George Saunders' 'Lincoln in the Bardo' Opera Premieres at Metropolitan Opera
The production, based on the Booker Prize-winning novel, explores themes of grief, death, and rebirth through the story of Abraham Lincoln and his deceased son.
The Metropolitan Opera is staging "Lincoln in the Bardo," a new opera based on George Saunders' 2017 Booker Prize-winning novel.
The opera, composed by Missy Mazzoli with a libretto by Royce Vavrek, centers on Abraham Lincoln grappling with the death of his 11-year-old son, Willie, during the Civil War. The story unfolds in Georgetown's Oakhill Cemetery, populated by the ghosts of those who have recently died and are reluctant to accept their passing. These spirits refer to their coffins as "sick-boxes" and only achieve peace when they acknowledge their true state, vanishing in what Saunders terms "matterlightblooming."
Mazzoli described the composition process as challenging, particularly when inhabiting the emotional space of Willie's death. She found a way to approach the material by focusing on the story's conclusion, where Willie accepts his death and finds freedom from earthly constraints. This realization allows him to experience joy and inspires the other spirits.
"He sings this incredible aria where he says ‘all is allowed me now,’“ Mazzoli said. “‘Now that I’m dead I can go down to the party, I can fly out the window, I can hang from the chandelier, I can drink rum.’ He’s found this beautiful way of looking at it, and he sort of awakens the other dead people in the cemetery to this."
The opera features baritone Peter Mattei as Abraham Lincoln. In a casting choice that involves gender-switching, soprano Christine Goerke portrays the Reverend, and counter-tenor Anthony Roth Costanzo plays Miss Elise Traynor.
Goerke, known for her dramatic soprano roles, expressed excitement about playing the Reverend, a character who, unlike the other ghosts, knows he is dead but resists his fate due to a vision of eternal damnation. The role is described as vocally demanding and dramatically complex, culminating in a heroic sacrifice.
Mazzoli's score incorporates moments of levity, beginning with a prologue where chorus members play kazoos. She stated her interest in using non-virtuosic instruments in sophisticated settings, finding the kazoo accessible and appealing within the context of the Metropolitan Opera.
The production, directed by Lileana Blain-Cruz, includes pyrotechnics, puppetry, and a symbolic return of Lincoln to the White House, represented by a figure on a black mustang.
This collaboration marks the sixth between Mazzoli and Vavrek. "Lincoln in the Bardo" premiered on October 19 and will run for nine performances, conducted by Met music director Yannick Nezet-Seguin.
George Saunders has also penned the screenplay for a feature film adaptation of "Lincoln in the Bardo," directed by Duke Johnson, which combines live action and stop-motion animation and stars Tom Hanks as Lincoln.