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    1. RACHMANINOV: LITURGY OF ST.JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OP.31
    2. RACHMANINOV: LITURGY OF ST.JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OP.31
    ALTO

    RACHMANINOV: LITURGY OF ST.JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OP.31

    CD · 1 disc

    $11.01
    Artist
    MOSCOW CHAMBER CHOIR
    Released
    Feb 26, 2021
    although the best-known Rachmaninov works are not uncharacteristic, they represent only one side of his musical personality. Some of his finest scores have nothing to do with the piano, or the orchestra, and ranking high among them are his two major religious pieces, the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, and the Vespers... The culmination of 100 years of effort by Russian composers to fuse liturgical and art music. Certainly they were not unexpected for Rachmaninov, because the tones of Russian religious choirs - dark, rich, sonorous - haunted his inner ear as much as the sound of piano (Gramophone)
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  • RACHMANINOV: LITURGY OF ST.JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OP.31

    RACHMANINOV: LITURGY OF ST.JOHN CHRYSOSTOM OP.31

    ALTO Feb 2021
    1 disc
    CD
    $11.01
    • Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
    Nimbus

    Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    CD · 2 discs

    $32.99
    Composer
    RACHMANINOFF, SERGEI
    Artist
    Bruffy
    Released
    Feb 01, 2006
    "From a seemingly unlikely source comes a project that must be rated a serious contender for record of the year. Charles Bruffy and the Kansas City Chorale...take on Rakhmaninov's sizable Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom with wonderful results. The chorus is everywhere remarkable, especially the basses, who prove fearless in approaching low-lying notes tailor-made for cavernous Russian basses."

    -- New York Times

    -----------------------

    Another disc of absolutely stunning quality from the Kansas City Chorale and their clearly inspirational conductor Charles Bruffy. I have written elsewhere of the extraordinary control and tonal blend that this choir achieves and those qualities are amply on display here. But to think that technique is a substitute for passion and power would be quite wrong because they are present in abundance too.
     
    Although far from rare in the CD catalogues now, Rachmaninov’s two great settings of the Russian Liturgy; the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Op.31 and the All-night Vigil Op.37 still come as something of a surprise to listeners brought up on Brief-Encounter Piano Concertos. Both these settings are big pieces; the work currently under review running to over an hour and a half. As an opus it sits with Isle of the Dead and the Piano Concerto No.3 before and the first sets of Piano Preludes and Études-Tableaux afterwards. So this can be seen as being central in a period of great musical fertility. I am far from being expert on the subtleties of the way in which the Russian liturgy is set. But from my position of textual ignorance this is quite glorious. Other recordings I have heard have always been performed by Eastern European choirs recorded in cavernous basilicas where the great booming resonance adds to the religious theatricality implicit in the music. Prior to listening to this recording I have to admit that I wondered if a small professional choir from the Midwest United States would be able to emulate this sound-world. I need not have worried – again I cannot speak about how idiomatic their Russian pronunciation is – but the fervour and ecstatic quality to the singing is all I could have hoped for. Normally, the choir consists of just 24 voices split into four even groups. Wisely I think, for this recording, they have drafted in an additional three bass voices as well as having the extensive Protodeacon solos taken by Father Andre Papkov who is a long-time expert in the music of the Russian Orthodox Church. Also, the three recordings I have heard by the choir have each been made in a different Kansas Church. It sounds as if the present venue for this recording has been chosen to mimic the longer resonance mentioned above. Whether that is a function of the venue or the engineering or both I think it is a wise choice and one that works very well. My other concern was the scale of the choir. The composition was conceived with the Moscow Synodal Choir in mind. This comprised 50 boys and 30 men – not far off three times the size of the choir here and significantly with no women’s voices. I am sure that for some the all-male choir would be authentically essential but when the upper parts are sung with the purity and sheer tonal beauty as they are here it’s a trade-off I am happy to make. Also, there is no lack of power when the music requires.
     
    I find it very hard to select movements let alone moments in this performance that are highlights – the inspiration and execution run at a high level throughout. One thought I would share is the brilliance with which the choir adapt their internal balance between sections. Take the very opening of the first disc, over the calls to prayer from the Deacon and Celebrant the choir intone ‘Lord have mercy’ – Papkov’s sepulchral bass is supremely evocative but it is the blend of the main choir that amazes me every time I return to it. It grows from the lower lines – a prayer gradually ascending from the depths of darkness and doubt. As the higher voices are gradually added there is a glorious unfurling and widening of the choral range yet nothing is forced there is a natural evolution that is hypnotically compelling. Or try the second movement Bless the Lord, O My Soul. Here it is the alto line which carries the melody initially. The way the sopranos create a halo of light around the lead line and the bass provides the firmest and deepest of supports is breathtaking. The engineering and production by Nimbus’s unnamed team is exemplary – the atmosphere for this kind of work perfectly captured and the voices of the soloists placed ideally within the main choral group. The resonance of the St. John’s Centre in Kansas is clearly present without blurring detail. Part of the theatricality of this music is when great waves of choral exalting wash and blur over the succeeding wave – try 1:30 into the Little Liturgy (track 3) and you will hear what I mean.
     
    It is not a mode of listening to music that I often promote – but this is such a life-enhancing, spirit-lifting disc that listened to in the quiet of an evening in a room with the lights turned down it is heaven on earth as far as I am concerned. I have been listening to a sequence of Nimbus discs recently and it has struck me how consistently high their production and presentation values are. A case in point with this disc; a superbly performed disc of fascinating repertoire, supported by discreetly excellent engineering. But this is aided and supported by presentation that includes a really excellent essay by Vladimir Morosan who is an expert on Rachmaninov’s sacred choral music. I am sure I am not alone in finding that part of the whole home-listening experience is having a good detailed liner-note to read to complement the performance. Now here I’m getting into rather more retentive issues; I do like the fact that Nimbus print their booklets on high quality paper! I know it does not really matter a jot but I appreciate it! A tiny quirk though; I wonder why the text was given in English only? A transliteration at least would have helped the non-Russian-speaking listener keep a closer track on where exactly we were in the liturgy at any given moment.
     
    There are several fine other recordings available but this pair of discs will grace any collection. For those with an interest in sacred music or just choral singing of the very highest order this is a most beautiful if not essential recording.
     
    -- Nick Barnard, MusicWeb International
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  • Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    Rachmaninov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    Nimbus Feb 2006
    2 discs
    CD
    $32.99
  • LITURGY OF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM 4

    LITURGY OF ST JOHN CHRYSOSTOM 4

    ALTO Mar 2010
    1 disc
    CD
    $11.01
    1. Rachmaninoff: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom / Putninš, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    2. Rachmaninoff: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom / Putninš, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    BIS

    Rachmaninoff: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom / Putninš, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

    SACD · 1 disc

    $21.99
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Artist
    Kaspars Putninš
    Released
    Feb 04, 2022

    The music of the Russian Orthodox Church was an essential part of Sergei Rachmaninoff’s musical background. As a boy he was deeply moved by the sound of St Petersburg’s cathedral choirs, and phrases reminiscent of liturgical chant permeate his music. His Vespers has long been admired as a summit of Russian liturgical music. It has unfortunately tended to overshadow the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, his earlier large-scale sacred composition. Named after the fourth-century Archbishop of Constantinople and Church Father, the Liturgy consists of a sequence of prayers, psalms and hymns, which are sung or chanted by the different participants in the service. Rachmaninoff did not make use of any existing chants (as he would later do in his Vespers), but chose to reflect their style and spirit with music entirely of his own. The sonorities he creates is rarely achieved by plain four-part writing: instead the voices are frequently divided, solos emerge from the choir, and the range of textures shows great imagination. The Liturgy is here performed in the warm acoustics of the Niguliste Church in Tallinn by the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir – listed among the ten best choirs in the world by the BBC Music Magazine in 2020 – conducted by Kaspars Putninš.

    REVIEW:

    Rachmaninoff himself esteemed this work highly, and when it receives the careful performance it gets here, it is indeed lovely. Choral music in the Baltic countries maintains a very high level of quality, and this small choir is arguably the jewel in the crown. Note that some online sources designate this as a reading of "excerpts," but it is not; Putniņš omits only some short responsorial sections, including one short movement, in accordance with the preference of modern editors. A wonderful performance of this Rachmaninoff masterwork.

    -- AllMusicGuide.com (James Manheim)

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  • Rachmaninoff: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom / Putninš, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

    Rachmaninoff: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom / Putninš, Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir

    BIS Feb 2022
    1 disc
    SACD
    $21.99
    • Zes: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
    Cappella Records

    Zes: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    CD · 1 disc

    $20.99
    Composer
    ZES, TIKEY
    Artist
    Cappella Romana
    Released
    Sep 18, 2020
    Dr. Tikey Zes (b. 1927) is the most prolific composer of Greek Orthodox liturgical music in America. This highly original Liturgy, which Zes dedicated to Cappella Romana, bears the marks of a composer long engaged with the traditions of Orthodox worship. Cumulatively opulent in it's variety, level of musical difficulty, and ecstatic polyphonic climaxes, this Liturgy achieves a balance of splendor with restraint that is, in an inculturated and dignified musical idiom, thoroughly Byzantine. Vocal ensemble Cappella Romana combines passion with scholarship in it's exploration of early and contemporary music of the Christian East and West. It's name refers to the medieval Greek concept of the Roman oikoumene (inhabited world), which embraced Rome and Western Europe as well as the Byzantine Empire of Constantinople ("New Rome") and it's Slavic Commonwealth.
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  • Zes: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    Zes: The Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    Cappella Records Sep 2020
    1 disc
    CD
    $20.99
    1. Sheehan: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Saint Tikhon Choir [CD + Blu-Ray Audio]
    2. Sheehan: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Saint Tikhon Choir [CD + Blu-Ray Audio]
    Cappella Records

    Sheehan: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Saint Tikhon Choir [CD + Blu-Ray Audio]

    CD + Blu-Ray · 2 discs

    $32.99
    Composer
    SHEEHAN, BENEDICT
    Artist
    Sheehan
    Released
    Oct 23, 2020

    A 2021 GRAMMY Nominee for Best Choral Performance!

    ** Physical package includes CD and Pure-Audio Blu-Ray with high-resolution and surround formats, and video selections of the world premiere concert and complete liturgical performance. **

    Benedict Sheehan’s landmark setting of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in English grows out of the tradition of the great Russian liturgy settings by Rachmaninoff, Gretchaninoff, and Tchaikovsky. Reminiscent of medieval Eastern chant, minimalism, American folk singing, and the high tradition of Western church music, it is also hailed by Metropolitan Tikhon of the Orthodox Church in America as “a new milestone for Orthodoxy in America.”

    Sheehan’s sweeping and virtuosic a cappella Liturgy represents a fresh and vibrant voice for choral music today.

    The Saint Tikhon Choir was founded in 2015 by Benedict Sheehan, the group’s artistic director, and Abbot Sergius of St. Tikhon’s Monastery. It is the first professional vocal ensemble connected with an Orthodox monastery in America, founded with a mission to foster and build up the American Orthodox choral tradition at the highest artistic level.

    ABOUT THE RECORDING

    Sheehan’s Liturgy is the first of four planned releases on Cappella Records produced by multi-GRAMMY® Award winner Blanton Alspaugh and the engineering team at Soundmirror. Soundmirror’s outstanding orchestral, solo, opera, and chamber recordings have received more than 100 GRAMMY® nominations and awards, with releases on every major classical label.

    This is also the first release of The Saint Tikhon Choir on Cappella Records. The Choir recently recorded a collaboration on Naxos with three other choirs and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s conducted by Leonard Slatkin, which debuted at #1 on Billboard. They also previously recorded the sacred works of Benedict Sheehan for Saint Tikhon’s Monastery Press.

    The 2-disc deluxe set features both CD and PureAudio Blu-ray™ media with high-resolution 2.0 Stereo and 5.0 Surround versions (DSM192K/24bit), recorded in DSD and downloadable to audio servers and devices. The Blu-ray™ also contains three video performances: two concert selections from the world première performance and the complete liturgical première sung at St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Washington, DC. The accompanying booklet provides an extensive essay by the composer, the full text of the Divine Liturgy, and beautiful photography.

    BENEDICT SHEEHAN

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  • Sheehan: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Saint Tikhon Choir [CD + Blu-Ray Audio]

    Sheehan: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Saint Tikhon Choir [CD + Blu-Ray Audio]

    Cappella Records Oct 2020
    2 discs
    CD + Blu-Ray
    $32.99
  • Shvedov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Slavyanka Chorus

    Shvedov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom / Slavyanka Chorus

    Sono Luminus Aug 1995
    1 disc
    CD
    $18.99
    1. Twelve Sacred Choral Concerti & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
    2. Twelve Sacred Choral Concerti & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
    Leaf Music

    Twelve Sacred Choral Concerti & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    CD · 2 discs

    $18.99
    Composer
    VEDEL, ARTEM
    Artist
    LUMINOUS VOICES SPIRITUS CHAMBER CHOIR
    Released
    May 07, 2021

    Juno nominated chamber choir Luminous Voices along with Spiritus Chamber Choir presents twelve works by Ukranian composer Artem Vedel (1767-1808). Considered one of Ukraine’s ‘Golden Three’ composers of the 18th century, these masterpieces of Ukrainian Classical Choral Music include twelve sacred choral concerti & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. Under the direction of Dr. Timothy Shantz and with support from the Ukrainian Music Society of Alberta, the works of Vedel continue to be associated with the boisterous wave of national rebirth, imbued with a connection and influence of national folklore.

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  • Twelve Sacred Choral Concerti & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    Twelve Sacred Choral Concerti & Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

    Leaf Music May 2021
    2 discs
    CD
    $18.99
  • Images Of Christ / John Rutter, Cambridge Singers

    Images Of Christ / John Rutter, Cambridge Singers

    Collegium Records Jan 1993
    1 disc
    CD
    $18.99
    • Millenium - Russian Choral Music / J Reilly Lewis
    Centaur Records

    Millenium - Russian Choral Music / J Reilly Lewis

    CD · 1 disc

    $18.99
    Composer
    ARKHANGELSKY BORTNIANSKY CHE
    Artist
    Busching, Deutsch, Dobey, Mabbs, Tucker, Washington Cathedral Choral Society, Lewis
    Released
    Feb 01, 1986

    Includes work(s) by Baldassare Galuppi, Alexander Arkhangelsky, Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Dimitri Bortniansky, Alexander Gretchaninov, Pavel Chesnokov, Alexander Nikolsky. Ensemble: National Cathedral Choral Society Washington, D.C.. Conductor: J. Reilly Lewis.

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  • Millenium - Russian Choral Music / J Reilly Lewis

    Millenium - Russian Choral Music / J Reilly Lewis

    Centaur Records Feb 1986
    1 disc
    CD
    $18.99
  • Choral Concert: Amur-Kosaken - Orthodox Church Hymns / Folks

    Choral Concert: Amur-Kosaken - Orthodox Church Hymns / Folks

    Thorofon Dec 1989
    1 disc
    CD
    $18.99
    • Serene Ecstasy - The Light & Sorrow Of Orthodox Russia
    Delos

    Serene Ecstasy - The Light & Sorrow Of Orthodox Russia

    CD · 1 disc

    $18.99
    Composer
    TCHAIKOVSKY CHESNOKOV KIKTA
    Artist
    Tchaikovsky, Chesnokov, Kikta, Schnittke
    Released
    Jan 01, 2000
    The Spiritual Revival Choir of Moscow was created in 1992, at the end of the Soviet era, a time when religious freedom was once again permitted in Russia. The choir's repertoire includes music of the renaissance, baroque, classical and romantic periods, as well as music by contemporary composers such as Alfred Schnittke. 'Serene Ecstasy' features the choir in sacred music by Russian composers from the 19th and 20th centuries.
    The choir opens the program with "The Russian Soil," a hymn dedicated to Russian saints that is memorable for its rhythmic drive and exalted tone. Two sacred pieces by Tchaikovsky are marked by drama and, in "Eucharist" from the 'Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom,' a sense of joy. The group's lush tonal quality is ideal in Ippolitov-Ivanov's pacific "Praise the Lord, O My Soul."
    This recording consistently impresses with its excellent singing and fascinating repertoire; surely it's an ideal recording for all lovers of sacred music.
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  • Serene Ecstasy - The Light & Sorrow Of Orthodox Russia

    Serene Ecstasy - The Light & Sorrow Of Orthodox Russia

    Delos Jan 2000
    1 disc
    CD
    $18.99
    1. Locus Iste / Nethsingha
    2. Locus Iste / Nethsingha
    Signum Classics

    Locus Iste / Nethsingha

    CD · 1 disc

    $19.99
    Composer
    VARIOUS
    Artist
    Cambridge, Nethsingha
    Released
    Apr 26, 2019


    Locus Iste celebrates two milestones for the Choir of St John's College, Cambridge: as well as 2019 marking the 150th anniversary of the consecration of the college chapel, this release is coincidentally the choir's 100th recording – 60 years on from George Guest’s iconic first recording of ‘Hear my prayer’ for Argo, released in 1959. Directed by Andrew Nethsingha, the programme makes great use of the chapel's renowned acoustic, and celebrates the choirs past, present and future – including an anthem by a former director of music, a motet by one of their recent student composers and the cello-playing of a current undergraduate. The Choir of St John’s College, Cambridge is one of the finest collegiate choirs in the world – known and loved by millions from its broadcasts, concert tours and recordings. Founded in the 1670s, the Choir is known for its rich, warm and distinctive sound, its expressive interpretations and its ability to sing in a variety of styles.
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  • Locus Iste / Nethsingha

    Locus Iste / Nethsingha

    Signum Classics Apr 2019
    1 disc
    CD
    $19.99
  • A Kremlin Christmas - Christmas Chants of Russia, 17Th-20Th

    A Kremlin Christmas - Christmas Chants of Russia, 17Th-20Th

    Delos Jan 2000
    1 disc
    CD
    $18.99
    1. Radiant Light - Songs for the Millennium / Trinity Choir
    2. Radiant Light - Songs for the Millennium / Trinity Choir
    Sono Luminus

    Radiant Light - Songs for the Millennium / Trinity Choir

    CD · 1 disc

    $18.99
    Composer
    TAVENER DIRKSEN LAURIDSEN T
    Artist
    TRINITY CHOIR
    Released
    Oct 28, 1995
    For the last several years, sacred choral music has been experiencing a resurgence in popularity. RADIANT LIGHT captures the emotion and power of the live choral performance from one of the top choirs in the United States.
    Recorded at the choir's home at Trinity Church in Boston, Massachusetts, the Trinity Choir's sound is augmented by the warmth of the performance space. The three dimensional sound is of particular note on John Tavener's "The Lamb," one of the most popular compositions on the album.
    Directed by Brian Jones, the Trinity Choir lives up to its reputation as a world-class choir. Accompanied by organist Ross Wood, the choir provides a winning performance that will please recent converts to choral music as well as to long-time fans of the genre.
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  • Radiant Light - Songs for the Millennium / Trinity Choir

    Radiant Light - Songs for the Millennium / Trinity Choir

    Sono Luminus Oct 1995
    1 disc
    CD
    $18.99
    1. Silence & Music / Franklin, East Carolina University Chamber Singers
    2. Silence & Music / Franklin, East Carolina University Chamber Singers
    Gothic

    Silence & Music / Franklin, East Carolina University Chamber Singers

    CD · 1 disc

    $15.99 $20.99 Save 23%
    Composer
    Johannes Brahms, Niolai Golovanov, Herbert Howells, Nikolai Kedroff, Gustav Mahler, Jaakko Mantyjarv
    Artist
    East Carolina University Chamber Singers, Christopher Jacobson, Caroline Steinert, Zyion Stephens, I
    Released
    Nov 17, 2023

    The award-winning East Carolina University Chamber Singers, under the direction of James Franklin, perform a nuanced musical meditation of hopeful celebration and comfort. The album represents a journey through a period of silence; isolation gives way to the sounds of voices singing.

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  • Silence & Music / Franklin, East Carolina University Chamber Singers
    Sale

    Silence & Music / Franklin, East Carolina University Chamber Singers

    Gothic Nov 2023
    1 disc
    CD
    $20.99 $15.99Save 23%
  • Gloria! - Songs of Exaltation
    Sale

    Gloria! - Songs of Exaltation

    Sono Luminus Jul 2009
    1 disc
    CD
    $13.99 $6.99Save 50%
    • Sun of Justice: Byzantine Chant for Christmas / Cappella Romana
    Cappella Records

    Sun of Justice: Byzantine Chant for Christmas / Cappella Romana

    CD · 2 discs

    $26.99
    Composer
    LAMBADARIOS PELOPONNESIOS
    Artist
    Proto, J. S. Boyer, Massih, J. M. Boyer, Breen, Cain, Fine, Krueger, Stutz
    Released
    Dec 08, 2017

    This first release by Próto features over two hours of traditional Byzantine chants for Christmas. Próto is a collaboration of two protopsaltes (“first cantors”): John Michael Boyer, Protopsaltis of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of San Francisco; and the Reverend Deacon John Rassem El Massih, Protopsaltis of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America. Their shared vision is excellence in traditional Byzantine Music within the liturgical life of Orthodox Christian parishes, as well as the advancement, development, and composition of traditional Byzantine Music in the English language. A 32-page booklet is included with this release, with full texts in Greek, Arabic, and English. This album has been endorsed by Their Eminences JOSEPH, Antiochian Orthodox Archbishop of New York and Metropolitan of all North America, and GERASIMOS, Greek Orthodox Metropolitan of San Francisco.

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  • Sun of Justice: Byzantine Chant for Christmas / Cappella Romana

    Sun of Justice: Byzantine Chant for Christmas / Cappella Romana

    Cappella Records Dec 2017
    2 discs
    CD
    $26.99
    • Levine: The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom
    Signum Classics

    Levine: The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom

    CD · 1 disc

    $19.99
    Composer
    LEVINE, ALEXANDER
    Artist
    Short, Tenebrae
    Released
    Mar 01, 2013
    Tenebrae's latest disc on Signum sees their return to the repertoire of Russian composer Alexander Levine. The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom is Levine's most significant large-scale religious work to date. Inspired by the humility and humanity of the murdered Russian priest (and friend of Levine) Fr. Alexander Men and composed over a three-month period of spiritual immersion, research and contemplation (similar to that described by his great forebears Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov), the work traces a continuous spiritual growth towards the central point of the Liturgy - the Holy Communion.
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  • Levine: The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom
    Sold Out

    Levine: The Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom

    Signum Classics Mar 2013
    1 disc
    CD
    $19.99
    1. Russian Orthodox Choral Music
    2. Russian Orthodox Choral Music
    Brilliant Classics

    Russian Orthodox Choral Music

    CD · 6 discs

    $33.99
    Composer
    VARIOUS
    Artist
    Various
    Released
    Jan 22, 2021
    During the past century Russian Orthodox vocal music has experienced two periods of rebirth. The first, which began in the last years of the 19th century, consisted of a return to the popular sources of religious chant in the znamenny chant tradition passed down from its origins in ancient Byzantine chant and maintained by churches and choirs across Russia until the 17th century, when rulers such as Catherine the Great began to look westwards for cultural identity. Composers such as Kastalsky, Chesnokov and Grechaninov repudiated the Italian and French influences which had shaped the work of Classical and Romantic-era composers such as the Sacred Concertos of Bortniansky. repudiated the Italian and French influences which had shaped the work of Classical and Romantic-era composers such as the Sacred Concertos of Bortniansky. This renaissance was foreshadowed by Tchaikovsky’s setting of the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom in 1878 – in its time a controversial work, rejected by the Church – and reached its zenith with the two sacred cycles by Rachmaninoff: another setting of the Liturgy and then his religious masterpiece, the Vespers (All Night Vigil) of 1915. Once more suppressed by the 1917 Revolution, an authentic strain of Russian sacred music had to wait until the era of glasnost in the late 1980s and early 90s Rybin Male Choir could once more be formed to sing and record the repertoire that is their country’s musical inheritance, and most of these recordings date from the early 90s, first released on the ‘Saison Russe’ imprint for its renewal. Ensembles such as the of the Chant du Monde label, long unavailable and now reissued here for the first time.
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  • Russian Orthodox Choral Music
    Sold Out

    Russian Orthodox Choral Music

    Brilliant Classics Jan 2021
    6 discs
    CD
    $33.99
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