With the great roar of the famous Toccata opening the performance, this new version of Monteverdi’s L'Orfeo is captivating right from the start. The bright instruments, dancing rhythms and colourful tones found in the sumptuous curtain-raiser carry you away.
It’s worth discovering Mathilde Etienne’s erudite and fascinating text. She sets the record straight by placing Monteverdi’s masterpiece in the Renaissance period instead of stating that it is the first Baroque opera (it’s not). The text also restores Striggio’s extraordinary libretto, who integrated a whole range of styles. It also explains how much Neo-Platonic thought, with all its mathematics and philosophy, adds up to a simple concept that a child can understand. It’s like a painting (Botticelli for example) that you can admire for its beauty but one which holds a profound meaning as soon as you dig in a little deeper.
Finally, there’s a hugely theatrical performance coupled with fleshy, carnal singing. Monteverdi leaves little room for his performers; his score is annotated and precise in terms of ornamentation and instrumentation. You can, however, play around with differentiating the choirs and varying the continuo, as they do here.
Emiliano Gonzalez Toro, the man behind it all, is multitalented. He sings in the title role and conducts the whole ensemble, drawing you into the frenzy of human passions and leaving you dizzy. Gripping and enjoyable! © François Hudry/Qobuz