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Monteverdi's L'Orfeo

Robert Hollingworth joins a special group of period performers for an exploration of some of the pioneering musical ideas behind Monteverdi's operatic masterpiece L'Orfeo.

Robert Hollingworth joins a specially gathered group of performers for an exploration of some of the pioneering musical ideas behind music's first operatic masterpiece - L'Orfeo.

Robert considers the way in which Monteverdi's ideas about creating opera developed from his experience of writing madrigals. He looks at Monteverdi's expressive use of music to colour and highlight the meaning of the text and features performances of several contrasting episodes from the opera.

1 hour, 30 minutes

Clip

Music Played

  • Claudio Monteverdi

    Ch'io t'ami e t'ami piu de la mia vita (Te sequar)

    Performers: Robert Hollingworth (Counter-tenor), Julia Doyle (Soprano), Nicholas Mulroy (Tenor), Robert McDonald (Bass), Lucy Ballard (Mezzo-soprano)

  • Claudio Monteverdi

    L' Orfeo - favola in musica in a prologue and 5 acts

    Performers: Robert Hollingworth (Counter-tenor), Julia Doyle (Soprano), Nicholas Mulroy (Tenor), Simon Wall (Tenor), Robert McDonald (Bass), Catherine Martin (Violin), Richard Campbell (Viol), Peter Seymour (Harpsichord, Conductor), Catherine Pierron (Harpsichord, Organ), David Miller (Lute), Lucy Ballard (Mezzo-soprano), Mark Dobell (Tenor), Oliver Webber (Violin), Stefanie Heichelheim (Viola), Christopher Suckling (Cello), Arngeir Hauksson (Lute)

Broadcasts

  • Sun 30 Sep 2007 17:00
  • Sun 20 Mar 2011 17:00