The Nose

William Kentridge directed and designed this visually dazzling Met premiere production of Dmitri Shostakovich’s satirical opera, adapted from the classic short story by Nikolai Gogol. Baritone Paulo Szot leads the cast as Kovalyov, the hapless bureaucrat whose nose has mysteriously gone missing. Hailed for his creative stage direction, which resonates so perfectly with the avant-garde character of Shostakovich’s work, Kentridge “succeeds in supplying a striking visual analogue to the brilliance of the music. But the genius of the production is that he also ensures that the story unfolds with remarkable lucidity” (George Loomis, Classical Review).