Moby-Dick

An American literary classic takes the operatic stage in this powerful retelling of Herman Melville’s famous tale of pursuit, perception, and the existential search for meaning. Streamlining the novel’s sprawling 135 chapters, the opera focuses on the intimate world of the whaling ship Pequod, its revenge-obsessed captain, and the complex, tender, and destructive relationships that develop while the crew spend more than a year at sea. Melville’s characters present a rich variety of personalities and experiences, and their interactions touch on themes of fellowship, inequity, fate, and free will.

Jake Heggie’s shimmering and evocative music forms the backdrop. The composer’s characteristic style is full of majestic melodies that bring the diversity of the crew, as well as the sea itself, to life. The vivid use of leitmotifs, or individual themes or phrases that represent characters or elements of the story, are part of an operatic composing tradition well-established since the 19th century—the golden age of opera. Each of the story’s main characters—Ahab, Starbuck, Queequeg, even the pursuit of Moby Dick—has a unique musical representation. As the characters become increasingly intertwined and their destiny bound to the unpredictable waters they sail, Heggie’s rich array of themes blend and combine, shaping and enriching one another. The cinematic score is mirrored in the production’s mind-bending projections that suspend belief and transport us aboard the Pequod.

This guide is intended to help your students understand the relationship between Heggie’s opera and Melville’s classic novel, as well as the literary and operatic contexts that give it meaning. The information on the following pages is designed to provide context, deepen background knowledge, and enrich the overall experience of attending a final dress rehearsal at the Metropolitan Opera.