In 'Eurydice,' Matthew Aucoin and Sarah Ruhl recast opera's foundational myth
Composer, conductor, pianist and MacArthur "genius" Aucoin adapted playwright Ruhl's work, which reinterprets an ancient, archetypal myth from the perspective of its namesake.
The myth of Orpheus and Eurydice has inspired operas from the beginning of the art form, more than 400 years ago. Tonight, the Metropolitan Opera in New York City plays host to a new iteration: Eurydice, based on a 2003 play by Sarah Ruhl. The music is by Matthew Aucoin, who also has a new book about opera being published next month.
Aucoin, 31, is a polymath: the recipient of a MacArthur "genius" grant, he's a pianist, conductor, operaâeven if he finds it an "impossible" art form.
