It's not too surprising that the myth of Orpheus, whose music has the power to charm all living things, has been extremely popular with composers. Of course, there's the Gluck opera Orfeo ed Euridice. Then, there's Offenbach's opéra bouffon, Orpheus in the Underworld. There is even Jazz Impressions of Black Orpheus by the Vince Guaraldi Trio.
And now, Chicago Opera Theater will present a new, truly aquatic version of Orpheus and Euridice, a song cycle by Ricky Ian Gordon.
Set in and around a public swimming pool that represents the River Styx, COT will present four free performances of this myth's latest update at Eckhart Park on November 1, 3, 8 and 10.
In Gordon's decidedly modern retelling, Orpheus plays the clarinet--instead of the lyre. He's portrayed by clarinetist Todd Palmer, Euridice by soprano Valerie Vinzant. And incidental music is provided courtesy of the Metropolis String Quartet and pianist Stephen Hargreaves.
Most importantly, though, Palmer's Orpheus will glide across the Eckhart pool in a boat on his tragic quest to bring Euridice back from the underworld. COT's production includes a total of eight players, some of whom jump or slide into the pool during the performance. Others will swim alongside, guiding the vessel that holds the two star-crossed lovers.
The idea for Gordon's song cycle was born after Palmer asked the composer to write a piece for him back in the mid-1990s. As Gordon told the Chicago Tribune's John von Rhein, af first, he didn't realize why he was attracted to this story.
But in 1996, the composer's partner, Jeffrey Grossi, died of complications from AIDS.
"That was a case where I had a story I needed to tell. And suddenly the myth arose within me," Gordon said in this Skype session with COT. "Because I knew the general story of the myth, without all the details, I was able to co-opt it and turn it into my own story, as I needed it."
Ricky Gordon said that he hopes the audience will be moved by what is essentially his own story of lost love: "If they can leave feeling that 'they loved, they lost, but they were richer in the end,' it's worth it to tell your own story. Even the perils of telling the truth about yourself are worth it, when you see other people are both moved and ennobled."
You can hear more of what Gordon has to say at a Chicago Opera Theater "Viewpoints" discussion on November 2, held at DePaul University Concert Hall.
Orpheus and Eurydice was premiered in 2001--on dry land. The poolside staging of Gordon's cycle, care of Long Beach Opera director Andreas Mitisek, came seven years later. (Thankfully, Mitisek is back directing the work's Chicago christening this weekend.)
Water or not, ultimately, Gordon has created an Orpheus for the age of AIDS, in which Euridice suffers from a terrible virus that eventually steals her away. It's a unique, but all too powerful update, indeed.
The Chicago Opera Theater's production of Orpheus and Eurydice is presented in partnership with the Chicago Park District's "Classics in the Parks" series. Admission is free, but tickets are still required.
For more information on this and other COT engagements, visit chicagooperatheater.org.
