Orfeo ed Euridice, H.28/13
Joan Sutherland, Nicolai Gedda
Vienna Academy Chamber Choir
Vienna Symphony Orchestra
Richard Bonynge
Beeping Classics BGO001
When Haydn first came to London in 1791 he was recognised as one of the greatest composers in the world, but his extensive operatic output was essentially unknown outside Eszterháza, where the works had originated. He was commissioned to produce a new opera to celebrate the opening of the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket, but political intrigue prevented its production. Although the resources in terms of orchestra and chorus (particularly in the final Underworld act) were far greater than anything he had known in Hungary, Haydn seems to have been unworried by the fracas, since his generous fee was already in his bank in Vienna, and his concerts were proving an outstanding success. But he never composed another opera. The official title, L’anima del filosofo, seems to have been a half-hearted attempt to distinguish it from the successful Gluck version of Orfeo. Even so, it remained unperformed until 1951 when the Florence Festival produced it with Maria Callas and Boris Christoff conducted by Erich Kleiber. The first British staging, in Edinburgh, featured Joan Sutherland and Nicolai Gedda in the title roles. ( by Opera Scotland)