review: opera deemed a must-see with its complex and dynamic portrayal of enigmatic steve jobs
4 minute read
brett polegato in calgary opera's the (r)evolution of steve jobs. courtesy, trudie lee of harderlee photography
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recovering from the pandemic and continuing on a path initiated by the late bob mcphee, calgary opera is currently offering a newly composed opera on the life of apple computer’s legendary figure, steve jobs.
during his lifetime, jobs was a controversial figure: imaginative and driven by his work, he was not always nice to those he worked with. a complex and compulsive person, he was both praised and reviled.
all this is the subject matter of the new opera with a splendid libretto by mark campbell and an imaginative musical score by mason bates. filled with unusual effects, big choral numbers, powerful solo monologues, and ear-catching orchestration, this is an opera that captures attention from the outset and never loses focus or flags.
as on previous occasions, the calgary philharmonic orchestra, led here by conductor michael christie, really delivered the musical goods, with crisp playing, an excellent ensemble and fine special solo spots for the various instruments. the calgary opera chorus, in a particularly demanding role with much challenging new music to perform, showed themselves equal to the rigours of the task. it must have taken hours and hours of preparation to have music of this difficulty learned, memorized, and folded into the complex stage action — an impressive accomplishment.
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in the end, however, it will be the production itself that will be the takeaway for the audience. while this is an opera — and it really is — the effect of the production is more like a modern stage show. the story is intense and effectively told, with many complexities of character addressed, and the stage production with its impressive, modern visual elements is as much broadway as traditional opera.
john tessier, left, and brett polegato in calgary opera’s the (r)evolution of steve jobs. courtesy, trudie lee of harderlee photography
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opera audiences are notoriously conservative in what they wish and expect to see. but here the brilliance of the production, and manner of how the show is put on, carried all before it, producing an immediate standing ovation at the end.
directing the stage action with all its considerable complexity was tomer zvulun, ably assisted by rebecca herman. together they brought clear, central vision to the direction of the action and its integration with the remarkable set, not to mention all its various gadgets.
central to the success of the show was the impressive performance of brett polegato in the title role. at home in traditional baritone roles, polegato is a singer with many arrows in his artistic quiver. he moved easily around the big stage, the very incarnation of jobs, who always seemed to be in motion. polegato is able to bend his mode of singing to different kinds of demands, from the histrionic style of his big, central monologue, to the intimacy of his scenes with his wife, played with excellent dramatic sensitivity and vocal control by mezzo-soprano sun-ly pierce.
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the vocally challenging tenor role of steve wozniak, the technological wizard behind the machines, was sung with rich expressivity by john tessier, a role that demands sweetness of tone, but also strength. of the many fine performances tessier has given in calgary, this surely was one of his best.
wei wu, left, and brett polegato in calgary opera’s the (revolution of steve jobs. courtesy, trudie lee of harderlee photography
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the role of kobun chino otogawa, a spiritual mentor to jobs, was sung by wei wu, who also sang the role in the original performances of the opera. experienced in the role, this was an iconic portrayal of the character.
the opera plays as one 90-minute dramatic unit, with much variety in the pacing, from scene-setting introductory numbers to the powerful arias at the crucial point at the centre of the show, to the poignancy of the final minutes with the tribute to job, whose sudden death in mid-life cut him off from life and work just as he had achieved success.
fittingly, the last words are given to his long-suffering wife, who had to endure many rebuffs and outright cruelty in her life with the emotionally stressful jobs. the final effect, as it should be, is one of moral ambiguity – an operatic reflection on the personal cost of success in the world of high tech. life is rarely a bed of roses, and this new opera permits an audience to really see the complexity of the life, evolution and revolution that made up the world of steve jobs.
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for those apprehensive about the very idea of modern opera, there is nothing to fear here. everyone will be swept up in the dynamism and power of this production, and the music falls gracefully upon the ears. it is the “must-see” event in calgary at the moment. further performances take place on feb. 8 and feb. 10 at the jubilee auditorium.
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