Friday, September 22,  8.00PM
Saturday, September 23,  8.00PM
Sunday, September 24,  3.00PM
The Shubert Theatre 

In this historic co-production with the English National Opera, the renowned Chen Shi-Zheng directs this fully staged production telling the tragic Greek myth of Orfeo, who uses his formidable musical powers to wrest his beloved Euridice from the depths of hell. The title character crosses the border between life and death (seen by Ovid as the river Styx) and, by braving this perilous journey, dramatizes the enduring power of love. Considered the first masterpiece of the newly invented genre of opera, Orfeo (1607) more than stands the test of time. Aside from its historical value, Orfeo is by any measurement one of the greatest operas ever written. Laurence Cummings received lavish praise for conducting the London premiere and will join the Handel and Haydn Chorus and Period-Instrument Orchestra, and an international cast, including twelve Indonesian dancers from Java, to realize Chen's uniquely eastern take on this icon of western music. Sung in Italian with English supertitles.

Historic co-production with English National Opera

Chen Shi-Zheng, director
Laurence Cummings, conductor

Tom Randle, Orfeo
Alyson Cambridge, Euridice
Paula Murrihy, Messenger
Kevin Short, Pluto
Robert Honeysucker, Caronte
Elizabeth Watts, Musica/Hope
Stephanie Marshall, Proserpina
William Berger, Apollo

For further information:
http://www.operaworld.com/baroque/orfeo/orfeoconductor.shtml
On conducting Orfeo.

http://www.hoasm.org/VB/VBMonteverdi.html
Short biography of Monteverdi.

Claudio Monteverdi: Orfeo, by John Wenham, Cambridge Opera Handbook.