The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs heads to Calgary tomorrow for its Canadian premiere with Calgary Opera, conducted by Michael Christie.
Ahead of the upcoming performances, Mason spoke to Eric Volmers from the Calgary Herald to talk about he came up with the idea for his Grammy-winning opera, how it developed and the message behind it.
“He’s this iconic figure we think of as a technologist, but his life is really the stuff of opera. He has obsession and passion, betrayal. He’s got obviously a very tragic death, an early death, that might have been avoided had he not had this Achilles heel or fatal flaw of trying to control everything, including his cancer treatments. He was trying to diet his way out of cancer which, unfortunately, is not going to happen. All of that attracted me: Bringing some of those topics we deal with in the 21st-century people – devices, communication, technology mitigating our lives – but in a way that would also bring in opera history.” Mason Bates
“The awards, acclaim and worldwide interest in (R)evolution suggest it could be well on its way to becoming a rare achievement in the world of contemporary opera.” Calgary Herald
Read the full article on the Calgary Herald’s website.
The premiere was also featured in The San Francisco Standard where the opera was described as “just as dazzling as the devices Jobs brought to life and as equally dramatic as the tech mogul’s life.”
Upcoming Performances: