Track Listing

Disc 1:

1. Toccata
2. Prologo: Dal mio Permesso
3. Act I: In questo lieto e fortunato giorno/Vieni, Imeneo/Muse, onor di Parnaso
4. Act I: Balletto: Lasciate i monti/Ma tu, gentil cantor
5. Act I: Rosa del ciel/Io non dirò qual sia/Balletto: Lasciate i monti/Vieni, Imeneo
6. Act I: Ma se il nostro gioir/Ecco Orfeo, cui pur
7. Act II: Sinfonia - Ecco pur ch'a voi ritorno
8. Act II: Mira che sé n'alletta/Dunque fa degni, Orfeo
9. Act II: Vi ricorda, o bosch'ombrosi
10. Act II: Ahi, caso acerbo/In un fiorito prato
11. Act II: Ahi, caso acerbo/Ma io, che in questa lingua
12. Act II: Sinfonia - Chi ne consola, ahi lassi?/Ahi, caso acerbo/Ma dove, ah dove/Ahi, caso acerbo

Disc 2:

1. Act III: Sinfonia - Scorto da te, mio Nume/Ecco Patra palude/Dove, ah dove ten vai
2. Act III: O tu, ch'inanzi morte
3. Act III: Possente spirto
4. Act III: Ben mi lusinga/Ahi, sventurato amante/Ei dorme, e la mia cetra
5. Act III: Nulla impresa per uom
6. Act IV: Signor, quel infelice/Benché severo/O degli abitator/Quali grazie ti rendo/Tue soavi parole
7. Act IV: Pietade, oggi, e amore/Ecco il gentil cantor
8. Act IV: Qual onor di te/O dolcissimi lumi/Rotto hai la legge
9. Act IV: Ahi, vista troppo dolce/Torn'a l'ombra/Dove ten vai
10. Act IV: È la virtute un raggio
11. Act V: Questi i campi di Tracia
12. Act V: Sinfonia - Perché a lo sdegno
13. Act V: Vanne Orfeo
14. Act V: Moresca

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #87589 in Music
• Released on: 1990-10-25
• Number of discs: 2
• Format: Box set

Amazon.com essential recording
History's first great opera--the story of Orpheus descending to Hades to retrieve his bride Eurydice from the dead, only to lose her again--gets a fine performance (the best overall version currently available) from John Eliot Gardiner and his musicians. Anthony Rolfe Johnson performs the title role with all the beautiful sound you'd expect from an Orfeo; he negotiates virtuoso passages flawlessly and sings passionately without overwhelming Monteverdi's music with too much voice. Julianne Baird as Eurydice and Anne Sofie Von Otter in a gripping appearance as the Messenger are the standouts in a cast without a weak link. Everyone involved, including the chorus and orchestra, performs with such energy, beauty, and precision that even long stretches of recitative never pall. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews

The god of music
This recording of the four or five out there that I know of stands out for its common sense: Orpheus was the (semi)god of music, Monteverdi's character was a tenor, therefore the title role must be sung by not only a first-class singer, but by a voice that is its own presence. Such a singer is Anthony Rolfe-Johnson. His legato singing touches the heart and his coloratura thrills the ear. Mr. Rolfe-Johnson's drammatic clarity fulfils all the duties of the role, beautifully. The rest of the cast is hardly less inspired. As La Musica we have a young Lynne Dawson (1987) whose voice, while might have become more interesting with age, was prettier, then. The largely underwritten role of Eurydice is sung adequately by Julianne Baird while Diana Montague (Prosperina), Williard White (Pluto) and Nigel Robson (Apollo) give us some lesser but still "divine" interpretations. Yet let us not forget the dazzling work of J.E. Gardiner who understood the importance of "free play" in the instrumental parts, who refused to be bound by what has been salvaged of an eroded score and allowed both players and singers to feel their way through the music with remarkable freedom that never falls into decadent ornamentation. Bravo.

My favourite recording of any Opera
Gardiner, again shows his skill with baroque vocal works. This, regarded as the first great Opera, is still one of the best. The pure singing style of the late renaissance/early Baroque is siblime and very different from Post Baroque opera writing most people are use to. The Aria 'Possente spirto' is 8 minutes of heavenly singing in Hades; here Orfeo fails to convince Charon to allow him entry to Hades, but this is one of the single most beautiful pieces of writing for voice I have ever heard.

One of the most beautiful operas of all time
This recording of Monteverdi's L'Orfeo is truly a spectacular work. I didn't really care for Baroque opera before I heard this. But now Monteverdi is my favorite operatic composer. Not only is the music beautiful but the singers are absolutely stunning. Anthony Rolfe Johnson is absolutely perfect for the title role. His soft yet clear tenor voice shows the passion and the emotion that Orfeo has for Eurydice. Lynne Dawson who sings La Musica has a good voice for introducing the opera. Anne Sofie von Otter who plays Messaggiera, has such a sorrowful and sad voice for her role which makes it all the more better. But the absolute best singer on this recording is John Tomlinson who sings Caronte or the Charon. John Tomlinson is also the voice of the Commendatore in the movie Amadeus. But his deep bass makes you wonder if its at all possible to get past him. But that's not the best part of the opera. The best part about the whole recording is the choir. All the choruses are to die for, especially the chorus "Lasicate i monti." It almost makes one want to dance. But I definitely reccommend this recording to all Baroque opera lovers, even for those who don't like opera.