Orfeo ed Euridice

OPERA

Orfeo ed Euridice

SCHEDULE

  • Thu, 4 December 2025, 14:00
  • Sat, 6 December 2025, 14:00
  • Sun, 7 December 2025, 14:00
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2025/2026 SEASON

Music by Christoph Willibald von Gluck
Opera in 3 Acts
Sung in Italian with English and Japanese surtitles

OPERA PALACE

4 Dec - 7 Dec, 2025 ( 3 Performances )

Running time is approx. 2 hours including an interval.

Booking Opens: Sat, 11 Oct 2025, 10:00am

DETAILS

With direction, choreography, set and costume design and lighting by Teshigawara Saburo, a dancer whose impeccable aesthetic sense has captivated audiences worldwide, this production of Orfeo ed Euridice once again brings to life a hauntingly beautiful world merging opera and dance. This intense and dynamic production shifting between life and death, between light and darkness, won the hearts of not only opera and dance fans but of art lovers everywhere. The broadcast of this production on OperaVision after the theatre performance has also generated considerable interest.

Orfeo ed Euridice is Gluck's masterpiece based on the Greek myth about the legend of Orpheus in which the poet Orpheus ventures into the underworld to retrieve his wife--under the strict condition that he must absolutely never look back. An 'opera revolutionary' who aimed to meld music and theatre, Gluck created an opera packed with dramatic tension. That entertaining theatrical aspect has made Orfeo ed Euridice one of the most popular and most frequently performed of all Baroque operas.

This production is conducted by Sonoda Ryuichiro, one of Japan's leading opera conductors with particular expertise in Italian opera. One of today's finest contemporary alto singers, Sara Mingardo performs the leading role of Orfeo, and Italian early music specialist Giulia Semenzato portrays Euridice.

SYNOPSIS

Act1: Orfeo prays in front of the grave of his late wife, Euridice, that she somehow be brought back to life, when the god of love, Amore, appears. Amore tells Orfeo that Euridice can be returned to him and relays to him the command of Jupiter (i.e., the chief deity, and the equivalent of the Greek god, Zeus) that Orfeo sing the praises of the guardian of the Underworld, and that he on no account look at her face until he has brought Euridice back to earth, because she will be lost to him forever if he looks back.

Act2: At the entrance to the Underworld are the spirits of the dead and the Furies. Orfeo sings the Furies’ praises. He finds Euridice in the Elysian Fields, singing with the fairies, takes her hand and, without looking at her, leads her back to earth.

Act3: On the dark way back to earth, Euridice becomes deeply perturbed by Orfeo’s not looking her way. Orfeo is in anguish, caught between Euripides demanding of him why he will not look at her, and Jupiter’s command not to, but eventually turns back and looks at her. At that very moment, Euridice dies. In despair, Orfeo makes to take his own life, when Amore appears saying “You have shown true love” and brings Euridice back to life. Orfeo and Euridice give thanks to the god.

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CREATIVE TEAM & CAST

CREATIVE TEAM

Conductor: SONODA Ryuichiro
Production, Choreography, Set, Costume and Lighting Design: TESHIGAWARA Saburo
Artistic Collaborator: SATO Rihoko

CAST

Euridice: Giulia SEMENZATO
Orfeo: Sara MINGARDO
Amore: SUGIYAMA Yuki

Chorus: New National Theatre Chorus
Orchestra: Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra

  • CREATIVE TEAM
  • CAST
  • SONODA Ryuichiro
    Conductor
    SONODA Ryuichiro
    TESHIGAWARA Saburo
    Production, Choreography, Set, Costume and Lighting Design
    TESHIGAWARA Saburo
    SATO Rihoko
    Artistic Collaborator
    SATO Rihoko
  • Giulia SEMENZATO
    Euridice
    Giulia SEMENZATO
    Sara MINGARDO
    Orfeo
    Sara MINGARDO
    SUGIYAMA Yuki
    Amore
    SUGIYAMA Yuki

TICKETS

  • S
    ¥26,400
  • A
    ¥22,000
  • B
    ¥15,400
  • C
    ¥9,900
  • D
    ¥6,600
  • Z
    ¥1,650
SEATING PLAN

Box Office: +81-(0)3-5352-9999

10:00 - 18:00

Booking Opens: Sat, 11 Oct 2025, 10:00am

Booking Z seats (Day tickets) 1,650 yen

  • You are able to purchase Z seat tickets online from 10:00 am. Click "BUY TICKETS" next to "Z" under each performance information.
  • There is a handling charge of ¥330 (incl. tax).
  • Only when seats allocated as Z seats are still available at 11:00 am, you are able to purchase these tickets at the Box Office of the theatre.
  • Note that all Z seats are on a first come, first served basis and will come with restricted views.

Concession Prices

Under 15s discounts and Z seats (Day Tickets) are available online. Other types of discount tickets are not available online. Please inquire at the Box Office or by telephone.

Please Note

  • Latecomers will not be admitted to the auditorium unless there is a suitable break or interval.
  • For Seat D of Opera performances, maximum of 2 tickets per person on the first day of ticket sale.
  • No admittance to pre-school children. Each child older than this age requires a ticket for entry, even when accompanied by a parent or guardian.
  • Tickets may not be changed or refunded except in the case of a cancelled performance.
  • A special discount price is available for disabled guests. Please inquire at the Box Office for details.
  • Users of wheelchairs are requested to contact the Box Office.
  • Please note that cast or programme change may be required depending on the situation.