Tomorrow the New York Philharmonic Orchestra will present American composer Peter Lieberson's latest work for mezzo-soprano, baritone, chorus and orchestra. Aptly titled "The World in Flower" the work will combine the words of the Navajo, Neruda, Rilke, Whitman and others with vocal and orchestral music in an exploration of how spiritual life can flourish in different ways.
Lieberson, currently suffering from lymphoma and living in Santa Fe, was saddened by the world's intolerance and felt compelled to create a piece in which the common human experience was forefront. By using texts from different regions and eras in the world, it is his hope to demonstrate how similar and singular they are in philosophy and meaning. What I admire about his effort is that he is attempting to show how we are all very much connected to each other, perfectly making the point that intolerance does little but compassion does everything.
Click here to listen to an interview with him about "The World in Flower" or here to learn more about his study of Buddhism.
And while I'm happily ensconced here, I do find myself wishing I could be in NYC tomorrow to hear "The World In Flower" unfold in person.
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