On March 11^th, maestro Rinaldo Alessandrini will head Concerto Italiano to present a concert version of Monteverdi's five-act opera L’Orfeo.

Concerto Italiano to present a concert version of Monteverdi's five-act opera L’Orfeo on Mar. 11^th

Italian composer Claudio Monteverdi, who lived from the 16^th century to the 17^th century, was not only a master in transitional period from Renaissance music to early Baroque music, but also an epoch-making celebrity in the classical music history. Created in 1607, the opera L’Orfeo is themed with story of Orpheus and his wife Euridice in ancient Greek mythology. This work initially establishes a dramatic style, traits of characters, the use of leading motive, orchestra support and other creation techniques, and demonstrates strong dramatic style. In terms of orchestration arrangement, Monteverdi applied string, wood, brass, plucked instruments, keyboard instruments and percussion instruments, for which more than 30 musicians were required. In that era, this implied a quite large size of orchestra. In terms of musical effects, Toccata in the opening, solo of Goddess of Music in the prelude, joyful chorus of nymphs and shepherds and Orpheus’s elegy, are all full of rich musicality.

Maestro Rinaldo Alessandrini

The year of 2017 coincides with the 450^th Anniversary of the Birth of Monteverdi. On March 11^th, maestro Rinaldo Alessandrini and Concerto Italiano will perform a concert version of opera L’Orfeo at NCPA. Rinaldo Alessandrini is not only the founder and conductor of Concerto Italiano, but is also renowned as a harpsichord, fortepiano and organ soloist, His deep knowledge and love of the Italian repertoire is mirrored in concert programmes full of the essential, but often elusive, expressive and cantabile elements which are the fundament of Italian music of the 17^th and 18^th century.


Under the baton of Rinaldo Alessandrini, Concerto Italiano is also adept in Italian music of the 17^th-18^th century. Madrigals by Monteverdi, recorded by Concerto Italiano, makes a breakthrough and demonstrates superb skills. With intensive expression and Baroque works, Madrigals helps contemporary audiences know about those works which previously faded away in the rise and fall of the times.