The shadow of Vietnam continues to be long, and the evident redeeming intention of this Oratorio doesn't leave any doubt about it. Comissioned by the Pacific Symphony Orchestra, the selected composer Elliot Goldenthal (famous for his music for Alien 3 or Interview with a Vampire) makes use of a great choral mass, two vocal soloists, one instrumental, and the concourse of an orchestra of big proportions. Divided on three long movements, the utilization of four languages (latin, english, vietnamese and french) in a context on which take turns schemes almost operatic (of close essence to the false opera which is Verdi's Requiem), religious and dramatic, through the eclectic style of his author, with atonal or strongly chromatic passages confronted to lyric quiet places evidently tonal, allow Goldenthal to reach the redeemer pathos of the end of the work, when at the sounds of the Libera animas, the music evolve the spiritual communion asked for. A work deeply felt, grave and worked; one more step on the reconnaissance of his composer.

Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio (1995)
Yo-Yo Ma (Cello)
Ann Panagulias (Soprano)
James Maddalena (Baritone)
Pacific Symphony Orchestra - Conductor: Carl St.Clair
SONY CLASSICAL - SK68368 / 66'

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