List of musical items in Claudio Monteverdi's L'Orfeo

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Front cover of the 1609 published score of L'Orfeo Frontispiece of L'Orfeo.jpg
Front cover of the 1609 published score of L'Orfeo

The early baroque opera L'Orfeo , composed by Claudio Monteverdi to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio the Younger, was first performed in 1607. It is Monteverdi's first opera, and one of the earliest in the new genre. In Monteverdi's hands, according to music historian Donald Jay Grout, "the new form [of opera] passed out of the experimental stage, acquiring ... a power and depth of expression that makes his music dramas still living works after more than three hundred years". [1] In his work, Monteverdi incorporates the "speech-song" or recitative first used in Jacopo Peri's opera Dafne and Giulio Caccini's Euridice , both direct precursors of L'Orfeo, and adds solo arias, duets, ensembles, dances and instrumental interludes. [2]

Contents

The story of the opera follows the Greek legend of Orpheus, who descends to Hades to persuade the gods of the Underworld to allow him to bring his dead bride, Eurydice, back to the living world. His plea is granted, on the condition that he does not look back while leading Eurydice out of Hades. However, fearful that he is being betrayed, Orpheus does look back and Eurydice is lost to him for ever. [3] In an ending which departs from the myth, Orpheus is rescued from his grief by Apollo, who invites him to ascend to the heavens where he will be able to look on Eurydice's semblance in the stars. Striggio's original ending, not preserved in the first published score of 1609, followed more closely to that of the myth, in which the grieving Orpheus is set upon by wild women (maenads or Bacchantes) and dismembered (though Striggio's version does not include the bloody denouement). [4]

Roles and voice types

Monteverdi's 1609 score includes an incomplete listing of the parts. Voice types are indicated by clef markings for each singer's part. These are generally interpretable in terms of soprano, alto, tenor and bass roles. Roles are frequently doubled, e.g. La musica and Eurydice, Ninfa and Prosperina, La messagera and Speranza, and others. [5]

List of musical and vocal items

Performer(s)First lines [6] Notes
Orchestral ensembleToccataPlayed three times
Prologue
La musica (Music)Dal mio Parnasso amato a voi ne vegno
("From my beloved Parnassus I come to you")		A ritornello for strings plays at the beginning and ending of the prologue, and between its verses.
Act 1
Pastore secondo (Second shepherd)In questo lieto e fortunato giorno
("On this gay, happy day")
Coro di ninfi e pastori (Chorus of Nymphs and Shepherds)Viena, Imenco, deh, vieni
("Come, Hymen, o come")
Ninfa (Nymph)Muse, onor di Parnasso, amor del cielo
("Ye Muses, the honour of Parnassus, the love of Heaven")
Coro di ninfi e pastoriLasciate i monti, lasciate i fonti
("Leave the mountains, leave the fountains")		In two sections, with an instrumental ritornello after each section
Pastore primo (First shepherd)Ma tu, gentil cantor, s'a tuoi lamenti
("But thou, gentle singer, whose laments of love...")
Orfeo (Orpheus)Rosa del ciel, vita del mondo
("Rose of the heavens, life of the earth")
Euridice (Eurydice)Io non diro qual sia neltuo gioir
("I cannot say how great my bliss is.")		Followed by a reprise of choruses:; "Lasciate i monti" and ritornello; "Vieni, Imeneo" and ritornello
Pastori primo, secondo, terzo e quarto, ninfa (First, second, third and fourth shepherds, and nymph)Ma se il nostro gioir dal ciel deriva
("But if our rejoicing comes from Heaven")		With ritornelli
Coro di ninfi e pastoriEcco Orfeo, cui pur dianzi
("Here is Orpheus, for whom sighs were food")
Act 2
OrchestraSinfonia
Orfeo, pastori secondo e terzoEcco pur ch'a voi ritorno
("Behold I return to you")		Sections interspersed with ritornelli
Coro di ninfi e pastoriDunque fa' degni, Orfeo
("Then, Orpheus, make worthy")		Followed by ritornello
OrfeoVi ricorda, o boschi ombrosi
("Do you remember, o shady woods")		Sections interspersed with ritornelli
Pastore secondoMira, deh mira, Orfeo, che d'ogni intorno
("Look, Orpheus, o lookhow on all sides...")
La messaggera, Pastore primo, secondo e terzo, OrfeoAhi, caso acerbo, ahi, fato empio e crudele
("Ah, bitter happening, ah impious and cruel fate")
La messaggeraIn un fiorito prato
("In a flowery meadow")
Pastori secondo e terzoAhi, caso acerbo, ahi, fato empio e crudele
("Ah, bitter happening, ah impious and cruel fate")
OrfeoTu se' morta, mia vita, ed io respiro?
("Thou art dead, my love, and I am breathing?")
Coro di ninfi e pastoriAhi, caso acerbo, ahi, fato empio e crudele
("Ah, bitter happening, ah impious and cruel fate")
La messaggeraMa io, che in questo lingua
("But I, who with this tongue...")
OrchestraSinfonia
Pastore secondo e terzoChi ni consola, ahi lassi?
("Who shall console us unhappy ones?")
Coro di ninfi e pastoriAhi, caso acerbo, ahi, fato empio e crudele
("Ah, bitter happening, ah impious and cruel fate")
Pastore secondo e terzoMa dove, ah dove or sono
("But where, o where is now...")
Coro di ninfi e pastoriAhi, caso acerbo, ahi, fato empio e crudele
("Ah, bitter happening, ah impious and cruel fate")		Act ends with ritornello (La musica)
Act 3
OrchestraSinfonia (Underworld)
OrfeoScorto da te, mio nume
("Escorted by thee, my Goddess")
La speranza (Hope)Ecco l'atra palude, ecco il nocchiero
("Here is the desolate swamp, here is the boatman")
OrfeoDove, ah, dove ten'vai
("Wither, o wither dost thou go?")
Caronte (Charon)O tu ch'innanzi morte a queste rive
("O thou who darest before death...")
OrchestraSinfonia (Underworld): reprise
OrfeoPossente spirto e formidabil nume
("Mighty spirit and powerful divinity")		With ritornelli
CaronteBen mi lusinga alquanto
("Much I am flattered")
OrfeoAhi, sventurato amante
("Ah, unhappy lover that I am")		In two sections; the Underworld sinfonia plays at the end of each section
Coro di spiriti (Chorus of spirits)Nulla impresa per uom si tenta invano
("Nothing is undertaken by man in vain")		Act concludes with further reprise of Underworld sinfonia.
Act 4
Proserpina (Proserpine)Signor, quell'infelice
("My lord, this unhappy one...")
Plutone (Pluto)Benché severo ed immutabil fato
("Although stern and immutable fate...")
Spiriti primo e secondo (First and second spirits)O de gli abitator del'ombre eterne
(2O mighty king of the eternal world of shadows")
Proserpina, Plutone, spirito primo e coro di spiritiQuali grazie ti rendo
("How shall I ever than thee...")		Followed by ritornello
Orfeo, spirito terzo (Third spirit)Quale onor de te fia degno
("What honour is worthy of thee")		Interspersed with two ritornelli
Euridice, spirito primoAhi, vista troppo dolce e troppo amara
("Ah, sight too sweet and too bitter")
OrfeoDove ten'vai mia vita?
("Whither goest thou, my life?")		Followed by Underworld sinfonia
Coro di spiritiE la virtute un raggio di celeste bellezza
("Virtue is a ray of heavenly beauty")		Followed by Underworld sinfonia
Act 5
Orfeo, Eco (Echo)Questi i campi di Tracia, e quest'e il loca
("These are the fields of Thrace, and this is the place...")		Preceded by ritornello (La musica)
OrfeoS'hai del mio mal pietade io ti ringrazio
("If thou has pity for me in my suffering, I thank thee")		Followed by ritornello
Apollo, OrfeoPerchè a lo sdegno ed al dolor in preda
("Why dost thou give thyself up as prey...")		Followed by ritonello
Coro di pastoriVanne Orfeo, felice appieno
("Go, Orpheus, completely happy")		Followed by ritornello
OrchestraMoresca (Moorish dance)End of opera
End of opera
 
Original version of act 5, per 1607 libretto
Orfeo, Eco (Echo)Questi i campi di Tracia, e quest'e il loca
("These are the fields of Thrace, nd this is the place...")		Preceded by ritornello (La musica)
OrfeoS'hai del mio mal pietade io ti ringrazio
("If thou has pity for me in my suffering, I thank thee")		Followed by ritornello
Coto di Baccanti (Chorus of Bacchantes)Evohe padre Lieo, Bassareo
("Hail, Father Lyaeus, Bacchus!")
Due BaccantiFuggito è pur da questa destra ultrice
("Flown from this avenging arm...")
Coro di Baccanti, due BaccantiEvohe padre Lieo, Bassareo
("Hail, Father Lyaeus, Bacchus!")		Chorus repeated three times after soloist passages

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References

  1. ↑ Grout, p. 51
  2. ↑ Grout and Pelisca, p. 309
  3. ↑ Whenham, pp. 48–76
  4. ↑ Sternfeld, pp. 27–43
  5. ↑ Carter, p. 97
  6. ↑ English translation from the libretto issued in the booklet accompanying the CD version of Nikolaus Harnoncourt's 1969 recording. Teldec 8.35020

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