Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio is a large scale orchestral oratorio composed by Elliot Goldenthal, commissioned by the Pacific Symphony in 1993 for the 20th Anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War.
The album It was performed publicly and recorded in mid 1995 and released commercially in 1996. Yo-Yo Ma performed Solo Cello on "Part I"; other performers include: The Pacific Chorale & Children's Chorus, the Ngan-Khoi Vietnamese Children's Choir, Ann Panagulias and James Maddalena; it was conducted by Carl St. Clair.
It is not considered an archetypal oratorio as it doesn't tell a story so much as it brings together many different poems and words of praise, the latter adding a sort of religious aspect in the form of requiem.
Track listing Part I: Offertorium (32:08) Part II: Scherzo (giằng co) (14:14)Gramophone – Volume 74 887 1996 p. 81 "A pupil of John Corigliano and Aaron Copland, Brooklyn-born Elliot Goldenthal (b. 1954) is perhaps best-known for his highly ... This feverish dance of death (which bears the subtitle giang co or "tug-of-war") utilizes a far-ranging assortment of documents – from Virgil, Tacitus and Cicero to terms used in the Vietnam conflict ..." Part III: Hymn (19:19)
Crew and performers Music Composed by Elliot Goldenthal Produced by Steven Epstein Performed by Yo-Yo Ma, Solo Cello (Part I) Ann Panagulias, Soprano & James Maddalena, Baritone Pacific Chorale & Children's Chorus Ngan-Khoi Vietnamese Children's Chorus Pacific Symphony Orchestra, Conducted by Carl St. Clair Engineer: Richard King
References
External links https://web.archive.org/web/20070817004514/http://goldenthal.filmmusic.com/concert/firewaterpaper/index.html – The page for the album on the composer's website.