Leslie Visco / Anmeldelser

Davide Amadei's scenic design consists of an inclined floor placed diagonally, a wooden parquet cut vertically in half to act as a curtain that, when raised, reveals an environment surrounded by walls in the pattern of an overwhelming wooden coffered ceiling. Costumes are evening dresses for the female characters while Orpheus is barefoot in a white suit and Apollo in a gilded outfit. Even more bizarre are those worn by Charon and Pluto. In Pizzech's direction the entrance of both Music and the Messenger are flatly realized while Charon's boat goes back and forth just a few feet to carry wild souls which, with their rumpus, divert the attention from Orpheus trying to sweeten Hades' ferryman. A full range of expressive modes is highlighted through a colourful, rich palette, both instrumentally and vocally. This makes Monteverdi's work a masterpiece still wholly enjoyable today.