Saturday's Met broadcast is the final opera by Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho (1952–2023) on a libretto by Sofi Oksanen which was prepared for multilingual presentation by Aleksi Barrière.
Susanna Mälkki leads a cast that features Joyce DiDonato as the Waitress and Vilma Jää who sings the part of Markéta, the Waitress' daughter - a school shooting victim. We'll also hear: Jacquelyn Stucker (Bride), Kathleen Kim (Mother-In-Law), Miles Mykkanen (Bridegroom), Rod Gilfry (Father-In-Law), Stephen Milling (Priest), Lucy Shelton (Teacher), Beate Mordal (Lily), Julie Hega (Iris), Simon Kluth (Anton), Camilo Delgado Díaz (Jerónimo), and Marina Dumont Anastassiadou (Alexia).
Set in contemporary Helsinki, Finland, the opera follows two storylines (thanks to the Met's grand revolving stage). One recounts the events of a mass shooting at an international school, while the other, a decade later, is set at the wedding of the perpetrator’s brother. At the same time, victims of the shooting offer recollections of the attack and comment on their struggles to overcome the trauma it wrought in their lives.
First heard in 2021, "Innocence" is akin to a modern-day thriller or mystery, with information revealed piecemeal and from differing points of view. On a deeper level, Saariaho and her collaborators offer a nuanced approach to an issue that continues to plague contemporary society, while emphasizing compelling human stories over didacticism.
This live broadcast from the Met begins Saturday (4/18) at 1 p.m.
