Over
115 years ago, John Knowles Paine's oratorio St
Peter received its premiere in Boston's old Music
Hall and was immediately heralded as a
masterpiece. Paine himself, at the time, was
rapidly becoming recognized as the foremost figure in a
blossoming American music scene, and he is remembered
today as the first American composer of international
significance.
After its initial performance though, St
Peter inexplicably lapsed into obscurity until the
efforts of Gunther Schuller and a dedicated group of
assistants brought the oratorio to light again in the
spring of 1989.
Realized here in all its magnificence
by Boston's Pro Arte Chamber Orchestra and Back Bay
Chorale, as well as four of America's finest young
singers, St Peter: An Oratorio speaks with a
romantic eloquence and passion rarely equaled in
American sacred music.
Over
115 years ago, John Knowles Paine's oratorio St
Peter received its premiere in Boston's old Music
Hall and was immediately heralded as a
masterpiece. Paine himself, at the time, was
rapidly becoming recognized as the foremost figure in a
blossoming American music scene, and he is remembered
today as the first American composer of international
significance.