Charpentier: Orphée aux enfers

This is a marriage made in heaven—not between Orphée and Eurydice, but in the combined talents of the two premiere French ensembles Vox Luminis and A Nocte Temporis. Singing the title role of Charpentier’s 1686 mini opera (about the doomed love between Orphée and Eurydice), Reinoud Van Mechelen uses his effortlessly high tenor range and silvery tone to color his lament for Eurydice and underscore his appeals for her release from Hades. The minor roles are characterfully sung by members of Vox Luminis who come together in finely nuanced choruses—major highlights of the work. The flutes and viols of A Nocte Temporis support them with style and sensitivity. Although the opera is missing its final act here, the performers still manage to whip up an emotional storm.