Eurydice Airs Dec. 4 as the First 2021-2022 Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Eurydice airs Dec. 4 as the first 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast and adds a new opera to Met Opera's Saturday matinee opera broadcast series.

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Eurydice's librettist and playwright Sarah Ruhl (left) with the opera's composer, Matthew Aucoin (center), and the opera's production director, Mary Zimmerman (right); photo credit Richard Termine: LA Opera @LAOpera, via Facebook Dec. 20, 2019

Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice airs Dec. 4 as the first 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast and makes its network broadcast premiere as a new opera in Met Opera's Saturday matinee opera broadcast repertoire.

Eurydice by American composer, conductor and pianist Matthew Aucoin (born April 4, 1990) receives seven performances in the 2021-2022 season. The opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere took place Tuesday, Nov. 23, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Eurydice's second through seventh, closing performances are scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 27, at 1:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 30, at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 4, at 1:00 p.m.; Wednesday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Dec. 11, at 8:00 p.m.; and Thursday, Dec. 16, at 7:00 p.m.

Eurydice is co-produced by the Metropolitan Opera and Los Angeles Opera (LA Opera), the organizations that commissioned it as a new work. Eurydice received its world premiere Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, at LA Opera.

The production is staged under the directorship of Mary Zimmerman. The American theater and opera director had made her Met Opera debut Monday, Sep. 24, 2007, in the opera company's 558th performance of Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Yannick Nézet-Séguin conducts the opera's first four performances, including the Dec. 4, Saturday matinee opera broadcast, and the last two performances. Met Opera's Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Dec. 31, 2009, in the opera company's 946th performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Yannick Nézet-Séguin shares the opera's conductorship with Slovenian composer and conductor Daniela Candillari, who conducts the opera's fifth performance, Wednesday, Dec. 8. Her conductorship of the opera's Dec. 8 performance marks Daniela Candillari's Met Opera debut.

Erin Morley sings the title role of Greek mythology's Eurydice, whose doubt foils her rescue from the underworld by her husband, Orpheus. The American coloratura soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, Feb. 9, 2008, as the First Madrigal in the opera company’s 211th performance of Manon Lescaut by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Joshua Hopkins sings Orpheus, who joins Eurydice and her father as memory-less residents of the underworld after stepping into the river of forgetfulness. He had created the role in the opera's world premiere. The Canadian baritone had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Oct. 28, 2009, as Ping in the opera company’s 271st performance of Puccini’s Turandot.

Jakub Józef Orliński appears as Orpheus's Double, a supernatural alter-ego who etherealizes Orpheus's predicaments, in the opera's first five performances, including the Dec. 4 Saturday matinee opera broadcast. The Polish operatic countertenor made his Met Opera debut in the opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere, Nov. 23.

Jakub Józef Orliński shares the role with John Holiday, who sings Orpheus's Double in the sixth and seventh, closing performances. He had created the role in the opera's world premiere. The American operatic countertenor makes his Met Opera debut in the opera's sixth performance, Dec. 11.

Nathan Berg sings Eurydice's father, who loses his memory by stepping into the river of forgetfulness as an antidote to his lonely despair after having encouraged his daughter to escape the underworld with her husband. The Canadian operatic bass-baritone made his Met Opera debut in the opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere, Nov. 23.

Barry Banks sings Hades, lord of the underworld, whose instruction to Orpheus that his successful rescue of Eurydice from the underworld depends upon his not looking back is easier said than done. He had created the role in the opera's world premiere. The English lyric tenor had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 25, 1996, as Flute in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of A Midsummer Night's Dream by English composer Edward Benjamin Britten, Baron Britten (Nov. 22, 1913-Dec. 4, 1976).

Mary Zimmerman's production team comprises Daniel Ostling, scenic designer; Ana Kuzmanic, costume designer; T.J. Gerckens, lighting designer; S. Katy Tucker, projection designer; Denis Jones, choreographer; and Paul Cremo, dramaturg. Chicago-based, Yugoslavian costume designer Ana Kuzmanic and American choreographer Denis Jones made their Met Opera debuts in Eurydice's Metropolitan Opera premiere, Nov. 23.

American scenic designer Daniel Ostling and American lighting designer T.J. (Timothy J.) Gerckens made their Met Opera debuts Monday, Sep. 24, 2007, alongside their director, in her new production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. American projection designer S. Katy Tucker had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Feb. 6, 2014, in the opera company's 11th performance of Prince Igor by Georgian-Russian Romantic composer Alexander Borodin (Nov. 12, 1833-Feb. 27, 1887). According to his LinkedIn profile, American dramaturg Paul Cremo has been a dramaturg at The Metropolitan Opera since 2007.

The takeaways for Eurydice's airing Dec. 4 as the first 2021-2022 Saturday matinee broadcast are that Eurydice's Saturday matinee broadcast represents the Greek mythology-updated opera's network broadcast premiere; that the opera's co-producers, Met Opera and Los Angeles Opera (LA Opera), commissioned it as a new work; and that Joshua Hopkins (Orpheus), John Holiday (Orpheus's Double) and Barry Banks (Hades) create the roles at Met Opera that they originated in the opera's world premiere at LA Opera in winter 2020.

Joshua Hopkins (Orpheus) and John Holliday (Orpheus's Double) recreate their world premiere roles at Los Angeles Opera for the 2021-2022 season's Metropolitan Opera premiere of Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice; photo credit Cory Weaver / LA Opera: Joshua Hopkins @barihopkins, via Facebook Jan. 31, 2020

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Eurydice's librettist and playwright Sarah Ruhl (left) with the opera's composer, Matthew Aucoin (center), and the opera's production director, Mary Zimmerman (right); photo credit Richard Termine: LA Opera @LAOpera, via Facebook Dec. 20, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/LAOpera/posts/10158193497272638/

Joshua Hopkins (Orpheus) and John Holliday (Orpheus's Double) recreate their world premiere roles at Los Angeles Opera for the 2021-2022 season's Metropolitan Opera premiere of Matthew Aucoin's Eurydice; photo credit Cory Weaver / LA Opera: Joshua Hopkins @barihopkins, via Facebook Jan. 31, 2020, @ https://www.facebook.com/barihopkins/posts/3982182125128830/

For further information:

Cremo, Paul. "Paul Cremo Dramaturg at the Metropolitan Opera." LinkedIn.
Available @ https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-cremo-0806715

“Debut: Erin Morley.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352344 Manon Lescaut {211} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/09/2008.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352344

"Debut: Stephen Costello, Mary Zimmerman, Daniel Ostling, Mara Blumenfeld, T. J. Gerckens, Daniel Pelzig." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 352065 New Production Lucia di Lammermoor {558} Metropolitan Opera House: 09/24/2007. Sirius Broadcast live.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=352065

“Debuts: Andris Nelsons, Lise Lindstrom, Joshua Hopkins, Antonio de Marco, Alexandra Gonzalez.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353144 Turandot {271} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/28/2009.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=353144

"Debuts: Dmitri Tcherniakov, Elena Zaitseva, Itzik Galili, S. Katy Tucker, Sergey Semishkur, Oksana Dyka, Kiri Deonarine, Mikhail Vekua." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 355301 New Production Prince Igor {11} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/06/2014.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355301

“Debuts: Rodney Gilfry, Nick Stahl, Peter Rose, Barry Banks, William Scot Murray, Nicholas Frisch, Benjamin Ungar, Tim Albery, Antony McDonald, Matthew Richardson, Philippe Giraudeau.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 326580 Metropolitan Opera Premiere A Midsummer Night’s Dream {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/25/1996.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=326580

"Debuts: Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Richard Eyre, Rob Howell, Irene Bohan, Elizabeth Caballero, Maria Kowroski, Martin Harvey." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353274 New Production Carmen {946} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/31/2009. Sirius and XM Metropolitan Opera Broadcast New Year's Eve Gala.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=355517

Joshua Hopkins @barihopkins. "Updated their cover photo. Orpheus splits in two when he's feeling god-like in Matthew Aucoin's new opera EURYDICE at LA Opera. I'm so lucky to merge with John Holiday's gorgeous angelic halo of a voice to rescue Eurydice from the depths of the Underworld in this stunning new work! Cory Weaver." Facebook. Jan. 31, 2020.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/barihopkins/posts/3982182125128830/

LA Opera @LAOpera. "Our 'Eurydice' kickoff in New York was a meeting of the minds the gods would approve of. This week, our creative team, Matthew Aucoin, Sarah Ruhl, and Mary Zimmerman, met with our amazing artists to begin rehearsals - the year may be coming to a close, but that doesn't mean we're slowing down anytime soon. Richard Termine." Facebook. Dec. 20, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/LAOpera/posts/10158193497272638/

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2021-2022 Season Has 28 Saturday Matinee Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-operas-2021-2022-season-has-28.html

Matthew Aucoin. "One year ago today, a bunch of beloved colleagues and I brought my opera “Eurydice” to life for the first time at the Los Angeles Opera. . . ." Facebook. Feb. 1, 2021.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/1650863568564615/posts/one-year-ago-today-a-bunch-of-beloved-colleagues-and-i-brought-my-opera-eurydice/2776201969364097/