Orfeo, a story in music by Claudio Monteverdi

Any performance of Orfeo is an event, and Hampstead Garden Opera’s new production, our first sally into early 17th century opera, will be no exception. For two weeks in November, Upstairs at the Gatehouse (Highgate Village, N6 4BD) will be filled with the rich sounds of unfamiliar instruments including theorbos, gambas, cornetti, recorders, harp and regal, directed from the harpsichord by Oliver-John Ruthven, alongside a cast of singers of whom the court of Mantua in 1607 would have been proud. English translation by Anne Ridler