Shirin Neshat Reimagines Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice

Shirin Neshat has created a new interpretation of Christoph Willibald Gluck's 1762 opera Orfeo ed Euridice, originally commissioned by librettist Ranieri de' Calzabigi and first performed in Vienna. The myth of Orfeo, the legendary Greek musician, has deep roots in opera history, notably in Claudio Monteverdi's foundational L'Orfeo. Neshat's version reimagines the story of Orfeo descending into the underworld to retrieve his deceased wife Euridice, who died from a snake bite. The production premiered in 2026, though specific venue and dates are not detailed in the source. The article discusses the opera's evolution from its 1762 Vienna premiere to a revised 1774 Paris version, and Neshat's contemporary take on the ancient myth.