Review: Gluck – Orfeo ed Euridice – Jakub Józef Orliński

Gluck’s “Orfeo ed Euridice” exists in four basic versions: the Italian-language original, premiered in Vienna in 1762; Gluck‘s French revision for Paris in 1774; Berlioz’s version created for a Paris staging in 1859, and a mixed version (drawing music from three previous versions to create a new one) by the Milan publisher Ricordi in 1889. Recordings from the 1960-70s tend to use either the Berlioz or Ricordi editions, but historically informed performances (circa 1980) have tended to use the original Vienna 1762 (with a countertenor taking the original male soprano/castrato part). This latest release, an 84-minute performance that also fits onto one CD, features Jakub Józef Orliński as Orfeo.

The overture is thrillingly dramatic, thanks to the incisive playing of Il Giardino d’Amore (34 players strong) and Stefan Plewniak’s ripping tempo. The opening chorus has tangible grief, heightened by Orliński’s painful cries of “Euridice.” Most of the readings listed above take the first scene more slowly, surely to generate a more funereal atmosphere. However, after hearing this latest version, it feels like a miscalculation. The opera begins right at the moment of Euridice’s death – surely the emotional response should feel overwhelming and raw, as we experience here.

Orliński’s performance of “Chiamo il mio ben così” and “Numi! barbari numi!” (tracks 6 and 7) is gorgeous, his sound achingly sweet, but what really remains with the listener is how perceptively he captures the ever-shifting moods of the text, mirrored by the orchestra who shadow and heighten Orfeo’s emotional turmoil. Fatma Said’s Amore is well matched to Orliński, her singing pure, languid, and suitably sensuous. 

The opening of Act II (Dance of the Furies. Track 11) is fittingly threatening, Plewniak and the orchestra exulting in the score’s orchestration, the chorus’ excellent diction adding another layer of ferocity. As Orfeo sings to them their change in demeanor is beautifully managed through color and articulation, the ensemble serving as a key expressive element in the story telling.

Elsa Dreisig is a thoughtful, sensitive, and impassioned Euridice. In lesser hands Euridice’s incessant questioning can come off as overly demanding and distrustful, but that is never the case here. We sense Euridice’s joy and wonder at seeing Orfeo again, which makes her confusion and frustration more vivid as Orfeo refuses to answer her questions. As Euridice’s doubt makes him struggle to resist the desire to comfort her, Orliński too fully expresses Orfeo’s increasing fear and agitation. “Che faró senza Euridice” (track 22) is touching, Orliński’s gorgeous lyricism paints a subtle yet powerful portrait of Orfeo’s inner turmoil.

While the original myth’s unhappy ending resonates more with me, this performance’s raw emotion makes the “love conquers all” theme in this new, happier resolution feel deeply affecting. Il Giardino d’Amore and Stefan Plewniak are wonderfully attentive to each singer, offering them freedom to shape phrases and uncover the emotional core of each scene. The opera’s many dances are played with plenty of panache and refinement.

Erato’s ancillary materials are excellent, including introductory notes from Orliński and Plewniak, as well as a full libretto with German, French and English translations. The excellent liner notes by Jean-François Lattarico point out that this opera was radical for returning to greater simplicity, tightening plot lines, and reducing virtuosic singing to allow for a “more natural expression of human passions.” That is certainly what listeners will experience in this performance.

Gluck: Orfeo ed Euridice
Jakub Józef Orliński -Orfeo
Fatma Said – Amore
Elsa Dreisig – Euridice
Il Giardino d’Amore
Stefan Plewniak – Conductor

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