Peter Mattei and Christine Goerke Lead Met's 'Lincoln in the Bardo'

Missy Mazzoli's opera "Lincoln in the Bardo" will receive its world premiere at the Metropolitan Opera on October 19, with baritone Peter Mattei singing Lincoln and soprano Christine Goerke as the Reverend.

The production runs through November 14. Royce Vavrek wrote the libretto, and Lileana Blain-Cruz directs.

The cast pairs established Met stars with newcomers. Countertenor Anthony Roth Costanzo sings Miss Elise Traynor, and bass-baritone Ryan McKinny takes the role of Vollman. Soprano Janai Brugger appears as Mrs. Hodge, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as Mrs. Baron, and baritone Craig Colclough portrays Mr. Baron.

The tenor roles go to Jonah Hoskins as Bevins and Joshua Blue as Thomas Havens. Everett Sobers makes his Met debut as Willie. Michael Hurst sings the role of Willie on October 31 and November 14, sharing the part across the run.

Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Met's Jeanette Lerman-Neubauer Music Director, shares the podium with Steve Osgood.

Audiences outside the house will have several ways to hear the work. The October 19 and November 11 performances will be broadcast live on the SiriusXM app. A recording of a fall performance will air on The Robert K. Johnson Foundation–Metropolitan Opera International Radio Network on February 13, extending the opera's reach months after the stage run closes.

The premiere follows a series of New York previews. The Guggenheim's Works & Process program presented an advance look at the opera, and Death of Classical hosted a preview of the Metropolitan Opera's production ahead of opening night.

The February 13 radio broadcast gives listeners who miss the fall run a second chance to hear the score. For the Met, the premiere adds a major new American opera to a season already anchored by Nézet-Séguin's programming.