Orfeo — Monteverdi
December, 1921;
Under the direction of M. Vincent d’Indy, the New York Symphony Orchestra performed the masterpiece, Orfeo by the Italian composer, Claudio Monteverdi. This concert performed the Toccata and Ritornello. Orfeo is an important cornerstone of musical history. It is considered to be the “root of all opera” (https://www.npr.org/2010/01/08/122328598/the-root-of-all-opera-monteverdi-s-orfeo). It was written and performed first in the year 1607.
Orfeo is based on the story of Orpheus. For all of those you wondering, yes, Orpheus is (*technically*) Greek. Do note the major overlaps with Greek and Roman mythologies and gods. Orpheus was a child of Apollo (the god of music) and was said to be a very talented musician. He is in love with his wife, Eurydice. Unfortunately, Eurydice dies by the sting of a serpent (https://archive.vcu.edu/english/engweb/webtexts/eurydice/eurydicemyth.html). This misconception itches at the biologist inside me (Professor Otto, I hope I make you proud (he is the best biology professor I’ve had since Mr. Trimble in high school, but I digress from this already long tangent)). Snakes bite, not sting and are venomous, not poisonous. Also through the research I could not find reliable information on deathly venomous snakes — as in the same level of lethality such as a diamondback rattlesnake or a saw-scaled viper (deadliest snake in the world according to https://www.livescience.com/34443-deadliest-snakes-most-venomous-snakes.htm)l— in Greece. The only venomous snake there is the adder, which CAN cause death, but is NOT usually lethal (it has been the cause of death for a child and a woman according to https://discover.hubpages.com/travel/Poisonous-and-Venomous-Spiders-Snakes-and-Insects-in-Greece). For the purposes of this myth, let’s assume that this adder does cause Eurydice’s death.
Orpheus is beyond distraught by his wife’s death. So then he starts to play sad music mourning the loss of his wife. His father, Apollo hears this music and tells his son to go visit his wife in the afterlife, Orpheus obliges and goes to the underworld (it’s not as easy as it sounds, but for the sake of time I’m going to speed this part up). He goes to the underworld and plays Hades and Persephone his lyre. They are sympathetic to him and they make a deal. Hades will let Eurydice come back to life as long as Orpheus does not look back at her. He is overjoyed and starts the trip back only to lose trust in Hades’ words, looks back and loses his wife forever.
Now with the backstory and my own science-y tangent out of the way, back to December 1921.
In the Bulletin that is also saved along with the programme, there is a sort paragraph that describes Orfeo. The paragraphs are not very telling, but they give the audience the backstory of the piece itself. It goes through who wrote Orfeo, where it was first performed, what date it was first performed. Even though there is not lots of information it does highlight that there was indeed a different lyric drama that had been produced at around the same time called Euridice which falls into the category of lyric drama more precisely. The Bulletin also illustrates what the audience should listen for; including “muted trumpets accompanied by the rest of the orchestra and the organ” and it continues “Ritornello, or interlude, for strings after which the Toccata returns, full tone without mutes” (https://archives.nyphil.org/index.php/artifact/700becd4-a490-428d-912a-d78c3e135126-0.1/fullview#page/4/mode/2up). The programme seems to assume that the audience has little to no knowledge about Orfeo demonstrating the level of interest up to that point. It gives the audience what to listen for in the piece that gives its signature — something that when this lyric drama was more well known audiences would have had no issue looking for. From the exposition of the Orpheus story that is also involved, it can also be assumed that the audience does not come from a society that is obsessed with ancient mythologies like our society today is. Seriously cannot go two steps without a jump-scare with the question, “do you know Percy Jackson?????” Or a better example, see all existing Thor movies that Marvel has created.
Orfeo may not be the first of its kind, but it is historically significant. It brings the older influences of the ancient myths with the new style Monteverdi streamlined. It is a piece worthy of its notoriety.
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