The Neemrana Music Foundation is presenting in association with the Indian Council for Cultural Relations in collaboration with Institut Français the Opera ‘Orfeo, Crossing the Ganges’, a five-act opera by Claudio Monteverdi, at the Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, on 25, 26 and 27 September 2013. The performance will later be taken to the Cité de la Musique, Paris on the 5th of October 2013.
‘Orfeo’ is considered to be one of the first in opera history (1607), an opera in which Monteverdi merged the arts of poetry, theatre and music for the first time in history.
In ‘Orfeo, crossing the Ganges’, stage director François Rancillac and conductor Françoise Lasserre reveal a spectacle built on a reciprocal understanding between Occidental and Indian cultures. This link between the two worlds is reinforced by the Indian and European cast, trained on several occasions by Françoise Lasserre and Nadya Balyan choir conductor during workshops held in India during the last few months.
The original story of ‘Orfeo’ is the mythical love story of Orfeo and Eurydice, in which Orfeo’s love takes him to Hell in search of his beloved deceased wife. In order to get through the doors of Hell, Orfeo uses his talent of singer and of lyre player to charm the Gods and the people in Hell.
In the story of ‘Orfeo, crossing the Ganges’, Orfeo travels to India and falls in love with Eurydice, dancer consecrated to the service of Lord Shiva. He kidnaps her and marries her, thus provoking the fury of the Grand god: the cobra around Shiva’s neck kills Eurydice. Orfeo‘s quest in the beyond to find the beloved, is like a crossing of the Ganges to the holy city of Varanasi. Presumptuous victim of his illusions, Orfeo fails and is put to death.
Produced by Francis Wacziarg, it is conducted by Françoise Lasserre and directed by François Rancillac. Up to 50 Indo-French artistes are gathered on stage: the role of Orfeo (tenor) is played by Dávid Szigetvári, Eurydice (soprano) is by Nitya Urbanna Vaz (who has been sent on scholarship to France by the Neemrana Music Foundation), Musica and Messagiera (soprano) is by Claire Lefilliâtre, Preserpina (soprano) is by Aude Priya, Ninfa and Merula (soprano) is by Dagmar Saskova, Speranza and Pastor (soprano) is by Jean-Christophe Clair, Pastor and Spirto (tenor) is by Jan Van Elsacker, Pastor and Spirto (tenor) is by Johannes Weiss, Caronte, Pastor and Spirto (bass) is by Hugo Oliveira and Plutone (bass) is by Geoffroy Buffière.
Arushi Mugdal, the famous Odissi dancer, will perform on stage.
The orchestra consists of Murad Ali (sarangi), Sanjeev and Ashwani Shankar (shehnai), Mithilesh Jha (tabla), Mohan Shyam Sharma (pakhawaj), along with 18 instrumentalists of Akadêmia from France , The Neemrana Vocal Ensemble from Delhi.
Antoine Redon is Executive Producer, Sabine Siegwalt design Scenography & Costumes, Parvesh and Jai are Associated Costume Designers, Nadya Balyan is Choir Master.
The specificity of this production is the use of very rare and old instruments of the time of Monteverdi, such as the theorbo, the viola de gamba, the organ and the harpsichord… All these instruments are coming from abroad along with the musicians and will be a magical experience for the Indian audiences.
Francis Wacziarg, the founder of the Neemrana Music Foundation, came to India in 1970 initially as the commercial attaché at the French consulate in Mumbai. On gaining Indian citizenship after an active 20 year stint in India he joined Aman Nath, co-authored two books on Rajasthan, and then founded Neemrana Hotels. They created the Neemrana music Foundation in 2004 and since then have produced 8 operas : Don Pasquale 2013, Mozart Magic in India, 2012 , Hair, 2010-2011 co produced with Antoine Redon, If I Were King, 2010, Violetta, A Traviata, 2008, Carmen, 2008, The Pearl Fishers, 2005 and 2008, The Fakir of Benares, 2003-02. After Orfeo, Crossing the Ganges, they are planning to produce Romeo and Juliet in March 2014 in Delhi.
The show being displayed later in Paris is a first for the Neemrana Music Foundation, and is a token of quality for all the actions that the Foundation has undertaken for the last 11 years.
The sponsors for the Opera are the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, the Institut Français, IBIS Delhi Airport, Air India, Veolia Water and Hit 95 FM.