Orphée et Euridice (Paer)

Orphée et Euridice is an opera in three acts by Ferdinando Paer, with a libretto by François-Benoît Hoffmann after Ranieri de' Calzabigi's libretto for Christoph Willibald Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. It premiered on 12 March 1791 at the Court Theatre in Parma.

The opera retells the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice. Orpheus, a legendary musician and poet, descends into the underworld to retrieve his deceased wife, Eurydice. Through his powerful music, he charms the infernal deities and is granted permission to bring her back to the land of the living, under the condition that he does not look back at her until they have both returned to the upper world. The opera follows Orpheus's journey, his internal struggles with doubt, and the tragic consequences of his breaking the condition.

Paer's version of the myth is notable for its distinctive musical style, blending elements of Italian opera and French dramatic sensibilities. It includes elaborate arias, expressive recitatives, and dramatic choral passages. While Gluck's setting of the same story is more widely known today, Paer's Orphée et Euridice was also a popular work in its time and provides a contrasting interpretation of the classic myth. It showcases Paer's skills as a composer of opera seria and offers valuable insights into the operatic practices of the late 18th century. Key characters include Orphée (tenor or countertenor), Euridice (soprano), and Aristeo (bass), along with various infernal deities and spirits.