Operetta by Jacques Offenbach Libretto by Hector Crémieux and Ludovic Halévy German by Ludwig Kalisch
The house is a mess, the fridge is empty and there's not much going on in the bedroom either: Orpheus and Eurydice have grown apart. But while Orpheus satisfies himself with virtuoso violin playing, Eurydice takes a liking to Mr. Aristeus, who comes across as a modest nature lover but is none other than Pluto, god of the underworld. But what the hell - passion overcomes all boundaries and so they make love in the realm of shadows without further ado. While Eurydice now gathers subterranean experiences, Orpheus seems to be settling in quite well without his wife. But this brings "public opinion" onto the scene. After all, the aim here is to preserve an ancient myth.
In 1858, Jacques Offenbach wrote his musical response to the bigoted bourgeoisie of the 19th century with an extremely sharp pen. His always hilarious criticism of the prevailing conditions culminates in the hellish pleasure of what is probably the most famous can-can of all time.
