— The New York Times
Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl’s riveting new opera, Eurydice will be presented in its world premiere February 1-23 at LA Opera. Co-commissioned by LA Opera and The Metropolitan Opera, the premiere production is directed by Mary Zimmerman and conducted by the composer.
Tragically killed on her wedding day, a young bride descends into the underworld, where she reconnects with her adoring father. Presented with the opportunity to return to her husband in the world of the living, she must choose between the two men she loves. Eurydice reimagines the ancient mythology for a modern age unfolding the tale from the heroine's point of view.
Matthew Aucoin has long been fascinated with Orpheus and what motivated his fateful decision. (An earlier influence can be heard in The Orphic Moment, for countertenor and ensemble). Upon discovering Sarah Ruhl’s groundbreaking play Eurydice (2003), Aucoin became inspired to explore the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice on a truly operatic scale. Sarah Ruhl has created a libretto that both adapts and expands upon her play, and the result of their collaboration is a striking presentation of ancient mythology through a contemporary lens.
Surrounding the premiere (January through March 2020), LA Opera presents its Eurydice Found Festival, featuring a wide variety of performances, conversations, and exclusive happenings and social events. Inspired by the world premiere of Eurydice, artists and scholars across the Los Angeles area will upend the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, leading to new understandings of its enduring hold on humanity.
Eurydice is the first thing I’ve done that I’m uncomplicatedly excited for. Engaging with Sarah’s sensibility has unlocked other elements of my musical personality… Great myths reveal something that is in our psyches. They need to be reimagined, reclothed, redrawn with every generation.
— Matthew Aucoin, The Boston Globe
Read more about the opera and view the score on our website, and learn more about the cast and creative team via LA Opera.
For more information please contact, Peggy Monastra: marcos.cuevas@schirmer.com
Courtesy of LA Opera
