your video made me listen to Hadestown in the first place, thank you so much for introducing me to it, it's been one of those rare pieces of media that keeps on giving.
I saw Anais play Why We Build The Wall with a single guitar while opening for Ani Difranco in 2005. My parents turned to me and said, "Kid, pay attention, this is the most important folk song you'll ever hear."
Had to be 2006. I saw her in June 2005, before she was introduced to Ani. And again in February 2006, on the fateful night in Buffalo in a small, storied, bohemian dive bar / music club, where Ani was there to hear her. And the rest, as they say, is history.
My husband and I saw Hadestown about a week before Broadway shut down. He’s from NOLA, so he noticed so many more details in the set-like the Pontalba-style designs-and in the costuming-like how the Fates cover their hair with head scarves, which in New Orleans would’ve marked their status as free Black women. It’s an amazing show, and the chills I get just by listening to it in the car are multiplied by a thousand when you’re in the theater. (Also, my friend works for a Broadway marketing company, and his coworker is the hand holding the rose on the album cover.)
This rings “my sister’s cousin’s step-mother’s best friend from 3rd grade’s dog sitter is totes dated the lead” vibes. Not being a jerk, just silly 😂 Being the model for art that will forever touch the world is seriously an incredible gift !
Wow, I've known this story since I was a kid, and I've never thought it was about hubris. It never even occurred to me. Orpheus's petition to Hades had no pride in it, only sorrow and desperation. I never saw it as a challenge or saw it written about as a challenge. Now, Arachne's story is all about hubris, because she was prideful and boasted. But Orpheus didn't boast about being a great musician - it was something said _about_ him, not a title he claimed for himself.
There are different tellings and variations of the myth, usually to be used to serve another message. Like the story of Medusa, Hades and Persephone, etc
Yup, and he also doesn't fail because of some moral failing on his part in the old versions and isn't exactly punished for what he tried to do. The story of Sisyphus is about the hubris of thinking he could avoid death and live for ever and he was punished for it by having to push a rock up a hill for eternity. Orpheus on the other hand does it all to bring the love of his life back to life. A relatable motive, but it's asking for the impossible, and that's why he fails. The message of the story there is, that no matter how much you miss your dead loved ones, you can't bring them back, any attempt is doomed to fail, even if you go into the underworld itself for it. It gives some comfort in knowing that you're not alone in your grief, that many like Orpheus have felt that way before, and that's normal. It's just the way life is. I always loved the story because it's just plain brutally honest. From my memory I think this one (and maybe the story of Prometheus from the same book) may have been one of the first I ever heard that wouldn't insist that everything will always turn out with a happy ending, that you can achieve anything you set your mind to, etc. Even back then as a child I could understand that's not really how life works and I was really glad to see a story that acknowledges that.
I feel like it really depends on the particular portrayal of the myth. Some versions seem to make it more about pride...not usually hubris, but that Orpheus' belief in his talents is so strong that it almost seems boastful. I've never really seen it shown as Orpheus challenging Hades, though I've seen it as Hades presenting a challenge to Orpheus before. Usually, it's that Orpheus must make Hades weep to earn the chance to get Eurydice back, or something similar, though sometimes it's just that Persephone is the one moved by the tale and tells him to let them go, or any number of variants, before Hades proposes that Orpheus must lead her out without looking. That said, most interpretations I've seen don't have the ending portrayed as Orpheus losing faith in his bargain with Hades, but are even more tragic because they are the inevitable hand of Fate at play. Eurydice's fate was to die, and that couldn't truly be undone, so in the versions I've always read, it was that he stepped out of the Underworld and turned back to offer a hand to help her out of the cavern, but because *both* of them weren't out of the Underworld, he lost her to death once more. I've also never seen a version that *didn't* have him torn limb-from-limb by rampaging Maenads who were angry that the musician wouldn't play for them, but that's another story. Also, it strikes me as weird considering that hubris is normally the purview of humanity, and most often Orpheus is a minor demigod or even perhaps a minor god (his mother is almost always one of the Muses, typically Calliope, and in some versions his father is Apollo), and thus shouldn't fall under the trope.
The only hubris I could think of was him doubting a gods word. By turning out of fear that he’d been tricked because he couldn’t hear her steps behind him he basically called the god a liar. And if a god is a lying what is the point of checking will you go to him and force him to honor the agreement? Do you believe yourself to have the power to call a god a liar to his face.
@@SirConto The story that for me was Echo and Narcissus. From the first time I read it (when I was 8), I understood it completely. At one point I included it in my storytelling shows, but it was emotionally draining for me.
I like how you made a point of Hadestown's Orpheus not having the "fatal flaw" of hubris, but rather of doubt. With him it's "Why would he let me win?" instead of "I can beat him".
One of the most brilliant aspects of Hadestown is its cyclical nature and the hope accompanied with it. The idea that we tell a story knowing how it ends with the hope it might turn out differently one day is so poignant, and inspirational.
An extra thing about the Play: Why Orfeus fails at changing the world he does fix, or helps fix Hades and Persephone's relationship thus making stations come back and at least winning time. He does make a difference even in defeat.
He also helped inspire some revolution in Hadestown. He helped people realise that building a wall to protect building the wall was not freedom and they were being used by Hades, who had all of the real power.
16:50 mentioned how hes king of oil and coal, theres also an example in chant where hades says "Then I kept that furnace fed With the fossils of the dead"
I'll never forget seeing the original Broadway cast (in large part after getting obsessed with the concept album thanks to this very channel) and the audible gasp when Orpheus turns. Then the pin-drop-silence when Andre de Shield's stepped up and started singing "...it's an oooold song." Absolute masterpiece.
I recall seeing a video on Hadestown a while back, I don't remember who it was by, but the end of that video stuck with me. Not only are they telling his story because it deserves to be told, but also with the hope that one day, the ending may be different. I think both that view and yours work pretty well together. Edit: I went and found that video again, it was Schaffrillas Productions who made it.
Hadestown is definitely the best inventive musical ever written. The fact that it combined Greek Mythology with New Orleans Jazz & Blues and set it in the Great Depression is a stroke of genius. Awesome Video! 👏👏👏👏
our school’s drama club had gotten tickets to the broadway production back in March, and we were supposed to see it in April. it’s probably my favorite musical, but because of covid the trip was canceled. it sucks, but maybe at some point i’ll be able to see it.
@@kgrimes4934 Dude, listen to this; is a couple of spaniards that makes songs and videos about the Gods ( put subs and laugh) ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-o2W3jfvZU4w.html
I disagree with sad songs giving you hope. Emotions are important to us and need to be recognized and felt deeply. Sad songs allow us to feel sadness through music, which can and should be an emotional experience. Like grieving allows us to move on from death, sadness allows us to move on from the thing that caused the sadness in the first place.
I've only listened to the Broadway cast, and it's very quickly become one of my top 3 favourite musicals. After this, I'm definitely going to listen to the original albums!
I also highly recommend checking out the Off Broadway recording from NYTW! It's a live recording so it has amazing energy, and the characterizations of both Orpheus and Hermes are quite different from the Broadway version (though in my opinion just as interesting if not more!)
What I really love about your videos is that it provides a path to understand music that one may not naturally "get", no better gift could be given to artists or people wanting to expand their ability to experience different music. Thank you.
I discovered Hadestown this past summer and truly fell in love with the Broadway cast album. Thank you so very much for shedding a light on this masterpiece.
@@BariumCobaltNitrog3n language is not a rigid game overseen by a referee; english is a hodgepodge of words borrowed from five other languages, with new ones invented and hoping to join the common parlance whenever it catches someone's whimsy. A single mild grammatical mistake that doesn't entirely obscure his message isn't a grand sweeping mistake worthy of such patronizing scorn, my dude. It's youtube. Deep breaths, bruh, the very structure of the english language will survive, it's lasted through much harsher storms than this single grammatical error in a video essay.
Personally prefer Anaïs Mitchell's studio album, as it features Justin Vernon and Ani DiFranco, among many others, but the cast recordings are definitely worthy of being checked out since some extra songs were written to fill it out story-wise for the stage!
A lot of great musicians are featured in the album, and the arrangements are so cool, but the musical has some veracity to it that I sometimes find overwhelming Edit: I really dig Hadestown, in case it wasn't clear
I wept hearing the concept album in 2010. I wept sitting with my wife in the front row at the National Theatre before it went to Broadway. And I wept watching this video. Stunning analysis!
I'm so impressed with how much work and care has gone into this video. Not just visually but also in the analysis itself. Well done and thank you for sharing
Watching this as an Extension English student, and we have a task on discussing old tales and their manifestations and how they reflected flaws in bureaucracy. Watching this video explained everything so perfectly, I have 9 pages of notes sitting in front of me and it's just made me appreciate this musical even more.
I am still amazed at the prescience of “the wall” metaphor. Reminds me of the proto-Nazi slogan that Munich was the “Ordnungszelle” (individual cell of order amongst chaos) of Germany.
this video is literally perfect. it may be dumb but i almost burst into tears while just watching this. from the editing to the analysis itself, this is just amazing!! this video really deserves to blow up
Since seening the musical live back in January I've been absolutely obsessed with this musical. There's so many small beautiful details I didn't know or notice with the first viewing and listening to the performance.
So I went to go see Hades town just this year on Broadway and I got a sweater and a T-shirt and I knew the tail. I knew how it was gonna end but I still cried when you goes back to the underworld just because it was so heartwarming and like breathtaking to watch that show the music is absolutely awesome. Yes, the tale is tragic but oh my God such a great musical.
Excellent presentation. Anais heard / received those first lines of Wait For Me on the way home FROM a gig tho ... after a long day , & looking forward to reuniting with her boyfriend ( now husband). Also, in between Canada & Broadway, Hadestown played in London.
One other nod to the circular motion of the show is that it repeats a year to the day - it starts on the first day of spring when Persephone steps off the train, and in Wait for Me (Reprise), Hades says "It's time for spring", and Persephone leaves for the station. Also in Doubt Comes In, Eurydice says "The coldest night of the coldest year comes right before the spring", which is a nod to the first day of spring being about to dawn.
Cracked had an article about the best albums of the year about a decade ago. Hadestown was on there, and it’s one of the albums I listen to most frequently ever since. What a killer album! Bon Iver, Anais Mitchell, Annie Lennox... I love the prohibition flapper vibe, and that sweet sweet ambrosia wine...
My love for documentaries and musicals ( and the new found love for this musical ) chilling amazing ... and then the art is amazing wow ... I watched 2 times in a row
GHOST NOTES: How exciting. I've been a member of Nebula for a long time and never saw that before. Would be great if there way to discuss these things, as Nebula doesn't currently have comments.
I don’t know much about the subject itself to add anything valuable to the discussion but am amazed by your knowledge and by how skilfully and beautifully you managed to present this deep analysis and deep synthesis of so many various topics linked to each other, from past and present.. or precisely find the links that are not obvious for most of people.. And yes it’s so useful to know mythology 😊
This was incredible. I only found out about Hadestown and I already forgot most of the Greek Mythology stories so when I watched it, I thought it was just some beautiful musical and nothing else. Finding your video has expanded my knowledge about it so thank you. This was a great watch and thank you for making me love Hadestown even more! ❤
I saw the premiere was happening :22 and thought "maybe it just didn't refresh, i mean, how long can this video be?" Much longer than I thought! I didn't expect that! Thanks, Polyphonic!
Songs Ranked: 33: Papers (Hades, Hermes, Orpheus) 32: Come Home With Me (Reprise)(Orpheus, Eurydice) 31: Come Home With Me (Orpheus, Eurydice) 30: A Gathering Storm (Hermes, Eurydice, Orpheus, The Fates) 29: Gone, I’m Gone (Eurydice, The Fates) 28: Nothing Changes (The Fates) 27: Way Down Hadestown (Reprise)(Hermes, The Fates, Eurydice) 26: Word to the Wise (The Fates) 25: Road to Hell (Reprise)(Hermes) 24: Livin’ It Up On Top (Persephone, Hermes, Ensemble) 23: Wedding Song (Orpheus, Eurydice) 22: Epic I (Orpheus) 21: Flowers (Eurydice) 20: All I’ve Ever Known (Orpheus, Eurydice) 19: Any Way the Wind Blows (Eurydice, Hermes, The Fates) 18: Epic II (Orpheus) 17: Promises (Eurydice, Orpheus) 16: His Kiss, the Riot (Hades) 15: When the Chips Are Down (Eurydice, The Fates) 14: We Raise Our Cups (Persephone, Eurydice, Ensemble) 13: Hey, Little Songbird (Hades, Eurydice) 12: Doubt Comes In (The Fates, Orpheus, Eurydice) 11: Chant (Reprise)(Whole Cast) 10: Our Lady of the Underground (Persephone) 9: Wait For Me (Reprise)(Orpheus, Eurydice, Hermes, The Fates, Ensemble) 8: Why We Build the Wall (Hades, Ensemble) 7: Way Down Hadestown (Hermes, Persephone, The Fates, Ensemble) 6: If It’s True (Orpheus, Hermes, Ensemble) 5: Road to Hell (Hermes, Ensemble) 4: How Long? (Persephone, Hades) 3: Wait For Me (Hermes, The Fates, Orpheus, Ensemble) 2: Epic III (Orpheus, Ensemble) 1: Chant (Whole Cast)
Fantastic analysis of the play and wonderful background explanation of how it all relates mythology, to mythology, classical themes in story telling and how this play relates to the Orpheus story!! Loved the whole thing❤️🙏🌅🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
I am taking my daughter to see this in about 4 hours. Thank you for this breakdown. I would have been so confused, but I am so excited to see it today. Just my kind of show
the fact that even an analysis can make me shiver and cry even tho I know very well what you were going to talk about, just shows how good of a show hadestown is every time i hear those few lines and lyrics, the ones that mean the most in the show, i just wanna cry it's a work of art and deserves everything in the world
Subscribed! I love your intro and explanation of Greek mythology and it's lessons. I already know I'm going to enjoy this video given how much I love the musical and your graphics are awesome.
Phenomenal video but you missed that the musical had a very successful run at the National Theatre in London before Broadway! I saw the show there with a good friend and it was shatteringly brilliant
This is amazing. Not only because this story/musical takes on current issues, but because the way you build up the story and then throw in the parallels make it impossible to disagree. Also all of your visuals and everything are amazing as well. I've been binging this channel today. So good
Thanks Anais Mitchell for creating this project and thank YOU for making this video. It's one of the best ones related to Hadestown that i've seen. You reminded me why this whole project is so important in my life and why I keep hearing it so many times in so many different versions... Hope. It gives me the pure hope that spring will come again in my life. And I'll begin to sing it again until it comes. :)🌹 1+ Sub ❤️
I came here to say that the music notes on the screen at 20:22 are actually the second half of that phrase. I don't say this as a criticism. I just wanted to flex my music reading skills 😎😂
I've been watching your stuff for years and I always find myself watching videos of yours from genres I have no interest in whatsoever, but again and again you pull me in and help me find beautiful pieces of music and stories in places I would have never seen before. I fucking love Polyphonic...
I got so excited when I saw that you did a hadestown vid This is one of my all time favourite albums Even just hearing the tiny clips of songs in this video gave me chills cause these songs have never over the years worn off on me
You should do a video on The Decemberists "Hazards of Love." It's one of my favourite albums and it's got a similar vibe/idea. It tells a story that'd be perfect for a stageplay.
Noah, you may have re-sparked an interest in stage shows. What other tricks do you have up your album sleeves? "The Story of Hadestown" was quite interesting, thanks.
I can't be the only person watching this after spending the last few weeks playing too much Hades. The Ancient Greek Underworld has been on my mind a lot recently, so this video could not have been better timed. Excited to check out Hadestown.
