New York’s venerable Met Opera is shaking up the classical music world with daring new works tackling contemporary issues in a bid to attract younger and more diverse audiences to the historic institution.
The Metropolitan Opera, a beacon of artistic excellence in the heart of Manhattan, is undergoing a quiet revolution. As it gears up for its groundbreaking 2024-25 season, the Met is wagering on original, socially relevant productions to rejuvenate its image and draw in new generations of operagoers.
Grounded Takes Flight
Kicking off the season on September 23rd is Grounded, a Met commission from acclaimed Broadway composer Jeanine Tesori. The opera follows Jess, an F-16 fighter pilot turned drone operator, as she grapples with the psychological toll of remote warfare and motherhood. Canadian mezzo-soprano Emily D’Angelo stars in this searing exploration of modern combat and its human cost.
Music Director Yannick Nézet-Séguin hails the work as “essential to the conversation around mental health and PTSD," while director Michael Mayer leverages cutting-edge LED screens to immerse audiences in Jess’ moral quandary.
Mazzoli’s Lincoln in the Bardo on the Horizon
The Met’s commitment to contemporary relevance continues into the 2025–2026 season with Lincoln in the Bardo, an adaptation of George Saunders’ bestselling novel by rising star composer Missy Mazzoli. At just 43, Mazzoli represents a new vanguard of operatic talent the Met is keen to champion.
Grappling with Social Justice
This pivot is not without precedent. The 2022–2023 season saw powerful stagings of Dead Man Walking, a searing indictment of capital punishment, and X: The Life and Times of Malcolm X, an Afrofuturistic tribute to the slain civil rights icon. Florencia en el Amazonas, the first Spanish-language opera at the Met in nearly a century, also marked a concerted effort to engage New York’s vibrant Hispanic community.
Bridging the Broadway Divide
For Tesori, Grounded is an opportunity to “entice Broadway and musical theater lovers, just a few blocks from the Met, to fall in love with opera.” It’s a bold gambit to win over new audiences in a city spoiled for choice when it comes to world-class entertainment.
Met General Manager Peter Gelb sees works like Grounded as key to “attracting a younger and broader audience.” It’s a necessary wager for an institution long seen as a bastion of an aging elite.
Expanding the Met’s Reach
In a move to further democratize opera, the October 19th performance of Grounded will be simulcast to cinemas worldwide, giving global audiences a front-row seat to the Met’s metamorphosis.
This comprehensive transformation, spearheaded by Maestro Nézet-Séguin through 2030, may just succeed in its mission: to make opera more accessible and attuned to the pressing issues of our time. It’s a quiet revolution, set against the backdrop of the Afghan war and societal upheaval, that seeks to dust off the Met’s sometimes staid reputation.
As the curtain rises on this new era, one thing is clear: the Met is not content to rest on its laurels. With provocative new works and a steadfast commitment to reflecting the world around it, this cultural juggernaut is determined to remain relevant for generations to come. Bravo to that.
With AFP
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