Gramophone Classical Music Podcast Composer Jake Heggie on 25 years of writing operas
10 snips
Aug 29, 2025 
Jake Heggie, an acclaimed American composer known for his operas like 'Dead Man Walking', joins to discuss his recent work 'Intelligence', inspired by Civil War spies. He shares insights into its eight-year creative journey and the importance of emotional storytelling. The conversation also reflects on the 25th anniversary of 'Dead Man Walking', celebrating its impact as a leading contemporary opera. Heggie highlights the moral complexities of capital punishment and the transformative power of art in humanizing difficult narratives.
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Unexpected Smithsonian Spark
- A docent at the Smithsonian suggested Elizabeth Van Lew and Mary Jane Bowser as an opera subject during a 2015 event with Susan Graham.
- Jake Heggie researched them and the idea matured into Intelligence, premiering in 2023 after pandemic delays.
Rehearsal Turns Challenge Into Strength
- Heggie says Intelligence pushed him into new musical and theatrical directions because of its vocal forces and dance integration.
- He felt the work blossomed in rehearsal into one of his strongest operas.
Write For Specific Singers
- Know the specific singers you write for to shape vocal colour and stage character.
- Writing clearly for particular performers often opens the music to many other singers later.
