La Tragedia di Orfeo

The myth of Orpheus is a perennial favourite f or a number of composers ranging from Monteverdi, Gluck and Offenbach to Stravinsky. In La Tragedia di Orfeo, Wilhelm Killmayer does not set a traditional continuous libretto to relate the myth of the Thracian singer, but rather follows the example of his teacher Carl Orff with a hybrid format consisting of choruses, arias, duets, instrumental interludes and choreographic elements.

Using the 400-line ‘Fabu la d i Orfeo’ by the Humanist scholar Angelo Poliziano which is presumed to have originated around the year 1494 for the Carnival in Mantua, it is primarily through dance that the story is depicted, from the tragic fate of Eurydice to the death of Orpheus, torn apart by the Maenads. La Tragedia di Orfeo was composed at the beginning of Killmayer’s four year appointment as ballet conductor at the Bavarian State Opera House.