ORFEO ED EURIDICE

In this opera, Christoph Willibald Gluck turned to the well-known Greek myth of Orpheus, who, after Eurydice’s death, is given the chance to descend into the underworld of Hades and restore his wife to the world of the living.

In Opera Nova’s production, directed and choreographed by Robert Bondara, Orpheus’s journey in search of Eurydice becomes a descent into the subconscious of a man unprepared for the loss of his beloved, as well as an attempt to navigate the longing for someone closest to him. Despite the contemporary interpretation of the myth, the production retains references to antiquity through its unreal, otherworldly figures. We see the world through the eyes of the grief-stricken Orpheus, whose imagined visions merge with reality.

Will Orpheus succeed in reclaiming Eurydice and finding relief from his pain? In Bondara’s multidimensional production, nothing is unambiguous. The drama unfolds with the suspense of a skilfully directed thriller, culminating in a finale designed to take the audience completely by surprise.

Orfeo ed Euridice was the thirtieth opera composed by Christoph Willibald Gluck. It received its world premiere in 1762 at the Burgtheater in Vienna. In 1774, Gluck presented the work in Paris in a new version, with the principal role assigned to a tenor rather than a castrato, in accordance with French tradition. Hector Berlioz’s later adaptation also led to an Italian-language version of the opera, allowing the role of Orpheus to be performed by leading contraltos, mezzo-sopranos and even baritones.

Orfeo ed Euridice has been presented on the world’s greatest stages, from La Scala to New York’s Metropolitan Opera. Its Polish premiere took place in Warsaw in 1776.

For the first time in its history, Opera Nova in Bydgoszcz is staging Orfeo ed Euridice, entrusting both the direction and choreography to Robert Bondara.

Although the distinguished choreographer already has experience as an opera director—including the award-winning production of The Baltic Legend at the Grand Theatre in Poznań—this is his first opera production for the Bydgoszcz stage. In his previous collaborations with Opera Nova, Robert Bondara created the staging and choreography for such ballet productions as The Captive Mind, Stabat Mater. Harnasie and Alice in Wonderland.

It is also worth noting that Robert Bondara is working on the premiere of Orfeo ed Euridice with a trusted team of outstanding creatives, many of whom are already well known to Bydgoszcz audiences. They include:

• Diana Marszałek – set design; her previous Opera Nova productions include Romeo and Juliet, The Captive Mind, Halka, The Haunted Manor and Rigoletto;
• Martyna Kander – costume design; her previous work at Opera Nova includes Faust, Rigoletto and The Haunted Manor;
• Maciej Igielski – lighting design; among his many earlier productions are Così fan tutte, ossia La scuola degli amanti, The Merry Widow and Dangerous Liaisons.
• Music direction is by Przemysław Fiugajski, a conductor, harpsichordist and dramaturg.