Dominique Jameux's 'Opéra. Éros et le pouvoir' Traces Orpheus Through Opera History

Dominique Jameux's book 'Opéra. Éros et le pouvoir', published by Fayard, explores the myth of Orpheus as a foundational theme in opera. Starting with Monteverdi's 'Orfeo' (1607), Jameux argues that Orpheus embodies the opera hero who uses music as a talisman to overcome trials of love and power. The book offers a synoptic reading across centuries, juxtaposing Monteverdi with Alban Berg, notably comparing 'Wozzeck' to a 'proletarian Orpheus'. Jameux sees a parallel in the ultimate operas of both composers—'The Coronation of Poppea' and 'Lulu'—where the female hero is seductive, destructive, and ultimately destroyed. The work is deliberately partial and discontinuous, a discussion rather than an exhaustive thesis. It leaves open whether 'Wozzeck' or 'Lulu' opens or closes a historical phase of opera, and questions whether the Orpheus thread could be extended to the present. The review by Jean-Guillaume Lebrun notes that while the analysis of individual works is not groundbreaking, the synoptic vision is stimulating.