THE SANTA FE OPERA WORLD PREMIERE The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs Mason Bates, composer Mark Campbell, librettist Michael Christie, conductor Live Recording 1 The Santa Fe Opera 2 3 Content The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs Mason Bates, composer Mark Campbell, librettist The Santa Fe Opera 6 Commissioned by The Santa Fe Opera Track Information 8 Co-commissioned with Seattle Opera and San Francisco Opera, with support from Cal Performances Cast 10 Co-produced with Seattle Opera, San Francisco Opera, and The Indiana University Jacobs School of Music Composer’s Note 12 Special thanks to San Francisco Conservatory of Music Librettist’s Note 16 World Premiere: July 22, 2017 Composer’s Biography 20 The Santa Fe Opera Orchestra Michael Christie, Conductor Librettist’s Biography 22 Chorus: Members of The Santa Fe Opera Apprentice Program for Singers Susanne Sheston, Chorus Master Synopsis 24 Robert Tweten, Head of Music Staff Libretto 28 Kevin Newbury, Stage Director Rick Jacobsohn, Sound Design Acknowledgements 82 Victoria “Vita” Tzykun, Scenic Design Brian Loach, Sound Design Paul Carey, Costume Design Chloe Treat, Choreographer American Operas Series 84 Japhy Weideman, Lighting Design Chelsea Antrim Dennis, Production Stage Manager 59 Productions, Projection Design James Daniel, Assistant Stage Director Pentatone: What we stand for 86 Assistance with the electronic sounds provided by Gary Rydstrom of Skywalker Sound. Principal support for the recording of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs generously provided by Jane Stieren Lacy. The production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs underwritten by a deeply appreciated gift from David Henry Jacobs. Additional artistic costs underwritten by The Carl & Marilynn Thoma Foundation and The General Director’s Premiere Fund in honor of Richard Gaddes. 4 5 The Santa Fe Opera dozens of foreign countries, creating a singers an opportunity to learn and retired following the 2008 season significant impact on the economy of perform new roles in a setting that when Charles MacKay became the From the unlikeliest of beginnings — an the State of New Mexico. allowed ample time to rehearse and third General Director in The Santa opera company located hundreds of prepare each production. Crosby Fe Opera’s history. Under MacKay’s miles from any major city, featuring The Santa Fe Opera’s mission is to was succeeded as founding General leadership, the Opera has maintained American singers in a wide-ranging advance the operatic art form by Director by Richard Gaddes in 2000. a balanced budget through a and challenging repertory, and presenting ensemble performances During his tenure in Santa Fe he tumultuous economic period and treating theatrical and musical values of the highest quality in a unique implemented a wide range of new continues to present bold and as equally important in its productions setting with a varied repertoire of programming, including community- innovative repertory. — The Santa Fe Opera has grown to new, rarely performed, and standard based productions in the off-season become recognized as one of the works; to ensure the excellence of and simulcasts to Albuquerque and world’s leading cultural festivals. opera’s future through apprentice a park in downtown Santa Fe. He programs for singers, technicians, Every summer since 1957, opera lovers and arts administrators; and to foster have been drawn to the magnificent and enrich an understanding and northern New Mexico mountains to appreciation of opera among a diverse enjoy productions at The Santa Fe public. More than 2,000 performances Opera. Here, the company’s dramatic of 169 different operas have been given adobe theater blends harmoniously here, including 15 world premieres and with the landscape. It is this fusion of 45 American premieres. nature and art that leaves such an enduring impression on all who visit. The company was founded by John More than half the audience comes Crosby who, as a young conductor from outside New Mexico, representing from New York, had an idea of starting every state in the union as well as an opera company to give American 6 7 Track Information CD 1 (PTC 5186 691) CD 2 (PTC 5186 692) 1 Prologue: The garage of the Jobs family home, Los Altos 3:16 1 Scene 10: Steve Jobs’ home, Palo Alto 2:54 Paul – “I built this table” 2 Scene 11: Corporate Offices, Cupertino 3:52 2 Overture 1:19 Steve, Chrisann, and Woz – “Losing it” 3 Scene 1: Product Launch, the stage of a convention center, San Francisco 7:41 3 Interlude: The Rise and Fall of Steve Jobs 3:03 Steve and Ensemble – “One device” 4 Scene 12: Corporate Offices, Cupertino 5:54 4 Scene 2: Corporate Offices, Cupertino 3:09 Steve – “Wrong” 5 Meditative Interlude 1:33 5 Scene 12: Corporate Offices, Cupertino 3:04 6 Scene 3: The hills around Cupertino 2:31 Woz – “Goliath” 7 Scene 4: A calligraphy class, Reed College 1:05 6 Scene 12: Corporate Offices, Cupertino 2:54 8 Scene 5: The garage of the Jobs family home, Los Altos 4:04 Coda Steve and Woz – “Ma Bell” 7 Dark Interlude 1:46 9 Scene 6: An apple orchard near Los Altos 5:45 8 Scenes 13-14-15: Flashbacks 3:00 Chrisann – “I could learn to like you” 9 Scene 16: Steve Jobs’ home, Palo Alto 7:41 10 Scene 7: The Los Altos Zen Center 6:23 Laurene - “Humans are messy” Kōbun – “Take one step” 10 Lyrical Interlude 0:51 11 Scene 8: A lecture hall, Stanford University 2:14 11 Scene 17: The wedding, Yosemite National Park 3:38 12 Scene 9: The garage of the Jobs family home, Los Altos 4:42 12 Scene 18: The memorial service, Stanford University Chapel 3:23 13 Scene 9: The garage of the Jobs family home, Los Altos 3:44 13 Scene 18 and Epilogue: Steve Jobs – “Something we play” The memorial service, Stanford University Chapel and the garage 4:32 Laurene – “Look up, look out, look around” Total playing time CD 1: 47.34 Total playing time CD 2: 46:41 8 9 Cast Paul Jobs Steve Wozniak (“Woz”) Kelly Markgraf Garrett Sorenson Steve Jobs Chrisann Brennan Edward Parks Jessica E. Jones Laurene Powell Jobs Ensemble Soloists Sasha Cooke Adelaide Boedecker Adam Bonanni Kōbun Chino Otogawa Kristen Choi Wei Wu Thaddeus Ennen Andrew Maughan Teacher Corrie Stallings Mariya Kaganskaya Tyler Zimmerman Young Steve Jobs (silent) Jonah Sorenson Back Row: Mariya Kaganskaya, Michael Christie, Wei Wu, Mark Campbell, Sasha Cooke, Jessica E. Jones 10 Front Row: Garrett Sorenson, Edward Parks, Kelly Markgraf, Mason Bates, Kevin Newbury 11 The Music of theme, but an entire sonic identity. has rarely been heard in opera houses moving, oceanic harmonies collide Communication As they interact, their musics collide, since. Jobs loved the guitar, and the with the frenetic music of Steve, and blending almost as if mixed by a energetic sound of a finger-picked ultimately she succeeds in slowing Mason Bates, composer DJ. In my symphonic music, I have steel-string illuminates the internal down his busy inner world. The story of Steve Jobs exists at the often looked to exotic forms to pull world of a restless man. intersection of creativity, technology, new sounds out of me, whether in an Another key character is spiritual and human communication — a “energy symphony” or an anthology In fact, Jobs’ search for inner peace advisor Kōbun, an important yet thematic crossroads that opera can of mythological creatures. In this is the story of the opera — which, in a overlooked figure who receives explore unlike any other medium. opera, that happens on the level of sentence, is about a man who learns stunning treatment by master Opera, after all, can illuminate character. The music of Steve Jobs is to be human again. The key role in librettist Mark Campbell. A panoply the interior thoughts of different a quicksilver blend of orchestra and this journey is his wife Laurene, who of Tibetan prayer bowls and Chinese characters simultaneously through whirring electronica, the latter of acted as the electrical “ground” to gongs drifts across the electronics, the juxtaposition of individual which was partly built using samples the positive and negative charges sometimes sounding purely themes. That makes it an ideal of Mac gear. I wanted Steve’s of Jobs. His buzzing inner energy “acoustic,” sometimes imaginatively medium to explore a man who soundworld to have an authenticity made for a visionary of Jesus-like processed as if in a nirvana-esque revolutionized how we communicate. to it, whether through the use of charisma, but he could quickly limbo. The “mystical bass” trope internal machine sounds (spinning become a cold tyrant. Laurene is in opera has a long history (think The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs hard drives or key clicks) or external a soulful and strong woman who Sarastro). This opera continues explodes the concept of Wagnerian sound effects (charming whizzes and convinces Jobs of the importance that tradition with the enhanced leitmotifs — the melodies assigned beeps). Accompanying Steve is also of true human connection, the storytelling of electronic sounds, to various characters — into an acoustic guitar — an instrument person who reminds him that people which eerily blow across the soundworlds. Each character in this whose predecessors appeared quite don’t have one button: they are mesmerizing sound of a low opera walks onstage with not only a often in early opera, but one that beautifully complicated. Her slow- bass voice. 12 13 Finally, we have Steve Wozniak and Chrisann Brennan, important foils both musically and dramatically. Woz is always trailed by a pair of saxophones, whereas Chrisann is accompanied by hummingbird-like flutes. These two characters know Steve from the early days, and through their eyes we witness his stunning transformation.