Songs of Orpheus

The Orpheus myth—a tragic Greek tale of love, grief and destruction—has been a gift to composers over the centuries. That’s in large part thanks to Orpheus’ own talents as a singer and lyrist, able even, as the tale goes, to charm the stones with his music. Lebanese-American tenor Karim Sulayman and Baroque ensemble Apollo’s Fire tell this many-layered story through the 17th-century music of Monteverdi’s L’Orfeo, Caccini L’Euridice, and lesser-known composers such as Landi, d’India, Brunelli and Merula. The result is a compelling, richly expressive exploration of Orpheus’ psyche as he journeys physically and mentally, singing love songs, lamenting, cursing and sneering.