Euridice (opera)

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Euridice (also Erudice or Eurydice) written October 6, 1600, is an opera written in Florence by Jacopo Peri, with additional music by Giulio Caccini. The libretto was written by Ottavio Rinuccini, based on Ovid's Metamorphoses. It was created for the marriage of Henry IV and Maria de Medici. This is considered by some to be the second work of modern opera, and the first such musical drama to survive to the present day. (The first, Dafne, was written by the same authors in 1597.)

The first performance was in the Palazzo Pitti. Peri himself sang the title role, and many of the other parts were played by members of Caccini's entourage, including his daughter Francesca Caccini. Caccini actually wrote an entire opera of Euridice to the same libretto, and managed to have it published before Peri's. Caccini's, however, was not performed until 1605, and was never repeated, presumably because of the success of Peri's version.

Euridice contains one of the first examples of recitative. Peri carefully paces the voice and accompaniment in order to highlight the tension and release in the text. The rhythms and melodic inflections in the vocal line imitate speech. In addition, impassioned exclamations are set with unprepared dissonances and unexpected movements in the bass.

For many of the other stage and screen reinterpretations of the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice, see the article on Orpheus. Eurydice is also a play which retells the myth of Orpheus from Eurydice's point of view.

[edit] References

• William V. Porter. "Jacopo Peri", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed February 7, 2006), grovemusic.com (subscription access).
• Howard Mayer Brown. "Euridice (i)", Grove Music Online, ed. L. Macy (accessed February 7, 2006), grovemusic.com (subscription access).