Orphée aux Enfers Salzburger Festspiele 2019

Offenbachs mockery of bourgeois ideals the sublimity of music and the institution of marriage ensures that the moralistic sermonizing of Public Opinion falls on deaf ears The mysterious figure of John Styx tells the story of behindthetimes Orpheus and his hackedoff Eurydice of gods and goddesses seeking diversion jaded with humdrum life in Olympus He tells of the rebellion in the pantheon which Jupiter adeptly averts by promising an amusement for his entourage Burning with curiosity to see the beauteous captive and the contest between Jupiter and Pluto for Eurydices favour the illustrious company embarks on an infernal ride to the underworld that culminates in what is surely the most wellknown cancan in the history of music And what of Eurydice She ends up putting a spoke in everyones wheel