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Rubens’ Orpheus and Eurydice
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Don´t Look Back
You will find lots of documents describing
the importance of Monteverdi´s masterpiece Orfeo (1607). It is being regarded as the
first real opera by many and seen as one of the very best and still performed regularly today.
Monteverdi blends the ancient Greek
mythology with his highly innovative and expressive music style, going against
the strict rules of the contemporary style.
Monteverdi's work is regarded as
revolutionary, marking the change from the Renaissance style
of music to that of the Baroque period.[2]
He
developed two styles of composition: the prima practica – the heritage of Renaissance polyphony, and the new basso continuo technique
of the Baroque, the seconda practica.[3] In Prima pratica the harmony controls the words.[10] InSeconda pratica the words should be in control of
the harmonies.[10]
Prima pratica was the ideal of the
sixteenth century, with flowing strict counterpoint, prepared dissonance, and equality of voices. Seconda
pratica uses much freer counterpoint with an
increasing hierarchy of voices, emphasizing soprano and bass, adding recitatives and basso continuo. This
represents a move towards the new style of monody, with a single solo line with musical
accompaniment, in opposition to homophony and polyphony, in which groups of voices sang independently and
with a greater balance between parts.
For this major musical development, Monteverdi
selects the really powerful story of Orpheus & Eurydice. Just after their
marriage, Orpheus loses his wife Eurydice because of a bite of a snake. Orpheus is a
gifted singer and goes with his lyre to the world of the death and convinces
Hades to give him back his so beloved wife. Hades agrees but under one
condition. During the trip back to the world, Orpheus is not allowed to look
back to see if his wife is still following him. Of course agreeing, he then
walks with a joyful spirit back our earth. But slowly he starts to doubt if she
is following him. A sudden terrible noise makes him so concerned and doubtful that he does
look back. In a split second he sees the beautiful shining eyes of Eurydice
again but then she leaves for ever.
Monteverdi follows the story in a beautiful
telling manner (act 4). The upbeat during the first part of the walk, then a
slow down with the questioning and doubting Orpheus. The sudden noise, music
stopping and then with Eurydice in sight, the harsh and cold harpsichord changes
for just a few bars into the soft organ sound before Eurydice vanishes.
Lesson for all of us, you can’t win
from death but still you should not look back and focus on the future!
The piece I like perhaps most from this opera, depending on my own mood, is ‘Rosa del Ciel’, in which Orpheus sings about his happiness with his beloved wife. I like it maybe so much
as Rosa is also the name of my daughter, who is soon returning for a couple a days from far
away Canada, (although I would not compare that to the Underworld).
Look forward to hear this beautiful piece of music
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