Steve Jobs' Life Is the Perfect Opera

An original opus about the Apple founder is premiering this month in Santa Fe.
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Diego Patiño

Steve Jobs was a visionary, perfectionist, tyrant, and genius. Now the late technologist is something new: a baritone. The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs, an original opus by Pulitzer Prize–winning librettist Mark Campbell and DJ-slash-­composer Mason Bates, premieres at the Santa Fe Opera in July. “Too often people think of opera as this stupid old European art form that has nothing to do with our lives,” Campbell says. In fact, Jobs’ story is just as torrid as anything in Carmen or La Traviata—unchecked ambition, fickle love, rivalry, betrayal, death, and redemption. The Silicon Valley saga gets a wonky boost from Bates’ electronic score, punctuated by clicks from a Macintosh Plus. Bravissimo, tech bros!

The Apple Ensemble

Match the libretto excerpt to the character who sings it.

1. Steve Jobs, baritone

2. Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve’s wife, mezzo-soprano

3. Kōbun Chino Otogawa, Steve’s spiritual adviser, bass

4. Steve Wozniak, Apple cofounder and Steve’s friend, tenor

5. Chrisann Brennan, Steve’s former girlfriend, lyric coloratura

6. Reporters, ensemble

A.

A dropout,

Jobless,

Living at home.

Often distant,

Often moody.

And you don’t even know what you want in life!

But your brain—

It’s always clicking, clicking,

Clicking away.

B.

You’ve become one of the bastards we hated:

An egomaniacal,

Self-centered,

Self-serving,

Self-deceived,

Mega-corporate

Prick!

C.

Hope or hype?

Hot or not?

State of the art or

Art of the sale?

Hit or miss?

Score or snore?

Wow or meh?

D.

Type type type type swipe,

Cheer the game.

Play a game.

Send a card.

Mend a heart.

Buy a tie.

Learn some Thai.

Order Thai.

Miss your kids?

Miss your wife?

Miss your home?

Miss your life?

Tap.

E.

When will you see …

Humans are messy,

Awkward and

cluttered,

Look at us closely,

Open our cases,

You’ll only find chaos.

F.

Yes, but here is where

You learn the truth,

Not avoid it.

(Why do I feel like

That old nun in

The Sound of Music?)

Steve …

You’re all loose wires,

Broken parts,

Too much noise.

If I let you stay here,

You would end up killing me.


Answers: 1. D, 2. E, 3. F, 4. B, 5. A, 6. C


This article appears in the July issue. Subscribe now.