The IN Series production of The Promised End brings together Giuseppe Verdi and William Shakespeare in a unique reimagining of the Bard’s King Lear alongside the composer’s towering Requiem. Heart-stopping melodies and breathtaking choruses reveal Verdi at the moment of his death, weighing fragments of his life, telling the story of the opera Lear that he never finished, and experiencing the dual anxiety and freedom of death and hope for something more. 

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Marjorie Garber discusses Shakespeare’s play, its themes of resurrection and transfiguration, and her own vision of the play in Shakespeare After All, which came to provide the text for this IN Series’ world-premiere investigation into two giants of the early modern and Romantic Stage.

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Lecture attendees can enjoy a special display of contemporary artists’ books about Shakespeare, courtesy of the Library of Congress’ rare books division.