As The Atlanta Opera prepares for its opening night of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs this Saturday, Mason talks to Mark Gresham at EarRelevant for an interview about the new production and his inspiration for the opera.
“Bates: In 2003, I was just starting to integrate electronic sounds into the orchestra. At the time, I hadn’t realized that this world of electronica would go beyond rhythms and beats and into more theatrical space. This new element coming to the symphonic space, coming to the opera house, was a revelation for me.
“The original production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs had some incredibly novel elements of stagecraft that were important for its premiere.”
“We’re now going into the new life of this piece with a new production. It’s multi-level, so we’ve got a couple of different levels on the stage. One of the most incredible parts is that the video design is extremely synced up with the music. It almost feels in some places like you’re watching a music video.”
“[The creative team] found a way to tell the story and lean into both the technological and the human element by giving us a set that is both abstract – just a bank of flat video screens – while also being able to become incredibly realistic, like in the wedding scene in Yosemite with trees and mountains”
Read the full interview on EarRelevant’s website.
The Atlanta Opera opens its production of The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs this Saturday, April 30, at Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, with three more performances scheduled for May 3, 6 & 8.
For more information and tickets visit The Atlanta Opera website.
On May 6th, The Atlanta Opera will Live Stream The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs on Spotlight Media.
For more information and tickets visit The Atlanta Opera Stream.