Orphée (Glass)

Orphée is a chamber opera in two acts and 18 scenes, for ensemble and soloists, composed in 1991 by Philip Glass, to a libretto (in French) by the composer, based on the scenario of the eponymous film (1950) by Jean Cocteau.

Commissioned by the American Repertory Theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York, this is the first part of a trilogy in honour of the French poet.

The world premiere of the work took place on 14 May 1993[1] under the direction of Martin Goldray[2] and the European premiere in London on 27 May 2005[3] in the Royal Opera House's Linbury Studio Theatre.

[4][5] Orphée was later performed at the Linz State Theatre, on 21 January 2007,[6] at the Alice Busch Opera Theater of Cooperstown as part of the Glimmerglass Festival for ten days from 21 July 2007[7][8] at the Portland Opera (Keller Auditorium) for five days from 6 November 2009[9][10] Anne Manson conducting,[11] at the Herbst Theatre of San Francisco, 26 February 2011[12][13] Nicole Paiement conducting,[14] at the George Mason University (Center for the Arts) of Fairfax for two days from 10 February 2012.

A new production by the English National Opera was premiered at the London Coliseum on 15 November 2019.