The premise is certainly an original one: take the story of Orpheus as told by three different composers, in three different centuries, in three different languages, and combine them into a single opera. Conductor Johannes Fritzsch’s bold vision has certainly paid off in this captivating contemporary retelling.

The opening scene draws us into the intimacy of 1950s-style living room, complete with retro wallpaper and a rockabilly, leather-clad cast. At the press of a button on an old-fashioned radio on stage, the orchestra leaps into the overture from Italian opera Orfeo and Euridice (1762) by revolutionary composer Christoph Willibald Gluck.

Underworld: An Operatic Journey to Hell and Back. Photo © Justin Ma

Mezzo-soprano Aylish Ryan, in the lead pants role of Orfeo, captivates from the get-go with her clear, controlled tone – an excellent fit for this late Baroque/early Classical style. Ryan is clearly committed to the storytelling, asserting her presence on the stage and creating an anchor point for other performers to draw from.

Caitlin Weal as Euridice has little time to establish her presence in Act 1 before being carted away to the Underworld, but absolutely shines in Acts 3 and 4 once she is finally granted the space and time on...