On February 24, 1607, in the hall of mirrors of the palace of the Duke of Mantua, an art form which remains very much alive to this day was invented and which for some is considered to be the most complete form of art: the Opera. The craftsman of this innovation was the court composer, Claudio Monteverdi, whose “Orfeo” was the first masterpiece of its genre. Few are the players in history gone by whose lives have been as well documented as that of Monteverdi. What remains of him for us are papers, places and, above all, his music. In a continuous dialog between the music being played by musicians of today and the illustrated narrative of the composer’s life, the film retraces the journey of a man who redefined forever our representations of reality.

 

A film by Philippe Béziat

Coproducers: Camera Lucida Productions (Jean-Stéphane Michaux), Arte France
With the support of Classica, RTBF
International sales: CPB International