Pluto (mythology) authorship of the lyrics that have survived as the "Orphic Hymns", among them a hymn to Pluto. Orpheus's voice and lyre-playing represented a medium of revelation or higher knowledge for the mystery cults. In his central myth, Orpheus visits the underworld in the hope of retrieving his bride, Eurydice, relying on the power of his music to charm the king and queen of Hades. Greek narratives of Orpheus's descent and performance typically name the ruler of the underworld as "Plouton", as for instance in the "Bibliotheca". The myth demonstrates the importance of Pluto "the Rich" as the possessor of a
The Mask of Orpheus The Mask of Orpheus The Mask of Orpheus is an opera with music by Harrison Birtwistle and a libretto by Peter Zinovieff. It was premiered in London at the English National Opera on 21 May 1986 to great critical acclaim. A recorded version conducted by Andrew Davis and Martyn Brabbins has also received good reviews. The work is around three hours long. The structure of the opera's plot is complex. Rather than telling a story by starting at A and going through B to C, "The Mask of Orpheus" explores the Orpheus myth in a number of directions at once,