By THIRSTY
Mason Bates’ opera The
(R)evolution of Steve Jobs won the 2019 Grammy for Best Opera Recording. Chosen to be the first Composer-in-Residence at the Kennedy Center for the Performing
Arts, Bates’ symphonic music has received widespread acceptance for its unique
integration of electronic sounds and he was named the most-performed composer
of his generation in a recent survey of American music. In 2018, he was
named Composer of the Year by Musical America magazine.
A passionate advocate for
bringing new music to new spaces, he is also a DJ and a curator, whether collaborating
with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, where he had a residency, or with commercial
clubs through his Mercury Soul project, who transforms clubs into post-classical
raves that integrate classical music and electronica for packed crowds.
He has also composed
music for films, included Gus Van Sant’s The Sea of Trees.
Stay Thirsty Magazine
was pleased to catch up with Mason Bates at the Kennedy Center for this Conversation
about his work, his philosophy and his upcoming state-of-the-art project.
STAY THIRSTY: How
do you bring classical music to new audiences in new ways?
MASON BATES: Anyone
of any background can be blown away by the deep listening experience of
classical music. Certainly the field could enrich itself by expanding its
programming to include more diverse voices. The biggest impact will come from
adjustments to the concert experience. The program book will become more
cinematic, and more dynamic production and staging will enliven the experience.
STAY THIRSTY: How
would you describe your style, your view of production and your sense of
stagecraft?
MASON BATES: I like a fluid and integrated experience, rich in
ambient information and occasional surprises. Darkening up the
hall and adding “social satellites” around the experience – bars and
restaurants not run by catering companies – has created a much more welcoming
environment in my curating projects. Using imaginative projected information
and videos in the empty spaces of a concert allows everyone to learn without
squinting at a lame Playbill. The more immersive and inviting the
concert experience, the more programming freedom we’ll have.
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| Mason Bates - DJ |
STAY THIRSTY: What
do the skills involved in being a successful DJ add to the equation and how do
they impact your productions?
MASON BATES: That’s a great question. Most people don’t even
consider how DJing has helped me design concerts, but there are a lot of useful
synergies. DJing requires a sensitivity to slowly evolving the energy in a
room, mixing from one record to the next in a slow build (or the reverse). DJs
also get attuned to the way large crowds interact with spaces. So many
classical ensembles perform at the highest level in the world, yet they
overlook crucial parts of the experience that shape the listening psychology.
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| Mason Bates performance |
STAY THIRSTY: How
did becoming the first composer-in-residence with the Kennedy Center change
your career and your thinking?
MASON BATES: The Kennedy Center is an amazing place, a giant
cruise ship of the performing arts filled with everything from ballet to hip
hop. It’s been wonderful to work for a place with such high stature that any
artist, no matter how famous, will consider an invitation to come by. But no
question, as an artist I’m used to being much more nimble in my decision-making,
and cruise ships don’t turn on a dime. So I’ve learned a bit about how to
smuggle your vision through a vast organization and keep it intact.
STAY THIRSTY: Is
there a difference in musical tastes and production appreciation between the
people on the East coast of the United States vs. those on the West coast?
MASON BATES: I’m a half-breed of sorts: deep roots in Virginia
(my family’s farm is full Southern Gothic, complete with a Bates cemetery), but
firmly rooted for the past twenty years in San Francisco. There’s a benefit to
putting down roots in very different parts of the country because you
appreciate different audience perspectives. Generally, I find that East Coast
audiences don’t give much thought to what’s happening on the West Coast, even
though that’s where the most dynamic work is happening in my opinion. For what
it’s worth, I consider the Third Coast to be an important middle ground. My
five years working with the Chicago Symphony endeared the place to me. It’s one
of my favorite cities.
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| Mason Bates |
STAY THIRSTY: Do
you think in terms of classical music or of contemporary music? Which genre
tells your stories more successfully?
MASON BATES: I prefer the term “concert music” because it is
agnostic – it simply defines the space where the music happens, and it implies
a focused kind of listening that links both old and new classical music. But
hey, I’m pretty sure the term “classical music” is here to stay.
STAY THIRSTY: What
role do sound and light play in your productions?
MASON BATES: Sound is a fascinating, ninja-like element. People
don’t realize how much sound can enhance an event. On a basic level, having a
superb sound designer lightly re-enforce the instruments makes the experience
more vivid (technological advancements have left the days of horrid
amplification behind us). Beyond that, there’s a lot that subtle sound design
can bring to a concert. For example, there’s often an uncomfortable silence
between pieces on classical concerts while the stage is changed. I’ve experimented
with ambient sounds and barely audible room noises that take the edge off the
silence.
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| Mason Bates production |
STAY THIRSTY: How
important is music history in your conceptualization of productions?
MASON BATES: The days of reading liner notes while listening to a
CD or LP are behind us, and many people learned a lot about music history that
way. So we need to find new ways of adding historical context. I like to map
projected information to the side walls of a concert hall, allowing the
information to appear and disappear in an unobtrusive way. It’d be nice if we
could create a liner note experience for mobile devices as tactile and inviting
as the old LP covers.
STAY THIRSTY: How
do social platforms fit into your overview for creating a new work?
MASON BATES: I’m admittedly a bit slow-footed with social media,
but I really appreciate how these platforms raise awareness about what’s going
on outside of New York and L.A. So many people heard about my opera The (R)evolution of Steve Jobs because
of the viral excitement on social media.
STAY THIRSTY: What can we expect from your new symphony, Philharmonia Fantastique: The Making of the Orchestra, and how do digital audio, video and animation figure into it?
MASON BATES: Philharmonia
Fantastique is a dream
project. I’ve been exploring dramatic forms in my symphonies for a long time,
but this is the first time I’m actually including a visual narrative. The piece
is a collaboration with director Gary Rydstrom of Lucasfilm and animator Jim
Capobianco of Aerial Contrivance Workshop, and together we are flying a magical
Sprite inside the instruments of the orchestra to see how they work.
Link: