New festival CD on CAvi-music released
CAvi-music, a partner label of Deutsche Grammophon GmbH, released two world premiere recordings by American composer Sean Shepherd. The centerpiece of the release is the oratorio On a Clear Day (An einem klaren Tag), a joint commission by the Dresdner Musikfestspiele and the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra. The work poignantly addresses the challenges facing future generations while expressing a hopeful call for respect and compassion. The recording is a live performance from the Dresdner Musikfestspiele on May 5, 2023.
The oratorio for cello, orchestra, choir, and children’s choir had its world premiere in April 2023 at New York’s Carnegie Hall, performed by the Hamburg Philharmonic State Orchestra under Kent Nagano, with Jan Vogler as soloist and various choirs (Young Person’s Choral Academy, The Young ClassX Ensemble, soloists from the Dresden Kreuzchor, and the Hamburg Alsterspatzen). It was subsequently presented at the Hamburg International Music Festival and the Dresdner Musikfestspiele.
Based on texts by German poet Ulla Hahn, the twelve-movement composition reflects on the beauty of nature — our home and a place of love — and the existential fear that comes with recognizing its fragility. The cross-border project is also conceived as a musical bridge between America and Europe, at a time when human exchange, mindfulness, and togetherness seem almost as endangered as nature itself.
“Shepherd has a fantastic ear for orchestral color. The piece is so expansive in both scale and richness that at times one felt Nagano was less a conductor than the captain of a massive cruise ship,” wrote The New York Times following the 2023 Carnegie Hall premiere.
“The transatlantic idea was my driving force when Jan Vogler and I began developing this project several years ago. For millions of Europeans, Hamburg was the gateway to the New World. This should be reflected in a musical work that can carry the idea into the future. It was also important to me to anchor the transatlantic concept in the next generation through children’s and youth choirs on both sides of the ocean,” says conductor Kent Nagano.
“Sean Shepherd has developed a very appealing musical language, between tonality and modernism. The children voice the concerns that affect them and their future, while the cello and orchestra underscore their statements with vivid colors. The cello takes on the role of a cantor, commenting on world events from the stage,” says cellist and Dresden Music Festival director Jan Vogler.
“For me, the message conveyed through Ulla Hahn’s poetic words is of great importance. It is a plea for compassion toward our fellow human beings; for awareness and action regarding our surroundings. And it is a reminder that while the challenges we face are far-reaching, complex, and ongoing, our strength lies not only in working together but in being together,” says composer Sean Shepherd about the text basis of the oratorio.
The second composition on the album offers an intimate counterpoint to this large-scale work: Sean Shepherd’s piano trio Auf dem Meer (At Sea), composed in spring 2024 to mark the 200th anniversary of the Hamburg shipping company Laeiz, was recorded in April 2025 by Mira Wang (violin), Jan Vogler (cello), and Matthias Kirschnereit (piano) for this CD.
A track from Shepherd’s oratorio An einem klaren Tag – On a Clear Day was already released on August 8 as a digital single on all major streaming platforms.