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All Night Vigil is
a public worship in the Orthodox Church and its name reflects the
fact that it used to last all through the night. For many decades
the worship included some customary chants. It was not until late
19th century that All Night Vigil became a more flexible genre,
that attracted some prominent Russian composers, including Tchaikovsky.
The premier performance of the Rachmaninov's All Night Vigil
took place in 1915 not in a church but in the Great Hall of the
Moscow Nobility Assembly. Thus liturgical music became music for
the concert halls as well as for temples. Rachmaninov's genius manifested
itself in an astonishingly free creative manner of musical composition
based however on a deep and awesome study of the Ortodox liturgical
singing tradition as well as on a daring and innovatory use of all
the advanced methods of the modern classical music of the time.
As a result a true masterpiece of polyphonic canticle arose. As
Alexei Puzakov put it, you will not find here just the main part
of soprano and accompaniment (all other parts).Each voice - and
Rachmaninov involves 12 of them - like a human being in real life,
performs his or her part which is unique and main for him or her.
All these voices merge into a unique and inimitable in its beauty
Divine symphony.
St. Nikolai Church Choir is well placed to perform the great work
by Rachmaninov. It is one of the best church choirs in Moscow, all
its members are exceptionally talented professional singers It is
a State Choir under the State Tretyakov Gallery. The choir performed
All Night Vigil at the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatoire,
at St. Paul's Cathedral in London, but more often the choir sings
during the services in the St. Nikolai Church which at one time
was Rachmaninov's parish church.
All Night Vigil (Vespers), op. 37
1 Come, Let Us Worship 2.26
2 Bless The Lord, О My Soul (The Greek chant) 5.04
3 Blessed Is the Man 5.08
4 Joyful Light (The Kiev chant) 3.24
5 The Lord, Now Lettest Thou Thy Servant Depart (The Kiev chant)
4.12
6 Hail, Theotokos Virgin 2.06
7 Lesser Doxology 2.59
8 Praise Ye The Name Of The Lord (Znamenny chant) 3.12
9 Blessed Art Thou, O The Lord (Znamenny chant) 6.36
10 Having Beheld The Resurrection Of Christ 3.38
11 My Soul Doth Magnify The Lord 8.18
12 Greater Doxology (Znamenny chant) 7.23
13 Troparion "Today Is The Salvation" (Znamenny chant)
2.09
14 Troparion Christ Is Risen From The Tomb (Znamenny chant) 3.53
15 O Mother Of God, Thou Victorious Warrior-Chieftain (The Greek
chant) 1.32
Total time 62.08
Recorded October 26-27
and November 4, 1997
St. Nikolai Church Choir of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow
Conducted by Alexei Pouzakov
Archpriest Nikolai Sokolov
Soloists: Tatiana Gerange, alto, Andrei Nemzer, tenor
Cover: Mikhail Vrubel.
Angel with a Candle, 1887.
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