Charpentier’s La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers | Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Opera Series

Two miniature masterpieces by the great French Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier were featured BEMF’s original November 2011 Chamber Opera Series production that The Boston Globe praised for its “zest and polish in equal measure”. La Descente d’Orphée aux Enfers tells the famous story of Orpheus descending into the underworld to rescue his beloved Euridice using his musical charms, ending just as the pair begin their ill-fated escape. La Couronne de Fleurs, based on a text by Molière, depicts a musical contest in tribute to Louis XIV: shepherds vie for a crown of flowers from the goddess Flora for the most beautiful and eloquent aria. BEMF’s 2014 studio recording of these works won a GRAMMY Award for Best Opera Recording.

Part of BEMF’s “Looking Back at Orpheus” event. Watch our production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo here: https://youtu.be/eZ5X3RJ8R-4

Learn more at https://bemf.org/concert-season/boston-concerts/looking-back-at-orpheus/

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With no ticket revenue for our virtual season this fall, we are relying more than ever on our generous friends and supporters. Individual ticket prices for the originally scheduled BEMF Chamber Opera Series performance ranged from to 5. With sincere thanks for your generosity. Donate today at https://bemf.org/support/

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Download the Program Notes: https://bemf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BEMF_Charpentier_Program.pdf
Download the Libretto: https://bemf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BEMF_Charpentier_libretto.pdf
Download the Artist Profiles: https://bemf.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/BEMF_Orpheus_Artist_Profiles.pdf

Turn on Closed Captions for the English translation of the production.

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DIRECTORS
Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Musical Directors
Gilbert Blin, Stage Director
Anna Watkins, Costume Designer
Melinda Sullivan, Choreographer
Robert Mealy, Concertmaster
Jennifer Bertha, Lighting Designer
Kathleen Fay, Executive Producer

Boston Early Music Festival Vocal Ensemble
Aaron Sheehan, Orphée
Mireille Asselin, Carrie Henneman Shaw, Michael Kelly, Olivier Laquerre, Thea Lobo, Jason McStoots, Megan Stapleton, Brenna Wells & Douglas Williams

Boston Early Music Festival Dance Company
Carlos Fittante, Olsi Gjeci, Caitlin Klinger & Alexis Silver

Boston Early Music Festival Chamber Ensemble
Robert Mealy, concertmaster
Cynthia Roberts, violin; Laura Jeppesen, Christel Thielmann, & Beiliang Zhu, viola da gamba; Gonzalo X. Ruiz & Kathryn Montoya, oboe & recorder; Avi Stein, harpsichord; Paul O’Dette & Stephen Stubbs, Baroque guitar and theorbo

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PRESENTED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE MORGAN LIBRARY & MUSEUM

This concert will be available on YouTube until Thursday, December 10, 2020.

Video by Kathy Wittman | Ball Square Films
www.ballsquarefilms.com

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