Orphée et Eurydice

"Orphée et Eurydice" is an opera by composer Christoph Willibald Gluck, premiered in 1762. It tells the story of Orpheus, a legendary musician and poet, who is devastated by the death of his beloved wife, Eurydice. To bring her back from the Underworld, he uses his enchanting music to persuade Hades, the god of the dead. The opera explores themes of love, loss, and the power of music. Gluck's work emphasizes emotional expressiveness and simplicity in storytelling, marking a shift in opera's dramatic focus during the Classical period.