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Bortniansky: I Cried Out To The Lord / Ensemble Cherubim
Naxos

Bortniansky: I Cried Out To The Lord / Ensemble Cherubim

$19.99

Details

Composer
BORTNIANSKY, DMITRY
Artist
Kuzma
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Jun 25, 2013
Catalog #
8573109
UPC
747313310975

About



BORTNIANSKY Cherubic Hymn No. 7. Choral Concertos: Nos. 1, 6, 9, 15, 18, 21, 27, 32. How Glorious is our Lord in Zion • Marika Kuzma, cond; Ens Cherubim • NAXOS 8.573109 (63:04 Text and Translation)


We all know that Russian music began with Glinka, right? Well no, actually it didn’t, especially if one considers the rich tradition of a cappella liturgical music in the Russian Orthodox Church. From the late 17th century onward, these compositions are often credited to individual composers, such as Nikolai Diletsky (1630–1690), Vasily Titov (1650–1715), Maksim Berezovsky (1745–1777), Stepan Degtiarev (1766–1813), and Artemy Vedel (1767–1806). Dmitry Bortniansky (1751–1825) was one of the consummate practitioners of this art, but in addition to church music he wrote operas and instrumental works. All of the composers mentioned were strongly influenced by European musical styles, and none more so than Bortniansky. Of Ukrainian birth, he was recruited into the Imperial Court Chapel Choir in St. Petersburg at the age of seven. Because of his outstanding abilities, he was eventually sent to Italy to study, spent 10 years there, and had several of his operas produced in Italian theaters. Upon his return to Russia in 1779 he achieved great success as a composer and choral director and in 1796 was appointed director of the Imperial Court Chapel.


There have been a good many recordings of Bortniansky’s music, but this one is claimed to be “the first to restore authentic early 19th-century Church Slavonic pronunciation and reintroduce fine details found in archival sources.” Not having been present in Russia during the early 19th century, I cannot vouch for the accuracy of the pronunciation, and I would be curious to know on what basis it was established. The notes by conductor and Bortniansky scholar Marika Kuzma shed little light on this issue, except to remark that the orthography in the printed Cyrillic texts “intentionally includes archaic letters to signal an earlier, St. Petersburg pronunciation of Church Slavonic that differs from current Russian or Ukrainian practice.” The “archaic” letters mentioned were eliminated from Russian in the post-revolutionary orthographic reform, which as far as I know did not affect pronunciation. The eliminated letters were simply considered redundant. The claim to historical authenticity is somewhat undermined by the presence in the choir of women’s voices, which traditionally were not used in Orthodox Church music. I must acknowledge, however, that many other recordings of such material also employ a mixed chorus. In any case, Kuzma’s credentials as a choral director, musicologist, and Bortniansky expert are strong, and one can have some confidence in the quality of her research on issues relating to this composer. Above all, it is the quality of the music and the performances that is important, and here Kuzma’s recording is on very firm ground.


A notable feature of these performances is their transparency, contrasting with the massive, blended choral sound favored by other recordings of similar material. This transparency is very beneficial to Bortniansky’s contrapuntal textures and antiphonal effects, and achieving it is clearly one of Kuzma’s major objectives. In the notes, she announces her intention to avoid the “rich, legato choral style of traditional Russian choirs,” which creates “a wash of sound that blurs the fine detail indicated in Bortniansky’s scores.” In Cherubic Hymn No. 7, which opens the program and is probably the composer’s best-known work, the excellent intonation of the Ensemble Cherubim is also immediately apparent. Kuzma’s delivery is a bit quicker but also more relaxed and serene than the performance by the Lege Artis Chamber Choir of St. Petersburg (Sony). Another hymn, Kol’ slaven nash Gospod v Sione (How Glorious is Our Lord in Zion), brings the disc to a tranquil conclusion. Its text, drawn from a poem by Mikhail Kheraskov (1733–1807), is in Russian rather than Church Slavonic, unlike the rest of the works on the disc.


Between the two hymns, the bulk of the disc is devoted to eight of Bortniansky’s 35 sacred concertos for single chorus (he also wrote some for double chorus). The concertos are in three or four short movements and set a variety of religious texts, drawn mostly from the Psalms. Slow movements tend to alternate with faster ones, the latter being highly contrapuntal in character. The emotions expressed in these works run the gamut from deepest despair and mourning to joyous celebration. In addition to the qualities of transparency, textural detail, and precise intonation previously mentioned, Kuzma’s performances are characterized by intensity, elasticity, and variety in tempo and dynamics. If you think an hour of unaccompanied choral music can become monotonous, think again. That is not the case here.


Although a substantial number of discs that include some music by Bortniansky are available, recordings devoted exclusively to his choral music are few, and the selection of concertos assembled by Kuzma cannot currently be replicated on CD. The main competition for this release comes from the efforts of Valery Polyansky, who recorded all 35 concertos with the Russian State Symphonic Capella for Chandos on five discs. The first volume of his series, which contains the first nine concertos and three of those included by Kuzma, is currently available only as an MP3 download. Each of the remaining Chandos discs includes no more than one or two of the works recorded by Kuzma. Polyansky also recorded some of the concertos earlier for Melodiya, first with the Moscow Conservatory Chamber Choir and later with the USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir. These earlier recordings appear to be unavailable at present. The contrast between Polyansky’s approach and that of Kuzma is consistent with her own description of the differences between the “traditional Russian choral sound” and what she seeks to achieve. It would be difficult to question Polyansky’s commitment and authority in this repertoire, or the sonorous majesty of his Chandos recordings, but where I’ve been able to make direct comparisons (in Nos. 1, 6, 9, 18, and 21), I find myself often preferring Kuzma, because of clearer textures, livelier tempos (especially in the slow movements), and more pointed rhythm. It is also noteworthy that where Polyansky relies constantly on a massed chorus, Kuzma frequently assigns lines to individual singers or a small contingent, which makes for a greater variety of texture. The differences in interpretation are perhaps most obvious in the opening movement of Concerto No. 21 (“He that dwelleth in the help of the Most High”), where Polyansky’s marmoreal pace nearly doubles Kuzma’s timing (4:31 vs. 2:22), and Kuzma’s chamber-like texture contrasts strikingly with the dark mass of Polyansky’s chorus. Here one must acknowledge the greater sense of other-worldly mystery achieved by Polyansky, as well as the more powerful presence of bass voices in his rendition. Both these varieties of interpretation have their place.


The sound of this recording is very clean, clear, and well focused, free of the wooliness that sometimes afflicts choral recordings. Polyansky’s Chandos discs, by contrast, are recorded in a much more reverberant environment. The Church Slavonic and Russian texts are offered in Cyrillic, along with English translations, but no transliteration is provided, which is great for those with knowledge of the Cyrillic alphabet, but those without it are at a disadvantage.


The fine performances on this disc offer a good introduction to and sampling of Bortniansky’s choral music. I strongly recommend this excellent disc to anyone interested specifically in this composer or in Russian music before Glinka.


FANFARE: Daniel Morrison

Tracklist 31 tracks

  1. 1 Izhe Kheruvimi (Cherubic Hymn): No. 7. — 04:01
    Track
    1
    Title
    Izhe Kheruvimi (Cherubic Hymn): No. 7. —
    Duration
    04:01
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  2. 2 I. Allegro maestoso 02:24
    Track
    2
    Title
    I. Allegro maestoso
    Duration
    02:24
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  3. 3 II. Adagio 02:03
    Track
    3
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    02:03
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  4. 4 III. Allegro moderato 01:17
    Track
    4
    Title
    III. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    01:17
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  5. 5 I. Largo 02:22
    Track
    5
    Title
    I. Largo
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  6. 6 II. Allegro maestoso 01:23
    Track
    6
    Title
    II. Allegro maestoso
    Duration
    01:23
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  7. 7 III. Adagio 02:01
    Track
    7
    Title
    III. Adagio
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  8. 8 IV. Allegro moderato 01:31
    Track
    8
    Title
    IV. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    01:31
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  9. 9 I. Allegro - Maestoso 02:07
    Track
    9
    Title
    I. Allegro - Maestoso
    Duration
    02:07
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  10. 10 II. Andante con moto - Largo 02:01
    Track
    10
    Title
    II. Andante con moto - Largo
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  11. 11 III. Allegro moderato 01:28
    Track
    11
    Title
    III. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    01:28
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  12. 12 I. Adagio 03:18
    Track
    12
    Title
    I. Adagio
    Duration
    03:18
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  13. 13 II. Allegretto vivace 01:47
    Track
    13
    Title
    II. Allegretto vivace
    Duration
    01:47
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  14. 14 III. Larghetto 01:30
    Track
    14
    Title
    III. Larghetto
    Duration
    01:30
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  15. 15 IV. Allegro moderato 02:22
    Track
    15
    Title
    IV. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    02:22
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  16. 16 I. Allegro 01:18
    Track
    16
    Title
    I. Allegro
    Duration
    01:18
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  17. 17 II. Adagio 01:41
    Track
    17
    Title
    II. Adagio
    Duration
    01:41
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  18. 18 III. Andante 00:41
    Track
    18
    Title
    III. Andante
    Duration
    00:41
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  19. 19 IV. Allegro 01:16
    Track
    19
    Title
    IV. Allegro
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  20. 20 I. Larghetto 01:54
    Track
    20
    Title
    I. Larghetto
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  21. 21 II. Allegretto 00:49
    Track
    21
    Title
    II. Allegretto
    Duration
    00:49
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  22. 22 III. Adagio - Moderato 01:58
    Track
    22
    Title
    III. Adagio - Moderato
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  23. 23 IV. Allegro comodo 01:32
    Track
    23
    Title
    IV. Allegro comodo
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  24. 24 I. Andante moderato 03:11
    Track
    24
    Title
    I. Andante moderato
    Duration
    03:11
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  25. 25 II. Largo 01:24
    Track
    25
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  26. 26 III. Adagio 00:43
    Track
    26
    Title
    III. Adagio
    Duration
    00:43
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  27. 27 IV. Moderato 04:08
    Track
    27
    Title
    IV. Moderato
    Duration
    04:08
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  28. 28 I. Allegro moderato 02:36
    Track
    28
    Title
    I. Allegro moderato
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  29. 29 II. Largo 02:36
    Track
    29
    Title
    II. Largo
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  30. 30 III. Andante 01:22
    Track
    30
    Title
    III. Andante
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma
  31. 31 Kol' slaven nash (How great is our Lord in Zion) 04:20
    Track
    31
    Title
    Kol' slaven nash (How great is our Lord in Zion)
    Duration
    04:20
    Composer
    Dmytro Stepanovych Bortniansky
    Ensemble
    Ensemble Cherubim
    Conductor
    Marika Kuzma