Orfeo ed Euridice in Full Score

BasedontheGreeklegendofOrpheus，Gluck'sOrfeoedEuridiceisoneoftheoldestoperasintherepertoire.Itsbeautifulsimplicity，poignantstory，andmovingarias，expressedinmusiclargelypastoralandelegiacintone，havemadetheworkafavoriteofaudiencessinceitsfirstproductionin1762.
Inaseriesofelegant，dramaticmusicaltableaux，theoperatellsthestoryofOrpheus，amusicianofancientGreece，whopinesafterEuridice，hisrecentlydeceasedlover.Inconsolable，OrpheusdescendstotheunderworldwherethedepthofhissorrowandtheintensityofhisloveforEuridicepersuadethegodstoreleaseher.However，thereisonecondition：duringthejourneybacktotheworldabove，Orpheusmustnotlookuponhislover.TornbypassionandfearofabandonmentbyEuridice，Orpheuscannotresistembracinghisbeloved—andlosesheragain.Becauseofthefestivenatureoftheoccasionforwhichtheoperawaswritten，however，theworkendsonahappynote：thegodsagaintakepityonOrpheusandrestoreEuridicetolifeoncemore.
BythetimehecomposedOrfeoedEuridice，Glick'sstylehadfullyassimilated(toquoteD.J.GroutinAHistoryofWesternMusic)"Italianmelodicgrace，Germanseriousness，andthestatelymagnificenceoftheFrenchtragédielyrique."Nowmusicloverscanstudyandappreciatethecompletescoreofthismasterpiece，reprintedherefromtheauthoritativefull-scoreeditionoriginallypublishedintheDenkmälerderTonkunstinÖsterreich.