“Lincoln in the Bardo,” an operatic adaptation of George Saunders’s 2017 novel, premiered Monday night at New York’s Metropolitan Opera, marking a milestone as the first opera composed by a woman to have its global debut at the Met. Composer Missy Mazzoli’s interpretation of the story explores themes of grief, the afterlife, and national tragedy through a richly textured musical and theatrical presentation.
Set in Washington, D.C.’s Oak Hill Cemetery in 1862, the opera depicts a liminal realm where ghosts remain unaware of their own deaths, trapped in a Buddhist concept known as the “bardo.” Central to the narrative is young William Lincoln, the recently deceased son of President Abraham Lincoln, portrayed by Everett Sobers. Guided by spirits including Vollman (bass-baritone Ryan McKinney), Bevins (tenor Jonah Hoskins), and the Reverend (mezzo-soprano Christine Goerke), William wrestles with moving on from the world of the living. His reluctance stems from his belief that his father will return to bring him home, a belief grounded in historical accounts of Lincoln visiting his son’s crypt after his death.
Baritone Peter Mattei portrays Abraham Lincoln, whose entrance shifts the opera’s tone from the ghosts’ surreal disarray to the profound sorrow of a grieving parent. Mattei’s performance captures Lincoln’s multifaceted burden—not only mourning his son but also the countless lives lost during the Civil War—through emotionally charged arias that emphasize the president’s human vulnerability.
The libretto, crafted by Royce Vavrek, condenses Saunders’s expansive novel, which features over 160 characters, into a focused narrative. While some of the book’s poetic language is diminished, the libretto conveys the disorienting state of the bardo effectively, highlighted by the haunting portrayal of a young woman trapped in limbo, performed by countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo.
Mazzoli’s score, her fifth full-length opera, incorporates an expanded orchestral palette that includes percussion and unconventional instruments such as kazoos alongside traditional strings and brass. Drawing stylistic influences from diverse operatic traditions and distinctly American motifs, the music is anchored by the Metropolitan Opera’s grand pipe organ, deepening the work’s emotional resonance. Conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the orchestra delivered a vigorous performance, though some critics noted a desire for moments of greater musical spaciousness.
The production’s visual elements underscore its thematic ambition. Adam Rigg’s set design evokes an ethereal, night-forest atmosphere centered on a Lincoln family crypt, while Montana Levi Blanco’s costumes reflect various early American periods. The use of elaborate creature suits and puppetry by James Ortiz, animated by a team of puppeteers, adds surreal and often unsettling layers to the ghosts’ portrayals.
Throughout the opera, character vignettes provide poignant insights into lives cut short by tragedy, including a drunken couple (Stephanie Blythe and Craig Colclough). Notable vocal highlights include Goerke’s commanding presence in a sequence depicting the Reverend at the gates of Judgment and Janai Brugger’s portrayal of an embittered former slave, alongside tenor Joshua Blue’s role as an exhausted house slave. These performances contextualize the Civil War’s devastating legacy and its roots in slavery.
Ultimately, “Lincoln in the Bardo” offers a powerful meditation on death and grief while affirming resilience and hope. The Met’s production honors the source material’s complex emotional landscape, delivering an experience that is both intensely moving and visually striking.