Ozawa Lauds Pacific-Commissioned Work

Among the music being championed these days by Boston Symphony by Seiji Ozawa is Elliot Goldenthal’s new “Fire Water Paper: A Vietnam Oratorio,” a work commissioned by the Pacific Symphony. The orchestra premiered it last April under Carl St.Clair, who was a Boston Symphony assistant conductor before he came to Orange County.

Ozawa will lead the BSO in performances of the work--which requires a large orchestra, chorus and two vocal soloists--in Boston, New York and Washington in April.

“I am interested in Goldenthal’s music,” he said. “I went to his studio in New York a few years ago--he was about to write an opera--and he played about 20 minutes of the score--choruses, orchestra parts, solos. It was very powerful. I knew only that and his movie music. This piece I did not know. But a few people from here went to the premiere, and they liked it. The composer is very talented.”

Goldenthal spent two years working on the piece, and it was changing right up to the premiere and, apparently, even afterward.

“Now he’s had more time, and he really went wild,” Ozawa said. “He’s made many changes. I’m very impressed with what he did, adding and cutting down. Some things were taken out, but many things put in. It’s much stronger.”

The Pacific Symphony’s recording of the original version, which features superstar cellist Yo Yo Ma, is scheduled for release by Sony Classical next month. Louis G. Spisto, the orchestra’s executive director, said Wednesday that to his knowledge, “the only revisions even [being] contemplated [by Goldenthal] when we recorded it were to change the soprano line a little bit to accommodate another singer for the CD. But ultimately they didn’t hire her. I don’t know of any changes being made.”

Goldenthal could not be reached for comment.

Regardless of whether the Vietnam oratorio has changed significantly, Ozawa said: “I hope we can make sense of this work. My dream is, I would love to go to Vietnam with this piece. But this is a sensitive issue for many people. But if anything can be done, music can do it.”