Cantata Singers, Roomful of Teeth Premiere new Ruehr works
by David Weininger of the Boston Globe
Roomful of Teeth will premiere Ruehr’s Opera on Nov. 21 at MIT.
…“Cassandra in the Temples” came about in a more roundabout way last year. Henderson, a Mellon postdoctoral researcher at MIT, introduced herself to Ruehr at an MIT composers forum and proposed a collaboration. Ruehr was fascinated by Henderson’s writing, which includes a novel, poetry, and essays. During a series of meetings, they brainstormed an idea for an opera about the mythical figure of Cassandra. They were also intrigued by the idea of a “bodily” opera — one that would be performed a cappella, and danced as well as sung.