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

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

$21.99

Details

Composer
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Artist
Kaspars Putninš
Format
SACD
Label
BIS
Released
Feb 04, 2022
Catalog #
BIS-2571
UPC
7318599925714

About

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)

Tracklist 18 tracks

  1. 1 Great Litany 00:40
    Track
    1
    Title
    Great Litany
    Duration
    00:40
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Raul Mikson, Olari Viikholm
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  2. 2 The First Antiphon: Bless the Lord, o my soul 03:43
    Track
    2
    Title
    The First Antiphon: Bless the Lord, o my soul
    Duration
    03:43
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  3. 3 The Second Antiphon: Only begotten Son of God 02:37
    Track
    3
    Title
    The Second Antiphon: Only begotten Son of God
    Duration
    02:37
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  4. 4 The Third Antiphon: In Thy Kingdom 04:54
    Track
    4
    Title
    The Third Antiphon: In Thy Kingdom
    Duration
    04:54
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  5. 5 The Little Entrance: Come and Worship 01:24
    Track
    5
    Title
    The Little Entrance: Come and Worship
    Duration
    01:24
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Olari Viikholm
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  6. 6 O Lord, Save - Holy God 02:34
    Track
    6
    Title
    O Lord, Save - Holy God
    Duration
    02:34
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Olari Viikholm
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  7. 7 Augmented Litany 04:23
    Track
    7
    Title
    Augmented Litany
    Duration
    04:23
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Raul Mikson, Olari Viikholm
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  8. 8 After the Cherubic hymn 04:53
    Track
    8
    Title
    After the Cherubic hymn
    Duration
    04:53
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  9. 9 Litany of Supplication 00:47
    Track
    9
    Title
    Litany of Supplication
    Duration
    00:47
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Olari Viikholm
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  10. 10 The Creed 06:29
    Track
    10
    Title
    The Creed
    Duration
    06:29
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Olari Viikholm
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  11. 11 The Eucharistic Prayer: A Mercy of Peace 06:13
    Track
    11
    Title
    The Eucharistic Prayer: A Mercy of Peace
    Duration
    06:13
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Raul Mikson, Olari Viikholm
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  12. 12 We hymn thee 02:33
    Track
    12
    Title
    We hymn thee
    Duration
    02:33
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Raul Mikson
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  13. 13 Hymn to the Mother of God: Meet is in truth, to bless thee 02:55
    Track
    13
    Title
    Hymn to the Mother of God: Meet is in truth, to bless thee
    Duration
    02:55
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Raul Mikson
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  14. 14 The Lord's Prayer: Our Father 04:42
    Track
    14
    Title
    The Lord's Prayer: Our Father
    Duration
    04:42
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Raul Mikson
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  15. 15 Communion Chant: Praise the Lord from the Heavens 02:16
    Track
    15
    Title
    Communion Chant: Praise the Lord from the Heavens
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  16. 16 Blessed is He and We Have Seen the True Light 01:20
    Track
    16
    Title
    Blessed is He and We Have Seen the True Light
    Duration
    01:20
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Performer
    Raul Mikson
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  17. 17 Postcommunion Chant: Let Our Mouths Be Filled 03:34
    Track
    17
    Title
    Postcommunion Chant: Let Our Mouths Be Filled
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš
  18. 18 Blessed be the name of the Lord - Many Years 01:57
    Track
    18
    Title
    Blessed be the name of the Lord - Many Years
    Duration
    01:57
    Composer
    Sergei Rachmaninoff
    Ensemble
    Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
    Conductor
    Kaspars Putniņš