More than Music:
Conceptions of Light, Justice, and Purpose
A recording project of Jake Heggie's compositions for flute
Conceptions of Light, Justice, and Purpose
A recording project of Jake Heggie's compositions for flute
"Look for inspiration in many different places." I remember scribbling these words into my notebook as I interviewed acclaimed American composer Jake Heggie in the fall of 2018. Mr. Heggie regularly visits the University of Colorado campus in collaboration with the New Opera Workshop (CU NOW) and generously agreed to meet with me after I expressed my enthusiasm for his compositions. When I first played his piece, The Deepest Desire: Four Meditations on Love, the tangible, real experiences and emotion behind the music spoke to me. I dug deeper, learning that the music was based on Heggie’s relationship with Sister Helen Prejean and her experiences and writings about visiting inmates on death row, and her activism to abolish the death penalty.
Part of Heggie’s story includes a struggle all musicians fear: a diagnosis of focal dystonia (loss of muscular control) in his right hand. Having studied piano and composition from a young age, and eventually touring as a pianist, he understood the diagnosis as a vital blow to his ability to create music. At the time, he thought it was the end of his career. However, he continued composing, and while he was working as the San Francisco Opera’s Public Relations Associate, the General Director asked him to compose his first opera, Dead Man Walking. As he finished his story, I asked Heggie what he looks for in performances of his pieces. Without hesitation, he spoke of the importance of sincerely communicating with the audience and giving generous, unselfish performances. |
"Look for
inspiration in many different places" |