Offenbach's Orphée aux Enfers

[Siedler]

Any recommended recordings of this opéra bouffe, folks? You know the one with the can can. 

[bhodges]

Oh yes, absolutely (if you are up for a DVD).  This is from La Monnaie, in Brussels, and the production by the late Herbert Wernicke is quite amazing, with one of the best coups de théâtre around (when the cast descends to the Underworld).  Dale Duesing is marvelous as Jupiter.



--Bruce

[Hector]

Plasson on EMI for, if you can take Mady Mesple.

[uffeviking]

Dale Duesing is marvelous as Jupiter.



--Bruce

Definitely the best, even if you don't like Wernike's productions - which I love and admire! - get it because Duesing steals the whole show! 

[T-C]

For my taste, the best version of Orphée aux Enfers is the TDK DVD from the 1997 Opéra National de Lyon production.

Laurent Pelly is one of my favorite opera directors. This is a brilliant production of the opera, for my taste more in the spirit of Offenbach than the Wernike's production from La Monnaie. Marc Minkowski leads a brilliant cast, far superior to the Belgian one. Natalie Dessay is an outstanding Eurydice. Yann Beuron is an athletic Orphée and Dessay husband, bass-baritone Laurent Naouri is a funny Jupiter. Dessay and Naouri Duo de la mouche is exceptionally hilarious. Steven Cole is an excellent John Styx, while the singer in the Belgian production nearly ruins the beautiful music Offenbach wrote for him.     

[uffeviking]

That's the reason why I have both productions in my collection! 

I agree with everything you say, T-C, it's Wernicke's production putting the Lyon one in second place, a close second though! 

[Sarastro]

For my taste, the best version of Orphée aux Enfers is the TDK DVD from the 1997 Opéra National de Lyon production.

Laurent Pelly is one of my favorite opera directors. This is a brilliant production of the opera, for my taste more in the spirit of Offenbach than the Wernike's production from La Monnaie. Marc Minkowski leads a brilliant cast, far superior to the Belgian one. Natalie Dessay is an outstanding Eurydice. Yann Beuron is an athletic Orphée and Dessay husband, bass-baritone Laurent Naouri is a funny Jupiter. Dessay and Naouri Duo de la mouche is exceptionally hilarious. Steven Cole is an excellent John Styx, while the singer in the Belgian production nearly ruins the beautiful music Offenbach wrote for him.     

And there is also wonderful Podles!

[bhodges]

I can hardly believe it: I was searching for Herbert Wernicke for another post, and found his production of Orphée for La Monnaie on ClassicalTV, for free! (The DVD is out of print, I believe, or else ridiculously expensive.)

In addition to the stunning end of Act I (a great bit of theater), the set in Act I is supposedly an exact duplicate of a restaurant just a block from La Monnaie. Conceivably you could have had dinner there before the opera, and then find yourself there, again, just a few minutes later. 

http://www.classicaltv.com/v899/offenbach-orphee-aux-enfers-la-monnaie

--Bruce