Liturgy of st john chrysostom rachmaninov biography

Moscow: A. Gutheil , n. Plate A. Petersburg: Kompozitor, n. It oozes that sense of timelessness which characterises music of the most profound spiritual experience. This is very much a liturgical event rather than a performance one, and one of the things which does make this such an admirable recording is the fact that it sounds as much like a religious devotion as a performance of lovely music.

Marc Rochester. Donate and keep us afloat. All Naxos reviews. The recent aquisition of Ondine by Naxos might have put in doubt Ondine's ability to release further SA-CDs, so this new issue is very encouraging. The 5. The wonderful acoustic of Riga's Dome Cathedral provides the glowing and reverberant sonic environment which is an essential component of Orthodox sacred music and worship.

One can almost see the glint of gold reflecting candles, smell incense, and imagine voices emerging from dark pools of silence to resonate through mind and soul. This is surely a case for multichannel sound, and the engineers have managed to keep textures, articulation and diction well in focus while conveying the myriad complex responses of the cathedral building to the music.

The only minor blemish for which I have perhaps unfairly removed half a star is the presence of some low-level deep rumble, perhaps from traffic or nearby heavy machinery. It is only noticeable on speakers with extended range when the volume level is set fairly high, and seems less present in the latter half of the disc. A deeply moving and uplifting reading of Rachmaninov's musical icon, splendidly recorded, and worthy of inclusion in the short-list of best available recordings of the Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom.

Liturgy of st john chrysostom rachmaninov biography

Recent reviews. Not for a long time have I written anything with such pleasure. The work premiered November 25, in Moscow. Russian Orthodox ecclesiastical authorities strongly objected to the work's "spirit of modernism" and refused to sanction it for use during church services. A portion of the Liturgy was given in concert performance in New York on January 24, , by the male choir of the Russian Cathedral of St.

Nicholas, conducted by Ivan Gorokhov. A new edition, reconstructed from surviving part books at an Orthodox monastery in the U. Library of Congress , was published by Anthony Antolini in The Liturgy consists of twenty movements for unaccompanied mixed choir. Two Movements 14 and 19 are scored for double choir. The twenty movements are these: [ 6 ].

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