This musical comedy based on an opera by Jaques Offenbach incorporates a twist on the classic Greek myth: Orpheus, a music teacher at a girls’ school in the ancient Greek city of Thebes, actually does not miss his wife Eurydice that much – until the gods and Offenbach himself pressure him to retrieve her from Hades. 

The filmic version of the classic opera presents a feast of beautiful voices, theatrical staging and spectacular costumes. One of DEFA’s last wide-screen (70 mm) films, this opulent production had a budget of 4 million marks and was shot in ORWO color with Dolby stereo sound.