One of the undisputed musical masterpieces of the last 100 years, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is a bleak, existential drama that is satirical and critical of society but also retains a sharply focused narrative, with Shostakovich’s thrilling score accentuating each of its dramatic points. Based on an engrossing novella by Nikolai Leskov, the opera maintains its source material’s frenetic pace with propulsive music and a plethora of activity, suggesting that any actions—even of the criminal variety—are preferable to the crushing ennui of conventional life.

When soprano Eva-Maria Westbroek and tenor Brandon Jovanovich starred in Shostakovich’s searing Soviet-era satire in 2014, they set the Met stage ablaze, with The New York Times hailing Westbroek’s “vulnerable and wrenching performance” and proclaiming Jovanovich “ideal … dramatically fearless.” Now, the dynamic pair reunite in Graham Vick’s vivid staging, with Maestro Keri-Lynn Wilson making her Met debut.