ORPHEUS and EURYDICE opera

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aukepalmhof
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Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

ORPHEUS and EURYDICE opera

Post by aukepalmhof » Tue Jun 06, 2017 11:18 pm

For the 200th Anniversary of the Royal Theatre in Sweden two stamps were issued.
The 1Kr stamp shows us an act from the opera Orpheus and Eurydice by Christopher Gluck with in the background of the stamp as theatre decor a rowing boat of which I have not any information.

The following comes from Watercraft Philately July-August 1973 page 3.

The building date of this ferryboat is lost in the mist of mythology, along with actual ownership, and port of registration. Noting is known of its particulars except that it was an open boat of very light construction propelled by means of a pole. It is recorded that the boat groaned under the weight of the Roman hero Aeneas on a rare occasion when it carried a human cargo. The ferryboat was operated by the mythological Charon who carried the souls of the dead across the river Styx.
The stamp design is taken from the oil painting “Orpheus” by Pehr Hillestrom (1733-1816) which hangs in the foyer of the Royal Opera in Stockholm. It depicts a scene from Gluk’s opera “Orfeus and Eurydice” in which Orfeus leads his beloved Eurydice from the realms of death whence he has won her a new life by the overpowering music of his lyre. Charon’s ferryboat with its ghostly passengers is shown in the background. (W.A.C.)
Ref. Bulfinch’s “Mythology” “Orfeus and Eurydice”, opera by Gluck.

Sweden 1973 1kr. Sg?, scott 993

More info on the opera is given by:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orfeo_ed_Euridice
Attachments
Image (24).jpg
scene of orpheus.jpg

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