Opera North’s Orpheus: Harmonizing Sounds
The creative process is akin to the delicate art of baking a pie. It revolves around choosing the right ingredients and blending them harmoniously. A live opera performance reveals a significant truth: music from beloved records is just one part of a complex recipe.
The “Orpheus” project was a long-held dream for Opera North and South Asian Arts. Their bold concept was to marry Monteverdi’s “Orpheus,” an early opera from 1607, with Indian classical music, creating a union of Western Baroque traditions and Indian classical sounds.
At first glance, such a partnership might seem unlikely, as these musical traditions are worlds apart. But the diverse musical landscape of Britain, where people grow amid a variety of musical influences, more often highlights the similarities of these traditions than their differences.
Opera North’s Orpheus Storyline
The narrative of “Orpheus” is elegantly straightforward. The first act unfolds in the garden of a suburban home, where Orpheus and his bride Eurydice are celebrating their nuptials, symbolizing the joyful merging of English and Indian traditions.
However, tragedy strikes:
- Eurydice is fatally bitten by a venomous snake while gathering flowers. In the second act, Orpheus ventures to the underworld to retrieve his beloved. He is given one condition – not to look back at her on their return journey. Alas, he succumbs to temptation, and Eurydice is lost to him forever;
- The scene opens with a vibrant set design – a realistic suburban garden brimming with flowers and shrubbery. Notably, a member of the creative team is designated as “chief gardener,” underscoring the meticulous attention to staging details. The entire cast shines in their wedding attire, with Indian costumes standing out magnificently;
- Flanking the stage, musicians present a visual feast, blending Western Baroque with traditional Indian instruments like the sitar alongside the harpsichord, and tablas with violins. From the onset, Monteverdi’s work intertwines seamlessly with new music composed by Jasdeep Singh Degun. It may take the ear some time to adjust to the novel sounds, particularly the Indian use of microtones, but the magic of the performance is in how quickly this fusion feels natural, with one tradition gracefully flowing into the other;
- The vocal performances are consistently powerful, with Nicholas Watts delivering a stylish and melodious Orpheus. Under the baton of Laurence Cummings, the Monteverdi ensemble achieves a splendid sound, balancing delicate Baroque restraint with the irresistible exoticism of Indian instruments.
Remarkably, moments of extraordinary instrumental virtuosity, such as the “duel” between the tabla and the ghatam, stand out as some of the most memorable highlights of the evening.
Opera North’s Orpheus Showcase
Opera North, a premier opera company based chiefly in Leeds, West Yorkshire, UK, is celebrated for its pioneering and diverse productions. These productions span a broad array of operatic works from various eras and styles. Among their most notable productions is “Orpheus,” a frequently performed opera from the classic repertoire, penned by Christoph Willibald Gluck.
For a visual experience of the opera, a video is available to stream:
The opera “Orpheus and Eurydice” stands as one of Gluck’s most famous works, staged by numerous opera companies across the globe. It narrates the tragic mythological tale of Orpheus, a gifted musician, and his journey to the underworld to rescue his beloved wife, Eurydice. The opera explores themes of love, loss, and the transformative power of music.
Event Summary:
- Location: Royal Theatre, Nottingham;
- Dates: Starting November 12, 2022;
- Curtain Time: 7:00 PM;
- Duration: Roughly 2 hours and 50 minutes, including an intermission;
- Languages: Performed in Italian, Hindi, and Urdu, with English subtitles;
- Additional languages presented in the film include Malayalam, Bengali, Punjabi, and Tamil.
For comprehensive details on Opera North’s “Orpheus” production, including cast information, performance dates, and ticketing, please visit the official Opera North website.
Featuring:
- ORPHEUS – Ashnaa Sasikaran;
- EURYDICE – Vijay Rajput;
- CHARON (SHEPHERD) – Lawrence Cummings;
- CHARON (SHEPHERD) – Clare Les;
- APSARĀ (NYMPH) – Simon Grindlay;
- CHARON (SHEPHERD) – Francis Gregory;
- APSARĀ (NYMPH) – Kezia Bienek;
- SILVIA (MESSENGER) – Kaviraj Singh;
- CARONTE – Yarlina Tanabalasingam;
- NAMBIKKAI (HOPE) – Chandra Chakraborty;
- PROSERPINA – Dean Robinson;
- PLUTO – Kirpal Singh Panesar.
Orchestra Members:
- Viola David Aspin;
- Lirone Emilia Benjamin;
- Theorbo Sergio Bucheli;
- Cello Daniel Bull;
- Sitar Jasdeep Singh Degun;
- Bass Damian Rubido Gonzalez;
- Tabla Shahbaz Hussain;
- Viola Katie Jarvis;
- Violin Andrew Long;
- Esraj & Tar Shenai Kirpal Singh Panesar;
- Mridangam, Ghatam & Kanjira R.N.Prakash;
- Violin Cristina Ocana Rosado;
- Santur Kaviraj Singh;
- Harp & Swarmandal Celine Saout;
- Flute, Bansuri, Murali, Violin & Viola Vijay Venkat;
- Percussion Mark Wagstaff;
- Trumpet Adam Wood.
Creative Team:
- Musical Director & Harpsichord Lawrence Cummings;
- Musical Director & Sitar Jasdeep Singh Degun;
- Assistant Conductor & Harpsichord Ashok Gupta;
- Director Anna Himali Howard;
- Set & Costume Designer Lesley Travers;
- Lighting Designer Jackie Shemesh;
- Choreographer Urja Desai Thakore;
- Sound Engineer Camilo Tirado;
- Translators & Musical Consultants Ustad Dharambir Singh MBE and Shahbaz Hussain;
- Assistant Director Simona Ibbett-Brown;
- Additional Translation by Chandra Chakraborty, Amardip Dhami, Saikrishnakumar Rangachari, and Dipa Nair Rasiya.
Conclusion
The opera “Orpheus” stands as a testament to the artistic fusion’s vigor, a vivid demonstration of how varied musical heritages can converge into a cohesive and emotionally rich spectacle. It’s an odyssey that celebrates the shared elements of diverse cultures and enhances the opera universe.
With exceptional vocal talent and a seamless blend of Western baroque with Indian classical tunes, “Orpheus” marks an inventive milestone that testifies to the enduring and unifying power of music.