L'orfeo, New London Consort, Lighthouse, Poole.
JUST on four centuries ago Monteverdi's opera L'Orfeo received its premiere in Mantua. The great impression made on Duke Vincenzo then was echoed on Monday night in a moving account directed by multi-talented Jonathan Miller.
The New London Consort, conducted by period performance maestro Philip Pickett, brought this early music drama to life. Revolving around the death of his love Euridice (Revital Raviv), Orfeo, in Mark Tucker's outstanding lead role, by the magic of music infiltrates Hades to rescue his wife. Pleading with the Goddess Persephone and God Pluto he wins the chance to take her back so long as he refrains from looking at her until the Underworld is left behind.
The action is brought to focus by being almost in greyscale. There is little colour in the costumes designed by Shirin Guild and rather like a black and white film, often appearing to be in slow motion when the singers move, we are compelled to appreciate the subtleties of courtly acting, graceful movement and dance.
The whole event is underpinned by Monteverdi's masterful scoring, both in the variety of vocal writing and the palatable sounds of viols, theorbos, sackbutts, cornets, harp and continuo. Here we spent two hours in heavenly company.
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