The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has been used as the basis of many artistic works. When the story of Orpheus' tragedy is told again in a new form or media it is often the herald of a new genre, the beginning of a new era in that art form. This heralding quality has a certain metaphoric relationship to the story of the man who was told that he must look ahead.
Orpheus
Orpheus was one of the great Greek heroes, but unlike the majority of the others, his heroics were not achieved through battle. They were achieved through his musical talents. The origins of Orpheus are believed to be that of a Thracian king. He was the son of Apollo and his musical talents were so great that it is said that the trees would follow him when he was in ow him when he was in song. He was one of the Argonauts, and on their famous voyage he was responsible for stopping the terrible moving rocks and lulling a dragon to sleep.
Orpheus married a nymph named Eurydice who he loved very much. One day when Eurydice was fleeing from Aristaeus she was bitten by a venomous snake and died. Orpheus grieved very much for her and descended into the Underworld, where he charmed her and descended into the Underworld, where he charmed Hades and Persephone with music into letting Eurydice into returning to earth. The condition of her return was that Orpheus should not look back on Eurydice as she followed him out of the Underworld. Near the end of his journey Orpheus turned around to look at his wife only to see her vanish back into death forever. Orpheus' grief was great and his inconsolable disposition is said to have lead the Thracian women into tearing him to pieces as they were jealous of his devotion to but one woman.
Orfeo by Claudio Monteverdi
Inerdi
In 1607 Claudio Monteverdi wrote his monumental work, a five act opera called Orfeo. Many people consider Orfeo to be the first opera. It is considered important for many reasons; firstly, the concept that the music is subservient to the plot changed not only what was happening in the theatre but also in the musical community in general. The lyrics of the opera were paramount in importance, and thus the recitative was invented. Monteverdi also considered the music to play an important part in setting the dramatic atmosphere, and therefore notated on the scores exactly which instruments were to play in certain parts. This was quite unusual for orchestral music of that day. The forms of the overture and the musical interludes were found in this opera. Finally, Monteverdi was writing the music in the modern harmonic style using both melody and harmony tonic style using both melody and harmony to further express the contents of his lyrics. This was different from the model style which was flourishing just twenty years before. Clearly the baroque era of music was launched at the time Orfeo was premiered.
Orfeo ed Euridice by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Serious reform in music took place in the mid eighteenth century. The point at which many scholars feel that the baroque era of opera was ended and the classical era begins is 1762 with the production of Orfeo ed Euridice by Gluck. This opera abandoned the formal structure of opera which had grown up over the 150 years since Monteverdi's Orfeo, so that placement of aria and recitative was more dependant on the plot then on the superficial structure of alternating the famed de capo aria of the baroque period was altered to the more lyrical songs which we are accustomed to in opera today. The plot of the opera was expected to move in a realistic and lively manner, and not be subservient to the vocal gymnastics of the super stars which had grown into the opera industry. The orchestra was expanded and parts were written for the orchestra to exemplify both mood and plot within the work of art. Thus the orchestra became a major contributor to the opera, not simply an accompaniment. The chorus reappeared in the opera, (it had been abandoned for the super stars), and the characters took on a considerably more realistic role. Ta considerably more realistic role. To listen to the aria "Che faro senza Euridice?" ("What shall I do without Euridice?") sums up much of what Gluck accomplished with his opera. The simplicity of the melody supported by the orchestra in a way so uncommon to the baroque era. Gluck's work hints very much and looks forward to the works of Donazetti, Mozart and Rossini.
Orfeo Negro by Marcel Camus
At the beginning of the 1960's decade the Cannes Film Festival awarded prizes to three films, Orfeo Negro by Marcel Camus, Hiroshimo Mon Amour by Alain Resnais, and 400 Blows by Francois Truffaut. This was the beginning of modern cinema. The French critics who have been calling for stylistic cinema which would use the media in ways other art forms could not give expression was realized by these three films. Cinema was changed for ever.
Orfeo Negro or "Black Orpheus" was shot in Rio de Janerio on a limited budget. The old myth was altered from that of Greeks to black sub-culture in Rio de Janerio in our modern times. The naming of the characters remained as it was in the Greek myths. Orfeo not only had the gift of song but was also a dancer. His songs charmed young and old alike and it was said that his songs made the sun rise in the morning. In "Black Orpheus", the dancing of Orpheus was awarded the carnival prize. It was surrounded by popularity. The modernization of the story was furthered by having the venomous snake replaced by electrical cable. In the beginning of the film we are forewarned of the electrical power as the cable of the street car emits a loud noise and a spark flies showing us the power contained within. When Euridice is pursued through the carnival and into the trolley depot she eventually finds her way to the cables which she grasps and is thus electrocuted. The strong metaphors forewarn of the symbolism used by European greats such as Felini and Bergman in modern cinema. Instead of emerging into Hades or the Underworld, Orpheus finds his way to the underground culture of voodoo in Rio de Janerio. The scene portrayed of his contacting Orpheus is very documentary in nature. Unlike the myth Orpheus does not have to charm Hades or Persephone in order to gain Euridice. The ceremony carries him so that he is quite helpless in what appears to be a real-life situation. As in the myth, Orpheus looks back and loses Euridice, and as he returns with her body to his mountainous suburb he is attacked by a jealous woman and killed as he topples over the side onto a sharp cactus.
The technology of the film making did not look back as Orpheus did, the invention of the hand held 16 mm movie camera allowed for the creation of lower budget movies. Documentary subjects, which before had not been attempted were possible, and the integration of those subjects into dramatic works be subjects into dramatic works became a reality which we are all familiar with today. "Black Orpheus" was one of the leaders of this genre. During the chase of Euridice's scene, simple lighting techniques were used to give an appearance of the characters running in limbo. The techniques can be easily replicated in a studio with limited lighting abilities. The voodoo scene and the carnival scenes were very documentary in nature. The staging if there was any would have been very subject to the movements of the performers. The creation of the new smaller and inexpensive film media altered the economics of film making to such a degree that subject matter could be gathered for use in the production sub-title conclusion. The myth of Orpheus has been used in other examples such as Jacque Offenbach "Orpheus in the Underworld" which to many is considered the first modern musical. Examples of Monteverdi and Gluck and Camus further point out to us at a time when the style of an art form is about to change. A monumental work appears on the subject of Orpheus to alert us to look ahead there is more to come in the case of "Black Orpheus" we have seen in less than thirty years the development of an international cinema, a complete revolution in form totally discarding the theatrical principles of Aristotle. Economic and technical innovations which have broadened the possible subject matter and interpretation thereof. Orpheus is no longer limited in space to Greece in time to antiquity, but he still must keep looking ahead.
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