Zigman: Émigré Shanghai Symphony Orchestra & Long Yu

• Aaron Zigman B. 1963):Émigré, Act I:
• 1 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: Prologue 06:43
• 2 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: Shanghai 04:12
• 3 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: Look Ahead 03:25
• 4 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: Dreaming Must Wait 02:47
• 5 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: This House We Share 07:04
• 6 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: My City 05:46
• 7 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: Recitative 02:54
• 8 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: No Word from Home 05:13
• 9 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: In a Woman's Hands 04:13
• 10 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: Yu Garden 01:54
• 11 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: In a Perfect World 06:07
• 12 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: One Magical Night 02:01
• 13 Zigman: Émigré, Act I: Our People 04:15
• Émigré, Act II:
• 14 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: Entr'acte 02:55
• 15 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: Light a Flame 05:03
• 16 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: The Song Home 01:22
• 17 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: You Cannot Deny My Love 02:38
• 18 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: And Another Day 03:54
• 19 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: Forever 03:41
• 20 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: Once Upon a Night 04:48
• 21 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: Where Is My Father? 04:15
• 22 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: The Yeshiva in the Ghetto 00:58
• 23 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: Nowhere to Go 02:31
• 24 Zigman: Émigré, Act II: Through a Window 06:53
• Total Runtime 01:35:32

Info for Zigman: Émigré

Émigré — the new song play composed by Aaron Zigman, with libretto by Pulitzer Prize-winner Mark Campbell and additional lyrics by Brock Walsh — premieres with Shanghai Symphony Orchestra on 17, 19 and 20 November. Long Yu conducts the orchestra with New York Philharmonic Chorus and Lanzhou Concert Hall Choir at the Jaguar Shanghai Symphony Hall, featuring soloists Andrew Dwan, Arnold Livingston Geis, Diana Newman, Shenyang, Matthew White, Meigui Zhang, and Huiling Zhu.

Émigré was inspired by China’s unparalleled decision to open its borders to Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi oppression in Europe. Between 1938 and 1941, Shanghai welcomed around 20,000 Jews from Germany, Austria and Poland. The cosmopolitan free port became a haven to many – including a number of outstanding musicians who joined the multinational ranks of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra – and Shanghai became known as “the Noah’s Ark of the Orient”.

Recognising the contemporary resonance of the humanitarian impulse behind these events, the SSO’s current Music Director initiated the oratorio project. “Émigré shows how people can come together in difficult times,” observes Long Yu. “I’m very proud of the Shanghai people, who embraced those who came there in need of help. We all need to think about how we could connect with others. I’ve worked with musicians around the world without ever thinking about where they’re from. Music is our common language. It’s the best language to deliver a message of hope.”

“Writing this oratorio about the cultural exchange between the people of China and the Jews has such a compelling meaning for me. If not for Shanghai and the goodwill of the people of China, some of my ancestors and someone very close to me would have perished at the hands of the Nazis during World War II. My aim was to write a piece that expressed the beauty, yet also pain and hope for a better future that both the Chinese and Jews experienced together during the 1930s and 1940s.” (Aaron Zigman)

“In the flood of history, we cannot avoid the changes in social circumstances, but the light and goodness of humanity is a steady boat that never sinks. She can pierce the darkness and carry the destiny of humanity and the continuity of history, sailing towards a bright and hopeful future… I am proud to be sharing this important work, brought to life by Aaron and Mark, and to be conducting the world premiere performance and the Deutsche Grammophon recording of the piece.” (Long Yu)

Shanghai Symphony Orchestra
Long Yu, conductor

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