Eurydice - Die Liebenden, blind tells the well-known story of Orpheus and Eurydice, but from Eurydice’s perspective. Inspired by the Greek myth and by Rainer Maria Rilke’s Sonnets to Orpheus, Manfred Trojahn takes us, in his poetic and contemporary dramatic poem, on an inevitable journey to the underworld.
Classic myth with a new edge
Trojahn’s modern approach to the centuries-old myth focuses on the encounter between the two lovers. When their eyes meet, the first gentle seeds of love between Orpheus and Eurydice are planted. But their budding love is constantly and rudely disturbed by a third person. When Eurydice dies, Orpheus becomes even more aware of his feelings for her. This realization takes him to the underworld and drives him to make the fundamental decision of spending one last moment with her.
More than ten years after his successful Orest, Manfred Trojahn, one of today’s most important German composers, returns to Dutch National Opera. With a composition marked by a gripping French atmosphere and style, Trojahn reveals the emotional essence of opera as an art form. For this world premiere, Dutch National Opera welcomes back director Pierre Audi, who has brought this well-known myth to our stage before.
Baritone André Schuen and soprano Julia Kleiter make their DNO debut as the mythical couple. As the rulers of the Underworld, we welcome back baritone Thomas Oliemans and mezzo-soprano Katia Ledoux. Celebrated conductor Erik Nielsen, who conducted Kurt Weill’s The Seven Deadly Sins last season, returns to bring Trojahn’s rich score to life with the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra.