When it comes to Offenbach, I am more familiar with La Belle Helene and especially Les Contes Des Hoffmann. Orpheus in the Underworld however has some sparkling music and I like its retelling of Orpheus and Eurydice with its broad references to the Parisian society of the time. This performance from Hamburg is very interesting if maybe my least favourite of the Hamburg Cult Opera Collection. The colour is rather garish at times, and the updated costumes with hots pants, exaggerated moustaches and knee-length high-heeled boots is very late 1960s, which dates the production I feel. However, the music is wonderful as ever(even though the language is in German, it actually didn't bother me a bit even if I am familiar with the work in French), with lively orchestral playing and solid conducting. The acting is broad but never tiresome to me, and the lip synching is surprisingly good. The singing is really excellent. William Workman is very fine as Pluto, very strongly sung. Elisabeth Steiner sings very musically as Eurydice and is deliciously pert. Kurt Marscher makes for a sonorous and quite sardonic Orpheus. Inge Meysel's Juno is both funny and moving. All in all, very well sung and performed. 8/10 Bethany Cox
