A production of Haydn's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" is to
premiere in a historic museum in the German capital.

BERLIN, GERMANY (NOVEMBER 10, 2008) REUTERS -
Classic opera in unusual places. This is the motto by which director and
conductor Christoph Hagel works. After performing Mozart's "Magic
Flute" in a Berlin underground station earlier this year, now he is
premiering a performance Haydn's opera "Orpheus and Eurydice" in the
city's famous Bode Museum.
The story of one of the most famous tragic lovers of the ancient world
has been brought to life in the historic and enormous museum. Alexander
Geller, who plays Orpheus in the show said that the size of the hall made the
work extra difficult.
"The orchestra is sitting quite far away from us, so we only
sometimes have good contact with the conductor and because the sound resonates
so much it is acoustically very difficult to keep the orchestra and singers
together. We are hoping it will work. Each time it is a challenge, but
generally it is a great room for singing, without a doubt," Geller told
Reuters TV on Monday (November 10) just days before the premiere.
When Orpheus' lover Eurydice dies after being bitten by a deadly snake,
Orpheus is allowed to visit her in the underworld. He is told that he can have
her back in the real world under the condition that he does not look at her
until they are both back in the land of the living. But he cannot help himself
and takes a blick at her, meaning that he loses her forever. The only way for
them to be together is for him to take his own life and join her in the
underworld.
Director and conductor Christoph Hagel says he had a very clear idea
of how he wanted to stage the production in the museum.
"I very quickly came up with the idea of how stage this here
because, of the antique contents of the museum, which is associated with
Christianity, because of the rooms, and because of the statues. The catwalk is
quite prominent in the room," said Hagel.
Singer Monica Garcia Albea, who plays Eurydice, says that singing in
the museum makes a change from a theatre.
"It is difficult, but the hall is good for some things. It has a
huge sound and the atmosphere is super," Albea told Reuters TV.
The so-called basilica is the focul point of the building, which is
named after art-collector Wilhelm von Bode. The museum was built between 1897
and 1904 and is situated in the north end of Berlin's "Museum
Island".
It is not the first time, the magnificent building has been used to
house more than just art collections. Two years ago Hagel produced Mozart's
opera "Apollo and Hyacinthus" in the museum.
The opera will premiere on Friday (November 14) and will be performed
until December 14.