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Composer Douglas J. Cuomo's largest and most ambitious work to date, Arjuna's Dilemma is a staged oratorio based on the towering Hindu epic, the Bhagavad Gita. Containing both sweeping grandeur and extraordinary intimacy, the piece is scored for six vocalists and twelve instrumentalists and seamlessly melds classical, jazz and traditional Indian musical idioms. Says Cuomo, “I've always striven to have a musical life that can incorporate both the circus and the sanctuary, that allows me to operate in the deadline oriented world of television and film as well as the private and somewhat mystical world of my own devising. Arjuna's Dilemma is the culmination so far of my exploration of this private world.” The story: At the battlefield on the eve of the first conflict of a massive civil war, Prince Arjuna finds himself in a state of almost paralyzing confusion. He must lead his army against an enemy that includes family, friends, and teachers. Unable to justify such violence against his own people, he turns for guidance to his advisor and charioteer Krishna, who has not yet revealed himself to be an incarnation of the most powerful god in the Hindu pantheon. In the ensuing dialogue, Krishna gradually reveals to Arjuna the true nature of the universe, in all its splendor and its horror. This battle between war and the spirit raises integral questions for our troubled times. Arjuna’s Dilemma is Produced by Music-Theatre Group and will be at BAM in 2008 as part of the Next Wave Festival.