Composer: Alexander Grechaninov
Performer: James Bowman, Holst Singers
Conductor: Stephen Layton
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Hyperion
Catalogue: CDH55352
Release: 1999
Size: 239 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
Strastnaya Sed’mitsa ‘Holy Week’, Op 58
01. VI. Nïne silï nebesnïya ‘Now the powers of heaven’
02. III. Vo tsarstvii Tvoyem ‘In thy kingdom’
03. Nïne otpushchayeshï ‘Lord, now lettest thou thy servant’, Op 34 No 1
Vsenoshchnoye bdeniye ‘All-Night Vigil’, Op 59
04. I. Blagoslovi, dushe moya ‘Bless the Lord, O my soul’
05. II. Blazhen muzh ‘Blessed is the man’
06. III. Svete tihiy ‘Gladsome light’
07. IV. Bogoroditse Devo ‘Rejoice, O virgin’
08. V. Hvalite imia Ghospodne ‘Praise the name of the Lord’
09. VI. Blagosloven yesi, Ghospodi ‘Blessed art thou, O Lord’
10. VII. Ot yunosti moyeya ‘From my youth’
11. VIII. Voskreseniye Hristovo videvshe ‘Having beheld the resurrection of Christ’
12. IX. Slava v vïshnih Bogu ‘Glory be to God’
13. X. Vzbrannoy voyevode ‘To thee, victorious leader’
Grechaninov was initially taught by Anton Arensky in Moscow, and then later, in 1890, he went to St Petersburg to study with Rimsky-Korsakov. It was he who influenced his style and helped him launch his professional career. After the Revolution, Grechaninov became increasingly uneasy in Soviet Russia, and in 1925 left for ever. In 1946 he took American citizenship.
An unusually versatile and prolific composer, he wrote operas, symphonies, chamber music, over 250 songs, and a great deal of music for children. He has been described as the most representative composer of his generation writing for the Orthodox service.
Vespers is part of the All-Night Vigil service, and Grechaninov’s setting was composed, premiered, and published in 1912. This precedes Rachmaninov’s setting by three years. It appears to have lain dormant for some eighty years until it was revived in America for its first performance of modern times in 1995.