In Georg Philipp Telemann’s opera “Orpheus”, the focus is not on Eurydice, but on Queen Orasia, who is inflamed with mad but unrequited love for the legendary singer.

The first documented performance of the work took place in Hamburg in 1726. In keeping with the appealing multilingualism of the libretto (German, Italian and French), the composer presents the recitatives, arias and choruses in the various national musical styles and, depending on the dramatic and scenic occasion, ranging from the songlike to the pathetic and virtuosic.

The vocal score, which is based on the Urtext of the “Telemann Musical Works”, also includes editorially marked additions (including new compositions of recitatives that have only been handed down in text form) by René Jacobs, a specialist in this repertoire.