''Jackie O'' is a chamber opera in two acts composed by Michael Daugherty to a libretto by

Wayne Koestenbaum Wayne Koestenbaum (born 1958) is an American artist, poet, and cultural critic. He received a B.A. from Harvard University, an M.A. from the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, and a Ph.D. from Princeton University and is a 1994 Whiting Award recipie ...

. The 90-minute work, commissioned by Houston Grand Opera in 1995 and premiered in 1997, is inspired by American musical and

popular culture Popular culture (also called mass culture or pop culture) is generally recognized by members of a society as a set of practices, beliefs, artistic output (also known as, popular art or mass art) and objects that are dominant or prevalent in a ...

of the late 1960s and episodes in the life of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis.

Performance history

''Jackie O'' received its first performance in the Cullen Theater, Houston, Texas, on March 14, 1997 with a second performance on March 16, 1997, both conducted by Christopher Larkin. The opera's

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

premiere took place on August 7, 1997 at the

Banff Centre Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, formerly known as The Banff Centre (and previously The Banff Centre for Continuing Education), located in Banff, Alberta, was established in 1933 as the Banff School of Drama. It was granted full autonomy as ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, conducted by Bruno Ferrandis. Co-produced by Houston Grand Opera's Houston Opera Studio and the Banff Centre, the premiere production was directed by Nicholas Muni, with sets and costumes by Peter Werner, lighting design by Harry Frehner, and choreography by Bruce Brown, who also created the role of Paparazzo. The work has subsequently received several other US performances including those by the

Duquesne University Duquesne University of the Holy Spirit ( or ; Duquesne University or Duquesne) is a private Catholic research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded by members of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit , image = Holy Gh ...

Opera Workshop in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Western Pennsylvania, the second-most populous city in Pennsylva ...

(1999), Long Leaf Opera in Chapel Hill, North Carolina (2003), and the University of Michigan School of Music, Theatre and Dance in Ann Arbor (2006). ''Jackie O'' had its French premiere on February 2, 2002 at the Opéra de

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand ...

, and its

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

premiere on April 3, 2008 in the Teatro Rossini, Lugo, in a co-production with the

Teatro Comunale di Bologna The Teatro Comunale di Bologna is an opera house in Bologna, Italy. Typically, it presents eight operas with six performances during its November to April season. While there had been various theatres presenting opera in Bologna since the early 1 ...

Scoring

The work is scored for chorus and solo voices ( soprano, mezzo-soprano,

tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wide ...

, baritone and bass) and a 20 piece orchestra of piccolo/ flute,

oboe The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range. ...

/ English horn, clarinet/bass clarinet, tenor/alto/soprano

saxophone The saxophone (often referred to colloquially as the sax) is a type of Single-reed instrument, single-reed woodwind instrument with a conical body, usually made of brass. As with all single-reed instruments, sound is produced when a reed (mouthpi ...

, bassoon, horn,

trumpet The trumpet is a brass instrument commonly used in classical and jazz ensembles. The trumpet group ranges from the piccolo trumpet—with the highest register in the brass family—to the bass trumpet, pitched one octave below the standard ...

trombone The trombone (german: Posaune, Italian, French: ''trombone'') is a musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player's vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate ...

euphonium The euphonium is a medium-sized, 3 or 4-valve, often compensating, conical-bore, tenor-voiced brass instrument that derives its name from the Ancient Greek word ''euphōnos'', meaning "well-sounding" or "sweet-voiced" ( ''eu'' means "well" o ...

tuba The tuba (; ) is the lowest-pitched musical instrument in the brass family. As with all brass instruments, the sound is produced by lip vibrationa buzzinto a mouthpiece. It first appeared in the mid-19th century, making it one of the ne ...

, harp, acoustic guitar, synthesizer/

piano The piano is a stringed keyboard instrument in which the strings are struck by wooden hammers that are coated with a softer material (modern hammers are covered with dense wool felt; some early pianos used leather). It is played using a keybo ...

percussion A percussion instrument is a musical instrument that is sounded by being struck or scraped by a beater including attached or enclosed beaters or rattles struck, scraped or rubbed by hand or struck against another similar instrument. Ex ...

and strings.

Roles

Synopsis

Wayne Koestenbaum has described the loose narrative of his libretto as a " collage" in the style of

Gertrude Stein Gertrude Stein (February 3, 1874 – July 27, 1946) was an American novelist, poet, playwright, and art collector. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in the Allegheny West neighborhood and raised in Oakland, California, Stein moved to Paris ...

's libretto for ''

Four Saints in Three Acts ''Four Saints in Three Acts'' is an opera composed in 1928 by Virgil Thomson, setting a libretto written in 1927 by Gertrude Stein. It contains about 20 saints and is in at least four acts. It was groundbreaking in form, content, and for its all-b ...

'', an opera by 20th-century American composer,

Virgil Thomson Virgil Thomson (November 25, 1896 – September 30, 1989) was an American composer and critic. He was instrumental in the development of the "American Sound" in classical music. He has been described as a modernist, a neoromantic, a neoclass ...

. Koestenbaum has written both poetry and non-fiction works on opera and on iconic opera singers like Maria Callas. It is not surprising that in addition to the character of Maria Callas, there are several conscious allusions to the art-form in the ''Jackie O'' libretto. These include: Violetta's death

aria In music, an aria ( Italian: ; plural: ''arie'' , or ''arias'' in common usage, diminutive form arietta , plural ariette, or in English simply air) is a self-contained piece for one voice, with or without instrumental or orchestral accompa ...

from '' La traviata'', reflected in ''Addio Del Passato''; the funeral pyre from the final scene of ''

Norma Norma may refer to: * Norma (given name), a given name (including a list of people with the name) Astronomy *Norma (constellation) *555 Norma, a minor asteroid * Cygnus Arm or Norma Arm, a spiral arm in the Milky Way galaxy Geography *Norma, Lazi ...

'', reflected in ''The Flame Duet''; and both Countess Almaviva's forgiveness aria in '' The Marriage of Figaro'' and the off-stage voice of the imprisoned Manrico in ''

Il trovatore ''Il trovatore'' ('The Troubadour') is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play ''El trovador'' (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was García Gutiérrez's mos ...

'', reflected in ''Jack's Song''.Michael Daugherty
"''Jackie O'' - Programme Notes"
on the composer's official web site. Accessed 11 July 2008. Act I begins with a " happening" in artist

Andy Warhol Andy Warhol (; born Andrew Warhola Jr.; August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director, and producer who was a leading figure in the Art movement, visual art movement known as pop art. His works explore th ...

's studio in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...

, attended by various celebrities including Elizabeth Taylor,

Grace Kelly Grace Patricia Kelly (November 12, 1929 – September 14, 1982) was an American actress who, after starring in several significant films in the early to mid-1950s, became Princess of Monaco by marrying Prince Rainier III in April 1956. Kelly ...

Aristotle Onassis Aristotle Socrates Onassis (, ; el, Αριστοτέλης Ωνάσης, Aristotélis Onásis, ; 20 January 1906 – 15 March 1975), was a Greek-Argentinian shipping magnate who amassed the world's largest privately-owned shipping fleet and wa ...

, and his lover, Maria Callas. All eagerly anticipate Jackie and sing ''Jackie's Coming!''. Jackie arrives and is fascinated by Onassis. Callas realizes that Onassis is going to leave her for Jackie and sings ''Addio Del Passato'' (Goodbye to the past). Onassis and Jackie escape from the party to see a new art movie, ''

I Am Curious (Yellow) ''I Am Curious (Yellow)'' (, meaning "I Am Curious: A Film in Yellow") is a 1967 Swedish erotic drama film written and directed by Vilgot Sjöman, starring Sjöman and Lena Nyman. It is a companion film to 1968's ''I Am Curious (Blue)''; the t ...

''. Act II is set on Onassis'

yacht A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...

, ''Christina'', and on his private island,

Skorpios Skorpios or Scorpios ( el, Σκορπιός, ) is a private island in the Ionian Sea off the western coast of Greece and just to the east of the island of Lefkada. The 2011 census reported a population of five inhabitants. Administratively it ...

. Jackie and Onassis have now been married for a year. On the yacht, Jackie becomes increasingly melancholy and given to

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

-like states. Maria Callas seeks a reunion with Onassis and the two decide to meet (''I Will See You At The Lido''). In one of her trances, Jackie wanders off to the island, where she and Maria Callas meet and reconcile with each other as they sing ''The Flame Duet''. Jackie and Callas then smash a paparazzo's camera, which gives Jackie the power to communicate with her dead husband, who is heard as a disembodied voice. She forgives him for his past infidelities in their duet, ''Jack's Song''. The opera ends with Jackie deciding to return to America, wistfully singing ''The New Frontier Is Here''.

Musical structure

Overture - ''Jackie's Song''. (Scored for solo cello, flute/piccolo, bass clarinet, violin, percussion and piano, the piece had previously premiered on its own in 1996 and forms the leitmotif of Jackie in the opera. Act I. The Happening ''1968'' ''Jackie's Coming!'' ''Egyptian Time'' ''Goldfinger'' ''Painter's Credo'' ''Jackie's Credo'' ''Addio Del Passato'' ''I Am Curious (Yellow)'' Finale: ''Don't Look Back'' ''1968'' (

reprise In music, a reprise ( , ; from the verb 'to resume') is the repetition or reiteration of the opening material later in a composition as occurs in the recapitulation of sonata form, though—originally in the 18th century—was simply any repe ...

) Act II. The Island Scene 1 (On The 'Christina') ''I Resemble A God'' ''Stiff Drink'' ''All His Bright Light'' ''I Will See You At The Lido'' Scene 2 (On Skorpios) ''The Flame Duet'' ''Smash His Camera!'' ''Jack's Song'' ''The New Frontier Is Here''

Recordings

*On CD: Michael Daugherty: ''Jackie O'' (Nicole Heaston, John McVeigh, Daniel Belcher, Eric Owens, Joyce DiDonato, Jonita Lattimore, Stephanie Novacek; Houston Grand Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conducted by Christopher Larkin) Label: London Decca/Argo 455 591-2 *On DVD: ''Jackie O'' (Fiona McAndrew,

Nora Sourouzian Nora Sourouzian is a French-Canadian mezzo-soprano with Armenian roots. Early life and education Born in Montreal, Quebec, she studied piano and voice at McGill University with Thérèse Sevadjian. During her time at McGill University she already ...

, Simone Alberghini, Paul Carey Jones; Christopher Franklin) Label: Dynamic 33605

Notes and references

Terry Teachout Terrance Alan Teachout (February 6, 1956 – January 13, 2022) was an American author, critic, biographer, playwright, stage director, and librettist. He was the drama critic of ''The Wall Street Journal'', the critic-at-large of '' Commentary ...

"Cross Over Beethoven"
(review of the Houston premiere) ''

Time Magazine ''Time'' (stylized in all caps) is an American news magazine based in New York City. For nearly a century, it was published weekly, but starting in March 2020 it transitioned to every other week. It was first published in New York City on Ma ...

'' March 31, 1997. Accessed 11 July 2008.
"20th century icon set to music in opera Jackie O"
University of Michigan, February 19, 1997. Accessed 11 July 2008. *Allan Ulrich
"Sound Recording Review - Daugherty: Jackie O, The Opera"
'' The Advocate'', October 28, 1997. Accessed 11 July 2008.

External links

Feature on the Canadian premiere of ''Jackie O'' at the Banff Centre
including production photographs. Accessed 11 July 2008. *David Schiff

''

New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'', June 7, 1998. (On 20th-century operas based on contemporary figures or events, including ''Jackie O''). Accessed 11 July 2008. {{Michael Daugherty 1997 operas Cultural depictions of Andy Warhol Cultural depictions of Aristotle Onassis Cultural depictions of Elizabeth Taylor Cultural depictions of Grace Kelly Cultural depictions of Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis Cultural depictions of John F. Kennedy Cultural depictions of Maria Callas English-language operas Opera world premieres at Houston Grand Opera Operas Operas about politicians Operas based on real people Operas by Michael Daugherty Operas set in the 20th century Operas set in the United States