The legendary Orpheus is a minstrel in Greek mythology who has the ability to charm with his music all living things, even the most untamed creatures.
The Erato Ensemble is an art-song chamber collective comprising of UBC alumni Stefan Hintersteininger, Christine Lin, Samantha Fu and conductor Kevin Zakresky, as well as current Doctor of Musical Arts student Michael Park, Catherine Laub and William George.
In the ensemble’s upcoming performance, The Songs of Orpheus, they have set to unveil the mysteries of Orpheus -- his musical finesse, his romantic quest and ultimately his death -- by featuring music from various time periods.
“I thought it would make an interesting program to interpret the history of Orphic music by juxtaposing Renaissance and contemporary music to form completely new works,” said George, the artistic director and tenor for the Erato Ensemble.
The performance will begin with works from the Renaissance, the early Baroque and the Classical periods. “First half of the concert follows the arc of the story in a way. It introduces the character and goes into the love story when Orpheus goes to the Underworld to bring Eurydice back,” George said. The ensemble, however, will add a twist by introducing a modern flute solo as an overture to the earlier repertoire.
“We are planning to have the flute played from above the audience. There will be a catwalk in the annex and the flautist will be completely in the dark,” said George.
The second half of the performance, featuring four world premieres, will bring audiences back to the modern age and depict unheard stories about Orpheus. “I paired composers with poets to create something completely new,” said George.
One of the four premiering pieces, Burnaby Mountain Song, “deals with Eurydice because we never hear about what happened to her … it examines something that could happen to Eurydice in modern days … [The lyricist] came up with an idea that Eurydice was protesting against the pipeline in Burnaby Mountain and she died there somehow. Then Eurydice was being called up by all the construction and ecological danger. It was an interesting concept to work with musically,” said George.
Another piece, What the Hound, started off as a comic opera “but ended up being a little darker. It deals with Orpheus going to the Underworld to bring Eurydice back. She doesn't want to go because she has a racket in the Underworld,” said George.
The combination of classical portrayal and contemporary reinterpretation of Orpheus not only reinvigorates tradition but also offer a fresh perspective for its modern-age audiences.
The Songs of Orpheus presented by Erato Ensemble will take place in The Orpheum Annex on March 21 at 8 p.m.