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Philip Glass

Orphée (Glass)

Orphée is a chamber opera in two acts and 18 scenes, for ensemble and soloists, composed in 1991 by Philip Glass, to a libretto (in French) by the composer, based on the scenario of the eponymous

Structure#

  • Act 1
  • Scene 1, le Café
  • Scene 2, la Route
  • Scene 3, le Chalet
  • Scene 4, Chez Orphée
  • Scene 5, la Chambre d’Orphée
  • Scene 6, le Studio d’Orphée
  • Scene 7, le Bureau du Commissaire
  • Scene 8, la Poursuite
  • Scene 9, Chez Orphée
  • Act 2
  • Scene 1, le Voyage aux Enfers
  • Scene 2, le Procès
  • Scene 3, Orphée et la Princesse
  • Scene 4, le Verdict
  • Scene 5, Interlude musical - le retour chez Orphée
  • Scene 6, Chez Orphée
  • Scene 7, le Studio d’Orphée
  • Scene 8, le Retour d’Orphée
  • Scene 9, la Chambre d’Orphée

Discography#

  • The Orphée Suite for Piano, music by Philip Glass, transcription by Paul Barnes (piano), recorded in April 2001. Orange Mountain Music (2003).
  • The Portland Opera Orchestra conducted by Anne Manson, first full version recorded in November 2009. Orange Mountain Music (2010).
  • The Orphée Suite for Flute, strings, and percussion , music by Philip Glass, transcription by James Strauss (flute) and Camerata Simon Bolivar, recorded in April 2017. Orange Mountain Music (2019).

Bibliography#

  • Orphée: The Making of an Opera, Philip Glass, n.n editions (1993)
  • Orphée Suite for Piano (score), Philip Glass, Dunvagen Music Publishers (2006)
  • Orphée (the play), Le Livre de Poche, La Pochothèque (1995)
  • Orphée (scenario of the film), J’ai lu, Librio n°75 (2001)

See also#

The other operas of the trilogy are: * Les Enfants terribles (1993) * La Belle et la Bête (1994)

  • “Ensemble Parallèle’s Orphée”, San Francisco Classical Voice *
Composer
Philip Glass