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Most recordings of Russian Orthodox liturgical music have been made either by Russian choirs or by American groups that have cultivated their distinctively thick, rumbling sound. This one, from Cambridge University, doesn't sound like those at all, and listeners may be fascinated to hear the difference. Several things make this work well, one being that music should never be tethered to its point of origin. More specifically, though, there is the fact that composer Pavel Chesnokov, who worked in the first part of the 20th century (he saw the institutions he lived in stripped away and died starving during World War II), offered a somewhat lighter version of the classic sound, admitting Western melodicism to the severe and monumental liturgical language. Sample the first section of Chesnokov's All-Night Vigil, Op. 44, "Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Ghospoda," for an idea of the combination. This music rests nicely in the range of the massed St. John's Voices and Cambridge University Chamber Choir, brought together for a group of 50 and seamlessly fused by director Graham Walker. He deserves a lot of credit for bringing together a complex performance of unfamiliar repertory, although others will have to judge the effectiveness of the Russian pronunciation drills. The program opens with four shorter motets, and the precise yet warm performances here could easily inspire other choirs to add them to their repertories. A fresh approach to some Russian choral music, this album landed on classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Spaseniye sodelal, Op. 25 No. 5 (Pavel Chesnokov)
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist - Jessica Kinney, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Bible, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Tom Butler, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Natalie Manning, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Pavel Chesnokov, Composer - Anonymous, Lyricist - Cambridge University Chamber Choir, Choir, MainArtist - Graham Walker, Conductor, MainArtist - Musica Russica, MusicPublisher - St. John's Voices, Choir, MainArtist
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
Album review
Most recordings of Russian Orthodox liturgical music have been made either by Russian choirs or by American groups that have cultivated their distinctively thick, rumbling sound. This one, from Cambridge University, doesn't sound like those at all, and listeners may be fascinated to hear the difference. Several things make this work well, one being that music should never be tethered to its point of origin. More specifically, though, there is the fact that composer Pavel Chesnokov, who worked in the first part of the 20th century (he saw the institutions he lived in stripped away and died starving during World War II), offered a somewhat lighter version of the classic sound, admitting Western melodicism to the severe and monumental liturgical language. Sample the first section of Chesnokov's All-Night Vigil, Op. 44, "Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Ghospoda," for an idea of the combination. This music rests nicely in the range of the massed St. John's Voices and Cambridge University Chamber Choir, brought together for a group of 50 and seamlessly fused by director Graham Walker. He deserves a lot of credit for bringing together a complex performance of unfamiliar repertory, although others will have to judge the effectiveness of the Russian pronunciation drills. The program opens with four shorter motets, and the precise yet warm performances here could easily inspire other choirs to add them to their repertories. A fresh approach to some Russian choral music, this album landed on classical best-seller charts in the spring of 2023.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 14 track(s)
- Total length: 01:05:36
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Jessica Kinney Cambridge University Chamber Choir Graham Walker Natalie Manning Tom Butler St. John's Voices
- Composer: Pavel Chesnokov
- Label: Naxos
- Genre: Classical Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) Choral Music (Choirs)
2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd 2023 Naxos Rights (Europe) Ltd
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