In Celebration of the Human Voice - The Essential Musical Instrument

Russian Choral Music

Displaying 1-42 of 42 items.

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Dubinushka

Academy of Choral Art : Pearls of Traditional Music

Review: This superb chorus sings a multiplicity of folk masterpieces: Russian, Gregorian, and Ukrainian. The authentic Russian songs offered generously on this program cover a wide range of genre and character, from love songs and coach tunes to peasant dances. The emotional range is broad as well, from subtle lyrics to boisterous joy. Each region represented reveals in its music an enriched experience of the uniqueness of its own culture. Sumptuous sound from top to bottom, pinpoint accuracy, electrifying virtuosity and great expressiveness. Selections range from old favourites like "Dark Eyes," the "Volga Boatman's Song," and "Kalinka," to much less familiar gems like "There is Birch in the Field" (Tchaikovsky Uses this theme in his Fourth Symphony.) The true joy in singing is everywhere evident.

Songlist: The Ural Rowan, Red Sarafan, Nightingale, Amur Waves, Dark Eyes, Down the Volga River, Dubinushka, the Volga, Boatman's Song, There was a Birch in a Field, On a Hill, Suliko (Georgian), Oh Oak, My Oak (Ukranian), Sing Martlet, Sing, One Hears the Sound of a Distant Lone Bell, Twelve Robbers, Brooms, Peddlers, The Evening Chime, Kalinka

Academy of Choral Art - Victor Popov : The Testament of Gogol for Mixed Unaccompanied Choir

Review: The traditions of Russian music, especially the religious traditions, are realized in the creative work of the composer Georgy Dmitriev. The Testament of Gogol was composed in 1997. The idea of this work was nurtured for many years in the imagination of the composer. Gogol had always been one of his favorite authors. The text for the work is taken from the first chapter of Gogol's Selections from Correspondence with Friends. The form of the work is unique. Its 11 choral parts, or episodes are inserted into one large composition. The 11 parts of the reader interact with the subsequent choral singing in different ways, thus making the whole process more dynamic and symphonic. The premiere of the work took place on March 7, 1999 in the Rachmaninoff Hall of the Moscow Conservatory. The "Vremya" newspaper wrote: "The composition is not infected either by the spirit of the avant-garde or with doubts of post-modernism. It has been written strongly, intelligently, professionally and convincingly shows the author's excellent knowledge of choral singing as well as the 20th century's means of expressing itself."

Songlist: The Testament of Nicolai Gogol - Georgy Dmitriev

Camerata Vocal Group : My Angel

Review: The Camerata Vocal Group comprises eight professional musicians, seven singers and a sound engineer. All are graduates of higher schools of music in Belarus and Russia. Their repertoire includes pieces belonging to different genres, from classical to jazz, oftentimes interwoven with each other, giving birth to totally new and uncommon combinations. The core of "Angel" is Slavic folklore, but each piece is a work of experimental and quite amazing vocal art. Concert tours in the Soviet Union, Switzerland, Poland, Turkey, Austria and the U.S. have gained them fans from all music traditions. Eight stunning pieces: "Near The Grove," the soaring "Falcon," the title tune (with a marvelous vocal "horn section"), the classical/jazzy "My Little Eye-Brows," "Autumn Night," "Segudilia," "Bulgarian Fantasy" and "Christmas." Absolutely lovely, with harmonies and vocal effects that must be heard to be believed. Camerata is one of the best in the world, however we wish to define or categorize them!

Songlist: Near the Grove, Falcon, My Angel, My LIttle Eye-brows, Autumn Night, Segudilia, Bulgarian Fantasy, Christmas

Choir of S. Krivobokov : Along The Street

Review: The unfortunate limitation of people only slightly familiar with Russian folk songs to assume that the male choir or chorus is the only vocal vehicle, can now have their horizons expanded with this mixed choir directed by S. Krivobokov. Recorded live at Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, you will have the glory of hearing some of the finest voices in all of Russia. You will be regaled with a smattering of familiar tunes in the robust male vocal tradition such as "The Wild Steppe" and "Dense Unknown Taiga" on which the women's voices will be relegated to creating the sweetness which typically tenor's provided in the all male ensembles. However you will also find women's voices in leads of unparalleled beauty and at other times the lead is shared by men and women duets before the entire chorus is brought into the songs to create the robust fullness that is unique to Russian music. If you have only one recording of Russian Folk Songs in your library, let it be this one!

Songlist: The WIld Steppe, In Dark Woods, Dense Unknown Taiga, A Handbell, I wish I Hadn't Known You, My Love, Evening Bells, Along the Street, It's Foggy, Do Pass Over, Storm, A Girl In the Pine-Forest, Twelve Robbers, In the Smithy, Steppe Around, Not the Wind Bends the Branch, Don't Reproach Me, Kalinka

Choir of the Moscow Patriarchate : Russian Folk Songs

Review: The Patriarchal Choir, Moscow was formed in 1983, and consists of professional singers, both men and women. The choir take part in the services of the Moscow Church of the Resurrection, basing its work on old Russian choral tradition, from the 17th century to works of bortnyansky, Rachmaninov and others. The Choir began touring abroad in 1987. "Folk Songs" features 17 a cappella songs; some of our favorites are "Down the River Mother Volga," "In The dark forest," "The bell tolls," "O, the sweet night," "Do not reproach me, do not blame," "The troika-mail is running," "Along the river" and "Dark Eyes." There is tremendous depth of feeling here; wonderful solos supported by solid background harmonies. A powerful and moving CD!

Songlist: Down the River Mother Volga, O the steppes, In the dark forest, The bell tolls, Snow fall in the street, Steppes, only steppes all around, O, the sweet night, Do not reproach me, do not blame, The troika-mail is running, Fade, fade, The legend of the twelve highwaymen, The young man has flown like a bird, Evening bell, Guelder rode, Neighbour, Along the river, Dark eyes

Don Cossack Choir : A Russian Romance

Review: Russian romantic songs provide an inexhaustible source of poetic figures and wonderful melodies. All major Russian composers have occupied themselves with this genre and the tradition of the classical romance can even be observed in the works of Soviet artists. Here the Don Cossacks present a harmonious combination of vocal and instrumental works and reward the listener with a fascinating series of typical works by Russian composers offering prime examples of the immense spectrum of Russian vocal lyricism, as only they can.

Songlist: How young we were, The Rustling of the Birches, Mussorgsky Fantasy, Ljubo, bratcy, Ljubo,, Brothers, Life's Good!, Evening Song, Pesjna Tomskogo, Song From The Opera, Chorus from the opera Khovanshchina, No not hurry, A Cossack once rode across the Danube river, You are my melody, A Joyce's Waltz, Autumn Dream, Russian Fields, A Russian Ri=omance

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Neude Freude Ist Uber Uns Gekommen

Don Cossack Choir : In Dulci Jubilo

Review: The Christmas concert, with Russian and German Christmas carols, was recorded in one of Germany's most beautiful Baroque churches. In addition to the well known sacred songs such as "In dulci jubilo" and Russian pieces like "Gospodie Pomuli", Wanja Hlibka delved deeply into the ways of both cultures. The a cappella version of "Es ist ein Ros entspungen", for example, enchanted the 1700 concert goers with the Kosaken's Russian melancholy..... a moving and grandiose experience. The church's interior, when one considers the basilica's dimensions, presents a challenge to a vocal ensemble. With a depth of over eighty meters, it requires the vocal power of the Russian operatic soloists comprising Wanja Hlibka's choir to elicit the necessary charisma from the vocally sophisticated arrangements and to captivate the audience in the way that they did. The atmosphere of the concert, dependent on the desired expression and dynamic, ranges from a peaceful, quiet, almost gentle honoring of the child in the manger to an enormous room-filling song of praise proclaiming the joy at the birth of the Redeemer.

Songlist: Credo, Neude Freude Ist Uber Uns Gekommen, Christus Ist Geboren, Gott Sei Mit Uns, In Dulci Jubilo, Oh Kommet Ihr Glaubigen, Tedeum Laudamus, Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen, Gospodie Pomilui, Sisser Die Glocken Nie Klingen, Russischer Weihnachtsgesang, Die Glocken Von Jerusalem, In Der Kirche, Leise Rieselt Der Schnee, Ich Bete An Die Macht Der Liebe

Don Cossack Choir : The Divine Works from the Russian Orthodox Tradition

Review: The rich and emotional music of the Russian Orthodox Church is seldom heard in the Western world, making this treasure an even greater enhancement to the spectrum of the Edition. No western and few Russian ensembles can communicate the Orthodox liturgy as convincingly as the legitimate successors to Serge Jaroff's legendary Don Cossacks Choir. Rarely to be found on a west European release, the compositions especially selected for the liturgically conceived Musica Sacra reveal a surprising new insight into the high art of sacred Russian music and tradition.

Songlist: Grosse Bitt Litanei - Vater unser, Wir verbeugen uns vor Deinem Kreuz, Herr erbarme Dich unser, Heiliger Gott, In der Kirche, Credo, Unter Deiner Gnade, Gott sei mit uns, Erster Psalm Davids, Tedeum Laudamus

Lege Artis Chamber Choir : Medieval Russian Vocal Art

Review: The legend of adoption of Christianity in Russia as stated in the Chronicle of Years and Times has it that the unprecedented beauty of divine service was the main reason for choosing the Byzantine model of Christian faith. Church singing heard by Prince Vladimir's ambassadors in Constantinople amazed them with its delightful beauty. The Byzantine aesthetics inheriting the Platonic doctrine of identity of beauty, truth, and deity proved to be very close to the heart of ancient Slavs, and had a tremendous impact on generation of a new professional singing culture in Russia. Znamenny chant, a greatest achievement of medieval culture, was the core chant in singers' repertoire over the whole history of sacred singing in Ancient Russia. New styles of singing, Putevoy and Demestvenny chants, appear in the second half of the 15th century. The Putevoy chant competed with the Znamenny in popularity, and was a nationwide model along with it. The demestvenny chant is one of the most beautiful melismatic chants in the vocal heritage of Old Russia. Another impressive branch of the ancient Russian art of singing is professional polyphony. The sound of early Russian polyphonic chants is unusual for today's audience. Their line compositions are based on a protracted putevoy chant "braided" with background voices. Added to demestvenny polyphony was a striking, rhythmically active "demestvo" part. Russian Tsar Alexey Mikhailovich, father of Peter the Great, was taught line singing as a child, and afterwards collected a remarkable music library.

Songlist: A Great and Marvelous Wonder, All Creation Rejoices In Thee, Thou That Full Of Grace, The Three-Lamped Light, Shine, Shine, O New Jerusalem., Adorn Thy Bridal Chamber, O Zion, This Is The Day Of The Lord: Rejoice Ye People, Gabriel Announces The Good Tidings, The Angel Cried Out To Her Who Is Full Of Grace, With All Peoples Let Us Honor and Glorify, It Is Meet, We Bless Thee, Virgin Birthgiver Of God, Standing Today At The Cross, Thy Nativity, O Virgin Birthgiver Of God, To Rest In Thee Arms Of The Elder, Beholding Thee Hanging Upon The Cross, Weep Not For Me, O Mother, To Behold, O Virgin, The Resurrection Of Thy Son, Today The Virgin Gives Birth To Him Who Is Above All Being, The Angel Cried Out To Her Who Is Full Of Joy, Glorious Are Thy Mysteries, O Pure Lady, Magnify, O My Soul, Shine, Shine, O New Jerusalem, Today The Temple That Is To Hold God

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Maoz Tsur

Moscow Boys Choir : Christmas Around The World

Review: This internationally renowned boys choir performs Christmas music from around the world. Led by Ninel Kamburg, listeners are transported to far away places as the choir showcases classics. Featured on this disc are such favorites as "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Jingle Bells" and their beautiful rendition of "Silent Night" plus moving classical standards as Bach/Gounod's "Ave Maria." This group will warm your hearts this holiday season.

Songlist: The Christmas Song, God Is With us, The Little Drummer Boy, O Tannenbaum, Carol of the Bagpipers, Masters In This Hall, Ave Maria, Le Bonne Nouvelle, Fum! Fum! Fum!, Maoz Tsur, Christmas In Killamey, Silent Night, Feliz Navidad, Jingle Bells, We Wish You A Merry Christmas (Traditional)

Moscow Boys Choir : Moscow Boys Choir

Review: This recording from the Moscow Boys Choir is a selection of the variety of styles that this choir performs. From Russian folk and classical to traditional and contemporary Christmas songs, this choir will captivate you. The majority of the album is comprised of Russian songs by Rachmaninoff, Glinka, Stepanov and Taneev and includes two beautiful Russian folk songs. The second part of the recording contains many Christmas pieces including three selections from Britten's "A Ceremony of Carols." One special treat on this CD is "Schedrick" the Ukrainian song better known as "Carol of the Bells."

Songlist: God Is With Us, Chorale, Vocalise, A Quiet Melody, Primavera Waters, Poputnaya, Evening Bells, Ave Maria, Veni Sancti Spiritus, In Paradisum, Gloria, Kyrie, Procession, Balulalow, Schedrick, Silent Night, Angels We Have Heard On High, Silver Bells, We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Moscow New Choir : Sviridov - Russian A Cappella Music

Review: "Sviridov balances simplicity and originality to perfection in his Three Choruses for Tolstoy's Tsar Feodor Ioannovich. The melodic lines are cleanly projected by members of Moscow New Choir, with scrupulous concern for text, the harmonies (Orthodox with a Sviridov twist) atmospherically supportive - .Sviridov's emotional range is wider, and it is incredible just how many effects and subtleties he achieves. This marvellous choir's bright, intelligent and dynamically varied approach, their attention perfectly focused on both the words and the music, should help to establish the reputation of Pushkin's Garland as one of the richest Russian choral works of the 20th century as well as a firstrate tribute to Russia's greatest poet....the rich blend of Orthodox ritual and passionate response in the 'child's burial' of Night Clouds seems to touch a special emotional chord - Sviridov's late-flowering choral garlands and wreaths; they should enter therepertoire of our own chamber choirs sooner rather than later."- Gramophone

Songlist: Pushkin's Garland, Three Choruses from Tsar Feodor Ioannovich, Songs of Troubled Times, Night Clouds

Optina Pustyn Male Choir : Orthodox Chants

Review: The male choir of the Optina Pustyn Monastery in St. Petersburg was established in 1996 and consists of 6-9 professional singers with impressive voices. Their main goal is the cultivation of the heritage of the old Russian Church polyphony in its different styles, such as: Znamenny, Bulgarian, Greek, Byzantine chants, etc. This recording is an impressive example of orthodox chants and shows the beauty of Russia's religious songs. Information in 4 languages.

Songlist: Psalm 104, The Great Litany (Znamenny chant (liturgical chant), arranged by elder Theodosius), Blessed is the Man (Kiev chant, Psalm 1, 2, 3), Lord, I have cried unto Thee (Tune of the Optina Puostyn Monastery), Stichera (Tune of Kiev-Pechera Lavra), Glory, Stichera ("At God's beck"), Joyful Light, Vouchsafe, O Lord (Tune of the Optina Puostyn Monastery, arranged by Abbot Matthew), Stichera in the Litany (Znamenny chant), Stichera in the Versicles (Znamenny chant, arranged by Regent Alexander), Now Lettest Thou Depart (V. Kurbatov), Hail, O Virgin

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The Little Cuckoo

Optina Pustyn Male Choir : Russia's Most Beautiful Songs

Review: The Optina Pustyn Male Choir consists of six to nine professional musicians trained at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. The choir tours and has produced five CDs to date, but they are also part of the regular monastic choir at the Optina Pustyn Monastery in St. Petersburg. Singing in the tradition of the world famous Don Cossack Chorus directed by Sergei Jaroff the choir sings Russian traditional songs including favourites such as the 'Volga Boat Men' and the 'Legend of the Twelve Robbers' and others. Information in English, German, French and Spanish, plus complete lyrics in Russian with English translations.

Songlist: On Flute I Play my Sad Verses, Vivat Suite, Saintly Love, This is not a White Birch, Hey, You, Wide Steppe, The Little Cuckoo, A Winter Road, The Waves Are Sleepy, My Lovely Rowan Tree, The Volga Boat Men, The Legend of the Twelve Robbers, Steppe, Endless Steppe, The Lovely Night, In a Dark Wood, The Little Bell, Dignity, Song of Cherubs

Red Army Choir : Best of The Original Chorus

Review: A collection of 20 songs celebrating the first 20 years of this amazing chorus.

Songlist: Riders March, Troika, Little Field, When The Soldiers Sing, Nightingales, Dark Eyes, Kossack's Song, "Let's Drink!", Song Of The Volga Boat Men, Russian Song, Kalinka, Farewell Song, Escamillo Couplets, Dear Soul, Ukrainian Folk Song, Moscow Nights, May Nights, I Got Plenty Of Nothing, Granada, National Anthem Of The USSR

Red Army Choir : Most Beautiful Folk Songs of Russia

Review: The internationally renowned and hugely popular Red Army Choir and Orchestra present Russian favourites. Popular songs such as Hey, Ukhem! (Volga Boatmen), Stenka Razin, Poliushko Polye, The Story of the Twelve Robbers, Kolokolchik (Ring The Bell), Kalinka, Vecernij Zvon (Evening Bells) and others.

Songlist: Hey, Iamscik Gonica Kiary (Hey Cabman), Hey, Ukhem! (Song of the Volga Boatmen), Kalitka (Open the Gate Gently), Stenka Razin, Amur's Waves, Poliushko Polye, Suliko, Vuidou Na Oulitsou (I Go Out Into The Street), The Story Of The Twelve Robbers, Kolokolchik (Ring The Bell), Za Dunaem, Radujsa Russko Zemle (Be Happy, Russian Lands, Be Happy, Russian People), All Around The Steppe, Russian Mosaic, Kalinka, Vecernij Zvon (Evening Bells)

Red Star Red Army Chorus : Kalinka! Russian Folk Music

Review: The Red Star Red Army Chorus and Dance Ensemble was created in 1978 in Moscow, mostly to raise the cultural level and maintain the battle-readiness of the strategic rocket forces and other elements of the Red Army. A Russian proverb says "A fairy tale is a lie, but a song tells the truth." Fairy tales have become rare in present-day Russia, but folk tunes still form an integral part of daily life. Accompanied by the balalaika and the bayan (a large button-key accordion), these songs tell of love and loss, of sadness and solace, of brave deeds and everyday problems. Humor and dance can be found here, as well as melancholic longing and heroic pathos. Some favorites of the 18 songs: "Regimental Polka," "Kalinka," "Volga Boat Song," "The Swallow," "The Brave Don Cossacks," "Wait For Your Soldier," "Ochi Chornye-Dark Eyes," "In The Sunny Meadow," "The Cliff," and "On The March." All accompanied. "Kalinka" beautifully captures the brash power and deep emotions of the Red Star Red Army Chorus.

Songlist: Regimental Polka, Meadowland, Kalinka, Volga Boat Song, The Sun Set Behind a Mountain, The swallow, The Pine Trees Are Rustling, Kamarinskaya, The Brave Don Cossacks, Wait For Your Soldier, Ochi Chornye - Dark Eyes, Someone's Horse Is Standing There, In the Sunny Meadow, Flight of the Bumblebee, The Cliff, Dark Eyebrows, Dubinushka, On the March

Red Star Red Army Chorus : Moscow Nights

Review: The Red Army Choir was formed out of Moscow's Central Army Club in 1928. Under the name Red Army Song Ensemble, twelve soldier-performers - a vocal octet, a bayan player, 2 dancers, and a reciter - officially performed for the first time on October 12, 1928, at the Frunze Club under the direction of their conductor, Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov, a young music professor at the Moscow Conservatory. The ensemble grew to serve as the official army choir of the former Soviet Union's Red Army. The choir consists of a male choir, an orchestra, and a dance ensemble. The songs here range from Russian folk tunes to Church hymns, operatic arias popular music and patriotic songs.

Songlist: Russian Nation Anthem, Happy Girl, Moscow Night, Suliko, Oh, You Nightengale, Oh, You Rye, Twelve Robber, Varshavianka, Paganini Variations, Song Of The Flea, A Birch Tree Stood In The Meadow, Stenka Razin, Across The Valleys And The Mountains, Motherland, Seven Sons-In-Law, It's Good For Us Soldiers, In The Forest, Sports March

Russian Conservatory Chorus : Vissarion Shebalin - Complete A Cappella Choral Cycles

Review: Siberian-born Vissarion Shebalin (1902 1963) is best known for his instrumental music, which includes five symphonies and nine string quartets. Some of these have been heard on CD, but this is the first recording of the eight delightful, and very Russian, choral cycles he wrote from 1949. Shebalin had to endure much hardship; along with friend & colleague Shostakovich he was one of the composers condemned in the infamous 1948 Party congress in Moscow, and in later life he fought to overcome a series of crippling strokes.However, he faced these tribulations with understated but unshakable optimism, as these touching choruses reveal.

Songlist: Message to the Decembrists, Song about Stenka Razin, The Winter Road, Chattering Magpie, Echo, The Warrior's Grave, The Sail, The Cliff, Immortelle, The Wild Grapevine, Wormwood, The Cossack urged on his steed, A Mother's Thoughts of her Son, The Skylark, To a Birch Tree, Spring Beauty, Over the Burial-Mounds, Let Every Hour be Happy!, The Oak, It is fine to stroll in spring

Slavyanka : From the Balkans & Caucasus with Love

Review: Folk, composed and orthodox church music from Georgia, Armenia, Macedonia and Bulgaria are heard on this recording by Slavyanka. Selections include, "Vo Tsarstvii Tvoyem" by Dmitri Khristov with an especially lovely tenor solo and "Milost' Mira/Tyebe Poyem" by Nikolai Kompaneyski with its very warm bass lines. The recording also includes brief introductions explaining the meanings and sources of each song. Led by Gregory Smirnov deep bass voices and high tenors lift you with their expression of the Slavic soul in song.

Songlist: Alleluia (Byzantine Chant), Alleluia (Stevan Mocranjac), Otche Nash (Vladimir Licina), Vo Tsarstvii Tvoyem (Dmitri Khristov), Milost Mira / Tyebe Poyem (Nikolai Kompaneyski), Jovano Jovanke (Trad. Macedonian), Ne Sedi Dzemo (Trad. Macedonian), Lezginka (arr. Sergei Zharov), Kristos I Medj (Komitas Vartabed), Vocalize (Komitas Vartabed), Surp (Komitas Vartabed), Tsmindao Khmerto (Georgian Chant), Shen Khar (Trad. Georgian), Kviria (Trad. Georgian), I Av Nana (Trad. Georgian), Lashkruli (Trad. Georgian), Tsangala Da Gogona (Trad. Georgian)

Slavyanka : Russia Old and New

Review: This third album by the Northern California chorus, Slavyanka, is an assortment of Russian sacred, secular, classical and folk music. It is intended to be a journey through Russian history to explore where soul and spirit have taken shape in music. The music draws on the traditions of the Orthodox Church and Byzantine chant and the often suppressed folk songs and includes compositions of the Russian nationalist composers like Musorgsky and Shostakovich. Led by founder Paul Andrews, this group is helping to bring the religious and secular choral traditions of Russia and other regions of Eastern Europe to the rest of the world.

Songlist: Gradual Antiphon (Znamenny chant, tone 2), Glory to God in the Highest (D.S. Bortniansky), Let My Prayer Arise (P. Chesnokov), The Good Thief (P. Chesnokov), Cherubic Hymn (G. Lomakin), In the Dark Forest (Traditional, 17th C), The Birch Tree (Traditional), The Snowstorm (A.E. Varlamov), Shall I Go? (Traditional), Oh, You Steppe (Tradtional, 17th C.), Borodino (text: M. Lermontov), Schelkalov's Aria (M. Musorgsky), Pilgrims Chorus (M. Musorgsky), The Winds Blew Softly (arr. D. Shostakovich), Oh You Roads (A. Novikov, text: L. Osanin), Song of the Arbat (B. Okudzhava), My Soul Years for the Heavens (G. Sviridov, text: S. Yesenin), Gradual Antiphon (conclusion) (Znamenny chant, tone 2)

Slavyanka : Russian Church Music

Review: This acclaimed men's chorus are excellent on this collection of some of the great a cappella pieces from the Russian Church.

Songlist: Otche nash (Our Father), Blazhen muzh (Blessed is the Man, Sye nynye blagoslovitye Gospoda (Behold, Bless the Lord), Spasi, Gospoddi, lyudi Tvoya (O Lord, Save Thy People), Plotiyu usnuv (Having Fallen Asleep), Na ryekakh vavilonskikh (By the Rivers of Babylon), Voskliknitye Gospodyevi (Make a Joyful Noise), Glasom moim (With my Voice), Milost' mira (For the Mercy of Peace), Spasyeniyi sodyelal (Salvation is Created), Svyetye tikhii (O Gladsome Light), Dostoin yest' (Is Is Fitting), Pryeidye syen' (The Shadow of the Las Passed Away), Nynye otpushchayeshi (Lord, Now Lettest Thou They Servant Depart), Milost' mira (For the Mercy of Peace), Otche nash (Our Father), Slava v vyshnikh (Glory to God in the HIghest)

Slavyanka : Shvedov: Liturgy of St. John Chysostom

Review: Shvedov, with Jaroff, was the primary arranger for the famed "Don Cossack" Chorus. He wrote this liturgy for male voice while living in New York in the 1930s. Never performed in his lifetime, Slavyanka had the honor of presenting the world premiere of this magnificent piece in San Francisco's Grace Cathedral.

Songlist: Velikaya yektenia (The Greater Litany, Blagoslovi (Bless the Lord, O my Soul), Malaya yektenia (Lesser Litany), Slava; Yedinorodny (Glory; The Only-begotten Son), Malaya yektenia (Lesser Litany), Vo tsartvii tvoyem (In Thy Kingdom), Priidite, poklonimsya (O Come, Let Us Worship), Gospodi, spasi blagochestivya (Lord Save the Faithful, Trisagion), Sugubaja yejtenia (Special Litany), Zaupokoinaya yektenia (Litany for the Dead), Yektenia ob oglashennykh (Litany of the Catechumens), Izhe kheruvymi (Cherubic Hymn), Yektenia prosityel'naya (Litany of Supplication), Ottsa i Syna, i Svyatago Dukha (The Father, Son and Holy Spirit), Vyeruyu (I Believe), Milost' mira (Grace of Peace), Dostoino yest' (It Is Meet), Yektenia prosityel'naya (Litany of Supplication), Otche nash (Our Father), Ne imamy inyya promoshchi (We Have No Other Help), Vidyekhom Svyet Istinny; Da ispolnyatsya usta nasha (We Have Seen the True Light; Let Our Mouths Be Filled), Malaya yektenia; Budi Imya Gospodne; Konyets Liturgia (Lesser Litany; The Name of the Lord Forever; End of the Liturgy)

Slavyanka : Sounds of Heaven

Review: A collection of the Our Father, Otche Nash, as realized by many composers over several centuries; includes compositions by Rachmaninov, Stravinski, Tchaikovski, Chesnokov, Shvedov, and Sheremetev, in addition to several contemporary settings.

Songlist: The Great Littany, Otche Nash - Stolp Chant, Otche Nash - Kievan Chant, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Otche Nash, Jesus Prayer, The Angel Cried

Spiritual Revival Choir of Moscow : Serene Ecstatsy

Review: Created in 1992, at the end of the Soviet era, when freedom of religious expression was once again permitted, the Spiritual Revival Choir of Moscow's Schnittke Institute of Music has a repertoire that understandably deals with the spiritual exultation of religious celebration. Besides music of Russian composers, the Choir's repertoire includes music of the Renaissance and Baroque, Viennese classics, and 18th and 19th-century Romantic masterpieces. Favorites are "The Russian Soil: Chants dedicated to Russian Saints," Tchaikovsky's "Prayer of Repentance for Russia" and "Eucharist from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom," Alexander Arkhangelsky's "I cried out to the Lord," Pavel Chesnokov's "Blessed is the Man" and "The Angel Cried," Nicolai Lebedev's "Funeral Mass," Valery Kikta's "Hymn to the Holy Virgin," and Alfred Schnittke's (founder of the Institute of Music) "Three Sacred Chorales." Tremendous depth, feeling and spirituality comes through the music of the Spiritual Revival Choir, directed by Lev Kontorovich. Beautiful and inspirational!

Songlist: The Russian Soil: Chants dedicated to Russian Saints, Prayer of Repentance from Russia (Peter Tchaikovsky), Eucharist from the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom (Peter Tchaikovsky), I cried out to the Lord (Alexander Arkhangelsky), Three choruses from the cycle "Days of Battle" (Pavel Chesnokov), Blessed is the Man (Pavel Chesnokov), The Angel Cried (Pavel Chesnokov), Praise the Lord, O my Soul (Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov), Three selections from "Vespers" (Vladislav Agafonnikov), Selections from "Funeral Mass" (Nikolai Lebedev), St. Dimitry Rostovsky's Pslam of Repentance (Valery Kikta), Hymn to the Holy Virgin (Valery Kikta), Three Sacred Chorales (Alred Schnittke)

Spiritual Revival Choir of Moscow : Sounds on My Spirit

Review: Based at Moscow's Schnittke Institute of Music, the 37-strong, mixed-voice Spiritual Revival Choir of Russia was founded in 1992 by director and arranger Lev Kontorovich. The first 15 songs of "Sounds" are Russian Orthodox sacred choral music from the late 1800s up until the Russian Revolution, featuring composers such as Peter Il'yich Tchaikovsky, four movements from the "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41," three versions of "Gladsome Light" (by Alexander Kastalsky, Viktor Kalinnikov and Anatoly Koselev, 6 songs by Pavel Chesnokov including "The Cherubic Hymn Op. 27," Rodion Shchedrin's "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and Valery Kitka's lovely "The Stars Are Falling in the Night." The next 8 songs are sacred music by German composers, including two cuts by Schubert, Hugo Wolf's "Komm, Trost der Welt," one each by Niel van der Watt and Olivier Messiaen, Mozart's wonderful "Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore" and two fine songs by Bach, "Ave Maria" and "Invention No. 8." "Sounds" is simply magnificent, every cut is stunningly beautiful!

Songlist: The Creed, A Mercy of Peace, We Hymn Thee, It is Truly Fitting, Gladsome Light, Praise the Lord from the Heavens; Op. 10, No. 5, What Shall We Call Thee, O Full of Grace, Op. 43, No. 2, O Lord, Save... And Hold God, Op. 38, No. 1, It Is Truly Fitting, Beneath Thy Mercy We Seek Refuge, The Cherubic hymn (Safroniev Monastery Chant), Op. 27, No. 5, Blazheni, yazhe izbral (How blessed are they) (Piotr Illych Tchaikovsky), Gladsome Light (Kalinnikov), Gladsome Light (Koselev), Hallowed Be Thy Name, The Stars Are Falling In The Night, Heilig is der Herr (Holy is God), Schlussgesang (Closing Chorus), Komm, Trost der Welt (Resignation), Unser Vater (Our Father), O Sacrum Convivium, Ave maria, Invention No. 8, Laudate Dominum from Versperae solennes de confessore

St. Petersburg Chamber Choir : Russian Christmas

Review: The Orthodox Christians of Russia have long celebrated the great mid-winter feast of the Nativity, a time of intense fasting and prayer followed by feasting. The St. Petersburg Chamber Choir brings us little-known choral music by composers such as Aleksandr Grechaninov (1864-1956) "Voskliknite Gospodevi vsya zemlya, Op. 19 No. 2," and Pavel Chesnokov (1877-1944) " No. 1 "Presvyataya Bogoroditse" and anonymous composers ("Dobr'ii vechir Tobi," "Pavochka khodit" and "Nova radist' stala") that tell the Christmas story from the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church. There are 20 beautiful, intense, soaring selections here, especially from mezzo-soprano soloist Olga Borodina.

Songlist: Voskliknite Gospodevi vsya zemlya, Op. 19 No. 2, Bororoditse Devo, Tebe Poem, Perelozheniya iz obikhoda, No. 1 Slava v v'ishnikh Bogu, No. 2 Rozhdestvo tvoe, Christe bozhe nash, No. 9 Khvalite Gospoda s nebes, Velichit dusha moya Gospoda, Op. 93, Deva dnes', Sacred Choral Works, Op. 43, No. 1 Presvyataya Bogoroditse, No. 3 Miloserdiya dveri otverzi nam, No. 4 Ne umolchim nikogda, Bogoroditse, No. 6 Zastupnitse userdnaya, Dubr'ii vechir Tobi, Rozhdestvo Christovo angel priletel, Nebo i zemlya, Pavochka khodit, Noch tikha noch svyata, Nova radist' stala, Vzglyani syuda, Rozhdestvo Khristovo ves mir prazdnuet

St. Petersburg Chamber Choir : Russian Easter

Review: The St. Petersburg Chamber Choir and their director, Nikolai Korniev, show off subbasement basses, soaring sopranos and a rich, well-blended sound in "Russian Easter," a group of eleven settings for Easter worship by Alexander Grechaninov, Dmitri Bortnyansky and other masters of Russian church music. The compositions were written variously from the 18th century through the present, but all stay true to the spirit and aesthetic of the Orthodox tradition. Those who find plainchant a little on the monotonous side but are still looking for a spiritual element in music will find much to admire and enjoy in these beautifully sung presentations.

Songlist: Alleluia Behold The Bridegroom, Gentle Light, Of Thy Mystical Supper, The Wise Thief, Let All Moral Flesh Keep Silent, In The Flesh Thou Didst Fall Asleep, The Paschal Hours, Paschal Hymn To The Virgin, To Day All Creation, Come O People, Give Ear To, My Prayer

Sveshknikov Choir and Volga Choir : Folk Songs Of Old Russia

Review: The Volga Choir and the Sveshknikov Choir are two of the large (a hundred or more voices) vocal ensembles who are famous not only in Russia, where they tour extensively, but increasingly in musical centers of the Western world. Their extensive repertory of folk songs tell of shared work, the courage of folk heroes, communal joy at births, marriages and harvests, wretchedness because of conscription or war. 16 powerful, deep-bassed songs, some favorites: "Evening Bells," "The Broad and Rolling Steppe," the lovely "Do Not Blame Me," "The Pear Tree," "Between Steep Banks," "The Drake Went Courting," "Aliona," "Snowfall" and "Do Not Revive Memories of the Past." Some light accompaniment with accordion, harmonica and other instruments. These are songs of deep feeling and strength with some amazing solos and powerful harmonies. "Folk Song" is an authentic Russian treat!

Songlist: Evening Bells, From a Distant Land, The Broad and Rolling Steppe, Alone I Stand on the Road, At the Blacksmiths, Do Not Blame Me, The Pear Tree, Samara Town, Between Steep Banks, Down the Volga River, The Drake Went Courting, Aliona, Singing in the Choir, Snowfall, The Lonely Accordian, Do Not Revive Memories of the Past

Various Artists : Sacred Treasures - Choral Masterworks From Russia

Review: The choral music of the Russian Orthodox Church is designed to set the soul soaring beyond earthly cares. Sung by the finest Russian and Bulgarian choirs, this extraordinary collection of transcendent prayers and hymns highlights a timeless Russian tradition of faith and devotion. Lush harmonies float in space, angelic high voices pour down from heaven, deep bass voices intone from the center of the earth, and the great bronze bells toll with awesome grandeur. The solemn ecstasy in the music of the Russian Orthodox Church can trace its roots back to the earliest days of Christian worship, via the great Byzantine Empire of the Near East. It presents an uncompromising search for peaks and depths of expressive fervor, aloof from all gimmicks. That was true of the music's multi-cultural roots as monastic chant, and was maintained as it evolved into full choral harmony in the late Romantic period.

Songlist: Russian Cathedral Bells, Great Ektenia, Hymn of Praise, Hymn of the Cherubim, Hymn of the Cherumbim, Our Father, Fervent Supplication, The Noble Joseph, Amen, And with Thy Spirit, I Have Chosen the Blissful, Hymn of the Cherubim, Final Bells

Various Artists : Sacred Treasures II - Choral Masterworks from The Sistine Chapel

Review: The psalm "Miserere mei Deus" is a prayer for mercy, contrition and renewal. Since the 1630s, Gregorio Allegri's famous setting has been sung at dawn during Holy Week, while the Pope kneels in prayer in the solemn candlelit atmosphere of the Sistine Chapel. This contemporary version, recorded in the spectral grandeur of Osnabruck Cathedral, adds new material composed by Vladimir Ivanoff to the ethereal harmonies of the Osnabruck Youth Choir and the elegiac brass tones of the cornetto, recreating the mysterious beauty of this sacred classic.

Songlist: Miserere Mei, Et Secundum, Amplius, Tibi Soli, Ecce Enim, Asperges Me, Averte Faciem, Cor Mundum, Danza I, Quoniam Si Voluisses, Tunc Acceptabis, Sofferenza, Tunc Imponent, Danza II

Various Choirs : Sacred Treasures III - Choral Masterworks from Russia and Beyond

Review: What could be more sublime than a wall of dark, rotund Russian voices shimmering against the rising, ornate walls of a great cathedral? Not much, and this compilation of absolutely magnificent music proves it. The label Hearts of Space returns on this third choral collection to the ominous Slavic chant of their first choral album, Sacred Treasures I, which gathered together recordings of stunning Bulgarian and Russian choirs portraying the sacred works of Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and other composers. Whereas Treasures I pulled from varied sections of sacred liturgies, including solo passages, Treasures III most often stays in harmonic chant with select voices occasionally rising and rolling in polyphonic heavenly calls. The collective voice draws the emotive tension taut here, as on Rimsky-Korsakov's "Our Father," which uses the absence of darkness to later juxtapose bold, rising drama. The Kiev chant "Blessed Art Thou O Lord" sends chills down the spine as the whispering consonants of the Russian language skip across the ancient repetition like sand skitters over a stormy beach. This is a collection as breathtakingly beautiful as the Cathedral of the Dormition itself. Not to be missed.

Songlist: Alleluia, Behold the Bridegroom, Sourp Sourp (Holy Holy), Lord Have Mercy, The Mercy of Peace, Komm, susser Tod, Serenade, Grant Us This O Lord, Our Father, Gloria (Excerpt), Peaceful Light, Praise the Lord O My My Soul (Greek Chant), Blessed art thou, O Lord, Chorali, Amen, Alleluia

Red Army Choir : Best of - Definitive Collection

Review: Spirited, committed, manly singing. Soul-shaking stuff! The ensemble is incisive; soloists are marvelous. The folk melodies are enchanting. The songs - and the singers - are bound up in the cultural fabric of the Cossacks, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, Chekhov, Trotsky, Nabakov... This music conveys the great romantic, dignified, boisterous soul of the Russian People.

Songlist: Kalinka, Partisan's Song, Souliko, Korobelniki, On the Road, My Country, The Red Army is the Srongest, Moscow Nights, Along Peterskaia Street, Smuglianka, Troika Group, Ah Nastassia, Echelon's Song, My Army, Civil War Songs: The Red Cavalry, Beyond the River, Hello On the Way, Bella Ciao, National Anthem of the USSR, Oh Fields, My Fields, The Cliff, The Cossacks, In the Central Steppes, Gandzia, Cossacks's Song, The Roads, Song of the Volga Boatman, Dark Eyes, Let's Go, The Birch Tree, The Road Song, The Samovars, and more

Stanislav Gribkov : Birch Tree

Review: Arranged by Stanislav Gribkov, the artistic director and chief conductor of the St. Petersburg TV and Radio Choir, this intricate setting sounds harder than it is. The ChoirTrax CD has a full perfromance track as well as a recorded pronunciation guide by a native speaker.

Sheet Music Available: SSAA

Moscow Boys Choir : Christmas Around The World

Review: The Moscow Boys Choir is a careful blending of heavenly soprano voices with the rich resonance of bass, tenor, and baritone sound that brings a distinct Russian flavor to an all new choral experience. Founded in 1957, this choral ensemble is among Russia's most prestigious all-boy choirs, which is currently under the direction of Mr. Leonid Baklushin. Now for the first time ever, the Moscow Boys Choir is available in the crystal clarity of DVD! This very special performance was recorded in high definition by HDNet TV. Their work with HDNet exemplifies the Moscow Boys Choir's innovative spirit and displays their hallmark cutting-edge style. The significance of becoming amount the very first boys choir's to be broadcast in this new and exciting medium is a tribute to their tremendous talents and will no doubt bring more awareness of and accolades for this truly 21st century ensemble.

Songlist: A Quiet Melody, Angels We Have Heard On High, Ave Maria, Gloria / Kyrie, Hallelujah, We Wish You A Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Fum! Fum! Fum!, Silent Night, Jingle Bells, L'Allelujah, Ochi Tchiornye, Evening Bells, The Twelve Days of Christmas, Kalinka

Soviet Army Chorus : Soviet Army Chorus

Review: This rare and historic program was filmed on location in the former Soviet Union The brilliant ensemble consisted of about 200 entertainers including a choir and choreographic troupe, who traveled the front lines, entertaining Soviet troops by performing more than 1500 concerts during World War II. This entertaining DVD brings to life the essence of Russian music and performance with spectacular singing, dancing and acrobatics.

Songlist: Forward, on the Way, The Birch Tree, Under the Elm Tree, Under the Oak, Kamarinskaya, The Golden Rye, Dance of the Soldiers, Listen, Stenka Razin, Meadowland, Down the Peterskaya Road, The Gray Cuckoo, Dance of the Cossacks, Song of the Volga Boatmen, The Girl Next Door, Kalinka, Lovely Moonlit Night, Dance of the Zaporozhye Cossacks, Forward, on the Way (Reprise)

Various : Holy Russia - The Festival of Christmas

Review: The spiritual culture of Russia is reflected in the beauty of its churches and monasteries, paintings and frescoes that adorn them and - above all - in the sacred music that is sung in them. This program celebrates the history of Christmas in Russia and features 15 beautiful holiday songs. Holy Russia is a vocal and musical treasure that you will enjoy year after year.

Songlist: Today Christ, God Is With Us, From My Youth, The Golden Ring, The Cherubic Hymn, Holy Day Troparion, Song of the Magi, Rejoice the Righteous, Credo, Praise the Lord from the Heavens, Nunc Dimittis, Kaliadka, Epiphany Troparion, The Cherubic Hymn, Praise the Name of the Lord

Imant Raminsh : Slavic Folks Songs

Review: The pieces of the first set are arrangements of folk-songs from the Russian and Doukhobor traditions and were prepared for the Vancouver Chamber Choir's 1989 tour of the former Soviet Union. Of the three, "All Throughout the Great Wide World" and "Along the Peterskaya" are well-known Russian tunes, highly rhythmic and vigorous; and employ quasi-instrumental accompaniment effects, whistling, and optional sleigh-bells and slap-stick (whip). The second (The Black Raven) comes from the Doukhobor community of British Columbia, Canada, and is a poignant lament of great lyricism and power. It uses a contralto soloist to introduce and carry melody through a piece.

Songlist: Of Home and the Great Wide World, Two Slavic Folk Songs, In a Pine Forest, The Black Raven, Along the Peterskaya, America's Like a Sister, Canada's Like a Mother

Various Arrangers : Russian Folk Songs

Review: "Kalinka" is about a young man sitting under a red berry bush (Kalinka), singing of his feelings for his sweetheart. The expressiveness of the song is achieved through the contrast between a lively and rhythmic chorus and the more legato and subdued verses. The Russian folk song "One Day By The River A Young Cossack Roamed" is transcribed and arranged here based on a version sung by Olga and Kristina Bashirin in Irkutsk, Russia, in July of 1993. Includes both English and Russian text with pronunciation guide for the Russian. "The Birch Tree" Arranged by Stanislav Gribkov, the artistic director and chief conductor of the St. Petersburg TV and Radio Choir, this intricate setting sounds harder than it is.

Songlist: Kalinka, One Day By The River A Young Cossack Roamed, Birch Tree

Igor Stravinsky : Four Russian Peasant Songs

Review: The Four Russian peasant songs display in microcosm Stravinsky's adoption of the folk idiom while transforming it into something unmistakably his own. His fingerprints are even clearer in his later arrangement of 1954 where he adds four horns. The only vocal differences in the two versions are occasional re-barring, a few minor changes of word-stress, plus one song's straight transposition, but the effect places what was close to authentic folk music firmly into the context of twentieth-century sonorities and language. According to Simon Karlinsky, Stravinsky's mistranslation of the title Podblyudnye as 'saucers' has for a long time given a false association to the activity with which the songs are connected. They are now thought to have been sung during the method of fortune-telling by pulling small possessions from a covered dish of water. 'Ovsen', the second song is also now thought to have more to do with the name of the first day of spring in the pre-Christian Russian calendar than any mythological figure. For either SSAA Choir or TTBB Choir. French, Russian and English texts provided.

Songlist: In our Saviour's parish in Chigisakh, Ovsen, The Pike, Master Portly

Noelle Mann : Russian Sacred Music for Choirs

Review: This collection of 27 Russian sacred choral works was compiled and edited by Russian music scholar and choral director Noelle Mann, who was curator of the Prokofiev Archive at the Centre for Russian Music, Goldsmiths College.

Songlist: A Mercy of Peace, Bless the Lord, O My Soul, Blessed is the Man, Cherubic Hymn, Do Not Reject Me in My Old Age, Gentle Light, I Cry Aloud With My Voice Unto The Lord, It Is Truly Meet, Let My Prayer Arise, Lord, Save the Faithful, Many Year, Our Father, Praise the Name of the Lord, Rejoice, O Nicholas, Great Wonderworker, Rejoice, O Virgin Mother of God, Sacred Love, The ever-vigilant Mother of God, The Great Doxology

Ralph Allwood : Russian Choral Masterpieces

Review: An original and exciting collection of anthems and other choral pieces written for the Orthodox Church and inspired by the Church in Russia, selected by Ralph Allwood. Partly because of the re-emergence of the Church in the former Soviet Union, interest in Christian musical sources alternative to the great body of the Anglican and other Western Christian traditions has grown sharply in recent years. Though the works presented here may be unfamiliar, they are all masterly. Designed to appeal to choirs of various levels, the collection includes a Kontakion and Ikos for the funeral service, anthems by Great Russian Romantics: Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Grechaninov; and composers from our age: Stravinsky, Schnittke, or Arvo Part speaking for a tradition outside the Orthodox Church, as well as settings of the Lord's Prayer in both Russian and English by John Tavener.

Songlist: Let My Prayer Arise, The Cherubic Hymn, We sing to Thee, Mother of God and Virgen, Blessed is the Man, The Cherubic Hymn, Come, Let Us Worship, Concerto for Mixed Chorus, Movement IV, Pater Noster, The Lord's Prayer, a. and b., The Cherubic Hymn, How Blessed Are They That Are Chosen by Thee, The Lord's Prayer, O Praise Him, We Sing to Thee, When Jesus Christ Was Yet a Child, Kontakion and Ikos for the Funeral Service

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