trodden serpent shot his poison and
est; an sit et hic, dubito: sed et hic so snatched away her budding
tamen auguror esse, famaque si years. I have desired strength to
veteris non est mentita rapinae, vos endure and I will not deny that I
quoque iunxit Amor. Per ego haec have tried to bear it. But Love has
loca plena timoris, per Chaos hoc overcome me, a god well-known in
ingens vastique silentia regni, the upper world, but whether here
Eurydices, oro, properata retexite or not I do not know; and yet I
fata. Omnia debemur vobis, surmise that he is known here as
paulumque morati serius aut citius well, and if the story of that old-
sedem properamus ad unam. time ravishment is not false, you,
Tendimus huc omnes, haec est too, were joined by Love. By these
domus ultima, vosque humani fearsome places, by this huge void
generis longissimi regna tenetis. and these vast and silent realms, I
Haec quoque, cum iustos matura beg of you, unravel the fates of my
peregerit annos, iuris erit vestry: Eurydice, too quickly run. We are
pro munere poscimus usum; quodsi in all things due to you, and though
fata negant veniam pro coniuge, we tarry on earth a little while, slow
certum est nolle redire mihi: leto or swift we speed to one abode.
gaudete duorum. Hither we all make our way; this is
our final home; yours is the longest
sway over the human race. She also
shall be yours to rule when of ripe
age she shall have lived out her
allotted years. I ask the enjoyment
of her as a boon; but if the fates
deny this privilege for my wife, I
am resolved not to return. Rejoice
in the deaths of two.
Rinuccini Orfeo Orpheus
Funeste piagge, ombrosi orridi Funerial shores, shadowy, horrid
campi,/ Che di stelle, o di Sole/ fields,/ That never saw/
Non vedeste già mai scintill’ò Twinkling stars or light of sun,/
lampi,/ Rimbombate dolente/ Al Resound grieving/ To the sound
suon dell’angosciose mie parole,/ of my anguished words,/ While
Mentre con mesti accenti/ Il with sad accents/ I sigh for my
perduto mio ben con voi sospiro;/ lost happiness with you;/ And
E voi, dhe, per pietà del mio you, alas, through pity for my
partiro,/ Chen el misero cor martyrdom,/ Which remains
dimora, eterno,/ Lacrimate al mio eternal in my wretched heart,/
pianto, ombre d’inferno. Weep at my lament, shades of
 31

Ohime! Che sù l’aurora,/ Giunse Hell./ Alas! At dawn/ The sun of

all’occaso il Sol degl’occhi miei./ my eyes has reached its setting./
Misero! En su quell’ora/ Che Wretch! And at that hour/ That I
scaldarmi a’bei raggi io mi thought to warm myself in its fair
credei,/ Morte spense il bel lume; rays,/ Death put out the beautiful
e fredd’e solo/ Restai fra ’l pianto light; and cold and alone/ Did I
el duolo,/ Com’angue suol’in remain between lament and
fredda piaggia il verno./ grief,/ As a serpent is wont on a
Lacrimate al mio pianto, ombre cold hillside in winter./ Weep at
d’inferno. my lament, shades of Hell./ And
E tu, mentr’al ciel piacque,/ Luce you, who as long as heaven
di questi lumi/ Fatti al tuo pleased,/ Were the light of those
dipartir fontane, e fiumi,/ Che fai eyes/ That poured out fountains
per entro I tenebrosi orrori?/ and rivers when you left,/ What
Forse t’affliggi, e piagni/ do you do among these shadowy
L’acerbo fato e gl’infelici amori?/ horrors?/ Perhaps you grieve and
Dhe, se scintill’ancora/ Ti weep/ For your hard fate and
scalda ’l sen di quei si cari unhappy loves?/ Alas, if even a
ardori,/ Senti, mia vita, senti/ spark/ Of that ardor still burns in
Quai pianti e quai lamenti/ your breast,/ Hear, my life, hear/
Vers’al tuo caro Orfeo dal cor The laments and mourning/ Of
interno./ Lacrimate al mio pianto, your dear Orpheus, from his
ombre d’inferno. innermost heart./ Weep at my
lament, shades of Hell.

Plutone Pluto
Ond’è cotanto ardire,/ Ch’avanti al From where does so much daring
dì fatale/ Scend’a’ miei bassi regni come,/ That, before his fatal day,/ A
un huom mortale? mortal descends to my underground
kingdom?

Orfeo Orpheus
O degl’orridi, e neri/ Campi O king of the black and horrid/
d’inferno, O dell’altera Dite/ Fields of Hell, of proud Dis,/
Eccelso Re, ch’alle nud’ombre Supreme King who rules these
imperi,/ Per impetrar mercede,/ naked shades,/ To beg for Mercy/ A
Vedovo Amante, a questo abisso widowed lover, towards this dark
scuro/ Volsi piangendo e abyss/ Weeping and lamenting,
lacrimando il piede. turns his feet.

Plutone Pluto
Si dolci preghi e sì soave accenti/ Such sweet pleas with such
Non spargeresti in van se nel mio soothing words/ You would not
regno/ Impetrasser mercè pianti, ò sing in vain if in my kingdom/
lamenti. Laments and weeping could ever
gain you mercy.

Orfeo Orpheus
Dhe, se la bella diva,/ Che per Oh, if the beautiful goddess,/ Who,
l’acceso monte/ Moss’a fuggirti in on the flaming mountain,/ Bashful
van ritrosa, e schiva,/ Sempre ti and shy, sought once to flee from
scopri, e giri/ Sereni, I rai della you,/ If she still turns smiling to
celeste fronte,/ Movat’il tristo suon you,/ And shines serenely the rays
de miei sospiri/ Vagliami il dolce from her celestial face on you,/
canto/ Di questa nobil cetra,/ Ch’io Then change the sad sound of my
 32

ricovri da te l’anima mia./ L’alma, sighs,/ Listen to and judge the

dhe, rendi a questo cor dolente,/ sweet song/ Of this noble lyre,/
Rendi a quest’occh’il desiato Sole;/ That I might win back from you my
A quest’orecchie il suono/ Rendi lady./ Oh, return her soul to my
delle dolcissime parole;/ O me sorrowing breast,/ Return to these
raccogli ancora/ Tra l’ombre spente eyes the sun that they desire;/ To
ove il mio ben dimora. those ears bring back the sound/ Of
her exquisite words;/ Or else accept
me too/ Among those dead shades
where my beloved stays.

Plutone Pluto
Dentro l’infernal porte/ Non lice ad Within the gates of Hell/ No mortal
huom mortal fermar le piante. Ben is allowed to take his stance./ And
di tua dura sorte/ Non so qual yet, hearing of your hard fate/ I do
nuov’affetto/ M’intenerisc’il petto:/ not know what new emotion/
Ma troppo dura legge,/ Legge Softens my breast:/ But most rigid
scolpita in rigido diamante,/ laws,/ Laws wrought in hardest
Contrast’a’ preghi tuoi, diamond,/ Oppose your pleas,
miser’amante. wretched lover.

Orfeo Orpheus
Ahi! Che pur d’ogni legge/ Sciolt’è Ahi! And still, of all laws,/ That
colui, che gl’altri affrena e regge;/ man is free that restrains and rules
Ma tu del mio dolore/ Scintilla di the others;/ Bu do you at my grief/
pietà non senti/ Hai lasso! E non Not feel a spark of pity?/ Alas! Do
rammenti/ Come trafiggha amor, you not remember/ How love
come tormenti?/ E pur su’l monte pierces, nor how he torments?/ And
dell’eterno ardore/ Lagrimasti ancor yet, on the mountain of eternal
tu servo d’amore!/ Ma dhe, se ’l ardor/ You, too, did weep, made the
pianto mio/ Non può nel duro sen servant of love!/ But oh, if my
destar pietate,/ Rivolgi il guardo a lament/ Cannot rouse pity in your
quell’alma beltate/ Che t’accese nel hard breast,/ Turn your gaze on that
cor sì bel desio:/ Miro, Signor, dhe beautiful lady/ Who kindled in your
mira/ Com’al mio lagrimar dolce heart such desire:/ Look, Lord, see/
sospira/ Tua bella sposa, e come How at my weeping/ Your beautiful
dolce sospira/ Tua bella sposa, e wife sweetly sighs, and how,
come dolci I lumi/ rugiadosi di sweetly/ Her eyes, dewy with tears,
pianto a me pur gira./ Mira, Signor, turn to me./ Look, Lord, see/ The
dhe mira/ Quest’ombre intorno, e shades around you, and the dark
quest’oscuri Numi:/ Come d’alta infernal Gods:/ How with great
pietà vint’al mio duolo/ Par che pity, conquered by my grief,/ Each
ciascun si strugga e si consumi. one languishes and is consumed.

Proserpine Proserpina
O Re, nel cui sembiante/ M’appago O king, in whose countenance/ I
si ch’il ciel sereno e chiaro/ Con tame pleasure, that the clear and
quest’ombre cangiar m’è dolc’e serene sky above/ Changes because
caro,/ Dhe, se gradito amante,/ of this shade, seems good to me./
Unqua trovaste in questo sen Alas, if, welcome lover,/ You never
raccolto/ Onda soave all’amorosa found collected in my breast/ A
sete,/ S’al cor libero, e sciolto/ liquor soothing to your amorous
Dolci fur queste chiome, e lacci, e thirst,/ If, to your free and
rete,/ Di si gentil’amante acqueta ‘I unconstrained heart,/ These tresses
pianto. were snares and traps,/ Then do
 33

appease the laments of such a

gentle lover.

Orfeo Orpheus
A si soave preghi,/ A si To such a melting plea,/ To such a
fervid’amante/ Merced’anco pur fervent lover/ Would you still deny
neigh?/ Che fia però se fra mercy?/ What, if, from among so
tant’alme, e tante/ Ried’Euridice a many souls,/ Only Euridice
rimirar’il sole?/ Rimarran queste returned to gaze at the sun?/ Would
piagg’ignud’e sole?/ Ahi! Che me these shores be bare and solitary?/
seco, e mill’e mill’insieme/ Diman Ahi! Thousands and thousands of
teco vedrai nel tuo gran regno./ Sai souls, and me among them/ Will
pur che mortal vita all’or’estreme/ you see here with you in your
Vola più ratta che saett’al segno. kingdom tomorrow./ For you know
that at the last hour/ Mortal life flies
here as swiftly as the arrow to its
target.

Plutone Pluto
Dunque dal regn’oscuro/ Torneran From this dark kingdom/ Are souls
l’alm’al Cielo, et, io primiero,/ Le thus to return to earth, and should I,
leggi sprezzerò del nostr’impero? the king,/ Scorn the laws of our
empire?

Caronte Charon
Sovra l’eccelse stelle/ Giove a Above the lofty stars/ Jove
talent suo comanda, e regge;/ commands and rules according to
Nettuno il mar corregge/ E muov’a his own wishes;/ Neptune
suo voler turbi, e procelle;/ Tu sol commands the waves/ And creates
dentro a i confin d’angusta legge/ storms and tempests as he will;/
Havrai l’alto governo,/ Non libero Should you alone suffer/ To have
signor del vast’Inferno? your high power restricted by a
hard law,/ And not be the free Lord
of this vast Hell?

Plutone Pluto
Romper le proprie leggi, è vil To break one’s own laws is a
possanza;/ Anzi reca sovente, e misuse of power;/ Censure and
biasmo, e danno. injury are often caused thus.

Orfeo Orpheus
Ma degli afflitti consolar l’affanno/ But to ease the anguish of the
È pur di region cor gentil’usanza. sorrowful/ Is still the noble custom
of the royal heart.

Caronte Charon
Quanto rimira ’l Sol, All that the sun can see, turning
volgend’intorno/ La luminosa face,/ about/ His luminous torch,/ At the
Al rapido sparir d’un breve giorno/ rapid disappearance of one short
Cade morendo, e fá qua giù day/ Will fall, dying, and return
ritorno:/ Fa’ pur leggie, o gran Re, here below:/ O great King, make
quanto a te piace. whatever laws you please.

Plutone Pluto
Trionfi oggi pietà ne’ campi Let pity triumph today in the
inferni,/ E sia la Gloria e ’l vanto/ infernal fields,/ And be the pride
 34

Delle lagrime tue, del tuo bel and glory/ Of your tears, of your
canto./ O della regia mia ministry beautiful song./ O, eternal ministers
eterni,/ Scorgete voi per entr’all’aer of my kingdom,/ Through the
oscuro/ L’amator fido alla sua darkness of this land/ Guide the
donn’avante./ Scendi, gentil faithful lover to his beloved lady./
amante,/ Scendi lieto, e sicuro/ Descend, o noble lover,/ Descend,
Entro le nostre soglie,/ E la diletta happy and secure/ Within our
moglie/ Teco rimena ’l Ciel sereno, threshold,/ And your beloved wife/
e puro. Take back with you to the serene
and pure sky above.
Striggio Caronte Charon
O tu ch’innanzi morte a queste rive/ O you who before death to these
Temerario ten vieni, arresta i passi:/ shores in rashness come, halt your
Solcar quest’onde ad huom mortal steps; to plough these waves is not
non dassi,/ Ne può co’morti albergo granted to mortal man, nor can he
aver chi vive. /Che? Vuoi forse, who lives have dwelling with the
nemico al mio Signore,/ Cerbero dead. What? Would you then, an
trar dalle Tartaree porte?/ O rapir enemy to my Lord, drag Cerberus
brami sua cara consorte/ from the Tartean gates? Or do you
D’impudico desire acceso il core? want to seize his dear consort, your
Pon freno al folle ardir, ch’ entr’ al heart on fire with shameless desire?
mio legno/ Non accorrò più mai Rein in your rash folly, for into my
corporea salma,/ Sì de gli antichi boat shall nevermore living body
oltraggi ancor ne l’alma/ Serbo enter, for still in my soul of ancient
acerba memoria e giusto sdegno. wrongs I keep bitter memory and
just anger.

Orfeo Orpheus
Possente Spirto, e formidabil Powerful spirit and fear-inspiring
Nume,/ Senza cui far passaggio a god, without whom to take
l’altra riva/ Alma da corpo sciolta passage to the other bank a soul,
in van presume;// Non viv’ io, nò, freed from the body, presumes in
che poi di vita è priva/ Mia cara vain, I do not live, no, since when,
sposa, il cor non è più meco/ E deprived of life, was my dear
senza cor com’ esser può ch’io bride, my heart was no longer
viva?// A lei volt’ ho il cammin with me, and without a heart how
per l’aer cieco,/ A l’Inferno non can it be that I live? To her I have
già, ch’ovunque stassi/ Tanta made my way through the dark
bellezza, il Paradiso ha seco.// air, not yet to Hades, for
Orfeo son io, che d’Euridice i wherever there is such beauty
passi;/ Seguo per queste there is paradise with it. Orpheus
tenebrose arene,/ Ove giammai am I, that to Eurydice my paces
per huom mortal non vassi.// O bend over these dark sands,
delle luci miei luci serene,/ S’un where never mortal man has
vostro sguardo può tornarmi in gone. O serene light of my eyes, if
vita,/ Ahi, chi niega il conforto à one look of yours can return me
le mie pene?// Sol tuo, nobile Dio, to life, ah, who refuses comfort to
puoi darmi aita,/ Nè temer dei, my pains? You alone, noble God,
che sopra una aurea Cetra/ Sol di can give me aid, nor should fear,
corde soavi armo le dita/ Contra since on a golden lyre only with
cui rigid’ alma in van s’impetra.// sweet strings are my fingers
armed, against which the
harshest spirit seeks in vain.

Caronte Charon
 35

Ben mi lusinga alquanto/ In part it charms me, delighting my

Dilettandomi il core,/ Sconsolato heart, disconsolate singer, your
Cantore,/ Il tuo piantí e ’l tuo plaint and your song. But far, ah,
canto./ Ma lunge, ah lunge sia da far from this breast let pity be, a
questo petto /Pietà, di mio valor feeling unworthy of my courage.
non degno affetto.

Orfeo Orpheus
Ahi sventurato amante,/ Sperar Ah, unlucky lover, then may I not
dunque non lice/ Ch’odan miei hope that the citizens of Avernus
prieghi i Cittadin d’Averno?/ Onde may hear my prayers? Then must I
qual’ ombra errante/ D’insepolto like a wandering shade of an
cadavero e infelice,/ Privo sarò del unhappy, unburied body, be reft of
Ciel e de l’Inferno?/ Così vuol Heaven and of Hades? So does
empia sorte/ Ch’in quest’ orror di wicked fate desire that in this horror
morte/ Da te cor mio lontano/ of death far, my heart, from you, I
Chiami tuo nome in vano,/ E should call your name in fain and
pregando, e piangendo io mi praying and weeping waste myself
consumi?/ Rendetemi’l mio ben, away? Give me back my love,
Tartarei Numi./ Spirits of Tartarus.

Ei dorme, e la mia cetra/ Se pietà He sleeps and my lyre, if it cannot

non impetra/ Ne l’indurato core, bring pity to that hardened heart, at
almen il sonno/ Fuggir al mio least sleep his eyes cannot escape at
cantar gli occhi non ponno./ Sù my song. Up, then, why longer
dunque, à che più tardo?/ Tempo è wait? It is time now to land on the
ben d’approdar su l’altra sponda,/ other shore, if there is none to deny
S’alcun non è ch’il neghi./ Vaglia it. Let valour prevail if my prayers
l’ardir se foran vani i prieghi./ are in vain. A passing flower of
E’vago fior del Tempo/ L’occasion, times is opportunity that must be
ch’esser dèe colta à tempo./ Mentre plucked at the time. While these
versan quest’ occhi amari fiumi,/ eyes pour forth bitter streams of
Rendetemi il mio ben, Tartarei tears, give me back my love, Spirits
Numi. of Tartarus.

………. ……….

Atto Quarto Act IV

Proserpina Persephone
Signor, quell’infelice/ Che per Lord, that unhappy man, who
queste di morte ampie campagne/ through these great fields of death
Va chiamando Euridice,/ Ch’udito goes calling on Eurydice, whom
hai tù pur dianzi/ Così soavemente you have just heard thus sweetly
lamentarsi,/ Moss’hà tanta pietà lamenting, has moved such pity in
dentro al mio core/ Ch’un’altra my heart that once more I turn to
volta i’ torno a porger prieghi/ pray that your spirit will yield to his
Perchè il tuo Nume al suo pregar si prayers. Ah, if from these eyes you
pieghi./ Deh se da queste luci/ have ever taken loving sweetness, if
Amorosa dolcezza unqua trahesti,/ the serenity of this brow has
Se ti piacque il seren di questa pleased you that you call your
fronte/ Che tu chiami tuo Cielo, heaven, on which you swear to me
onde mi giuri/ Di non invidiar sua not to envy Jove his lot, I beg you,
sorte a Giove,/ Pregoti per quel by that fire with which Love set
foco/ Con cui già la grand’alma afire your great soul. Let Eurydice
 36

Amor t’accese./ Fa ch’Euridice return to enjoy those days that she

torni/ A goder di quei giorni/ Che used to pass, living in festivities
trar solea vivend’ in fest’ e in and in song, and console the
canto,/ E del miser’ Orfeo consola weeping of wretched Orpheus.
il pianto.

Plutone Pluto
Benche severo & immutabil fato/ Although severe and immutable
Contrasti amata sposa i tuoi desiri,/ fate is against your desires, beloved
Pur nulla homai si nieghi/ A tal wife, yet nothing ever can be
beltà, congionta a tanti prieghi./ La refused such beauty, together with
sua cara Euridice/ Contra l’ordin such prayers. His dear Eurydice
fatale Orfeo ricovri,/ Ma pria che against the command of fate,
tragga il piè da questi abissi,/ Non Orpheus may recover. But before
mai volga ver lei gli avidi lumi,/ he takes his way from these abysses
Che di Perdita eterna/ Gli fia certa he must never turn his desirous eyes
cagion un solo sguardo./ Io così to see her, since her eternal loss a
stabilisco./ Hor nel mio Regno fate, single look will cause for sure. So
ò Ministri,/ il mio voler palese,/ Sì do I command. Now in my
che l’intenda Orfeo/ E l’intenda kingdom O servants, make known
Euridice/ Ne di cangiar l’altrui my will, so that Orpheus may
sperar più lice. understand it and Eurydice
understand it, nor may anyone hope
to change it.
 37

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