Sino-US co-commissioned symphony stages Asian debut

One Sweet Morning, a co-commissioned symphony by China and U.S. philharmonics to mark the 10th anniversary of 9/11, staged its Asian debut in Shanghai on Saturday -- calling for peace and harmony.

It is the co-commissioned music work of the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra and New York Philharmonic (NYPO), said John Corigliano, renowned U.S. composer of the One Sweet Morning.

War South of the Great Wall, a poem by Chinese ancient Li Bai in the eighth Century, inspired Corigliano when he was composing the symphony.

He said he did not want the symphony to repeat images of the frightful day itself, but rather be a piece of abstract orchestral music.

He combined four war-themed poems, one of them part of an epic poem, from different ages and countries into his orchestral music with English chants.

The 74-year-old Italian American composer was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Classical Contemporary Composition and Academy Award for Original Music Score.

One Sweet Morning was first performed by the NYPO in New York in September 2011.

Li Bai's poem adds Chines elements into the world renowned master's works. It shows the unique advantages of music in the inter-cultural communication between the east and west, said Yu Long, music director with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra.