A short synopsis of the Orpheus legend, particularly as conceived by the composer Gluck, is in order.

Orpheus, supreme musician and poet, is bereft at the death of his wife, Eurydice. His grief is so great that he defies Hell itself to regain her (one must remember that in Greek antiquity all of the dead go to Hades, the underworld, through which flows the river Styx). Orpheus enters Hades at the risk of his own life. He overwhelms the powers of Hell by the eloquence of his songs and is awarded Eurydice. But there is one condition: on his journey back to earth, he must precede her and never look back, lest she be taken from him forever. On the journey, Eurydice’s pleas are so fervent that Orpheus defies the edict and looks back on his wife, who dies once again. His eulogy over her body is so moving that the God of Love descends as deus ex machina and rewards Orpheus’ fidelity with the revivified Eurydice.

The countryside near Thebes. On one side is the cottage of Aristée, a beekeeper. On the other side is the cottage of Orphée, director of the Thebes male-voice choral society.

Shepherds and Shepherdesses are returning home through the cornfields with their sheep. Members of the Town Council congratulate themselves on their expertise in caring for the populace.

L’Opinion Publique appears and explains her part in the proceedings; she will replace the traditional Greek chorus, but in addition to interpreting the action, she will also be a participant.

Eurydice, wife of Orphée, is in love with Aristée. As she is decorating the beekeeper’s doorway with cornflowers, Orphée mistakes her for a nymph he has been seeing. When he recognizes his own wife, he berates her for infidelity. Eurydice is quick with rejoinders. The enraged Orphée inflicts his latest concerto on her; she is revolted, and they separate, Orphée uttering oaths to set deadly traps in the cornfield for his rival.

Aristée arrives in the midst of a bucolic celebration. He confides to the audience that he is not what he appears to be. Eurydice rushes in to warn him about the traps in the fields. He gaily gambols amidst the corn, followed by Eurydice. She is bitten by a deadly snake, set in one of the traps, and dies. Aristée reveals his true person; he is Pluton, God of Hades. He revives the dead Eurydice for a moment so she can write a trite farewell note to Orphée, after which Pluton carries her off to Hell.

Orphée returns and is overjoyed when he learns of his wife’s death. L’Opinion Publique is near at hand; Orphée, fearful of losing his good reputation, is forced to go to Olympus to lodge a complaint with Jupiter. He must demand the return of his wife “for the edification of posterity.”

Mount Olympus. The gods, humming peacefully, are asleep in the clouds. Cupidon, Vénus and Mars return from their secret jaunts to Cythera to join their sleeping brothers and sisters. Morphée sprinkles poppy dust on his sleeping colleagues, but he and Night are driven away by the morning hours, led by Aurore, the Sun.

A distant fanfare awakens the gods and announces the return of Diane, the Huntress. She is furious at the loss of her beloved Actaeon, whom Jupiter has changed into a deer to save Diane’s reputation. Diane is joined by the shrewish Junon, Jupiter’s wife, quickly followed by Vénus and Cupidon in upbraiding Jupiter, whose reputation in sexual matters is hardly godlike. Mercure joins them with the information that Pluton has kidnapped a married earthling and taken her to Hell. Jupiter’s messenger is interrupted by Pluton himself, escorted by little imps. Jupiter takes him to task; indeed, the king of the gods has an uncanny knowledge of Pluton’s comings and goings. Fortunately for Pluton, the other gods have organized a protest march and are on the verge of mutiny against Jupiter, who is reminded of his infidelities with Alkmene, Europe, Danae and Léda.

Mercure ushers in an unexpected guest, Orphée. L’Opinion Publique takes her place at the musician’s side. Orphée (as was planned) begs Jupiter to return Eurydice and accuses the kidnapper, Pluton. Jupiter, who senses another conquest in Eurydice, develops a scheme of his own: he will go to Hell in person to investigate the affair. The other gods gaily decide to accompany him. Only Pluton and Orphée are disgusted by the new turn of events.

Scene 1: Hades. In Pluton’s study, Eurydice is bored (to death?) after two days of imprisonment in the company of a boorish butler, John Styx. It seems that on earth John was the mighty King of Boeotia. Due to his prowess in languages, Pluton has made John the English butler. He cannot conceal his tender feelings for his voluptuous prisoner. His advances are interrupted by the arrival of the gods: as ordered by Pluton, Eurydice is locked away. Jupiter is anxious to meet the fair Eurydice but is foiled at every turn by Pluton. In a desperate last effort, Jupiter calls upon three judges of Hell, Minos, Eaqué and Rhadamanté, who question Cerbère, the doorkeeper of Hell. Jupiter realizes that they are all in Pluton’s pay and disperses them with a lightning bolt. Cupidon brings in a band of policemen and with their help finds the whereabouts of Eurydice. Unfortunately, the door is locked; Jupiter is changed into a fly and enters through the keyhole. Eurydice is charmed by her new companion and showers him with kisses. Jupiter reveals his true self and promises to take her to Olympus. They plan to escape during a party Pluton is giving for the gods. He rushes in, looking for Eurydice and the Jupiter-fly, but is carried off by a swarm of flies.

Scene 2: Pluton’s party on the banks of the river Styx. The party is at its height, and the gods are having a marvelous time. Jupiter and Eurydice have planned to escape during the Can-Can, but Pluton blocks their way. Another quarrel breaks out, and Pluton reminds Jupiter that he had pledged himself to return Eurydice to her husband. (Pluton, by this time, has found Eurydice to be a shrew and longs to get rid of her.)

Orphée arrives and is joined by L’Opinion Publique. Jupiter announces the condition for Eurydice’s return. Orphée must lead Eurydice out of Hell but never look back at her. Jupiter panics when he realizes that our hero is not about to look back. He cheats and kicks Orphée’s behind. Startled, Orphée looks back, and Eurydice vanishes. In the confusion, Jupiter consigns the faithless wife to Bacchus; Orphée is left free to enrich the world with his lyric poetry, and the gods can return to Olympus to recover from their hangovers.