When Verdi’s Macbeth was first performed in Paris in 1865 in a version specifically revised for performance in the French capital—with an added ballet and many modifications—the reaction of the French public was not enthusiastic. 

Tenor George Shirley has always been aware of the fact that, for many Americans, his skin color alone has made him the object of hatred. Back in the early days of his career—when he was completing basic training on his way to a position in the U.S. Army Chorus—he knew some of his fellow soldiers were uncomfortable sharing the barracks with a Black man in uniform. He heard the slurs as their cars rolled by.

It proved to be one of the biggest opera successes of 2020. The New York Times labeled it “a parable for our time.” The Los Angeles Times dubbed it “the best ticket in opera right now.” And The New Yorker called it a “gut punch.” Sweet Land—which premiered last year on February 29—marked a powerful new entry in a line of experimental operas from the Los Angeles-based company The Industry.