Itaipu is a four movement symphonic cantata

Cantata

A cantata is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir....

 by Philip Glass

Philip Glass

Philip Glass is an American composer. He is considered to be one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century and is widely acknowledged as a composer who has brought art music to the public .His music is often described as minimalist, along with...

. The composition was written in 1989, and pays homage to the world's largest hydroelectric dam, built on the Paraná River

Paraná River

The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...

 between Paraguay

Paraguay

Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...

 and Brazil

Brazil

Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...

. The text is written in Guaraní

Guaraní language

Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of...

, with a translation by Daniela Thomas

Daniela Thomas

Daniela Thomas is a Brazilian film director, screenwriter and editor.-Biography:Thomas, whose birthname is Daniela Gontijo Alves Pinto, is the daughter of the famous cartoonist Ziraldo Alves Pinto and the sister of Golden Globe Award-nominated film score composer Antonio Pinto.In 1994 she...

. It was commissioned by the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

Atlanta Symphony Orchestra

The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra is an American orchestra based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. Robert Spano has been its music director since 2001...

and Chorus and was first performed on November 2, 1989.

The four movements are titled:

1. Mato Grosso
2. The Lake
3. The Dam
4. To the Sea