In Ghostly Storytelling, Lincoln Opera Evokes Grandeur Of Strauss

Lincoln in the Bardo, an opera by composer Missy Mazzoli and librettist Royce Vavrek, premiered at the Metropolitan Opera on October 19. The production presents a spectral narrative based on George Saunders’ 2017 novel, portraying a liminal realm inhabited by spirits grappling with their deaths. The story centers around Abraham Lincoln’s visit to the tomb of his deceased son Willie, intertwining personal grief with a broader meditation on loss.

The opera, the Met’s first commission from a female composer, employs a large-scale operatic style marked by grand visual effects and an orchestral sound reminiscent of Richard Strauss. Conductor Yannick Nézet-Séguin led the orchestra, which critics particularly praised for its rich, expressive scoring. The production’s direction by Lileana Blain-Cruz integrates atmospheric elements such as dimmed lighting and flickering chandeliers to immerse the audience in the eerie twilight of the bardo, the fictional afterlife setting.

While the work showcases an ambitious soundscape and complex dramatic structure, initial responses highlight some uneven pacing in the first act. The adaptation condenses the novel’s extensive cast of 166 characters into 23, yielding a condensed but intricate theatrical piece. Performers are still acclimating to their demanding roles in this contemporary and unconventional opera.

Peter Mattei delivers a compelling portrayal of Lincoln, effectively conveying the emotional weight of a father mourning a son. Notable casting includes Christine Goerke in a gender-swapped role as a reverend and Anthony Roth Costanzo portraying a teenage girl, which adds an element of vocal and theatrical novelty. Young singer Everett Sobers captures the innocence of Willie Lincoln, though the child’s vocal presence required subtle amplification due to the vast Met auditorium.

The libretto and score diverge from traditional operatic forms, favoring fluid emotional expression over conventional dramatic arcs. Mazzoli’s compositional approach emphasizes vocal lines aligned with the characters’ psychological depth rather than showcasing technical virtuosity. This results in a sound world that supports the opera’s surreal and macabre themes without resorting to predictable emotional cues.

Set designer Adam Rigg created a versatile stage environment to accommodate the opera’s special effects, including pyrotechnics used to depict narrative moments of spiritual transition. While some effects may appear theatrical or even reminiscent of theme-park spectacle, they serve the opera’s exploration of otherworldliness and the boundary between life and death.

The opera delves into 19th-century attitudes toward mortality, acknowledging that early deaths were common and that family structures reflected high child mortality rates. The spirits portrayed in the bardo are not only mourning but also acting out unfulfilled desires, offering a less conventional depiction of the afterlife that aligns with some contemporary ghost theories about souls caught by sudden or premature ends.

Lincoln in the Bardo shares some artistic lineage with John Corigliano’s The Ghosts of Versailles, another opera dealing with supernatural themes and complex narrative layering. Both works challenge audiences with dense, multifaceted scores and narratives, demanding attentive listening to unravel their deeper meanings.

This new opera also illustrates Mazzoli’s growth in orchestration and theatrical storytelling, expanding on her earlier works such as Breaking the Waves and The Listeners. The intricate orchestral textures and dramatic scope suggest a maturation of her compositional voice that could influence future commissions and productions.

For the Metropolitan Opera, commissioning and staging Lincoln in the Bardo represents a continued endeavor to broaden the contemporary operatic repertoire with innovative, boundary-pushing works. Its reception as an audience success mirrors that of recent productions like Mason Bates’ The Amazing Adventure of Kavalier & Clay, signaling a positive response to new American operas.

The opera’s demanding vocal and dramatic requirements mean that its cast and production team will likely continue refining the piece throughout its current run, which extends through November 14. Given the complexity of the score and libretto, future performances may reveal further layers of the work’s emotional and musical depth.

The blending of historical figures with surreal narrative devices and a modern compositional language in Lincoln in the Bardo contributes to ongoing conversations about the evolution of opera as a form capable of addressing contemporary themes through innovative means. This production’s approach to grief, death, and memory stands out in current operatic offerings, potentially influencing how American opera commissions address such subjects.

The premiere marks a significant moment in Mazzoli’s career and the Met’s programming, underscoring a commitment to presenting bold new operas by living composers. The continued exploration of Lincoln’s personal tragedy within a complex supernatural framework may encourage further scholarly and critical engagement with the work in coming seasons.