Monteverdi L'Orfeo opera to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio. Directed 2017 by Paul Agnew at the Théâtre de Caen. Stars Cyril Auvity (Orfeo), Hannah Morrison (Euridice/La Musica), Paul Agnew (Apollo/Eco), Miriam Allan (Proserpina/Ninfa), Lea Desandre (Messaggiera/Speranza) Carlo Vistoli (Spirito infernale/Pastore), Sean Clayton (Pastore), Zachary Wilder (Spirito infernale/Pastore), Antonio Abete (Plutone/Spirito infernale/Pastore), and Cyril Costanzo (Caronte/Spirito infernale). Paul Agnew conducts Les Arts Florissants as well as serving as director and having two roles! Costumes by Alain Blanchot; sets and lights by Christophe Naillet; Rita de Letteriis was language consultant and assistant director. Directed for TV by Isabelle Soulard. Sung in Italian. Released 2017, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
This received the "Video of the Month" award from Gramophone in December 2017. David Vickers praises it greatly at pages 112-13 of the same Gramophone issue; he was especially impressed how many of the instrumentalists learned their parts by heart and also blended in on scage as actors. Judith Malafronte, writing in the March 2018 Opera News at pages 52-53, praises the production for visual beauty and intimacy, but complains that it "falls short in emotional power and vivid drama."
Here are some neat images from this production found on the Internet:
This view became the front cover art for the HDVD:
Musicians playing as stage band by heart:
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