ORFEO ED EURIDICE

AZIONE TEATRALE BY CHRISTOPH WILLIBALD GLUCK

PHOTOS © Marco Borggreve 2005

PRODUCTION
 

Nationale Reisopera Enschede
(Dutch National Touring Opera)
intendant: Guus Mostart
première: 23 November 2005

conductor: Jeremy Carnall
stage director / set design: Michiel Dijkema
costume design: Irma van Loon
light design: Richard ten Hof

Orfeo: Regula Boeninger
Euridice: Hanneke de Wit
Amore: Miriam Ryen

Nationale Reisopera Chorus
The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra

PRESS QUOTES

“imaginative [...] a true spectacle”

Reisopera surprises with Gluck’s Orfeo
Visually often astonishing […] Thanks to Michiel Dijkema’s imaginative staging the age-old story became a true spectacle. Without scenery, with the help of simple props and a few magic tricks, he succeeded in creating a vivid theatre production. Without the direction distracting from the story, surprising images were to be seen again and again. The audience was wildly enthusiastic and it is to be hoped, that this production will be repeated in the future.

Frans Heijdemann
Twentsche Courant Tubantia
25th of November 2005

“excellent [...] conceptually strong”

Dijkema seems to understand Gluck
Would this be the reason for the young Dutch opera stage director Michiel Dijkema to not just stage his production of Orfeo in a church, but also present the whole opera as a funeral ritual? For whatever reason, the combination of classic tragedy, catholic rituals and theatrical resourcefulness worked excellent. Basis was the marriage of Orfeo and Euridice. The bride died and was buried with lots of incense, for which purpose Dijkema filled the high catwalk in the centre aisle of the church with a funeral procession, moving repeatedly to and from the altar. During Orfeo’s journey into the underworld, as he tries to bring back Euridice, an ingenious play of appearing and disappearing in a coffin develops. The furies show themselves as fire breathing monsters, which fill the church with flames from the galleries. [...] It could be criticized, that Dijkema as a director has too many ideas. The choice for a church and a funeral is sufficient as an interpretation of the subject. His many other jokes and inventions only weaken this concept. Yet Dijkema has shown to be conceptually strong, to be able to get chorus and soloists on his side and to be able to create a compelling show. Now it is waiting for more.

Willem Bruls
Theatermaker
February 2006

“a wonderful show [...] first-rate”

Upperworld - Underworld
The Nationale Reisopera and The Netherlands Symphony Orchestra presented a new production of Gluck’s Orfeo. It was a wonderful show. The orchestra was in excellent form and played beautifully. The stage direction was first-rate. If only because of the first scene, the entrance of the chorus; Fellini, could he have seen it, would have doubted himself. A group macabre people, all dressed in black, but yet displaying an enormous diversity. […] At the end of the show the audience joined lustily in the final chorus. Deservedly there was a long and exuberant applause.

Jan Kristen
www.overijssel.nl
30 November 2005