Descending Into Love and Loss with Lyster Opera

Lyster Opera marks its tenth anniversary with a moving regional tour of Gluck’s Orphée et Eurydice, bringing noble simplicity, emotional power, and operatic excellence to audiences across Victoria.

When Christoph Willibald Gluck premiered Orphée et Eurydice in Vienna in 1762, he was quietly rewriting the rules of opera. Gone were the ornate excesses and convoluted subplots of opera seria. In their place came clarity, emotional truth and what Gluck famously described as “noble simplicity”. More than 250 years later, that reforming spirit finds fresh resonance in Lyster Opera’s 2026 production of this timeless work, touring regional Victoria in a celebration of both myth and accessibility.

Marking the company’s tenth anniversary, Orpheus and Eurydice is a fitting choice. The opera tells one of mythology’s most enduring stories: the poet Orpheus, devastated by the death of his beloved Eurydice, descends into the underworld to bring her back to life. He is granted permission on one condition only: he must not look at her until they have returned to the world above. What follows is a journey through terror, temptation and hope, culminating in one of opera’s most devastating and transcendent finales.

Opera by Christoph Willibald Gluck
Orpheus & Eurydice Lyster Opera Regional Tour

7 February 2026 at 2:00 pm – Rye Civic Hall, Rye Public Hall Reserve, Rye
14 February 2026 at 2:00pm – Platform Arts Geelong, 60 Little Malop St, Geelong
21 February 2026 at 2:00pm – Milawa Hall, 181 Milawa-Bobinawarrah Rd, Milawa
28 February at 2:00pm – Phee Broadway Theatre, Castlemaine, 212 Barker St, Castlemaine
14 March 2026 at 2:00pm – Creswick Town Hall, 70 Albert St, Creswick
28 March at 2:00pm – Irene Mitchell Studio, South Yarra, 44 St Martins Ln, South Yarra

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For director Jamie Moffat, the emotional stakes of the story are what continue to make it compelling. “Ultimately this story needs chemistry,” he says. “There needs to be that connection on stage so you really believe it. Particularly this story, she’s begging him to look at her and of course he’s not allowed to. It’s heartbreaking and tragic and beautiful.” It is, he admits, impossible to stage truthfully without stirring emotion. “I would be lying if these actors didn’t evoke a few tears in those moments.”

Lyster Opera’s production is sung in French, with English subtitles, and features musical direction by Pamela Christie, sets by Blair Parkinson and costumes by Maddy Connellan. Gluck’s luminous score remains central, moving effortlessly between the ferocity of the Furies, the serenity of Elysium and the aching vulnerability of Orpheus himself. While the opera is often associated with a mezzo-soprano Orpheus, this production embraces its later Parisian incarnation for tenor.

“I don’t know why he wrote it for a mezzo-soprano originally, he just did,” Moffat laughs. “But he rewrote it in Paris for a tenor, and it just happened that I had two tenors, Hew Wagner and Paul Biencourt, who are absolutely marvellous in this role. I’m thrilled with the talent we have for this production.” That casting flexibility speaks to Gluck’s own pragmatism and to Lyster Opera’s commitment to serving both music and drama above tradition for tradition’s sake.

Founded in the spirit of its namesake, William Saurin Lyster, the Irish-born impresario who toured opera across colonial Australia in the nineteenth century, Lyster Opera has built its reputation on bringing high-quality opera to audiences beyond major metropolitan centres. This touring production continues that legacy with performances across Victoria, including Rye, Geelong, Milawa, Castlemaine, Creswick and Melbourne’s Irene Mitchell Studio.

“This is our first foray into Geelong,” says Moffat. “Our company frequents regional Victoria, and we want to give back to those towns that don’t often get entertainment, or opera. If we get to open up an audience member to the world of opera and maybe spark a love for the genre, then that’s the dream.” It is an ethos that mirrors William Lyster’s original mission, democratizing opera and meeting audiences where they are.

While Orpheus and Eurydice is undeniably tragic, Moffat is keen to highlight its tonal complexity. “It’s kind of tongue in cheek in places,” he explains, “but it really does build up to this intensely emotional finale.” That balance between lightness and gravity is part of Gluck’s genius and a reminder that opera, at its best, reflects the full spectrum of human feeling.

 

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As Lyster Opera celebrates a decade of storytelling, this production stands as both a tribute to operatic history and a statement of intent for the future. With its pared-back beauty, emotional immediacy and regional reach, Orpheus and Eurydice offers audiences the chance to experience opera not as an untouchable art form, but as a living, breathing expression of love, loss and hope.

In Orpheus’s descent and ascent, Lyster Opera invites audiences to follow, to feel deeply, and to rediscover why this “reform” opera remains one of the most influential and beloved works in the repertoire.

Book your tickets to see Orpheus and Eurydice by Lyster Opera here.