Pacific Symphony’s newest recording of a three-part oratorio crafted by one of the most sought-after composers of his generation, Richard Danielpour, is set to be released by Naxos on March 25. Written for the Persian holiday of Nowruz in 2012, “Toward a Season a Peace” was premiered by Pacific Symphony, conducted by Music Director Carl St.Clair, in the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall in Orange County, Calif.
The work features Pacific Chorale (Artistic Director John Alexander) and Grammy-winning soprano Hila Plitmann. By weaving together sacred passages with texts by the great Sufi poet Rumi, Danielpour explores violence and war in the name of religion, using the season of spring as a metaphor for change and transformation. The work was commissioned for the Symphony’s 2012 American Composers Festival, “Nowruz—Celebrating Spring,” presented in collaboration with the Farhang Foundation.
This CD marks the third recording of works commissioned during the last two seasons. It continues the momentum of the Symphony’s American Recordings Project, which launched in September 2012 with the release of Philip Glass’ “The Passion of Ramakrishna” by Orange Mountain Music and continued with a CD of works by Michael Daugherty on the Naxos label in April 2013.
Two more recordings featuring Symphony-commissioned works by prominent American composers are scheduled to be released in the near future. These include: William Bolcom’s “Songs of Lorca” and “Prometheus” (commissioned for the composer’s 75th birthday) and James Newton Howard’s “I Would Plant a Tree.” For more information about Pacific Symphony, visit: www.PacificSymphony.org
