Send your good work in the knowledge base is simple. Use the form below
Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.
Posted on http://allbest.ru
Introduction
1. Summary of the story
2. "Orpheus and Eurydice" in the visual arts
Literature
Introduction
Where is the shady grove of the Muses, at the abyssal streams of Olmeus and at the springs with the “violet-like” water of Pegasus, on Helikon, next to the Muses, stood the statue of Orpheus. She was wonderful: copper with art brought this beauty into the world, signifying the gift of a musical soul with the brilliance of a beautiful body. On this statue, Orpheus adorned a Persian-looking tiara, embroidered with gold. She rose high on his head, descending from his shoulders to the very bottom. A golden belt was tied on the chest with a hit. His hair was magnificent, they had a lot of life, animation. His shoes shone with gold, and the cloak fell loosely over his shoulders to his heels; still in his hands he had his favorite lyre with the same number of strings as the Muses had. On a pedestal at his feet was depicted all the bird species, brought to amazement by his singing, all mountain animals and everything that lives in the depths of the sea. The horse was tamed, obeying his song, the bull stopped his pasture, listening to the songs of the lyre, even the lions, with all their bloodthirstiness, allowed themselves to be tamed by enchanting music.
Rivers flowed from their sources, heading towards the sounds of melodies, the sea wave rose high in admiration, the rocks were shaken, everything that nature gave birth to, with all its essence, strove for him. The artist managed to convey the delight of animals before music. He was able to miraculously convey the charm that blossomed brightly in the feelings of these animals.
On the blue waves of the southern seas, past unknown islands, through narrow, treacherous straits, the ten-oared ship "Argo" sailed towards dangers and adventures. Under the leadership of the brave Jason, brave sailors, the Argonauts, gathered on the Argo. They were heading from their native Greece (the Argonauts called her Hellas, and themselves - Hellenes) to distant Colchis for the golden fleece - the precious wool of the golden ram.
Among the stern warriors rattling their weapons, one argonaut stood out, armed with ... a golden cithara - a musical instrument similar to a lyre. But in the hands of the Argonaut Orpheus, it was a powerful weapon!
As soon as the strings of the cithara sounded and the singing of Orpheus was heard, all the Argonauts froze spellbound. And whole herds of fish and dolphins appeared on the surface of the sea and obediently swam after the Argo. What! The magic of Orpheus' singing was subject not only to people and animals, but even to trees and rocks; listening to him, they stopped their flow of the river.
The valiant Jason, not without intent, took Orpheus with him. The ship "Argo" had to pass by the island of the Sirens. Sirens - wonderful birds with female heads - sang with sweet human voices, beckoning tired swimmers to rest on the flowering meadows of the island. Enchanted sailors forgot about the dangers and died, breaking on the underwater rocks. But Orpheus entered into a contest with the sirens. His singing turned out to be more powerful than their insidious songs, and the Argo safely passed the terrible island.
When did all this take place? When did this amazing singer-poet Orpheus live?
Never! - answer strict historians. - After all, all this is a myth, fiction, a fairy tale. All this was invented by the ancient Hellenes, rich in imagination. Well, what about these wonderful monuments of antiquity - skillfully painted vases made of baked clay? archaeologists ask. “We carefully dug them out of the ground and carefully calculated their age: they are two and a half thousand years old. And they depict Orpheus so expressively, with such details! His head is crowned with a laurel wreath, in his hands is a seven-stringed cithara. And all around - listening to him warriors, shepherds, forest animals, birds!
A drawing on a vase is not yet a document, historians inexorably object. - After all, Aristotle himself, the great scientist of the ancient ancient world, considered Orpheus a fictional, mythical person!
But the ancient Greek and Roman poets enthusiastically described the life of Orpheus and, moreover, even considered him the creator of the very art of poetry and the inventor of writing. Some attributed to him bold free-thinking, claimed that the king of all the gods, Zeus, struck down Orpheus with a lightning bolt for irreverent songs about the gods.
And the musicians completely disagreed and stubbornly disagree with the dry verdict of historians. For many centuries now they have resolutely prevented Orpheus from leaving the stages of musical theaters. Musicians do not ask Orpheus for a birth certificate: for them, he is an eternally living image. He is immortal because he embodies the power of music.
This all-conquering force of musical art is still called by the name of the ancient Greek miracle singer - Orphic. For music, born of great noble feelings of love and fidelity, will never cease to excite sensitive human hearts, unite people, inspire them, help them miraculously transform the world...
1. Summary of the story
"Orpheus and Eurydice" is a sad, touching legend about a young man in love - a musician and her beautiful wife - a nymph.
The myth "Orpheus and Eurydice" tells a sad story about the young man Orpheus in love and his wife Eurydice. Orpheus was the son of the muse Calliope and the Thracian king Eagar. Later in the legends, he is listed as the son of Apollo, who taught him the art of singing. His voice and lyre were famous throughout Greece. Orpheus personified the admiration that music aroused among primitive peoples. He was famous as a singer and musician, endowed with the magical power of art, which conquered not only people, but also gods, and even nature. The melodious voice, charming, magnificent, inspiring playing on the lyre of this young man worked wonders: the Argo ship itself went down into the water, fascinated by the play of Orpheus; the trees leaned over to better listen to the youth's divine music, and the rivers stopped flowing; wild animals became tame, laying down at his feet; he could soften people's hearts.
Orpheus participates in the campaign of the Argonauts for the Golden Fleece led by Jason. By playing the forming and praying, he pacifies the waves, he saves his comrades from the terrible sirens, who enchanted the Argonauts with singing, blocking their voices with the melody of his lyre; his music soothes the wrath of the powerful Idas.
Eurydice, wife of Orpheus, was a forest nymph. He loved her very much, stung by a snake, the girl soon died. After her death, Orpheus went around all of Greece, singing pitiful songs. Soon he reached the place where there was a door to the other world. He went to the realm of shadows to beg Persephone and Hades for the return of Eurydice. The shadows of the dead stop their activities, they forget their torments in order to take part in his grief. Sisyphus stops his useless work, Tantalus forgets his thirst, the Danaids leave their barrel alone, the wheel of the unfortunate Ixion stops spinning. Furies, and even those are even moved to tears by the grief of Orpheus. Hades, subdued by the sounds of the sad lyre of Orpheus, agrees to return Eurydice if he fulfills his request - he does not look at his wife before entering his house. When they had to take the last step to get out of the underworld, doubt crept into his soul, not keeping his promise, Orpheus turned around, he wanted to look at her, hug her, she screamed, uttered his name for the last time and disappeared, dissolving into lead.
Having lost Eurydice through his own fault, Orpheus spent seven days on the banks of Acheron in tears and sorrow, refusing all food; then he hit Thrace. Avoiding people and living among the animals that were attracted to him by his gentle, sad songs ...
Orpheus did not honor Dionysus, considering Helios the greatest god, calling him Apollo. Enraged, Dionysus sent a maenad at him. They tore him to pieces, scattering body parts everywhere, but then collected and buried. Ovid claimed that the Bacchantes who tore Orpheus to pieces were punished by Dionysus: they were turned into oak trees. The death of Orpheus, who died from the wild fury of the Bacchantes, was mourned by birds, animals, forests, stones, trees, enchanted by his music. His head sailed along the river Gebr to the island of Lesbos, where Apollo took it. The shadow of Orpheus descended to Hades, where he joined with Eurydice. On Lesbos, the head of Orpheus prophesied and worked miracles.
2. "Orpheus and Eurydice" in the visual arts
In world art, thanks to this story, which told us about the love of Orpheus and Eurydice, throughout its existence, it was enriched with the canvases of many famous painters: Peter Paul Rubens, Titian Vecellio, Camille Corot, Giovanni Bellini, Jan Brueghel the Elder, Jacopo del Sellaio, Nicolas Poussin, George Watts, Christian Kratzenstein, John Waterhouse, Frederic Leighton, Alexander Ivanov, Heinrich Semiradsky, Martin Drolling, Gustave Do, Albrecht, Durer Francois Perrier, Niccolò del Abbate, Jacopo Tintoretto, Ambrosius Francken the Elder, and others.
For example, in ancient art, Orpheus was depicted as a beardless young man, in a light mantle; Orpheus the Thracian - in high leather boots, from the 4th century. BC. images of Orpheus in a tunic and a Phrycian cap are known. However, from the oldest surviving images of Orpheus as a member of the Argonauts' campaign. In early Christian art, the mythological image of Orpheus is associated with the iconography of the “good shepherd” (Orpheus is identified with Christ).
Considering the images, it is interesting to note a certain continuity of artistic decisions by a number of authors. Thus, the tradition traced back to Bellini represents the image of Orpheus in a blue tunic or draperies in the paintings of Brueghel, Francken, Perrier, Semiradsky, Moreau. Like Bellini, the hero's attire is complemented by a pinkish-lilac cloak in the versions of Brueghel and Francken, in which there is an obvious similarity in the background of the scene taking place, depicted as if from opposite points of view. You can also pay attention to the color scheme common to many of the listed authors in the clothes of Hades and Persephone - red draperies for the ruler of the underworld, and blue-gold for his wife.
Another considerable number of artists - Del Sellio, Tintoretto, Provencale, Rubens, Poussin, Kratzenstein, Drolling, Cervelli, Leighton, Watts, Brunton - drape the figure of Orpheus with fabrics of red tones.
The melody of the lyre of Orpheus wild boar, deer and hare do not run away from the lion, wolves, sheep, birds, and even Zeus's eagle. They gathered in a crowd to listen to the soul-enchanting musician. And don't forget the birds. Songbirds are seen here, but they do not sing, they froze in amazement. A loudly screaming jackdaw, a croaking raven, a Zeus bird, soaring mightily on its wings in height, looks at Orpheus, not paying attention to the timid hare, which, like the others, froze in the enjoyment of the melody. The artist decided to tear the trees from their roots and bring them to the musician. Pine with cypress, alder and other trees join their branches, surrounding Orpheus. He is sitting: young, beautiful, and, as always, he is wearing his gold-woven tiara. And in his eyes there is determination, inspiration, softness. His clothes are cast in different colors, changing with each of his movements, resting on the ground with his left foot, the elbow is pushed forward, the palm is concave inward; the fingers of the left hand extended forward touch the strings. All living things listen to its sounds with tenderness.
3. "Orpheus and Eurydice" in literature
The story of Orpheus and Eurydice sounds as bright and sublime as possible in poetic lines, and it is no secret that Orpheus himself has become a symbol of lyric poetry for many poets.
"Orpheus, son of God, my teacher,
Among the tigers once sang like that ...
I am with a song in a hellish abode,
How he would have descended, proud and bold.
(V. Bryusov, "The Disciple of Orpheus")
In European literature of the 20-40s. 20th century the theme "Orpheus and Eurydice" was developed by R.M. Rilke, J. Anouil, I. Gogol, P. Zh. Zhuv, A. Gide and others. In Russian poetry, early. 20th century the motives of the myth of Orpheus are reflected in the works of Mandelstam, M. Tsvetaeva.
Ovid was one of the first to describe the tragic love story of Orpheus and Eurydice. He collected the myths known to him and created a poem called Metamorphoses. The poetic work consisted of 15 books, and the myth known to us is part of this poem.
The wonderful Italian fairy tale "Matteo and Mariuccia", which came to us from the island of Corsica, in its narrative echoes the love story of Orpheus and Eurydice. Like the ancient myth, this tale tells us about eternal love, fidelity and boundless devotion. In it, as in the myth, two lovers part by the will of an evil fate. The ruler of the Kingdom of the Dead takes Matteo to him, leaving poor Mariuccia in grief and sadness. Like Orpheus after Eurydice, so Mariuccia, without hesitation, decides to follow his beloved Matteo, not being afraid of wild places, sun-scorched valleys and rocky steep mountains. Mariuccia is a brave girl, and love feeds this courage. Not afraid to get into the Kingdom of the Dead, where there is darkness and silence, where there are ethereal shadows and nothing alive, she boldly enters the gate above which hangs a frightening inscription - "This threshold is not crossed twice." Among the silent shadows, Mariuccia finds her lover and, putting a ring on his finger, sees him alive and unharmed. Now you can’t hesitate, you need to quickly return, and at the same time it is very important to remember that you can’t look back and in no case can you talk while they are walking back. But that threshold is really not crossed twice. A terrible seven-headed monster guarding the entrance to the Kingdom of the Dead raised one of its heads to attack Matteo. The girl felt the imminent danger in her heart, looked around, cried out "Beware, Matteo, my beloved!" ... And at the same moment the gates of the Kingdom of Shadows slammed shut and Matteo and Mariuccia remained there forever. Like the shadows of Orpheus and Eurydice, the shadows of Corsican lovers wander through the fields, but they are happy in their own way, because they will remain inseparable forever, and this touching and sad story will forever remain in our memory.
The poem "Orpheus, Eurydice, Hermes" by Rainer Maria Rilke 1904, the novel "New Eurydice" by Marguerite Yourcenar, 1931, the play "Eurydice" (Jean Anouilh) 1942, Pierre Emmanuel: The Tomb of Orpheus, a book of poems 1941,
Johann Wolfgang Goethe: poem 1817, Ivan Kozlov: “Hymn to Orpheus”, poem, Robert Browning: “Eurydice to Orpheus”, Valery Bryusov: “Orpheus” 1893, “Orpheus and Eurydice” 1903-1904, poems by Vladislav Khodasevich: "Return of Orpheus", poem 1910, Georg Trakl: poem 1914, Victor Segalen: "Orpheus the Tsar", opera libretto for Debussy (music was not written), Oscar Kokoschka: "Orpheus and Eurydice", drama 1918. , Paul Valery. "Orpheus", a sonnet by Rainer Maria Rilke: "Orpheus. Eurydice. Hermes", poem, "Sonnets to Orpheus", book of poems 1923, Jean Cocteau: "Orpheus", drama 1926, Hilda Doolittle: "Eurydice", poem, Marguerite Yourcenar: "New Eurydice", novel 1931, Pierre
Emmanuelle: "The Tomb of Orpheus", a book of poems 1941, Jean Anouilh: "Eurydice", a drama 1942, Jack Kerouac: "The Floating Orpheus", a novel 1945, Angelo Poliziano: "The Tale of Orpheus", a poem (1470);
Nikolai Karamzin poem "Death of Orfeev",
Gottfried Benn: The Death of Orpheus, poem in Static Poems (1948); Alda Merini: "The Presence of Orpheus, a book of poems" 1953;
Vinicios de Morais: "Orpheus of Conceisan", drama (1954, formed the basis of the film Marcel Camus Black Orpheus, 1959, Tennessee Williams: "Orpheus descends into hell, drama" 1957, Jozef Wittlin: "Orpheus in hell of the 20th century" 1963
Günter Kunert: Orpheus I-VI, 1970 poem cycle, Yannis Ritsos poem "To Orpheus", Lusebert poem "Orpheus", Wolfgang Bauer: "Ach, armer Orpheus!", drama 1989, Neil Gaiman: Sandman: Fables and Reflections , comic book 1988-1996, Roger Munier Orpheus, cantata 1994, Czeslaw Miloš: Orpheus and Eurydice, book of poems 2003.
Orpheus is the hero of the tragedy by J. Cocteau "Orpheus" (1928). Cocteau uses ancient material in search of the eternal and always modern philosophical meaning hidden in the basis of ancient myth. That is why he refuses stylization and transfers the action to the entourage of modern France. Cocteau practically does not change the myth of the “magician poet”, who descends into the realm of death to bring his wife Eurydice back to life, and then dies, torn to pieces by maenads. For Cocteau, this myth is not about eternal love, but about the "torn poet." The playwright contrasts the world of poetic consciousness (Orpheus, Eurydice) with the world of hatred, enmity and indifference (Bacchantes, police), which destroys the creator and his art.
Orpheus is also the hero of the tragedy by V.I. Ivanov "Orpheus" (1904). In this version, Orpheus is the son of Zeus and the nymph Pluto, the king of Sipil in Phrygia, punished for insulting the Olympic gods with severe torment. V. Ivanov created, in fact, a new myth, linking it with the spiritual conflicts of the "Silver Age". The theme of the symbolist poet's tragedy is theomachism, encroaching on the world order and the natural order of things.
Orpheus is the hero of the tragedy by M.I. Tsvetaeva "Phaedra" (1927), as well as a small poetic cycle "Phaedra" (1923), created during the period of work on the tragedy. Taking the traditional mythological plot as the basis of the tragedy, Tsvetaeva does not modernize it, giving the characters and actions of the main characters greater psychological authenticity. As in other interpretations of this plot, the conflict of passion and moral duty is an insoluble internal dilemma for Tsvetaev's Phaedra. At the same time, Tsvetaeva emphasizes that, having fallen in love with her stepson Orpheus and revealing her love to him, Phaedra does not commit a crime, her passion is misfortune, fate, but not a sin, not a crime. Tsvetaeva ennobles the image of Orpheus, "cutting off" some of the aggravating circumstances.
Creating a lyrical image of a pure, honest and madly loving woman, Tsvetaeva at the same time reveals the idea of eternal, timeless, all-consuming and disastrous passion. In the tragedy, layers of all the literary incarnations of the plot about Orpheus are noticeable. Tsvetaevsky Orpheus, as it were, bears the burden of all Orpheus, created by the world cultural tradition.
Orpheus is the hero of the "Bacchic drama" by I.F. Annensky "Famirakifared" (1906). Following the tragedy of Sophocles, which has not come down to us, I. Annensky conceived the "tragic Orpheus." The historical motive in the presentation of the author is as follows: “the son of the Thracian king Philammon and the nymph Agriope, Orpheus became famous for his playing the cithara; his arrogance reached the point that he challenged the muses to a competition, but was defeated and deprived of his musical gift as punishment. I. Annensky complicates this scheme with the sudden love of the nymph for her son and depicts the latter as a dreamer, alien to love and yet perishing in the nets of a woman in love with him. Rock appears in the image of the brilliantly indifferent muse of lyrical poetry - Euterpe. Orpheim burns out his eyes with coal and goes to beg; the criminal mother, turned into a bird, accompanies him on his wanderings, she pulls lots from an already useless kithara. Orpheus is the madman of dreams, her martyr. He is detached from life, obsessed with music and resembles a hermit who lives only for spiritual joys. He recognizes the only god - the contemplator of Apollo - and does not want to join the carnal joys of the Dionysian actions of satyrs, bacchantes and maenads. The nymph's offer to compete with Euterpe makes Orpheus rush between "stars and women", he dreams of becoming a titan who stole fire from heaven. For pride, Orpheus was punished by Zeus, who sentenced him "so that he does not remember or hear music." In a fit of despair, he deprives himself of the gift of sight.
4. "Orpheus and Eurydice" in music
Poetry and music have been linked for a long time. Ancient Greek poets composed not only poetry, but also music for instrumental accompaniment of recitation. The writer Dionysius of Halicarnassus said that he saw the score of Euripides' Orestes, and Apollonius, another ancient author, himself arranged the lyric poems of Pindar, stored in the famous Library of Alexandria, according to the frets. And not without reason, finally, the word “lyrics”, well known to all of us, arose precisely at that distant time, when poets performed poems-songs to music on a lyre-cithara.
Poets awarded prizes at the Pythian agons, which were celebrated at Delphi every four years in honor of the singer Orpheus, were given a high honor: skillful carvers reproduced their poetic works on marble slabs. Several slabs were discovered by archaeologists: they were the most remarkable find of their kind, dating back to the 3rd-1st centuries BC.
On three of these plates (unfortunately, significantly damaged) the text of the hymn of Orpheus is carved. The hymn sings of the "divine offspring", who became famous for playing the cithara. The poetic text was accompanied by ancient notes, which are placed at the top of each stanza of the anthem and indicate its tune.
The musical and poetic competitions in the theater of Delphi dedicated to Orpheus consisted, first of all, in singing laudatory hymns to Orpheus to the sounds of a cithara or flute, and sometimes in playing these instruments without singing. The main prizes here were a palm branch (a traditional award in all Greek agons), and also, as the image on one of the Delphic coins testifies, a laurel wreath and a statuette of a raven. Like the games themselves, all these awards were directly related to Orpheus. Orpheus supposedly awarded the winners with palm branches. As for the wreath, according to the historian
Pausanias, such a prize was established because Orpheus fell hopelessly in love with a forest beauty.
Once Orpheus saw a lovely beauty living in the forest. She, embarrassed by the beauty of the young man who suddenly appeared, rushed off to her father, the river deity, and he, covering her daughter, turned her into a laurel tree. Orpheus, who ran to the river, wove a wreath of laurel branches, hearing the heartbeat of his beloved in them. He also adorned his famous golden lyre with bay leaves.
This is how the Greeks explained the custom of putting a laurel wreath on the head of a distinguished poet or musician - the reward of the hero-patron of art. The Greeks called these virtuosos daphnophores, that is, crowned with laurels, and the Romans called them laureates.
The patron of the arts, the hero Orpheus, favored not only musicians and poets: the imagination of the Greeks endowed him with the qualities of a wonderful athlete.
The Greek writer Lucian, whom Marx called the “Voltaire of classical antiquity,” mockingly said that Orpheus must not be able to cope with such a lot of things and that he should do one thing - music or sports.
The Greeks highly appreciated the amazing strength and intelligence of Orpheus, his courage and fearlessness: he, a favorite of numerous legends, patronized sports gymnasiums and palestras, where they taught young men the art of winning. And among the Romans, retired gladiators dedicated their weapons to the famous hero.
In music, one of the first to touch this topic was the Italian composer and singer Jacopo Peri. He composed his musical act "Eurydice" (c. 1600) in honor of the marriage of Mary de Medici with King Henry IV of France, which took place in a luxurious palace in Florence. In order not to overshadow the royal wedding, the tragic ending of the ancient Greek myth has disappeared. Orpheus, having conquered the gods with his art, takes his Eurydice from the underworld, and happy they return safely to earth.
In 1607, in Mantua, another composer Claudio Monteverdi presented his operatic version, but she, like the myth, told about the tragic fate of Orpheus and Eurydice (Claudio Monteverdi "La Favola d" Orfeo "). The history of this composer very closely echoes the history of ancient heroes The fact is that Claudio himself had his own Eurydice - a young wife, the daughter of a court musician, and her name was the same as his - Claudia. The young spouses lived in love and harmony, but it so happened that after the birth of the long-awaited son, Claudia fell ill with an unknown and incurable disease.At this time, Monteverdi was composing his opera "The Tale of Orpheus" and, like his hero, he struggled with despair, believed and hoped to wrest his Eurydice-Claudia from the hands of death.But he followed the myth and retained the tragic ending, in his opera Orpheus loses Eurydice forever, Claudio also lost his beloved wife forever ...
In 1647, Luigi Rossi wrote the music for the tragicomedy Orpheus (libretto by Francesco Butti). This production differs in many ways from the plot of Ovid's "Metamorphoses", it contains Aristaeus (son of Bacchus) - a rival of Orpheus, who appeals to Venus to help him find Eurydice, and she, turning into an old procuress, tries to persuade the young nymph to leave Orpheus. The amazed Eurydice refuses in anger, but her fate, as in the ancient myth, is a foregone conclusion. While participating in a dance in the garden, she steps on a snake that stings her. Aristaeus hurries to help, but Eurydice is faithful to Orpheus ... The end of the story is tragic - Orpheus, who came to the underworld for Eurydice, violates the prohibition of the gods not to turn to Eurydice while they return to earth. Violating this prohibition, Orpheus loses Eurydice forever. It is noteworthy that in this opera there is an image of the singer's lyre, which symbolizes the lily of France, the rays of glory of which penetrate all countries of the world.
Years passed, musical styles changed, and the classical period in the history of music brought us a beautiful, lively, filled with wonderful melodies, Christoph Willibald Gluck's opera Orpheus and Eurydice (1762). The libretto of the opera, written by Ranieri de Calzabigi, differs from the well-known myth, but, like the ancient story, it is filled with tenderness and boundless love ...
Orpheus mourns for his dead wife, she was bitten by a snake. The sadness and sorrow that sounded in his song touched the god of love Cupid, who gives advice to Orpheus - to go down to the underworld, find his beloved wife and return her. But most importantly, you need to be careful and in no case should you look back and look at Eurydice while they are walking through the underworld. Orpheus immediately sets off on a journey, but the evil furies block his path. The singer takes his golden lyre, strikes the strings and begins to sing.
With his song and enchanting voice, he bewitches the furies, who in the end, under the spell of his song, let the singer go further. Then he finds himself in the beautiful kingdom of Elysium (Champs Elysees) - dead souls live here. Orpheus finds Eurydice and they start their journey back. Orpheus walks, leads his Eurydice and remembers that he must not look at his beloved. Eurydice does not know this, she cannot understand the silence of Orpheus and thinks that he has stopped loving her, and the further they go from the underworld, the more persistent her reproaches. Orpheus cannot endure such torment and looks back at her, and at the same moment Eurydice falls lifelessly to the ground. The horror that gripped Orpheus has no boundaries, he also wants to die, go to the kingdom of the dead after his beloved. At this time, Cupid appears and brings Eurydice back to life. Love triumphs over death... orpheus eurydice mythology art
It is noteworthy that in Russia, from the beginning of the 19th century to our time, Orpheus appeared on stage mainly in Gluck's opera. On the St. Petersburg stage of the Mariinsky Theater, this performance was created by the great artists of theatrical art V. S. Meyerhold, M. M. Fokin and A. Ya. Golovin. The opera had a truly grandiose scope, more than two hundred people took part in it, huge sums of money were spent on stage design and costume making, and although the audience saw it only nine times (from 1910 to 1913), this opera remained extraordinary in the history of the Russian theater , an amazing and wonderful event.
The period of its production coincided with the heyday of the Silver Age in Russia, which was characterized by the creative upsurge of Russian culture and its unusually subtle sensitivity to past eras. It was during this period that both Golovin and Meyerhold opted for staging Gluck's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice", in which the ancient plot was not completely recreated, but a more elegant interpretation of it was chosen with a different finale of the myth - the resurrection of Eurydice and her reunion with her lover Orpheus. What Gluck showed in his production suddenly turned out to be in demand at the beginning of the 20th century. Meyerhold's directorial talent was undeniable, "... his work seemed hidden, but it was it that was the skeleton, the structure of the performance.
Fokine's choreographic performances had amazing plasticity. "He subtly and talentedly realized one line of Meyerhold's and Golovin's plan, namely the ancient reality, where, having dissolved in the music of Gluck and to the accompaniment of the music of the scenery, he created the most tender and most poetic elegy" (Khmeleva N., Paradise Vision ...).
The brilliant Russian singer L. V. Sobinov performed the part of Orpheus and, according to many critics, created one of the best stage and vocal images in the entire history of opera, although other equally talented performers sang in this opera at different times (M. P. Maksakova , I. S. Kozlovsky and others). Sobinov in the role of Orpheus was beautiful: "classic profile, warm matte whiteness of the face; on light golden hair, as if styled with the chisel of an ancient Greek sculptor, a laurel wreath of dark gold leaves shone ... When in the scene of Hades, on the high rocks of gray-red Orpheus appeared in color, he was so fabulously handsome that a wave of admiration swept through the whole theater. (Khmeleva N., Paradise vision...)
But the most significant place in the production of "Orpheus" is given to Golovin. His picturesque scenery was not only of amazing beauty, each sketch complemented and revealed this or that mise-en-scene, several years of work were spent on the manufacture of scenery, costumes and ornamental curtains that were intricately conceived and requiring fine finishing. "He felt on equal terms with past eras and could compose at any time, being completely free from his stylistic requirements, but incomprehensibly preserving his spirit." (Khmeleva N., Paradise vision...). Thanks to these most talented artists of the Mariinsky Theatre, Gluck's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" turned into an unusually bright performance, which "was created from thin matter", became a "beautiful vision", but at the same time it is structural, stylistically multilayered, and decorated with jewelry. "(Khmeleva N. ., Paradise vision...)
It should be noted that as early as the beginning of the 20th century, in the season of 1902-1903, Gluck's opera Orpheus and Eurydice was also staged at the Moscow Hermitage Theater. Sketches for the scenery for this performance were created by the young artist of the "new wave" Nikolai Sapunov, who later worked together with V. Meyerhold.
Gluck's opera had an indelible impression on other composers as well. Ludwig van Beethoven has the Fourth Piano Concerto. So, the composer himself claimed that the middle slow part of this work was inspired by the scene of Orpheus with the furies. The English painter and sculptor of the 19th century, Frederick Leighton, depicted Orpheus in a tormenting pose for him, he, as in Gluck's opera, tries with all his might not to look at his beloved wife and turns away from the pleading and bewildered Eurydice.
Other composers also dedicated their works to the theme of Orpheus and Eurydice.
Joseph Haydn wrote the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice, or the Philosopher's Soul" - written at the end of the 18th century, the opera was released only 150 years later; Franz Liszt composed the symphonic poem "Orpheus"; Jacques Offenbach wrote the operetta "Orpheus in Hell"; in 1923 Austro-American composer Ernst Krenek, together with librettist Oscar Kokoshko, wrote the opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" in the style of expressionism, and in 1948 Igor Stravinsky staged the ballet "Orpheus" in the neoclassical style, preserving intact the entire plot of the ancient myth.
In 1975, composer Alexander Zhurbin, together with librettist Yuri Dimitrin, staged a rock opera / zong opera "Orpheus and Eurydice", with Albert Asadullin and Irina Ponarovskaya performing the main parts in it. The director of the opera was Mark Rozovsky. Its plot is very different from the well-known myth, but the main theme of love and tenderness, separation and loss is preserved.
"The myth of Orpheus begins with the end of the events of our opera - the death of Eurydice," explained Yuri Dimitrin. To our days, we decided to offer viewers-listeners a different story.In a sense, our storyline is the prehistory of an ancient myth."
Eurydice gives Orpheus a song. For the sake of glory, Orpheus goes to the competition of singers and thanks to her becomes the winner. And then the song - the gift of Eurydice's love - is performed by hundreds of singers, replicated in millions of copies, and in these distorted copies the personality of Orpheus is lost. Glory, admiration of the fans change the singer, his heart becomes icy, and when he returns to Eurydice, she does not recognize her beloved in him. "Orpheus, the way back is lost" - Charon, the carrier of souls to the afterlife, warns Orpheus about the danger that threatens him to lose his voice, talent, if he loses his love. Eurydice disappears, Orpheus loses her.
Orpheus is shocked, he remembers the words of old Charon and force himself to wake up and set off again, look for what he lost, find and return, first of all, himself. He resolutely challenges fate, and the song of Eurydice again begins to sound in his heart, tender and beautiful, he is not afraid of glory, he knows that her fire will never burn his heart again, because love has settled there forever.
The story of "Orpheus and Eurydice" does not leave anyone indifferent, so many artists and writers more and more often resort to using the plot of this myth in their works: sculptors carve the image of Orpheus from stone.
Artists depict lovers on canvas. Each creator fills a stroke of paint with splendor and admiration. Writers write prose, investing their vision, poets write poems. Composers - operas.
There are no indifferent people to this art.
Literature
1. Bryantsev V. Myths in Ancient Greece and music. - M.1978. - With. 5-7.
2. Rene Menard. Myths in art old and new. - M., 1994. -p.96.
3. Mythological, historical and literary subjects in the works of Western European painting and sculpture / Ed. Grigorieva G.B. - M.: Fine Arts, 1994. - 70-72.
4. Philostratus (senior and junior) "Pictures", Callistratus "Statues". - OGIZ, IZOGIZ, 1936. - p. 173-174.
5. http://www.romeo-juliet-club.ru/lovemuseum/orfeo.html
6. http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eurydice
7. http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_of_Orpheus_in_art
8. http://www.erudition.ru/referat/ref/id.25658_1.html
Hosted on Allbest.ru
Similar Documents
A general description of the origin and life of some ancient Greek gods: Narcissus, Cypress, Hyacinth and Orpheus. The love story of Orpheus and Eurydice, the tragedy and death of a musician. The story of Sisyphus and Tantalus. Evaluation of the role and significance of these characters in mythology.
abstract, added 05/17/2014
Continuous development, mixing and opposition of styles and trends in the visual arts. Analysis of the features of various schools of representation of forms in painting and sculpture. Classicism as an aesthetic trend in European literature and art.
abstract, added 08/10/2016
The supreme gods of the younger generation of Greek gods, led by Zeus, who lived on the top of Mount Olympus. Their Roman counterparts. Reflection of ancient Greek mythology in art. Winged words and expressions associated with the myths of Ancient Greece.
presentation, added 10/26/2013
The image of Apollo - one of the main and most ancient Greek gods in painting, sculpture, literature. Reflection in the image of the originality of Greek mythology in its historical development. The love story of Apollo and Daphne, the contest with Marsyas, Apollo and Tityos.
presentation, added 11/18/2010
Periodization of the culture of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. The image of man in ancient Greek and Roman cultures. Stages of the history of ancient art. Anthropocentrism and the cult of the body as prominent features of Greek culture. Values of ancient Roman culture.
abstract, added 11/09/2010
Rock carvings of animals. Symbols and images of birds in folk art. Various clay birds, "beeps", "whistles", "pipes". Heroes of Russian folklore. Image of a bird in Russian folk embroidery. Bird's egg in folk art.
term paper, added 12/27/2011
Highlights of the history of the life of the Virgin Mary. The image of the Virgin as an example of motherhood, sacrificial love, meekness, humility. Displaying her image in different historical eras from antiquity to the present. The image of the Madonna in art, poetry, music.
abstract, added 12/24/2010
abstract, added 01/03/2014
abstract, added 12/02/2010
The study of the philosophical foundations and features of religious art. Determination of the role of the religious canon in art. Analysis of the attitude of the official church to the use of biblical images in art. Biblical images in the art of Ukraine and Russia.
In the north of Greece, in Thrace, lived the singer Orpheus. He had a wonderful gift of songs, and his fame spread throughout the land of the Greeks. For the songs fell in love with his beauty ...
In the north of Greece, in Thrace, lived the singer Orpheus. He had a wonderful gift of songs, and his fame spread throughout the land of the Greeks.
For the songs, the beautiful Eurydice fell in love with him. She became his wife. But their happiness was short-lived.
Once Orpheus and Eurydice were in the forest. Orpheus played his seven-stringed cithara and sang. Eurydice was gathering flowers in the meadows. Imperceptibly, she moved away from her husband, into the wilderness. Suddenly it seemed to her that someone was running through the forest, breaking branches, chasing her, she was frightened and, throwing flowers, ran back to Orpheus. She ran, not understanding the road, through the thick grass and in a swift run she stepped into the snake's nest. The snake coiled around her leg and stung. Eurydice screamed loudly in pain and fear and fell on the grass.
Orpheus heard from a distance the plaintive cry of his wife and hurried to her. But he saw how large black wings flashed between the trees - it was Death that carried Eurydice to the underworld.
Great was the grief of Orpheus. He left people and spent whole days alone, wandering through the forests, pouring out his longing in songs. And there was such power in these melancholy songs that the trees left their places and surrounded the singer. Animals came out of their holes, birds left their nests, stones moved closer. And everyone listened to how he yearned for his beloved.
Nights and days passed, but Orpheus could not be consoled, his sadness grew with every hour.
No, I can't live without Eurydice! he said. - The earth is not sweet to me without it. Let Death take me, even if in the underworld I will be together with my beloved!
But Death did not come. And Orpheus decided to go to the realm of the dead himself.
For a long time he searched for the entrance to the underworld and, finally, in the deep cave of Tenara he found a stream that flowed into the underground river Styx. Along the bed of this stream, Orpheus descended deep underground and reached the banks of the Styx. Beyond this river began the realm of the dead.
Black and deep are the waters of the Styx, and it is terrible for the living to step into them. Orpheus heard sighs, quiet crying behind his back - these were the shadows of the dead, like him, waiting for the crossing to the country from which there is no return to anyone.
Here a boat separated from the opposite shore: the carrier of the dead, Charon, sailed for new aliens. Silently moored to the shore Charon, and the shadows obediently filled the boat. Orpheus began to ask Charon:
Take me to the other side! But Charon refused:
Only the dead I bring to the other side. When you die, I will come for you!
Have pity! Orpheus pleaded. - I don't want to live anymore! It's hard for me to stay on the ground alone! I want to see my Eurydice!
The stern carrier pushed him away and was about to set sail from the shore, but the strings of the cithara rang plaintively, and Orpheus began to sing. Under the gloomy vaults of Hades, sad and tender sounds resounded. The cold waves of Styx stopped, and Charon himself, leaning on the oar, listened to the song. Orpheus entered the boat, and Charon obediently carried him to the other side. Hearing the hot song of the living about undying love, the shadows of the dead flew from all sides. Orpheus boldly walked through the silent kingdom of the dead, and no one stopped him.
So he reached the palace of the ruler of the underworld - Hades and entered a vast and gloomy hall. High on a golden throne sat the formidable Hades and next to him was his beautiful queen Persephone.
With a sparkling sword in his hand, in a black cloak, with huge black wings, the god of Death stood behind Hades, and around him crowded his servants, Kera, who fly on the battlefield and take life from warriors. Severe judges of the underworld sat aside from the throne and judged the dead for their earthly deeds.
In the dark corners of the hall, behind the columns, Memories were hidden. They had scourges of living snakes in their hands, and they painfully stung those who stood before the court.
Orpheus saw many monsters in the realm of the dead: Lamia, who steals small children from their mothers at night, and the terrible Empusa with donkey legs, drinking the blood of people, and ferocious Stygian dogs.
Only the younger brother of the god of Death - the god of Sleep, young Hypnos, beautiful and joyful, rushed around the hall on his light wings, stirring in a silver horn a sleepy drink that no one on earth can resist - even the great Thunderer Zeus himself falls asleep when Hypnos splashes into him with his potion.
Hades glared menacingly at Orpheus, and everyone around trembled.
But the singer approached the throne of the gloomy lord and sang even more inspirationally: he sang about his love for Eurydice.
Without breathing, Persephone listened to the song, and tears rolled from her beautiful eyes. Terrible Hades bowed his head on his chest and thought. The God of Death lowered his shining sword.
The singer fell silent, and the silence lasted for a long time. Then Hades raised his head and asked:
What are you looking for, singer, in the realm of the dead? Tell me what you want, and I promise you to fulfill your request.
Orpheus said to Hades:
Lord! Our life on earth is short, and Death overtakes all of us someday and takes us to your kingdom - none of the mortals can escape it. But I, alive, myself came to the kingdom of the dead to ask you: give me back my Eurydice! She has lived so little on earth, so little time to rejoice, so little love ... Let her go, lord, to earth! Let her live a little longer in the world, let her enjoy the sun, the warmth and light and the greenery of the fields, the beauty of the spring forests and my love. After all, after all, she will return to you!
Thus spoke Orpheus and asked Persephone:
Intercede for me, beautiful queen! You know how good life on earth is! Help me get my Eurydice back!
Let it be as you ask! Hades said to Orpheus. - I will return Eurydice to you. You can take her with you up to the bright land. But you have to promise...
Whatever you order! Orpheus exclaimed. - I'm ready for anything to see my Eurydice again!
You must not see her until you come out into the light,” said Hades. - Return to earth and know that Eurydice will follow you. But don't look back and don't try to look at her. If you look back, you will lose her forever!
And Hades ordered Eurydice to follow Orpheus.
Orpheus quickly went to the exit from the realm of the dead. Like a spirit, he passed the country of Death, and the shadow of Eurydice followed him. They entered Charon's boat, and he silently carried them back to the shore of life. A steep rocky path led up to the ground.
Slowly climbed Mount Orpheus. It was dark and quiet all around, and it was quiet behind him, as if no one was following him. Only his heart was beating.
"Eurydice! Eurydice!
At last it began to lighten up ahead, the exit to the ground was close. And the closer the exit was, the brighter it became in front, and now everything became clearly visible around.
Anxiety squeezed the heart of Orpheus: is Eurydice here? Does he follow him?
Forgetting everything in the world, Orpheus stopped and looked around.
Where are you, Eurydice? Let me take a look at you! For a moment, quite close, he saw a sweet shadow, a dear, beautiful face... But only for a moment.
Immediately the shadow of Eurydice flew away, disappeared, melted into the darkness.
Eurydice?!
With a desperate cry, Orpheus began to descend back along the path and again came to the shore of the black Styx and called for the carrier. But in vain he prayed and called: no one answered his prayers. For a long time Orpheus sat alone on the banks of the Styx and waited. He didn't wait for anyone.
He had to return to earth and live. But he could not forget his only love - Eurydice, and the memory of her lived in his heart and in his songs.
Orpheus and Eurydice / Ancient Greek myth for children
Artist: G. Kislyakova
Page 1 of 2
In the north of Greece, in Thrace, lived the singer Orpheus. He had a wonderful gift of songs, and his fame spread throughout the land of the Greeks.
For the songs, the beautiful Eurydice fell in love with him. She became his wife. But their happiness was short-lived.
Once Orpheus and Eurydice were in the forest. Orpheus played his seven-stringed cithara and sang. Eurydice was gathering flowers in the meadows. Imperceptibly, she moved away from her husband, into the wilderness. Suddenly it seemed to her that someone was running through the forest, breaking branches, chasing her, she was frightened and, throwing flowers, ran back to Orpheus. She ran, not understanding the road, through the thick grass and in a swift run she stepped into the snake's nest. The snake coiled around her leg and stung. Eurydice screamed loudly in pain and fear and fell on the grass.
Orpheus heard from a distance the plaintive cry of his wife and hurried to her. But he saw how large black wings flashed between the trees - it was Death that carried Eurydice to the underworld.
Great was the grief of Orpheus. He left people and spent whole days alone, wandering through the forests, pouring out his longing in songs. And there was such power in these melancholy songs that the trees left their places and surrounded the singer. Animals came out of their holes, birds left their nests, stones moved closer. And everyone listened to how he yearned for his beloved.
Nights and days passed, but Orpheus could not be consoled, his sadness grew with every hour.
No, I can't live without Eurydice! he said. - The earth is not sweet to me without it. Let Death take me, even if in the underworld I will be together with my beloved!
But Death did not come. And Orpheus decided to go to the realm of the dead himself.
For a long time he searched for the entrance to the underworld and, finally, in the deep cave of Tenara he found a stream that flowed into the underground river Styx. Along the bed of this stream, Orpheus descended deep underground and reached the banks of the Styx. Beyond this river began the realm of the dead.
Black and deep are the waters of the Styx, and it is terrible for the living to step into them. Orpheus heard sighs, quiet crying behind his back - these were the shadows of the dead, like him, waiting for the crossing to the country from which there is no return to anyone.
Here a boat separated from the opposite shore: the carrier of the dead, Charon, sailed for new aliens. Silently moored to the shore Charon, and the shadows obediently filled the boat. Orpheus began to ask Charon:
Take me to the other side! But Charon refused:
Only the dead I bring to the other side. When you die, I will come for you!
Have pity! Orpheus pleaded. - I don't want to live anymore! It's hard for me to stay on the ground alone! I want to see my Eurydice!
The stern carrier pushed him away and was about to set sail from the shore, but the strings of the cithara rang plaintively, and Orpheus began to sing. Under the gloomy vaults of Hades, sad and tender sounds resounded. The cold waves of Styx stopped, and Charon himself, leaning on the oar, listened to the song. Orpheus entered the boat, and Charon obediently carried him to the other side. Hearing the hot song of the living about undying love, the shadows of the dead flew from all sides. Orpheus boldly walked through the silent kingdom of the dead, and no one stopped him.
So he reached the palace of the ruler of the underworld - Hades and entered a vast and gloomy hall. High on a golden throne sat the formidable Hades and next to him was his beautiful queen Persephone.
With a sparkling sword in his hand, in a black cloak, with huge black wings, the god of Death stood behind Hades, and around him crowded his servants, Kera, who fly on the battlefield and take life from warriors. Severe judges of the underworld sat aside from the throne and judged the dead for their earthly deeds.
In the dark corners of the hall, behind the columns, Memories were hidden. They had scourges of living snakes in their hands, and they painfully stung those who stood before the court.
Orpheus saw many monsters in the realm of the dead: Lamia, who steals small children from their mothers at night, and the terrible Empusa with donkey legs, drinking the blood of people, and ferocious Stygian dogs.
Only the younger brother of the god of Death - the god of Sleep, young Hypnos, beautiful and joyful, rushed around the hall on his light wings, stirring in a silver horn a sleepy drink that no one on earth can resist - even the great Thunderer Zeus himself falls asleep when Hypnos splashes into him with his potion.
Hades glared menacingly at Orpheus, and everyone around trembled.
But the singer approached the throne of the gloomy lord and sang even more inspirationally: he sang about his love for Eurydice.
Without breathing, Persephone listened to the song, and tears rolled from her beautiful eyes. Terrible Hades bowed his head on his chest and thought. The God of Death lowered his shining sword.
The singer fell silent, and the silence lasted for a long time. Then Hades raised his head and asked:
What are you looking for, singer, in the realm of the dead? Tell me what you want, and I promise you to fulfill your request.
Orpheus said to Hades:
Lord! Our life on earth is short, and Death overtakes all of us someday and takes us to your kingdom - none of the mortals can escape it. But I, alive, myself came to the kingdom of the dead to ask you: give me back my Eurydice! She has lived so little on earth, so little time to rejoice, so little love ... Let her go, lord, to earth! Let her live a little longer in the world, let her enjoy the sun, the warmth and light and the greenery of the fields, the beauty of the spring forests and my love. After all, after all, she will return to you!
Thus spoke Orpheus and asked Persephone:
Intercede for me, beautiful queen! You know how good life on earth is! Help me get my Eurydice back!
Let it be as you ask! Hades said to Orpheus. - I will return Eurydice to you. You can take her with you up to the bright land. But you have to promise...
Whatever you order! Orpheus exclaimed. - I'm ready for anything to see my Eurydice again!
You must not see her until you come out into the light,” said Hades. - Return to earth and know that Eurydice will follow you. But don't look back and don't try to look at her. If you look back, you will lose her forever!
Orpheus quickly went to the exit from the realm of the dead. Like a spirit, he passed the country of Death, and the shadow of Eurydice followed him. They entered Charon's boat, and he silently carried them back to the shore of life. A steep rocky path led up to the ground.
Slowly climbed Mount Orpheus. It was dark and quiet all around, and it was quiet behind him, as if no one was following him. Only his heart was beating.
"Eurydice! Eurydice!
At last it began to lighten up ahead, the exit to the ground was close. And the closer the exit was, the brighter it became in front, and now everything became clearly visible around.
Anxiety squeezed the heart of Orpheus: is Eurydice here? Does he follow him?
Forgetting everything in the world, Orpheus stopped and looked around.
Where are you, Eurydice? Let me take a look at you! For a moment, quite close, he saw a sweet shadow, a dear, beautiful face... But only for a moment.
Eurydice?!
With a desperate cry, Orpheus began to descend back along the path and again came to the shore of the black Styx and called for the carrier. But in vain he prayed and called: no one answered his prayers. For a long time Orpheus sat alone on the banks of the Styx and waited. He didn't wait for anyone.
He had to return to earth and live. But he could not forget his only love - Eurydice, and the memory of her lived in his heart and in his songs.
Myths and legends of ancient Greece. Illustrations: G. Kislyakova
1 slide
In the north of Greece, in Thrace, lived the singer Orpheus. He had a wonderful gift of songs, and his fame spread throughout the land of the Greeks.
2 slide
For the songs, the beautiful Eurydice fell in love with him. She became his wife. But their happiness was short-lived.
3 slide
Once Orpheus and Eurydice were in the forest. Orpheus played his seven-stringed cithara and sang. Eurydice was gathering flowers in the meadows. Imperceptibly, she moved away from her husband, into the wilderness. Suddenly it seemed to her that someone was running through the forest, breaking branches, chasing her, she was frightened and, throwing flowers, ran back to Orpheus. She ran, not understanding the road, through the thick grass and in a swift run she stepped into the snake's nest. The snake coiled around her leg and stung. Eurydice screamed loudly in pain and fear and fell on the grass.
4 slide
5 slide
Orpheus heard from a distance the plaintive cry of his wife and hurried to her. But he saw how large black wings flashed between the trees - it was Death that carried Eurydice to the underworld.
6 slide
Great was the grief of Orpheus. He left people and spent whole days alone, wandering through the forests, pouring out his longing in songs. And there was such power in these melancholy songs that the trees left their places and surrounded the singer. Animals came out of their holes, birds left their nests, stones moved closer. And everyone listened to how he yearned for his beloved. Nights and days passed, but Orpheus could not be consoled, his sadness grew with every hour. - No, I can't live without Eurydice! he said. - The earth is not sweet to me without it. Let Death take me, even if in the underworld I will be together with my beloved!
7 slide
8 slide
But Death did not come. And Orpheus decided to go to the realm of the dead himself. For a long time he searched for the entrance to the underworld and, finally, in the deep cave of Tenara he found a stream that flowed into the underground river Styx. Along the bed of this stream, Orpheus descended deep underground and reached the banks of the Styx. Beyond this river began the realm of the dead.
9 slide
Black and deep are the waters of the Styx, and it is terrible for the living to step into them. Orpheus heard sighs, quiet crying behind his back - these were the shadows of the dead, like him, waiting for the crossing to the country from which there is no return to anyone.
10 slide
Here a boat separated from the opposite shore: the carrier of the dead, Charon, sailed for new aliens. Silently moored to the shore Charon, and the shadows obediently filled the boat. Orpheus began to ask Charon: - Move me to the other side! But Charon refused: - I transfer only the dead to the other side. When you die, I will come for you! - Have pity! Orpheus pleaded. - I don't want to live anymore! It's hard for me to stay on the ground alone! I want to see my Eurydice!
11 slide
The stern carrier pushed him away and was about to set sail from the shore, but the strings of the cithara rang plaintively, and Orpheus began to sing. Under the gloomy vaults of Hades, sad and tender sounds resounded. The cold waves of Styx stopped, and Charon himself, leaning on the oar, listened to the song. Orpheus entered the boat, and Charon obediently carried him to the other side. Hearing the hot song of the living about undying love, the shadows of the dead flew from all sides. Orpheus boldly walked through the silent kingdom of the dead, and no one stopped him.
12 slide
So he reached the palace of the ruler of the underworld - Hades and entered a vast and gloomy hall. High on a golden throne sat the formidable Hades and next to him was his beautiful queen Persephone.
13 slide
14 slide
With a sparkling sword in his hand, in a black cloak, with huge black wings, the god of Death stood behind Hades, and around him crowded his servants, Kera, who fly on the battlefield and take life from warriors. Severe judges of the underworld sat aside from the throne and judged the dead for their earthly deeds.
15 slide
In the dark corners of the hall, behind the columns, Memories were hidden. They had scourges of living snakes in their hands, and they painfully stung those who stood before the court. Orpheus saw many monsters in the realm of the dead: Lamia, who steals small children from their mothers at night, and the terrible Empusa with donkey legs, drinking the blood of people, and ferocious Stygian dogs. Only the younger brother of the god of Death - the god of Sleep, young Hypnos, beautiful and joyful, rushed around the hall on his light wings, stirring in a silver horn a sleepy drink that no one on earth can resist - even the great Thunderer Zeus himself falls asleep when Hypnos splashes into him with his potion.
16 slide
17 slide
Hades looked menacingly at Orpheus, and everyone around trembled. But the singer approached the throne of the gloomy lord and sang even more inspirationally: he sang about his love for Eurydice.
18 slide
The singer fell silent, and the silence lasted for a long time. Then Hades raised his head and asked: - What are you looking for, singer, in the realm of the dead? Tell me what you want, and I promise you to fulfill your request.
19 slide
Orpheus said to Hades: - Lord! Our life on earth is short, and Death overtakes all of us someday and takes us to your kingdom - none of the mortals can escape it. But I, alive, myself came to the kingdom of the dead to ask you: give me back my Eurydice! She has lived so little on earth, so little time to rejoice, so little love ... Let her go, lord, to earth! Let her live a little longer in the world, let her enjoy the sun, the warmth and light and the greenery of the fields, the beauty of the spring forests and my love. After all, after all, she will return to you! So spoke Orpheus and asked Persephone: - Intercede for me, beautiful queen! You know how good life on earth is! Help me get my Eurydice back!
20 slide
21 slide
Let it be as you ask! Hades said to Orpheus. - I will return Eurydice to you. You can take her with you up to the bright land. But you have to promise... - Anything you order! Orpheus exclaimed. - I'm ready for anything to see my Eurydice again! “You must not see her until you come out into the light,” said Hades. - Return to earth and know that Eurydice will follow you. But don't look back and don't try to look at her. If you look back, you will lose her forever! And Hades ordered Eurydice to follow Orpheus.
