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Hadestown - Orpheus & Eurydice as a Depression-era Folk Opera

UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIREBUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
edited December 2010 in Social Entropy++
According to music review aggregator AnyDecentMusic.com, the best album of 2010 was not made by Kanye West, but by Anaïs Mitchell.

As far as concept albums go, this one is out there - the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice retold as a folk opera set in the Great Depression. While Anaïs Mitchell's name is above the title, it's an all-star cast including Justin Vernon of Bon Iver (Orpheus), Ani DiFranco (Persephone), Greg Brown (Hades), and Tanya, Petra, and Rachel Haden (The Fates). Mitchell herself sings the part of Eurydice.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mcZPTp-F0nE

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtdLl05UcRU

Seriously, give it a listen. While hardly underrated, this album has been surprisingly overlooked considering the universal acclaim it's received from critics.

UnbrokenEva on

Posts

  • Baroque And RollBaroque And Roll Every spark of friendship and love Will die without a homeRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Makes me think of Forgive Durden's Razia's Shadow back in 2008 in the concept of using different artists as different characters.

    Baroque And Roll on
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  • Randall_FlaggRandall_Flagg Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    oh hey you know what concept album came out in 2010 that I forgot to listen to? That one about the life of Charlemagne that had Christopher Lee sing the part of Charlemagne

    was that one any good

    Randall_Flagg on
  • Randall_FlaggRandall_Flagg Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    also I saw a play this year called "Eurydice" and it was like the Orpheus story told from the perspective of Eurydice only it wasn't a very good play :/

    Randall_Flagg on
  • redheadredhead Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    listening to this now

    first track already has me liking it a whole bunch

    redhead on
  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I thought music threads made larlar cry

    edit man this first track is good stuff

    Brolo on
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  • Randall_FlaggRandall_Flagg Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    wow, these songs are really good

    Randall_Flagg on
  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I would give this a listen but I am listening to the 2009 concept album Act II: The Father of Death

    AMP'd on
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  • ArtreusArtreus I'm a wizard And that looks fucked upRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    AMP'd that is good and all but you should listen to this.

    It is also quite good and I'm sure you've listened to that one roughly one billion times.

    Artreus on
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  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    see that's the thing

    today I realized that I have not listened to it one billion times

    now I am rectifying that

    the good news is I have a lot of time to listen to music on my hands

    AMP'd on
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  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    AMP'd wrote: »
    see that's the thing

    today I realized that I have not listened to it one billion times

    now I am rectifying that

    the good news is I have a lot of time to listen to music on my hands

    kissing you

    Antimatter on
  • ArtreusArtreus I'm a wizard And that looks fucked upRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Then listen to this

    Artreus on
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  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    in good time, geez

    AMP'd on
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  • redheadredhead Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    k still listening, now reading the lyrics as i listen to make sure i catch as much as possible

    can already tell i'm gonna end up loving this and making all my friends listen to it. so thank you for turning me on to this.

    redhead on
  • ArtreusArtreus I'm a wizard And that looks fucked upRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    right now

    Artreus on
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  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I wonder where on the hipster scale this will put me

    Brolo on
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  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Rolo wrote: »
    I wonder where on the hipster scale this will put me
    nowhere because everyone knows that musical retellings of myths are classy

    using the depression era only increases its class

    Antimatter on
  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    everywhere so long as you pronounce bon iver's name correctly

    AMP'd on
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  • AntimatterAntimatter Devo Was Right Gates of SteelRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    bawn eye-ver

    Antimatter on
  • UnbrokenEvaUnbrokenEva HIGH ON THE WIRE BUT I WON'T TRIP ITRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    If you have a chance, listen to When The Chips Are Down with headphones on - the Haden Triplets are neat to listen to in stereo.

    Amp'd - I actually found out about this album through one of the Protomen threads, so I can't begrudge you that.

    UnbrokenEva on
  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Antimatter wrote: »
    bawn eye-ver

    no, pronounce it like the french bon hiver

    it even annoys me

    AMP'd on
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  • redheadredhead Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    in case anyone else wants to read along

    http://www.anaismitchell.com/hadestown/libretto.html

    redhead on
  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    okay I've started listening

    it's good

    one has to wonder why ancient greek stuff ends up set in the great depression, with folk music

    AMP'd on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • redheadredhead Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    AMP'd wrote: »
    okay I've started listening

    it's good

    one has to wonder why ancient greek stuff ends up set in the great depression, with folk music

    not if they get away with it, one doesn't

    redhead on
  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    I'm not saying it's a bad thing

    I'm just saying that between this and o brother

    why is it such a trend

    AMP'd on
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  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    wow there is really no arguing with that best of 2010 roundup

    those are some solid albums

    AMP'd on
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  • BroloBrolo Broseidon Lord of the BroceanRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Not sure if I really like the new Kanye album.

    I appreciate the production, but I miss his older tunes.

    Also I wish Joanna Newsom hired someone else to sing her songs for her.

    Brolo on
    Hey Satan!
  • QuetziQuetzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited December 2010
    This is pretty much one of my favorite things.

    I've been in love with it since like March.

    Quetzi on
  • QuetziQuetzi Here we may reign secure, and in my choice, To reign is worth ambition though in HellRegistered User, Moderator mod
    edited December 2010
    Randall_Flagg wrote: »
    also I saw a play this year called "Eurydice" and it was like the Orpheus story told from the perspective of Eurydice only it wasn't a very good play :/

    The Sarah Ruhl play?

    I've done from scenework from that, I liked what I've read of it.

    Quetzi on
  • Clint EastwoodClint Eastwood My baby's in there someplace She crawled right inRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Actually the best album of 2010 was Sir Lucious Left Foot but thanks for playing.

    Clint Eastwood on
  • AMP'dAMP'd Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Clint Eastwood wrote: »
    Actually the best album of 2010 was Sir Lucious Left Foot but thanks for playing.

    not a bad opinion

    AMP'd on
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
  • Randall_FlaggRandall_Flagg Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    Straightzi wrote: »
    Randall_Flagg wrote: »
    also I saw a play this year called "Eurydice" and it was like the Orpheus story told from the perspective of Eurydice only it wasn't a very good play :/

    The Sarah Ruhl play?

    I've done from scenework from that, I liked what I've read of it.

    yeah

    I dunno, I certainly appreciated what she was attempting to do, I just wasn't really satisfied with her execution

    Randall_Flagg on
  • MrMonroeMrMonroe passed out on the floor nowRegistered User regular
    edited December 2010
    wow

    this is great

    MrMonroe on
    STEAM ID
  • NeoTomaNeoToma Registered User regular
    edited December 2010
    MrMonroe wrote: »
    wow

    this is great

    I know I been listening to it on repeat for like the last 2 hours or so.

    NeoToma on
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