Eurydice's Cave Song

The myth of Eurydice and Orpheus has haunted me since I was a child. It is not only the story of the genius musician, his tragic loss of love and mysterious journey to the underworld that has inspired me, but as I started further research into the myth finding out about the pederasty relationship Orpheus had, pederasty’s prominence in ancient Greek culture and the gender and sexual fluidity found in the culture of ancient Greece. These aspects have long been painted out of the mainstream telling of these stories (such as in the two famous Orpheus operas by Gluck and Monteverdi) and have put Greek myth behind a rose coloured glasses interpretation, removing queer and gender fluid stories, but also white washing them of the sexual violence and power these “heros” had over others, often women and children. 

In my works that explore the Orpheus story, and other myths, I try to reevaluate these stories and to try and show the humanity of these characters. And to also show that one crucial foundations of western thought, that is ancient Greece, was more queer and gender fluid, yet also mysoginistic and feudal then we have been taught to believe.

This work takes many key themes from my 2019 dance-opera, Orpheus, and depicts the journey of Euryrice, and her song, as she follows Orpheus through the caves of the underworld to only die a second death when he finally turns back to look at her.

The parts can be played by solo musician, or distributed evenly across larger sections.