8/6/2019 Orpheus in the Underworld
2/32
PROGRAM NOTES
Orpheus wife, Eurydice, is dead. Even in the beauty of reality
the sun is shining, distant birds are singing, life
is peaceful he cannot rid himself of thoughts of his long lost
wife and decides to try to convince Hades, King of the
Underworld, to let Eurydice come back to the realm of the living
with him. With his harp, Orpheus descended into the
Underworld. Around him are the follies of the Underworld,
ghostly souls, savage horses and wicked vultures, swooping
in at him; a normal mortal would have perished any number of
times, but Orpheus had his harp and he charmed these
beasts and Cerberus - the three-headed monster dog of Hades who
guarded the Underworld calming then, and they
letting him pass. Facing Hades and his cold Queen Persephone, he
plays for them showing his sorrow at the loss of his
love. The heart that was frozen by Hades' abduction melted in
Persephones breast and a tear rolled down her cheek.
Even Hades could not help weeping. They let Orpheus through to
Eurydice, but warn him very carefully: Eurydice
would follow him into the light of the world and once she
entered the sunlight she would be changed from a shade back
to a woman. But if Orpheus doubted, if he looked back to see
her, she would be lost to him forever.
Orpheus rejoices. He turns and leaves the dark hall of Hades and
begins his ascent back to life. As he walked he
rejoiced that his wife would soon be with him again. He listens
closely for her footfall behind him, but a shade makes
no noise. The closer to the light he got, the more his
excitement built and he began to believe that Hades had tricked
him to get him out of the Underworld; that Eurydice was not
behind him. Only feet away from the light Orpheus lost
faith and turned around. He sees Eurydice, but only for a moment
as her shade whisks back down among the other dead
souls. She was gone. Orpheus was crushed.
Orpheus goes back to the reality of the realm of mortals, but
thoughts of Eurydice and the Underworld plague
him until madness finally takes his lonely soul, by which time,
he will join his beloved in the Underworld.
