AMERICAN CLASSICS RICHARD DANIELPOUR Symphony No. 3 ‘Journey Without Distance’ First Light • The Awakened Heart Symphony and Chorale • Gerard Schwarz Richard Danielpour (b. 1956) bondage – the path to inner freedom.” that apparently proceeds of its own volition seems Danielpour describes the first movement as being appropriate in view of the work’s inspiration. Journey First Light • The Awakened Heart • Symphony No. 3 ‘Journey Without Distance’ “very much concerned with awakening.” The initial sounds Without Distance is based on A Course in Miracles, a certainly convey a sense of coming out of slumber, book that was “scribed” by Helen Schucman, a Columbia Richard Danielpour was born in , in 1956, into a work include the London Philharmonia, the Berlin and perhaps even being called out of it. Here an obsessively University professor of medical psychology, between family of Persian-Jewish heritage. His early musical Cologne Symphonies, the Orchestre National de France, reiterated low tone and hazy sonorities for the strings are 1965 and 1972. Schucman, whose authorship remained training was as a pianist, and he went on to keyboard and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. countered by clarion calls and melodic arabesques secret until her death in 1981, claims to have received her studies at the New England Conservatory of Music, where Among the soloists and other performers who have sounded by flute, oboe and trumpet in turn. All this proves text through a process of dictation from an inner voice, his teachers included . Drawn to played Danielpour’s music are Yo-Yo Ma, who a preface to the more active main body of the movement, which announced itself with the words: “This is a course in composition, he studied at The , where he commissioned a Cello from the composer, the somnolent sounds giving way suddenly to what the miracles, please take notes.” Danielpour describes the earned a doctoral degree. , Dawn Upshaw, , the composer describes as “compulsive, maniacal music.” book as being about “the power of transformation through Danielpour’s principal teachers at Juilliard were Emerson Quartet and other leading artists. In addition to Some relief is provided by lighter episodes, but these healing relationships,” and adds: “That is really the and , composers who his concert music, Danielpour has composed an opera, nevertheless convey, according to Danielpour “a certain subject of my Third Symphony: It’s about healing.” are now viewed as forerunners of the school of American Margaret Garner, with a libretto by Nobel laureate Toni foreboding.” The final minute brings an apocalyptic Scored for orchestra, chorus and solo soprano, this composition sometimes called “the new Romanticism.” Morrison. Danielpour teaches composition at the descent toward darkness and silence, a denouement that work unfolds as a single large movement in two parts. The Danielpour’s music inclines strongly toward neo- Manhattan School of Music and at the Curtis Institute, in justifies the movement’s title, Into the World’s Night. first section presents what Danielpour has described as “a Romanticism. Expressive reticence is not a characteristic . Danielpour explains that this phrase comes from the series of nightmare tableaux in the mind of an individual, of his work, and the composer has stated his belief that First Light was composed in 1988 on a commission existentialist philosopher Martin Heidegger, who used it in interspersed with the voice of an angel who invites the “music [must] have an immediate visceral impact and from Gerard Schwarz. The work, whose title derives from referring to the prospect of an end of civilization. soul to try another path.” More specifically, this angelic elicit a visceral response.” Danielpour’s compositions do verses by Robert Duncan, unfolds as a single movement Danielpour calls the second movement “a meditation” voice asks, the composer notes, that we “awaken from precisely that – sometimes through bold, even in four sections. These present, in alternation, music that and identifies it as “the heart of the piece and also its the dream of death and our own fearful existence and aggressive, orchestral writing coupled with intense is violent, frenetic and rhythmically charged and, on the turning point, emotionally and dramatically.” Titled believe in a world of hope and love.” rhythmic energy, sometimes with quiet serenity that other hand, quiet, slow-moving and intimating deep Epiphany, this portion of the work is built around a stately The second portion of the work commences with an suggests rapt introspection. The composer cites tranquility. The faster music, heard at the outset and chorale, to which the composer juxtaposes rhapsodic instrumental chorale, after which the angelic voice returns American composers , Joseph Schwantner again in the third section of the piece, combines melodic statements and other ideas. to declare that the journey to God is “a journey without and Christopher Rouse among his influences. He also Stravinskian sharp-edged rhythmic asymmetry with Danielpour found the title of the finale, My Hero Bares distance.” There follows, Danielpour explains, “music of acknowledges the Beatles as important to his steady pulsing reminiscent of the American minimalist His Nerves, in a poem by Dylan Thomas. The composer reconciliation and embrace of the life both within us and development, though there are few, if any, discernible school, though there is none of the repetition and relative states that this third movement is inspired by the idea of around us.” Here dissonance gives way to more soothing references to pop music quality in his work. harmonic stasis that characterize the music of Steve having the courage to live fully. “It’s about the path of harmonies, agitation to calmer rhythms and tempo. The Danielpour found an early champion in conductor Reich or Philip Glass. The second of the two slow fearlessness,” he explains. The music is highly kinetic, symphony concludes with a long choral prayer affirming Gerard Schwarz, who appointed him composer-in- sections, which concludes First Light, includes proceeding at breakneck speed and touching on materials that darkness and death have been replaced by life and a residence with the Seattle Symphony Orchestra in 1991. paraphrases of two Alleluias from Roman Catholic liturgy. from each of the preceding movements, which are, world of light. Various musical materials heard in the first The composer also has served residencies with the These chant melodies, Danielpour notes, “are not however, recalled in quite altered forms. half of the symphony recur here, but with the earlier sense Symphony and Pacific Symphony Orchestras, extraneous quotes but serve both as a source for much of Danielpour composed his Symphony No. 3 in 1989. of fear and turmoil they carried having given way to a as well as with the Santa Fe Chamber Music Festival. the material found throughout the ... work and as an He recalls, “I wrote the symphony very quickly, with the sense of inner peace. Danielpour’s orchestral music has been widely performed ultimate destination of the music’s journey.” sense of receiving it instead of willing it. The throughout the United States, not only by the orchestras The Awakened Heart followed First Light by two unorchestrated draft took eighteen days for a thirty-minute Paul Schiavo with which he has been resident composer but also by the years. Danielpour has likened its three movements to a piece. That’s very unusual for me.” That creative process , The , the medieval triptych, an altarpiece composed of three , Atlanta, and San Francisco symphony panels, each complete in itself but that together relate a orchestras, the American Composers Orchestra, and larger narrative. The composer adds that the subject and other ensembles. European orchestras performing his inspiration for this piece is “a journey into freedom from Faith Esham Seattle Symphony

The soprano Faith Esham, a graduate of The Juilliard School of Music, enjoys an international reputation, with The Seattle Symphony has gained international prominence with more than 140 recordings, twelve GRAMMY® appearances in opera in the United States and in Europe. As Micaela, she appeared in the Gaumont film version of nominations, two Emmys and numerous other awards. Under the leadership of Music Director Ludovic Morlot since opposite Plácido Domingo and , a performance that won her a GRAMMY® Award as Principal September 2011, the Seattle Symphony performs in one of the world’s finest concert venues – the acoustically superb Soloist, Best Opera Recording of 1984. A gifted and frequent recitalist, she is a recipient of the Walter W. Naumburg Benaroya Hall – in downtown Seattle. The Orchestra is internationally recognized for its innovative programming and Award and the Concours International de Chant de Paris. She is an advocate for new works by contemporary extensive recording history. From September through July, the Symphony is heard live by more than 315,000 people. composers. She spent her childhood in Kentucky, graduated from Mount Vernon Academy and attended Columbia For more information on the Seattle Symphony, visit www.seattlesymphony.org. Union College where she studied psychology. She is an adjunct member of the music faculty at Atlantic Union College. Gerard Schwarz Seattle Symphony Chorale Gerard Schwarz serves as Music The Seattle Symphony Chorale, official chorus of Seattle Symphony, was founded as the Seattle Chorale in 1953 by Director of the Eastern Music Festival Leonard Moore. The Chorale began its formal affiliation as the Symphony’s official chorus in 1976 and consists of and Conductor Laureate of the Seattle approximately 120 members who together volunteer more than 30,000 hours each year. The singers are chosen by Symphony. A renowned interpreter of audition and perform throughout the season with Seattle Symphony. nineteenth-century German, Austrian and Russian repertoire in addition to contemporary American composers, Richard Sparks Schwarz recently completed his final season as music director of the Seattle Richard Sparks is currently Professor of Music at the University of North Texas, Symphony after an acclaimed 26 years. where he joined the faculty in 2009. He is well known to Seattle audiences, where in His previous positions as Music Director addition to his work with the Seattle Symphony Chorale from 1990-94, he founded include New York’s Mostly Mozart Seattle Pro Musica and conducted three ensembles in 70 different programs with Festival, the Royal Liverpool them from 1973-80, and founded and conducted Choral Arts from 1993-2006. He Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Chamber was also Director of Choral Activities at Pacific Lutheran University (PLU) in Tacoma, Orchestra and the New York Chamber , from 1983-2001. At PLU he led the of the West, one of the top Symphony. As a guest conductor he has undergraduate in the country, on regular tours and also made eight recordings worked with many of the world’s finest with that ensemble. Sparks has been active in the professional world as well; guest Photo: Ben VanHouten orchestras and opera companies. His with the Anchorage Music Festival (his first year he conducted Brahms’ discography of over 350 releases Ein Deutsches substituting for an ailing Robert Shaw), Portland Symphonic showcases his collaborations with the Seattle Symphony, Berlin Radio Symphony, The Philadelphia Orchestra, Czech Choir, Portland Baroque Orchestra, Northwest Chamber Orchestra, Exultate Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, and L’Orchestre National de France, among others. His pioneering Chamber Singers in Toronto, and the Swedish Radio Choir. He first worked with the recordings of American symphonists Diamond, Hanson, Hovhaness, Piston, and William Schuman have received high Swedish Radio Choir in 2002, and again in 2007 and 2008, the first North American critical praise, as have his cycles of works by Brahms, Mahler, Rimsky-Korsakov, Robert Schumann, Shostakovich, to work with the choir in more than 40 years. With them he prepared the choir for Richard Strauss, Stravinsky, and Wagner. Schwarz has received hundreds of honours and accolades including two numerous concerts, most notably Brahms’ Requiem for Valery Gergiev with the Emmy Awards, thirteen GRAMMY® nominations, six ASCAP Awards and numerous Stereo Review and Ovation Rotterdam Philharmonic, which has been released on DVD. He was also the first Awards. He holds the Ditson Conductor’s Award from Columbia University, was the first American named Conductor of non-Canadian conductor to direct the Canadian National Youth Choir. In 2008 he was Music Director/Conductor for a the Year by Musical America and has received numerous honorary doctorates. The National Academy of Recording Arts production of Monteverdi’s Orfeo in Edmonton with period instruments. Since 1999 he has been Artistic Director and & Sciences gave Schwarz its first “IMPACT” lifetime achievement award. Principal Conductor of Pro Coro Canada (Edmonton, AB), a professional chamber choir. Pro Coro has toured regularly across Canada and has been broadcast on CBC Radio. Playing Richard Also available in the Seattle Symphony Collection: Time: DANIELPOUR 66:04 (b. 1956) Naxos Rights International Ltd. Made in the USA. compact disc prohibited. Unauthorised public performance, broadcasting and copying of this All rights in this sound recording, artwork, texts and translations reserved. 1 First Light (1988) 13:06 AMERICAN CLASSICS The Awakened Heart (1990) 23:57 2 Into the World’s Night 8:53 3 Epiphany 7:41 Strongly inclined towards neo- romanticism, Richard Danielpour’s 4 My Hero Bares His Nerves 7:23 music is a rich unity of energy,

ൿ intensity, and serenity. First Light

1991, 2012 & Symphony No. 3 ‘Journey reveals these elements perfectly with Without Distance’ (1989)* 29:01 its rhythmically charged writing Text by Helen Schucman and William Thetford, contrasting with hypnotic chant prepared by Richard Danielpour and melodies. The Awakened Heart is a

Ꭿ Judith Skutch Whitson kaleidoscopic three-movement work 2012 5 Part One 16:00 that ranges from darkness and 8.571202 8.559715 passion through a stately chorale to 6 Part Two 13:01 an exuberant and breathless conclusion. Symphony No. 3 charts a Faith Esham, Soprano* triumphant ascent from “the dream * of death and our own fearful Seattle Symphony and Chorale existence” to a belief “in a world of hope and love.” “Danielpour is an Gerard Schwarz outstanding composer for any time – one who knows how to communicate Previously released on Delos International. deep, important emotions through DDD Recorded at Seattle Opera House, Seattle, WA, simple, direct means.” (The New on 20th January, 1991 (track 1), on 13th and 15th October, York Daily News) 1991 (tracks 2-4), and on 13th October, 1991 (tracks 5-6) Publisher: G. Schirmer, Inc. www.naxos.com Executive Producer: Amelia S. Haygood 8.559712 Producer: Adam Stern • Engineer: John Eargle Assistant Engineers: Al Swanson, Li Teo Booklet notes: Paul Schiavo 8.559708 8.559709 Cover photograph by Matt Bromley