Cal Performances | Special Events | Theater in Song: Music by Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon

Patron Information | Artists links

Theater in Song:
Music by Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon
with special guest artist Frederica von Stade
Jake Heggie & Ricky Ian Gordon, piano

Acclaimed American composers Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon write songs and theater pieces that are performed extensively and recorded by some of the greatest singers in the world. Featuring a special appearance by the peerless Frederica von Stade, the program will include the West Coast premiere of Jake Heggie and Terrence McNally's musical scene "At the Statue of Venus," sung by soprano Kristin Clayton— Heggie and McNally's first collaboration since the opera Dead Man Walking.

Program:Heggie/At the Statue of Venus (West Coast premiere); Songs from Winter Roses; Here and Gone (West Coast Premiere); Gordon/Ring-a-Ding-Ding (From Dream True); New Moon; Joy; A Contemporary Three Floors; Open All Night; Sometimes (from My Life With Albertine); The Red Dress; Bus Stop; Souvenir; Heaven; Dream True; Resumé/Wail/Frustration; Virginia Woolf; Poem; Will There Really Be A Morning?

Program Notes
Program notes are available online. [PDF]

Audio Clips
( Real One Player or Windows Media Player)

Heggie/Dead Man Walking: Act One, Scene 7. The Pardon Board Meeting: The Defendant's Mother, Mrs. Patrick De Rocher (Frederica von Stade, vocals) *

Heggie/Paper Wings: Mitten Smitten (Frederica von Stade, vocals) *

Gordon/If It Is True *, **

* Clips listed here are representative of the artists, but may be different than what are being played as part of the Cal Performances program

Video Program Notes
In a preview of his highly anticipated premiere with Cal Performances, composer Jake Heggie talks about his artistic process as a composer and about two works in particular — At the Statue of Venus and Here and Gone. (Length 6:40) Watch

Podcast
Composers Jake Heggie (Dead Man Walking, The End of the Affair) and Ricky Ian Gordon (Grapes of Wrath) are friends and admirers of each other's work. In this often witty and entertaining conversation, they discuss composing art songs and play excerpt from their repertoires. (Length: 22:00)

Education/Community Events
Key Notes Lecture: The Composer's Way
Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon
Thu, Apr 26, 7-8:30pm
In a conversational prelude to their April 29 Composer Portrait concert, "Theater in Song: Music by Jake Heggie and Ricky Ian Gordon," the artists talk about composing American art songs in the 21st century.
The third annual Key Notes lecture series delves into the music of contemporary composers featured on Cal Performances' 20th Century Music & Beyond series. Join us for inspiring commentary, light refreshments and insightful conversation at these pre-performance lecture/receptions presented by Cal Performances in association with the UC Berkeley Department of Music. All Key Notes lectures take place in the Seaborg Room of the Men's Faculty Club on the UC Berkeley campus and are free and open to the public.