NEW MEXICO PBS GREAT SOUTHWESTERN ARTS & EDUCATION AND ENDOWMENT FUND AND THE NELLITA E. WALKER FUND FOR KNME-TV AT THE ALBUQUERQUE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION NEW MEXICO ARTS, A DIVISION OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS AND BY THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE ARTS AND VIEWERS LIKE YOU RETURNING TO THE SANTA FE OPERA AFTER THE SUCCESS OF LAST SEASON'S TRISTAN UND ISOLDE, MAESTRO, JAMES GAFFIGAN REVEALS HOW HE WILL BRING WAGNER'S MYTHIC DRAMA "DIE VALKYRIE" TO LIFE.

>> James: You're -- you're not skeptical about the world, you just want to know more.

[Music] DESCRIBED AS ONE OF THE MOST TALENTED BASSISTS ON THE PLANET, BASS VIRTUOSO VICTOR WOOTEN RETURNS HOME, REFLECTING ON A LIFETIME OF MUSICAL BREAKTHROUGHS, FAMILY ROOTS, AND RESILIENCE.

IT'S ALL AHEAD ON COLORES!

WAGNER REIMAGINED >> Faith: You're here conducting Tristan und Isolde, in 2022, and now, you're doing The Valkyries, So, how do these two operas differ from each other?

>> James: Well, I think Wagner's a language to himself, He's an incredible composer that lived a long time ago the epic nature of his composition is a lot to do with like Lord of the Rings or Game of Thrones or these -- Star Wars, you know, these kind of epic storytelling things that happen in his music.

They're both very big pieces of music.

Tristan und Isolde, is more about love and what's real and what's not?

What's happening in real life or what's a dream?

What is love?

All of these very complex questions.

And therefore the music is quite complex.

And you need to be in a kind of, let's say, meditative state.

To enjoy this music, you need to know to become -- not be thinking about anything else, and just let yourself go.

In "Die Valkyria" or "The Valkyries" this is part of a tetralogy, this is part of four big operas he wrote called the "Ring Cycle" the second one.

And this is more detailed kind of old legends, myths, and many characters, many real events that are happening or have happened in the past.

So, it's lots of fun characters, lots of very strange things happen in the story.

But the music is enhances the story.

The music is by the same composer but very different.

I would say that Tristan, which came slightly later than Valkyria.

is more meditation.

Things happen in slow time.

So, the biggest danger in the music of Tristan und Isolde is to get too loud too soon, or to get to the climax too soon, because you need to pace yourself.

[Orchestral Music] So, the conductor needs patience.

You need to give the orchestra a sense that -- hold on, wait, it's not time yet, you know?

And I would say pacing is the most important thing.

Whereas in Die Valkyrie in the Valkyries, the language is more simple and the musical language is more simple.

So, therefore you need to -- have the clarity of the text, enhanced by the music because there's a lot of storytelling in this opera when Volton, this god, is talking about what's happened in the past and what could happen all these little themes are coming, so it's it's very important that the storytelling has depth.

The orchestra enhances all of it.

So, Wagner has the music he has the story and it's our job to bring it to life in the most -- let's say elegant way.

>> Faith: And The Ride of The Valkyries is such a like -- classic piece.

How do you keep that fresh for audiences?

>> James: Yeah, that's a very good question.

I think every audience is craving that piece of music.

When they come to this opera, even the ones that have gone to hundreds of performances of this piece, there's -- your hair on your arm stands up or you just have this amazing reaction of that music because we've grown up with it.

It's in our vernacular.

We've seen it in cartoons.

We've seen it in movies.

We've seen it in everyday commercials, we might hear -- it's an incredible piece of music that sparks the fantasy of these incredible women flying on horses.

This heroic music.

So, how do we keep it fresh?

I think if you follow the rules that Wagner left us.

It comes to life.

That's the incredible thing about -- the genius of this man as a composer.

He left us very little information, but the information he left us -- If we follow the rules on the paper it does come to life.

So, I've heard even -- let's say not great performances of this piece and it's still extraordinary.

But, for me, to keep it fresh, is to train the orchestra in the most, kind of, intense way that they all agree on lengths of notes, stylization, that they all agree to play things the same way.

Because we have -- in an orchestra there's a hundred people -- very different personalities.

So, I think of myself as being like, you know, A coach of a great baseball team or football team, all this talent in front of me, but I need to get them to work together and play the same way and play the same direction.

And the singers, I mean, what makes this special is we have a lot of young Valkyries singing.

Normally, we're used to seeing older women sing these roles and there's nothing wrong with that but at Santa Fe Opera there's an incredible young artist program and they're fostering young talent from around the world.

So, there's a lot of great young singers in this production.

>> Faith: And what are you bringing this season that audiences haven't seen before at the Santa Fe Opera?

>> James: Well, this piece in particular is it's not normal to be performed at the Santa Fe Opera.

Only recently did they really start doing Wagner with Tristan und Isolde and then a couple seasons ago they did the Flying Dutchman and now we're doing Die Valkyria which is a big event for Santa Fe because in the past they didn't really touch this repertoire.

Maybe only once in the history of the company.

So, the piece in itself is a premiere.

And I think the public is really excited for this epic journey.

>> Faith: The story of the Valkyries is so amazing -- like from Act 1 to Act 3.

>> James: Yeah!

Wild!

>> Faith: What's your favorite piece or part conducting it?

>> James: Yeah, it's an interesting thing.

It used to be when I first discovered this music, all the big moments like the ride of the Valkyries, all this.

But now, I find at my age, and I have children.

At 45 years old, suddenly I relate so much more to Votan and his errors and his mistakes for what happens to his children or what happens to Bernhilde his daughter.

What he has to do to protect her but it's his fault.

You know all of this guilt and -- let's say, mistakes for selfish reasons that he's made.

They touch me in a very intense way.

Whereas in the past when I was 25 years old I didn't -- I didn't relate to this music at all.

So, now the moments with Voltan have a lot more depth with me.

Whereas, my 25 year old self was all about this bizarre love between this brother and sister and it's just weird or the gods' music compared to the mortal's music now it's this father, this person who's a father who has made mistakes and needs to deal with these mistakes.

And the greed of people including himself so, I-- it's changed and I look forward now to these moments more than the big grandiose moments but I think as a conductor you need to be differential you need to back up, it's not about me really I'm not the one making sound.

>> Faith: How do you take yourself out of it when you're conducting?

How do you do that?

I lose myself, actually, in it.

And I find that -- my personality -- doesn't have much to with what I'm doing.

I become that music.

I become that gesture.

For me it's not about James Gaffigan -- his interpreatation of Valkyria.

I find that really obnoxious in a way I think it should be, its a selfless thing and I think when it becomes too much about you you're doing something wrong.

So, I think there's beauty in letting go and I think there's beauty in singing through other people.

>> Faith: So, how does the unique open air setting at the Santa Fe opera influence your approach to the conducting of it?

>> James: Well, first of all it's one of the most magical venues in the world to perform in, because you see the nature around you, you hear the birds, you see daytime becomes night throughout the course of the opera.

Sometimes the back is open into the desert and it gets dark black and you can see almost nothing.

The feeling of the breeze coming by is it could be very emotional or very violent at times.

You have to be careful with balance but luckily The Santa Fe Opera, this particular theater has incredible acoustics for the orchestra and for the voices.

But the most important thing in Wagner and in Strauss, all these big composers, Puccini, is balancing the orchestra so you can hear the voices.

But I actually say that it's less of a challenge in a place like Santa Fe Opera because the theater is built in a way, sound-wise, that it really works very well.

So I think it's a pleasure.

It's less of a challenge but more of a pleasure.

>> Faith: What do you hope audiences will take away from this production?

>> James: I would like audiences not to be intimidated by Wagner.

Yes, it's in a different language.

It's in German, but they have the English text of what's going on.

More importantly that they lose themselves in this music.

I think music is a universal language.

Everyone understands music.

Whether they've learned about music in school or not.

Major and minor music You don't need to know, you just feel these things, you know as a human if it sounds sad or happy, or suspenseful and Wagner plants all these little seeds in your mind, subconsciously, then you go on this journey with these people.

This is music for everyone who has a fantasy and I think -- listening and watching this music brings you back to your childlike curiosity where you're curious and you're-- not skeptical about the world, you just want to know more.

So, it's an incredible moment to lose yourself in the music and in the brilliance of these incredible singers and musicians.

LIVING THE DREAM >> Wooten: Coming home is always more special, especially when you've been away for a while.

I get to be a hometown hero.

And that's not what I'm in it for, but I'm going to use it for everything I got.

Because I want you to succeed.

I want you to know that you're worthy, you're enough.

You can achieve your dreams and I'm proof.

[Applause] I'm from Newport News.

and I'm the youngest of five brothers.

Music has played a big part in my life probably before I was born because my brothers were already playing and they needed a bass player.

My earliest memory of playing was right around two years old.

Because I was literally learning to speak music at the same time as I was learning to speak English.

Music became very natural.

I was on stage by kindergarten if not before and we're opening for War, and Curtis Mayfield, and Temptations, we didn't know any better it's just what it was and my older brothers who are super heroes to me they're treating me like an equal.

I'm the baby brother but no one's beating me up instead they're holding me up giving me all the credit.

We did a lot of gigs and we caught the attention of a lot of different people.

Guy named Kashif brought us brothers in to Arista Records Big record company The record deal didn't go so well, and it was the cause of the five of us brothers, not playing together.

and all we know is music.

So, we find out about Bush Gardens and my life has never been the same.

>> Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen and welcome to the Canadian *inaudible* at this time please put your hands together and welcome Bush Gardens to Good Time Country!

>> Wooten: They anounced "Bush Gardens welcome to the Good Time Country Show!"

and then four black guys walk out, cowboy hats and its like -- that quiet.

but when the music started, oh my goodness it was great.

[Guitar Riff] At the time I was too young to work in the live entertainment department but they were about to open in a couple of weeks or so and they needed a bluegrass fiddle player.

And then one of my brothers says, "Well, I got another brother.

Who could probably play fiddle."

I never played fiddle in my life So, I researched and found three of the top fiddle songs and I went in and I won the audition.

For us music is music, a string is a string you can make a sound out of it.

We had a lot of people tell us back then, "We all need to move to Nashville," and at the time, "Man, I aint going to Nashville."

Never say never.

To all of us moved to Nashville.

[Bluegrass Music] [Crowd Applause] >> Wooten: In '87 my friend introduced me to Bela Fleck and we just hit it off.

[Bluegrass Music] Bela asked me to be a part of a television show called the Lonesome Pine Specials.

[Bluegrass Music] They were gonna give Bela a full hour long special to play his music.

He said, "I just need a drummer."

I said, "Oh well, you gotta check out my brother."

[Bluegrass Music] Bela told me I met this guy named Howard Levy Whoa, I don't know if I've ever met a musician like this guy, he can play anything.

[Bluegrass Music] It was definitely Bela Fleck and the Flecktones that put me on the global map.

I thank Bela for that because, Bela understood that the band would be better if he allowed every musician to have freedom.

Base player magazine was just hitting the scene.

So I wound up in Base player magazine a lot.

We did the tonight show five times.

[Guitar] Arsenio Hall is a big bass fanatic so we get on Arsenio Hall and we do this song called "Sinister Minister" which is a bass feature.

Bass Guitar] Spinning the base around my neck Arsenio Hall is going crazy.

and so things worked out for Bela Fleck and the Flecktones >> These two would make a four bar exactly exactly so then it would be out here.

[Harmonizing] Yeah, that's nice.

I think so.

>> Backside of it's a little longer with the four bars >> Wooten: It's whatever helps solidify that rhythm.

I'm improvising.

I'm rarely reading.

But if I put my head here I start playing this rather than playing this.

>> It's so flavorful that whole section it's really neat.

>> Wooten: Thank you very much.

[Symphony Music] I have a lot of respect for a symphony.

As a child I played in orchestras.

But in being asked to write a piece I have an idea that they want classical but they want something different.

The main thing that I wanted to do was not leave me.

as I was writing.

The instrumentation is going to make it different enough.

To hear people playing something that I wrote.

Wow.

Amazing.

[Symphony music] Right now my first time sitting out and listening to it.

Oh yeah?

Yeah.

I can't listen because I'm, I've got a bad case of focal dystonia I hate to even say it.

but my hands curl up trying to play so it's just huge struggle for me to play simple things I didn't write anything hard for me in this piece just because of that.

It's gotten a little worse so I'm going to be scratching and clawing at this whole thing.

Y'all, make me sound good.

Oh yeah.

[Rhythmic Music] >> Wooten: Over 20 years ago, I just noticed that my hands were slowing down.

Didn't know why I just felt I need to practice so I start working on stuff.

Running scales, all the stuff people say, warming up and all the stuff that I never did.

It's not getting better.

It's kind of getting worse.

Now, it is so difficult for me to play.

For one, it's kind of taking over my brain.

And I'm having to do all the things I tell students how, to relax, breathe, don't think about that, think about this.

As a saying I heard we teach what we most need to learn.

So all that stuff I say I'm working on it.

[Guitar Strumming] Right now I'm playing this concerto that I wrote.

[Guitar Strumming] That I can barely play.

[Fast Guitar Strumming] Fortunately I have a symphony around me that I can hide behind.

[Orchestral Music] [Bass Strumming] [Orchestral Music] I wrote a book called "The Music Lesson".

[Bass Strumming] At the beginning of each chapter of the book is a measure of music.

So if you read all the chapters and put the music together you get a song called "The Lesson".

[Orchestral Music] And then when I thought about writing a concerto I wanted to really flesh it out with real instruments.

[Orchestral Music] If anyone knows that song, you'll hear bits and pieces broken up and spread out between movements.

As well as spread out between instruments.

[Orchestral Music] I wanted a bass that I could bow and nobody made one.

So I asked Vinny Faudera if he could get a bow bass made and he said "I think I can".

And the easiest way to think of it is a cello on its side.

[Bass Music] It's fun for me to get to play.

Because it's a one of a kind.

[Orchestral Music] I think of a concerto as a musician out front, virtuoso playing a lot of stuff in the orchestra's back behind.

And I like that idea but I didn't really want to do just that.

I want the audience to see what a bass does but also see what a bass can do.

So there are times in the symphony where I'm supporting the oboe supporting the violins and doing what the base does with the base section.

But then I'll step out front and let you see that the base can play chords, the base can play melodies, the bass can solo.

So that is an education for all of us.

[Orchestral Music] As I heard a friend of mine say playing music is like trying to count to infinity.

It doesn't matter how far you count, you don't get any closer to the end.

But you do get further from the beginning.

So, yeah, I've come a long way with music and I'm satisfied.

It doesn't mean I feel like I'm done.

There's still things I want to do.

My focus has changed to what I can help others do.

If I can inspire you to do anything is to be the best version of you possible.

[Orchestral Music] If you continue to pursue your dreams and just don't quit.

[Orchestral music] You will live them.

It may take longer than you took, it may be harder than you think.

But if it was easy, it wouldn't mean as much.

Music is about sharing it, giving it to other people.

Living our dream with us.

[Applause] And that's a beautiful, a beautiful life.

[Applause] The award-winning arts and culture series Colores is now available on the PBS app, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and at nmpbs.org from classic episodes to brand new shows Colores is everywhere.

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