A woman wearing boots lies on a bed-like metal frame, holding a knife upright against her stomach.

Orfeo ed Euridice

The Ministry of Operatic Affairs

Orfeo loses his beloved to a snake’s bite and is left alone. A dreamer by nature, he loses all touch with reality and can think of only one thing: his deceased Euridice. Unable to bear his grief any longer, Amor, the god of love, grants Orfeo a single chance to undo what has happened. To do so, he must descend into the underworld.

With this new staging of a classic masterpiece from the operatic canon, The Ministry continues along the path it has chosen. No forced contemporary updates, no musical theatre adaptation, and no historically “correct” dogma — only good taste, timelessness, and respect for both the score and the audience. Once again, The Ministry chooses to lay bare the operatic machine itself, with the orchestra, choir, and soloists no longer able to hide behind convention. Eighty men and women work together to create the marvellous illusion that is opera. And once again, this is not be a concert performance. According to The Ministry, opera deserves nothing less.

Credits

Orfeo
Barbara Kozelj/Tamara Gura
Euridice
Liesbeth Devos
Amor
Clare Wilkinson
Lover
Thomas Vantuycom
Director
Korneel Hamers
Conductor
Bart Van Reyn
Music
Le Concert d’Anvers, Octopus Chamber Choir
Choreography
Natascha Pire
Costumes
Julia Weisbrich
Scenography
Julia Rommel
Artistic team
David Van Mieghem, Ulricke Deppner & Noemi Schlosse
Technician
Bram Smans

Images

  • A man leans over a woman lying on a bed-like metal frame, while another woman stands beside them, leaning against the structure with her head bowed as if weeping.
    © David Van Mieghem
  • A woman stands atop a large wooden crate marked "FRAGILE", surrounded by several choir members gathered around it.
    © David Van Mieghem
  • A woman and several choir members sit or recline together, gazing silently in different directions.
    © David Van Mieghem