Work / monument

L'Orfeo

1607 · 17th century

L'Orfeo is an opera by Claudio Monteverdi to a libretto by Alessandro Striggio, first performed at the Gonzaga court in Mantua in 1607. Retelling the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, it is one of the earliest operas and the oldest still regularly performed. Its large orchestra and expressive writing set a model for the new genre.

L'Orfeo
Image: Cesare Gennari · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Duchy of Mantua

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). L'Orfeo. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/l-orfeo
MLA
“L'Orfeo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/l-orfeo. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “L'Orfeo.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/l-orfeo.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘L'Orfeo’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/l-orfeo (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻