''The Celestial Sphere'' is a large scale oratorio for chorus and orchestra by

Charles Wuorinen Charles Peter Wuorinen (; June 9, 1938 – March 11, 2020) was an American composer of contemporary classical music based in New York City. He performed his works and other 20th-century music as pianist and conductor. He composed more than ...

, commissioned by

Augustana College Augustana College may refer to: *Augustana College (Illinois) *Augustana University Sioux Falls, South Dakota *Augustana University College, Alberta See also *Augustana Divinity School (Neuendettelsau) The Augustana-Hochschule Neuendettelsau is ...

(Rock Island, Illinois) for the 100th anniversary of the Handel Oratorio Society, which gave the premiere performance on 25 April 1981 under the direction of Donald Morrison, conductor. The composition was written from January 2 to September 9, 1980, in Baltimore, Binghamton (NY), Buffalo (NY), Gardiner (MA), Iowa City (IA), Jackson Hole (WY), Los Angeles, Middle Valley (NJ), New York City, Rock Island (IL), and San Francisco. The score is published by

C.F. Peters Edition Peters is a classical music publisher founded in Leipzig, Germany in 1800. History The company came into being on 1 December 1800 when the Viennese composer Franz Anton Hoffmeister (1754–1812) and the local organist Ambrosius Kühnel ...

, EP 66851. Texts from William Fuller's "Lord, What Is Man?" (1693),

Acts of the Apostles The Acts of the Apostles ( grc-koi, Πράξεις Ἀποστόλων, ''Práxeis Apostólōn''; la, Actūs Apostolōrum) is the fifth book of the New Testament; it tells of the founding of the Christian Church and the spread of its messag ...

. Wuorinen's full title is ''The Celestial Sphere / An Oratorio / For Mixed Chorus / And Orchestra / Containing: I. Symphony About the Empyrean / Lord, What is Man (William Fuller, 1693) (Solemn Setting) / II. Symphony About the Ascension / The Ascension (Acts) / III. Symphony About the Holy Ghost / The Pentecost (Acts) / IV. Second Symphony About the Empyrean / Lord, What is Man (Joyous Setting).'' Part II of the work contains an optional two minute electronic tape part which may be used at one point (Pentecost) where there is a provision for a two-minute interlude. The tape part (created at Bell Labs) can be replaced by silence if desired. McElwain, Bill "Exciting premiere of new oratorio" ''The Daily Dispach''. Moline, Illinois, April 27, 1981. Wuorinen's ''Ecclesiastical Symphonies'' are the purely orchestral movements of this work.

Footnotes

References

* Burbank, Richard D., ''Charles Wuorinen: A Bio-Bibliography''. Greenwood Press, 1994. {{DEFAULTSORT:Celestial Sphere Compositions by Charles Wuorinen Oratorios 20th-century classical music 1981 oratorios