"Possente spirto, e formidabil nume" ("Mighty spirit and formidable god") is a key ariaPryer, Anthony (2007) "Approaching Monteverdi: His culture and ours" in The Cambridge Companion to Monteverdi, p. 12. Cambridge University Press. "A more complex and intriguing interaction can be seen in Monteverdi's aria, 'Possenti Spirto' from his opera ''Orfeo'' (1607)" from Act 3 of

Claudio Monteverdi Claudio Giovanni Antonio Monteverdi (baptized 15 May 1567 – 29 November 1643) was an Italian composer, choirmaster and string player. A composer of both secular and sacred music, and a pioneer in the development of opera, he is considered ...

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a librett ...

'' L'Orfeo'', where

Orpheus Orpheus (; Ancient Greek: Ὀρφεύς, classical pronunciation: ; french: Orphée) is a Thracian bard, legendary musician and prophet in ancient Greek religion. He was also a renowned poet and, according to the legend, travelled with Jaso ...

attempts to persuade

Charon In Greek mythology, Charon or Kharon (; grc, Χάρων) is a psychopomp, the ferryman of Hades, the Greek underworld. He carries the souls of those who have been given funeral rites across the rivers Acheron and Styx, which separate the wo ...

to allow him to pass into

Hades Hades (; grc-gre, ᾍδης, Háidēs; ), in the ancient Greek religion and myth, is the god of the dead and the king of the underworld, with which his name became synonymous. Hades was the eldest son of Cronus and Rhea, although this also ...

and find

Euridice Eurydice (; Ancient Greek: Εὐρυδίκη 'wide justice') was a character in Greek mythology and the Auloniad wife of Orpheus, who tried to bring her back from the dead with his enchanting music. Etymology Several meanings for the name ...

. At the start of the Act, Hope (Speranza, sop.) has guided Orpheus to the banks of the Styx, where, at the sign 'Abandon all hope, ye who enter', she can go no further. Orpheus' way is barred by Charon, who explains that no living body shall enter his boat. Orpheus (tenor) sings that he is no longer living, for, with his wife dead, he himself no longer has a heart (''senza cor''). Charon (bass-baritone) is initially unmoved, but when Orpheus continues singing, and then plays his lyre, Charon is lulled to sleep. Orpheus crosses over the Styx in Charon's boat, singing ''Rendetemi il mio ben, tartarei Numi!'' (Give me back my love, O gods of Tartarus!). The Chorus of Spirits then sing ''Nulla impresa per uom si tenta invano,'' (No enterprise of man is undertaken in vain...) to close the third act. This aria is one of the most important musical documents of early Italian Baroque performance practice. In the original published edition (1607), Monteverdi uniquely includes two separate versions for Orfeo to sing, one simple and one elaborately ornamented. This style of embellishing the otherwise simply notated musical line was presumably expected for much of the music of this time period.

References

*Gordon, Bonnie (2004)
''Monteverdi's Unruly Women: The Power of Song in Early Modern Italy''
p. 157. Cambridge University Press. *Ossi, Massimo (2003)
''Divining the Oracle: Monteverdi's Seconda Prattica''
p. 143 and '' passim''. University of Chicago Press. *Pryer, Anthony (2007
"Approaching Monteverdi: His culture and ours"
in '' The Cambridge Companion to Monteverdi'', pp. 12–14. Cambridge University Press. {{Claudio Monteverdi Compositions by Claudio Monteverdi Tenor arias