In May, the Minnesota Orchestra presented one of its most powerful performances of the 2022-23 season when it premiered "brea(d)th," a piece by composer Carlos Simon and librettist Marc Bamuthi Joseph.
Commissioned by the orchestra in 2021, it was a musical response to the murder of George Floyd that examined the arc of African American history from Joseph's poetic perspective.
On Friday, a recording created over the course of its three performances at Orchestra Hall was released by Decca Classics and is available on all major streaming platforms.
Conducted by Jonathan Taylor Rush, the recording features the voices of the Minnesota Chorale, South African choral group 29:11 International Exchange and Twin Cities Choral Partners, as well as Joseph reciting his insightful words to Simon's moving music.
A video of the May 19 performance also is available with a subscription to the Minnesota Orchestra's Digital Concert Hall at minnesotaorchestra.org.
