Oldest opera crosses the Ganga

Orfeo gets an Indian flavour with its mythical character travelling to Varanasi in search of his beloved

Sounds of the theorbo, the harp and the organ blend with strains of the shehnai, sarangi and the tabla as Dávid Szigetvári takes centre stage. A tenor from Hungary, he is playing the title role in the opera Orfeo, Crossing the Ganges. Co-produced by Paris-based Akadêmia, Cite de la Musique and The Neemrana Music Foundation, Orfeo happens to be the oldest existing opera which has been performed extensively across the world.

Created by Claudio Monteverdi in 1607, the original story traces the journey of Orpheus or Orfeo into the afterworld in search of his deceased wife Eurydice, where he manages to charm everyone with his music. He is told that he can take Eurydice back to the mortal world as long as he doesn't look back to glance at her. And yet he looks back and is sent back to the mortal world, where he vows never to fall in love again. "The story has been given an Indian context. We have shown that Orfeo travels to India and falls in love with Eurydice who is a dancer in the service of Shiva," says Francis Wacziarg, founder, The Neemrana Music Foundation, and producer of the opera. Orfeo provokes Shiva's wrath when he marries Eurydice. His quest to find Eurydice involves crossing the Ganges to Varanasi.

"The question we asked ourselves was why does Eurydice sing so little. Maybe she was from a culture that prevented her from expressing herself in music. Just like the Indian bride who is not allowed to sing at her wedding. And maybe Orfeo was from a culture different from hers. That led us to base Eurydice's world in India," says Aude Priya, a veteran of many international opera productions, who essays the role of Proserpine in the opera. "It seems like such a simple condition to not look back. So why does Orfeo turn back? Maybe the root of it lies in the fact that he doesn't understand her world and finds it hard to adjust to it."

Two years in the making, the production involves 50 artists, including instrumentalists from the Akadêmia and seven members of the Neemrana vocal ensemble. Rare instruments which were used in Monteverdi's era - theorbo, viola de gamba, organ, harpsichord - have been flown in especially for the performance. "Odissi dancer Arushi Mudgal will also be a part of the production. We have an eclectic mix of performers from across the globe - there are two artists from Argentina, one from Brazil, and others from Czechoslovakia, Belgium and Germany. Moreover, this is the first time that ancient music from the pre-Baroque era is being showcased here," says Wacziarg.

The project took shape after the Akadêmia approached The Neemrana Music Foundation with the concept. "It is our dream to offer people an opportunity to learn and express their creativity. This was a perfect match with the Akadêmia's vision as well. A team from Paris came to India thrice to conduct workshops with Indian artists," explains Wacziarg. This Indo-French collaboration will travel to Paris, where it will be staged on October 5, 2013.

'Orfeo, Crossing the Ganges', a five-act opera, will be staged at Kamani Auditorium, New Delhi, on September 25, 26 and 27.