Juan Diego Florez makes his stage role debut in Gluck's great opera with John Eliot Gardiner and the English Baroque Soloists in a new production directed by Hofesh Shechter and John Fulljames. The Italian Orfeo ed Euridice was the first of Gluck's great 'reform' operas. In it, he and his librettist Ranieri de' Calzabigi sought to move away from the complicated plots and ornate music of opera seria, in favour of a 'noble simplicity', where music always drives the story. The opera's premiere at the Vienna Burgtheater on 5 October 1762 was a great success - so much so that Gluck himself revised the opera for the French premiere at the Paris Opera on 2 August 1774 as Orphee et Eurydice. It is longer, larger and grander; Gluck extended movements, added new ones and revised the orchestration to suit the forces of the Opera. He also recast the role of Orpheus from alto castrato to the haute-contre of French opera, a very high tenor. The opera remains Gluck's most popular work, and a landmark in operatic history. Orphee et Eurydice includes some of Gluck's most loved music, from Orphee's tender 'Objet de mon amour' and 'J'ai perdu mon Eurydice' to the spectacular 'L'espoir renait dans mon ame', added for the French premiere. The chorus also assumes a role of great importance, particularly in their roles as the shades and Furies of the underworld. But the opera is perhaps most celebrated for its innovative dance music; two of its many highlights include the 'Dance of the Furies' and the 'Dance of the Blessed Spirits'. In this new production for The Royal Opera, acclaimed choreographer Hofesh Shechter, who made his debut with The Royal Ballet in the 2014/15 Season, makes his operatic debut in collaboration with Associate Director of Opera John Fulljames (La donna del lago, Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny).

ORPHEE ET EURYDICE Booking Period 14 September - 3 October 2015 Running Time To be confirmed Sung in French with English Surtitles