Euridice (Caccini)

Euridice is an opera in a prologue and one act by the Italian composer Giulio Caccini. The libretto, by Ottavio Rinuccini, had already been set by Caccini's rival Jacopo Peri in 1600. Caccini's version of Euridice was first performed at the Pitti Palace, Florence on 5 December 1602. Caccini hurriedly prepared the score for the press and published it six weeks before Peri's version appeared.

Roles

Synopsis

The opera follows the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice quite closely, except that it has a happy ending since Orpheus succeeds in rescuing Eurydice from the underworld through the power of his music.

Recordings

• Euridice Soloists, Rennes Chorus and Orchestra, conducted by Rodrigo de Zayas (Arion, 1980)
• L'Euridice Scherzi Musicali, Nicolas Achten (Ricercar, 2008)

Sources

• Amadeus Almanac, accessed 12 June 2008
• The Viking Opera Guide ed. Holden (Viking, 1993)
• Del Teatro (in Italian)
• The Oxford Illustrated History of Opera ed. Parker (OUP, 1994)