Days of Vesak

Buddhist-themed symphony celebrates Vesak

The first-ever Buddhist-themed symphony composed in Vietnam will be presented at the 5th United Nations Days of Vesak’s closing ceremony tonight in Hanoi
Entitled Khai Giac (Begin the Enlightenment), the seven-movement symphony is based on the tale of the seven-week period during which the Indian prince, Gautama Siddhartha, became the Buddha.

Overseas Vietnamese composer Nguyen Thien Dao, composer of the symphony, said he spent eight months completing the 40-minute symphony, the longest he has ever done.

“Inspired by a long Buddhist poem and the milestones of Buddha’s life, I began the work. My sole preoccupation over the past months has been how to perfect this composition which celebrates the meaning of Vesak,” said the 68-year-old composer.

According to Dao, different genres of Vietnamese traditional music such as tuong (classical drama), cheo (traditional opera), tai tu Nam Bo (amateur Southern-style reformed opera) and dan ca (folk singing) have been adapted as material for his symphony. “However, these genres have been innovated to fit with the symphony,” he said.

Explaining the reason for using traditional Vietnamese music in his composition, Dao said, “This is the first time the United Nations Days of Vesak have been held in Vietnam That’s why I want to compose a musical piece which presents the Vietnamese character and spirit.”

Five hundred people, both singers and musicians, will gather to perform the symphony. Thirty monks, students at the Vietnam Buddhism Academy in Hanoi will join the 250-member chorus during the symphony’s fifth movement to chant the well-known Maha-Prajnaparamita Sutra (Heart Sutra) of Buddhism while ringing wooden bells.

To prepare for the performance, Dao and the members of the chorus and orchestra have been practising for the past three months.

All the monks are members of the Buddhism Academy’s Letters and Arts Club, which engages in musical and theatrical performances, so they had no trouble working out their collaboration with the rest of the symphony,” Dao said.

The symphony will be performed at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi tonight.

Source: VNA

Tag: Buddhism , Hanoi , Vesak , Vietnam , Vietnamese

Buddhist-themed symphony celebrates Vesak

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