Sheet Music: Che farò senza Euridice?

TitleChe farò senza Euridice?
from Orfeo ed Euridice
Alternate titlesJ’ai perdu mon Eurydice
ComposerChristoph Willibald Gluck (1714–1787)
InstrumentationFlute duet
KeyC major
RangeC4–E6
Time signature4/4
Tempo96 BPM
Performance time1:30
Difficulty levelintermediate
Download printable scorePDF Sheet Music (84 kB) (preview)
Download audio tracksMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (727 kB)
Play-along accompanimentMIDI (change tempo/key) MP3 (739 kB)
Date added2009-10-24
Last updated2009-10-24
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Categories
Arias, Classical, Opera excerpts

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Saturday 24 October 2009

Tune of the Day: Che farò senza Euridice?

from Gluck's opera “Orfeo ed Euridice”

According to Greek mythology, Orpheus was “the father of songs”: with his music and singing, he could charm birds, fish and wild beasts, coax the trees and rocks into dance, and even divert the course of rivers.

When his wife Eurydice died of a snake bite, Orpheus played such sad songs and sang so mournfully that all the nymphs and gods wept. On their advice, Orpheus traveled to the underworld and by his music softened the hearts of Hades and Persephone (he was the only person ever to do so), who agreed to allow Eurydice to return with him to earth on one condition: he should walk in front of her and not look back until they both had reached the upper world. He set off with Eurydice following and in his anxiety as soon as he reached the upper world he turned to look at her, forgetting that both needed to be in the upper world, and she vanished for the second time.

It is then that Orpheus intones the lament, “Che farò senza Euridice?” (“What will I do without Eurydice?”), a sublime aria which has truly become immortal.

Other Movements from the same Work

Dance of the Blessed Spirits Flute & Harp