This edition was prepared by Willem Verkaik — free to download, print, rehearse and perform.
A dialogue between Charon and Orpheus
Staff Notation • Secular, Arias
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A dialogue between Charon and Orpheus by Henry Purcell — Lyrics
(Orpheus) Haste, haste gentle Charon haste, I prithee come,
And waft me to the blest Elysium,
Through whose cool shade with wand'ring souls I'll flee
Till I have found the fair Eurydice.
Sure he's asleep and hears me not,
So ho!
Awake dull man, awake!
thou dost not know
The pains that parted lovers undergo.
(Charon) What voice is this I hear?
no mortal dare
Invade these gloomy regions of despair,
Where sullen clouds have chas'd away the light,
And drawn dark curtains of eternal night.
And winged Mercury perhaps may bring
Some message to the great infernal King.
Speak, who art thou?
(Orpheus) I prithee come and see,
'Tis Orpheus calls.
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About A dialogue between Charon and Orpheus
From the English secular tradition, Henry Purcell's A dialogue between Charon and Orpheus is written for two low voices. The text depicts a dramatic encounter between the legendary musician Orpheus and the ferryman of the dead. Orpheus, desperate to find his lost love Eurydice, implores Charon to ferry him across the river to the underworld. Charon, initially dismissive of this mortal intrusion into his domain, is eventually persuaded by Orpheus's plea. The music would have been composed to accompany this vivid mythological scene, offering a compelling dramatic moment for two soloists.
