History YMMV / LOrfeo

* AmbiguousEnding: In the RevisedEnding where Apollo takes Orpheus up to heaven, he says "In the sun and in the stars you shall gaze at [Eurydice's] fair image." Does this mean that the gods have transported Eurydice from the Underworld to Olympus to live HappilyEverAfter with Orpheus? Or have they merely created a constellation in her image for Orpheus to gaze at? And if it's the latter, is Orpheus happy about it or not? All he says is that he would be an unworthy son to Apollo if he didn't accept his offer. The 1978 Jean-Pierre Ponnelle film notably plays the ending as a PyrrhicVictory, where [[MoodDissonance despite the happy final chorus]], Orpheus is still distraught to have lost Eurydice forever.

* AmbiguousEnding: In the RevisedEnding where Apollo takes Orpheus up to heaven, he says "In the sun and in the stars you shall gaze at [Eurydice's] fair image." Does this mean that the gods have transported Eurydice from the Underworld to Olympus to live HappilyEverAfter with Orpheus? Or have they merely created a constellation in her image for Orpheus to gaze at? And if it's the latter, is Orpheus happy about it or not? All he says is that he would be an unworthy son to Apollo if he didn't accept his offer. The 1978 Jean-Pierre Ponnelle film notably plays the ending as PyrrhicVictory, where [[MoodDissonance despite the happy final chorus]], Orpheus is still distraught to have lost Eurydice forever.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: When opera was first emerging in the early 17th century, at the beginning of the Baroque period, recitative was revolutionary for being able to translate human speech (and human emotion) naturally into music. By the end of the Baroque period, recitative was mainly used to quickly cover large blocks of dialogue between arias. Operas like ''L'Orfeo'' can sound odd to the modern ear because they're from the brief period before recitative became so common it was relegated to getting the boring stuff out of the way.

** Charon's introduction in Act III is done with intimidating music and a powerful bass voice as he refuses Orpheus entry to the Underworld. Orpheus's responsive aria, "Powerful Spirit," is one of the hallmarks of the entire piece as he pleads through five separate stanzas for leniency, each with a different backing instrument and a different tactic to win him over.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Since both Charon and Hades are bass roles and appear shortly after another, some productions conflate the roles and imply that Charon is Hades in disguise as one of his servants.

* SugarWiki/FunnyMoments:
** In the filmed 1978 production at Harnoncourt, Orpheus repeatedly tries to board Charon's ferry during the instrumental breaks in Act III, while Charon waves him off once he takes notice. When Orpheus persists in trying to cross and attempts to plead to Hades directly, Charon gets in his face and whacks him with his oar.
** In the midst of the darkness of David Bösch's 2014 production comes a funny moment with Charon, who in keeping with the modern setting is depicted as driving a modern ferry. Orpheus lulling him to sleep and stealing the oar is thus represented by stealing his boat keys and sailing off.
** When Persephone thanks Hades for giving Orpheus a chance and says losing the sun was worth it to wed him, Hades reminds her to focus on their marriage bed instead of aboveground stuff like the sun.
** Orpheus begins his journey out of Hades and immediately starts singing the praises of his all-powerful lyre.
** One production had Persephone watch Orpheus's ascent and faint when he turned around to a dramatic gong sound.
* SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments:
** Orpheus compares Eurydice to the sun and a rose of heaven, and says that while he was happy when they first met and happier still when she began to reciprocate his affections, the happiest day of all was when Eurydice agreed to marry him. Orpheus is so happy he says if he had as many hearts as the stars or the leaves of the forest, they'd all be overflowing with joy.
** Eurydice, for her part, has no words to express her happiness with Orpheus because their two hearts are joined as one, and he should ask it to tell him how she feels about him.
** Persephone is deeply moved by Orpheus's singing and pleads for Orpheus to be given a second chance with Eurydice. Hades agrees out of love for his wife.

* TearJerker:
** The news of Eurydice's death is devastating to every party involved, especially Orpheus, who had just finished singing about how happy he was and can't believe he's still alive while Eurydice is dead. Sylvia is so distressed at both failing to revive her and having to deliver the bad news that she exiles herself.
** In Act III, despite being moved by Orpheus's singing, Charon refuses to let him cross to meet Hades. Orpheus grows despondent and laments being stuck between heaven and hell like a wandering shade, and softly pleads for his love to return to him.
** Orpheus's despair when he turns and loses Eurydice again is heartwrenching, as are the spirits showing him no mercy while Eurydice sadly wonders if he lost her from loving too much.

** In the midst of the darkness of David Bösch's 2014 production comes a funny moment with Charon, who in keeping with the modern setting is depicted as a testy gatekeeper in a chariot. Orpheus lulling him to sleep and stealing the ferry is represented by him stealing his car keys and speeding off.

** In the midst of the darkness of David Bösch's 2014 production comes a funny moment with Charon, who in keeping with the modern setting is depicted as a testy boatman. Orpheus lulling him to sleep and stealing the ferry is represented by him stealing his keys and speeding off.

** Eurydice, for her part, has no words to express her happiness with Orpheus because their two hearts are joined as one, and he should ask it to tell him how she feels about her.

* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: Since both Charon and Hades are bass roles and appear shortly after another, some productions conflate the roles and have Charon be Hades in disguise as one of his servants.

* TearJerker: The news of Eurydice's death is devastating to every party involved, especially Orpheus, who had just finished singing about how happy he was and can't believe he's still alive while Eurydice is dead. Sylvia is so distressed at both failing to revive her and having to deliver the bad news that she exiles herself.

** When Persephone thanks Hades for giving Orpheus a chance, he reminds her to focus on their marriage bed instead of aboveground stuff like the sun.

* TearJerker: The news of Eurydice's death is devastating to every party involved, especially Orpheus, and Sylvia is so distressed at both failing to revive her and having to deliver the bad news that she exiles herself.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: When opera was first emerging in the early 17th century, at the beginning of the Baroque period, recitative was revolutionary for being able to translate human speech (and human emotion) naturally into music. By the end of the Baroque period, recitative was mainly used to quickly cover large blocks of dialogue between arias. Operas like ''L Orfeo'' can sound odd to the modern ear because they're from the brief period before recitative became so common it was relegated to getting the boring stuff out of the way.