Die Jakobsleiter 1968
The profoundly moving statement…
…of belief about life and death.
(presented as a double-bill with Perséphone.)
Synopsis
Die Jakobsleiter is based on the theosophical idea of the soul going through reincarnations to eventual union with God.
A multitude of souls is suspended between death and reincarnation. The archangel Gabriel appears and urges the souls upward towards union with God. The souls comment upon the burdens and blessings of existence and upon the apparent senselessness of the course of every single life. After the desperate question: “Must it go on like this forever?”, the souls sink back into an attitude of indifference and gentle resignation.
Now Gabriel calls upon those who believe they have come nearer to God through their deeds. One of the Called, the self-satisfied creative artist, boasts that no suffering ever came near him since he saw only his own ideals, which filled his life with joy. A Rebellious Soul doubts whether it can be the same God who leads us one way through our instincts and another way through His Commandments. A Struggling Soul is fearful of the Commandments and wrestles with the problem of how to separate right from wrong without the guidance of The Word. Gabriel gives counsel to each.
To guide the souls, Gabriel calls upon one much closer to God and who “resembles Him”: The Chosen One, he who is a genius. He can only leave mankind his words, or works, fearful that they may be misunderstood. Gabriel urges the souls to ponder these words; eventually they will understand them. A Monk fears his sacrifices were not sufficient, because he avoided temptation. Gabriel reassures him and sends him further on his way to God as prophet and martyr.
A Dying Person realizes that he has suffered through thousands of lives and deaths. As he dies, Gabriel guides his soul upward to prepare it for its next reincarnation.
Artists
Donald Gramm
Bass-baritone
Gabriel
Donald Gramm
Hometown: Milwaukee, WI
SFO Debut:
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1960
Past Seasons:
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1976 (July 16 – 23, August 18-24)
Spencer Coyle, Owen Wingrave, 1973
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1973 (July 21 – August 11)
Leporello, Don Giovanni, 1972
General Boum, Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1972
Golaud, Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1971 (July 30 – August 7)
General Boum, Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1971
Philip II, Don Carlo, 1971
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Enrico, Anna Bolena, 1970
Nick Shadow, The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Papageno, The Magic Flute, 1969 (August 16 – 22)
Gabriel, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Papageno, The Magic Flute, 1968 (July 5 – 10)
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
The Doctor, Wozzeck, 1966
Nick Shadow, The Rake’s Progress, 1966
Leporello, Don Giovanni, 1966
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1965
Bartolo, The Barber of Seville, 1965
Tartaglia, The Stag King, 1965
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1964
Dr. Schon, Lulu, 1964
Dr. Spinelloccio, Gianni Schicci, 1964
Peneios, Daphne, 1964
Dr. Schon, Lulu, 1963
Emperor of China, Le Rossignol, 1963
Leporello, Don Giovanni, 1963
Don Alfonso, Così fan tutte, 1962
Emperor of China, Le Rossignol, 1962
Tiresias, Oedipus Rex, 1962
Second Bass, Renard, 1962
Tiresias, Oedipus Rex, 1961
Figaro, The Marriage of Figaro, 1961
John Stewart
Tenor
One of the Called
John Stewart
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
SFO Debut:
Cavalier, Cardillac, 1967
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1964, 1965
Past Seasons:
Sebastian, The Tempest, 1985
Baron Lummer, Intermezzo, 1984
Matteo, Violanta, 1984
Guido Bardi, A Florentine Tragedy, 1984
Apollo, L’Orione, 1983
Count Elemer, Arabella, 1983
Narraboth, Salome, 1978
Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly, 1972 (August 2 – 24)
Narraboth, Salome, 1972
Ferrando, Così fan tutte, 1969
Narraboth, Salome, 1969
De Laubardemont, The Devils of Loudun, 1969
Pinkerton, Madame Butterfly, 1968 (August 15 – 31)
Gaston, La traviata, 1968
A Landlord, Der Rosenkavalier, 1968
One of the Called, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Narraboth, Salome, 1967
Yarizhkin, The Nose, 1965
Servant, Lulu, 1964
Charles Bressler
Tenor
A Rebellious Soul
Charles Bressler
Hometown: Kingston, PA
SFO Debut:
Don Ramiro, Cinderella, 1966
Past Seasons:
Rebellious Soul, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Tiresias, The Bassarids, 1968
Count Almaviva, The Barber of Seville, 1967
Lilaque pere, Boulevard Solitude, 1967
Don Ottavio, Don Giovanni, 1966
The Captain, Wozzeck, 1966
Thomas Jamerson
Baritone
A Struggling Soul
Thomas Jamerson
Hometown: Baton Rouge, LA
SFO Debut:
Baron Duphol, La traviata, 1968
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1964, 1965
Past Seasons:
Captain of the Royal Guard, The Bassarids, 1968
Struggling Soul, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Djura, Arabella, 1965
Captain of the Guard, The Barber of Seville, 1965
Commissioner, Madame Butterfly, 1965
Alchemist, The Stag King, 1965
Customs Officer, La bohème, 1964
George Fortune
Baritone
The Chosen One
George Fortune
Hometown: Boston, MA
SFO Debut:
Marcello, La bohème, 1967
Past Seasons:
Papa Germont, La traviata, 1968
Herr von Faninal, Der Rosenkavalier, 1968
Monk, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Lescaut, Boulevard Solitude, 1967
Gary Glaze
Tenor
The Monk
Gary Glaze
Hometown: St. Petersburg, FL
SFO Debut:
Goro, Madame Butterfly, 1968
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1966, 1967
Past Seasons:
First Priest, The Magic Flute, 1968
Monk, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Animal Vendor, Der Rosenkavalier, 1968
Fiorello, The Barber of Seville, 1967
El Rememdado, Carmen, 1967 (August 9 – 24)
Don Curzio, The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
Fourth Jew, Salome, 1967
Patricia Wise
Soprano
The Dying One/ The Soul
Patricia Wise
Hometown: Wichita, KS
SFO Debut:
Musetta, La bohème, 1967
Santa Fe Opera Apprentice: 1965, 1966
Past Seasons:
Papagena, The Magic Flute, 1968
Dying One/Soul, Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Clorinda, Cinderella, 1966
Robert Baustian
Conductor
Robert Baustian
Hometown: Storm Lake, IA
SFO Debut:
The Barber of Seville, 1957
Past Seasons:
Die Jakobsleiter, 1980
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1977
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976
The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
Così fan tutte, 1975 (July 30)
La vida breve, 1975
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
The Magic Flute, 1974
Le Rossignol, 1973
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1973
The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
The Marriage of Figaro, 1971
The Magic Flute, 1971
The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Le Rossignol, 1970
Le Rossignol, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1969
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Perséphone, 1968
The Elixir of Love, 1968
The Magic Flute, 1968
The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
Boulevard Solitude, 1967
The Barber of Seville, 1967
Dialogues of the Carmelites, 1966
Don Giovanni, 1966
Cinderella, 1966
The Marriage of Figaro, 1965
The Stag King, 1965
Lucia di Lammermoor, 1965
The Marriage of Figaro, 1964
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1964
L’Enfant et les sortilèges, 1963
Joan of Arc at the Stake, 1963
Don Giovanni, 1963
Mavra, 1962
Joan of Arc at the Stake, 1962
La traviata, 1962
Così fan tutte, 1962
The Marriage of Figaro, 1961
The Ballad of Baby Doe, 1961
The Marriage of Figaro, 1960
Cinderella, 1960
The Barber of Seville, 1959
Abduction from the Seraglio, 1959
Cinderella, 1958
Falstaff, 1958
Così fan tutte, 1958
The Tower, 1957
Bodo Igesz
Director
Bodo Igesz
Hometown: Amsterdam, Netherlands
SFO Debut:
Cardillac, 1967
Past Seasons:
La traviata, 1980
Die Jakobsleiter, 1980
The Flying Dutchman, 1973
Don Giovanni, 1972
Melusine, 1972
The Flying Dutchman, 1971
The Bassarids, 1968
Perséphone, 1968
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Neil Peter Jampolis
Designer
Scenery
Neil Peter Jampolis
Hometown: Brooklyn, NY
SFO Debut:
Cardillac, 1967 (Scenic Designer)
Past Seasons:
L’incoronazione di Poppea, 1986 (Lighting Designer)
Die Jakobsleiter, 1980 (Scenic & Lighting Designer)
The Flying Dutchman, 1973 (Scenic & Lighting Designer)
Don Giovanni, 1972 (Scenic & Lighting Designer)
Madame Butterfly, 1972 (Scenic Designer)
Melusine, 1972 (Scenic, Costume & Lighting Designer)
The Flying Dutchman, 1971 (Scenic Designer)
Tosca, 1969 (Scenic & Lighting Designer)
Der Rosenkavalier, 1968 (Scenic & Lighting Designer)
The Elixir of Love, 1968 (Scenic Designer)
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968 (Scenic Designer)
Carmen, 1967 (Scenic Designer)
Hal George
Costume Designer
Hal George
SFO Debut:
The Bassarids, 1968
Past Seasons:
La bohème, 1981
Die Jakobsleiter, 1980
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
Georg Schreiber
Lighting Designer
Georg Schreiber
Hometown: Albuquerque, NM
SFO Debut:
Rigoletto, 1964
Past Seasons:
The Mother of Us All, 1976
Salome, 1976
L’Egisto, 1976
The Marriage of Figaro, 1976
La traviata, 1976
The Cunning Little Vixen, 1975
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1975
La vida breve, 1975
Così fan tutte, 1975
Falstaff, 1975
Carmen, 1975
L’Egisto, 1974
Lulu, 1974
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1975
The Magic Flute, 1974
La bohème, 1974
Owen Wingrave, 1973
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1973
Le Rossignol, 1973
The Merry Widow, 1973
The Marriage of Figaro, 1973
La bohème, 1973
Salome, 1972
Pelléas et Mélisande, 1972
Madame Butterfly, 1972
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1972
Yerma, 1971
The Flying Dutchman, 1971
The Marriage of Figaro, 1971
Grand Duchess of Gerolstein, 1971
The Magic Flute, 1971
Don Carlo, 1971
Opera, 1970
The Rake’s Progress, 1970
Anna Bolena, 1970
The Marriage of Figaro, 1970
Le Rossignol, 1970
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1970
La traviata, 1970
The Devils of Loudun, 1969
Le Rossignol, 1969
Help! Help! The Globolinks, 1969
The Magic Flute, 1969
Così fan tutte, 1969
Salome, 1969
Perséphone, 1968
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
The Bassarids, 1968
The Elixir of Love, 1968
La traviata, 1968
The Magic Flute, 1968
Madame Butterfly, 1968
Salome, 1967
The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
Boulevard Solitude, 1967
Cardillac, 1967
Carmen, 1967
The Marriage of Figaro, 1965
The Nose, 1965
The Stag King, 1965
Arabella, 1965
Lucia di Lammermoor, 1965
Madame Butterfly, 1965
The Barber of Seville, 1965
La traviata, 1965
Lulu, 1964
La bohème, 1964
Daphne, 1964
L’enfant et les sortilèges, 1964
Gianni Schicchi, 1964
Carmen, 1964
The Marriage of Figaro, 1964
Martin Smith
Chorus Master
Martin Smith
SFO Debut:
Carmen, 1967
Past Seasons:
Perséphone, 1968
Die Jakobsleiter, 1968
The Bassarids, 1968
Der Rosenkavalier, 1968
The Elixir of Love, 1968
La traviata, 1968
The Magic Flute, 1968
Madame Butterfly, 1968
The Marriage of Figaro, 1967
Boulevard Solitude, 1967
Cardillac, 1967
The Barber of Seville, 1967
La bohème, 1967
Die Jakobsleiter 1968
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