It was Bates’ (and our) great good fortune to have Michael Christie on the podium to make such a potent case for this important creation. That said, there are a couple of arias that are bound to make their way on the concert and audition platform, and several instrumental bridges are calling out to be knit into a flavorful orchestral suite. Mason’s vocal writing was always competent, often memorable, if not quite as distinctive as his orchestral achievements. The orchestral writing is especially apt, and I liked the (rather gentle) nod to electronic, synthesized sound palettes. Bates seems to have learned from Bernstein, Glass, Adams, Corigliano and Boulez (among others) and distilled those influences to find his own distinctive voice to inform this wonderfully accessible opus. Campbell’s words are an effective springboard for composer Mason Bates to create some richly varied musical impressions. With Jobs he once again crafts a witty, lean and mean script that presents the life of one of the most influential personages in recent history in a narrative that is more mosaic than linear progression. Librettist Mark Campbell is on the credit line of so many new operas that I sometimes think there are two of him. Kudos to all concerned for developing and creating a public for this exciting new composition. Audiences were clamoring to attend an opera they did not yet know. And this for a brand new piece of lyric theatre! This was not a sure fire Carmen or Butterfly. I love how SFO’s dynamic Marketing and Press teams created a palpable sense of an “event.” I love that ticket demand was so high that an additional performance had to be scheduled.

I love how it captured the public imagination.

Santa fe opera schedule 2017