Menelaos Christopoulos, University of Patras, Greece
Dempsey Hall 104
The birth of the opera at the end of 16th century was marked by the efforts of Italian musicians and artists to reenact ancient Greek tragedy. It is, therefore, not surprising that the themes of the first operas were greatly inspired by Greek myths. This tendency created a tradition which continued into the 20th century. In this talk we will explore the reception of Greek myth in European Opera by focusing on some significant persons and themes such as the myth of Orpheus and the descent to the Underworld.