THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 21, 1995 TAG: 9501210217
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MARK MOBLEY, MUSIC CRITIC
LENGTH: Short : 45 lines
Norfolk will host another world premiere in October. To commemorate the 150th anniversary of Ohef Sholom Temple, members have commissioned a choral work from prominent young American composer Richard Danielpour.
Danielpour, 38, appeared at the Reform temple Friday morning to discuss the work, which will premiere Oct. 1. It will be sung in Hebrew and scored for chorus, a vocal soloist from the chorus, two pianos and three percussion instruments.
Danielpour, a native of New York, teaches composition at the Manhattan School of Music. He studied at the New England Conservatory and the Juilliard School. His compositions include a recent cello concerto for Yo-Yo Ma, a Symphony for the San Francisco Symphony and a piano quintet for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center.
``I've been thinking about a piece of music for quite some time now that would address some of the concerns we all have come to, not only as we close the century, but also find ourselves at the end of the millennium,'' Danielpour said. ``What I'd like to do one day is compose a work that would, from the perspective of Jewish heritage and Jewish scripture, address the issue of peace.''
Danielpour said he has drawn inspiration from a speech by Abba Eban, a former Israeli ambassador to the United States, and from a conversation with the late conductor and composer Leonard Bernstein. Eban spoke on the obsolescence of war. Bernstein and Danielpour mused on humanity as being one global family.
Danielpour would not reveal what words he is setting in the new work. He said the combination of pianos and percussion offers him ``a sound that is very ancient but also affords some very fresh sonic possibilities.'' He said the work would probably run between 18 and 23 minutes.
``We are going to be making something that hopefully will become part of the standard liturgy in temples throughout the world,'' temple member Edythe C. Harrison said as she introduced the composer. ``What we have will be monumental for us here but also will be something for posterity.'' by CNB