A school shooting—and 10 years later, a wedding. What’s the connection? Find out in Innocence, cheered as Kaija Saariaho’s masterpiece at its 2021 premiere in Aix-en-Provence. Suffice it to say that the guilty secrets just keep on coming. Critics ventured comparisons with such grim precedents as Wozzeck and Elektra. Saariaho, who died two years after the opera’s unveiling, at the age of 70, could blandish the ear when she wanted to, but here she had more apocalyptic objectives. The orchestral writing goes straight to the limbic system. Her vocal demands on the large, polyglot cast are unrelenting and seldom flattering. Simon Stone’s original production unfolds on a colossal set in a state of constant motion and transformation. It’s far from a fun night out, but unquestionably a mirror of our time. The June 13 performance streams live and remains available on demand for 48 hours. —Matthew Gurewitsch