Argentine composer Osvaldo Golijov has written a Latin American Passion, according to Saint Mark. The Passion tells the story of Christ's betrayal, death, and ressurection; perhaps the best-known Passions are those by Johann Sebastian Bach. Our music critic Tom Manoff says Golijov's achievement is remarkable, a musical drama set in a New World for a new time. It's a mixture of traditions — Spanish, Latin, and Aramaic words are set to a music that draws on Latin American folk music, African drumming, flamenco and Gregorian-like chant melodies.
• Listen to Fred Child's interview with Osvaldo Golijov for Performance Today, April 8, 2002.
Copyright 2002 NPR
