“The story of Orpheus in the underworld is about us all. We all have something of Orpheus in us. Who would not want to turn back the clock every now and then and stick to the happiness of the past? That is why the Orpheus story has always inspired artists of all times.
For this staging, director Monique Wagemakers, choreographer Nanine Linning, designer Lonneke Gordijn from Studio Drift and fashion designer Marlou Breuls created L’ORFEO for the Nederlandse Reisopera. Their vision is that of a Gesamtkunstwerk; stage direction, choreography, sculpture, costume and music are completely merged together.
Nanine Linning and Monique Wagemakers forged the ten singers and ten dancers into one homogeneous group that is permanently on stage. Together with the moving installation “Ego” by artist Lonneke Gordijn (Studio DRIFT) they form a living organism and ever-changing stage image in dialogue with the fantastic music of Claudio Monteverdi.
The tight-fitting mesh costumes by designer Marlou Breuls form a line play with the projections and with the light design by Thomas Hase. The musical direction is in the hands of conductor Hernán Schvartzman (OPERA2DAY) and the opera is accompanied by baroque ensemble La Sfera Armoniosa.”