Julian Guidera / Garsington Opera

Greek myths and tragedies

Greek mythology, with its timeless themes of love, heroism, and the divine, has inspired composers to write operas throughout the centuries. On the page below, OperaVision immerses you into the mythical world of gods, mortals, love and tragedies.

Monteverdi’s groundbreaking opera L’Orfeo marked the beginning of a profound artistic fascination with Greek mythology in the world of opera. Fast forward to the present day and Belgian composer Bernard Foccroulle finds new resonance for the story of a Trojan priestess - fated to utter true prophecies but never to be believed - in today's the climate emergency with his opera, Cassandra.

Paco Amate | Gran Teatre del Liceu

Flashback

Gran Teatre del Liceu

Dido & Aeneas

A moving tale of love, betrayal and tragedy from Britain’s first great composer.

Synopsis

Elektra explained in 4 minutes

Discover the story of Elektra with this 4-minute digest by Christopher Park from Grand Théâtre de Genève.

Queen Clytemnestra assassinates King Agamemnon. Their daughter, Elektra, lives for the day when her father's death will be avenged. Like a curse, the vendetta must be fulfilled, but is Elektra capable of committing the irreparable?

Elektra, Grand Théâtre de Genève

Extract

Elektra

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Was willst du?

Queen Clytemnestra is plagued by nightmares. Mezzo-soprano Tanja Ariane Baumgartner sings ‘Was willst du?’ (‘What do you want?’) from Richard Strauss' one-act opera Elektra.

Feature

Orpheus and the power of song

Part human, part divine, Orpheus embodies the power of song. The sun god Apollo is said to have taught him his skills as a musician and poet. He deployed them to charm his contemporaries on earth but, beyond that, to gain entry to the forbidden territory of the underworld. It is no wonder that he became the emblem of the artist who transcends mundane cares and brings us closer to eternal verities.

Nor is it a surprise that Orpheus has been chosen by so many composers as a symbol of the artist, whose life’s work is to strive, to fail, but to be remembered, to become immortal.

Sandra Then / Staatsoper Hannover

Extract

L'Orfeo

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Vi ricorda o boschi ombrosi

Luvuyo Mbundu sings ‘Vi ricorda o boschi ombrosi’ from Monteverdi's opera L'Orfeo.

Irish National Opera

Extract

Orfeo ed Euridice

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Che farò senza Euridice?

Act III. Orfeo (Sharon Carty) has finally looked at his beloved Euridice, who is consequently dragged back to the underworld. The horror of this drives Orfeo to despair as he contemplates life without the wife he has new lost twice over.

Behind the scenes

New National Theatre Tokyo

Dance, love and death in Orfeo ed Euridice

Interview with Saburo Teshigawara, Director, Choreographer, Set, Costume & Lighting Designer of Orfeo ed Euridice at New National Theatre Tokyo.

Oleg Chernous

Extract

Medea

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Figli miei, miei tesor

How does it feel to lose custody over your children? In Cherubini’s operatic take on the ancient Greek myth, Medea (Hibla Gerzmava) begs her husband, Giasone (Majmiddin Mavlyanov), to let her take their two children home.

Dutch National Opera

Extract

Les Troyens

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Nuit d’ivresse et d’extase infinie

Act 4 concludes with this duet between Aeneas (Bryan Hymel) and Dido (Yvonne Naef ). The words are based on Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice ('On such a night ...'). The two lovers charm each other and exchange mythological references where provocations, chastity and fury of love mingle.

Dutch National Opera

Extract

Les Troyens

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Dieux protecteurs de la ville éternelle

Here is Koor van de Nederlandse Opera singing ‘Dieux protecteurs de la ville éternelle’ from Dutch National Opera’s production of Les Troyens, directed by Pierre Audi. The Chorus Master is Martin Wright.

Extract

Achille in Sciro

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Chi mai vide altrove ancora

Teatro Real Madrid stages the historical revival of the opera Achille in Sciros by the Italian composer Francesco Corselli, who was the main supplier of operas to the Spanish court in the 18th century. Achilles' mother, Thetis, disguises her son as a woman to protect him from King Licomedes. Teagene (Sabina Puértolas), dazzled by the beauty of Achilles disguised as a woman, falls hopelessly in love (Chi mai vide altrove ancora), sidelining the one who should be his fiancée, Deidamia.

Teatro La Fenice

Extract

Alceste

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No, crudel

Act II. When Alcestis admits to her dying husband King Admetus (Marlin Miller) that she has promised herself to the gods in exchange for his recovery, he is furious. He refuses Alcestis’ sacrifice, putting her love before her duties as a wife and mother. Directed by Pier Luigi Pizzi and conducted by Guillaume Tourniaire.

Feature

Who is Cassandra?

In one of the most intriguing scenes in Bernard Foccroulle’s Cassandra, the mythological protagonist lingers in the library of the dead. Stoically, she declares that the books that surround her do not tell her full story. But who then is Cassandra? Who is this woman who, with her gift and her curse, captured the imagination of so many of our literary forebears and lives on today in countless stories and retellings – including a new opera?