Kalinnikov: Vespers - Cherubic Hymn No. 2 - Schnittke: Three Sacred Hymns - Tchaikovsky: Cherubic Hymn, Op. 41 - Rachmaninoff: Cherubic Hymn, Op. 31 Les Vocalistes Romands & Renaud Bouvier

• Victor Kalinnikov (1870 - 1927): Vespers:
• 1 Kalinnikov: Vespers: I. Bless the Lord, O My Soul 04:28
• 2 Kalinnikov: Vespers: II. Blessed Is the Man 05:25
• 3 Kalinnikov: Vespers: III. Gladsome Light 03:01
• 4 Kalinnikov: Vespers: IV. Lord, Now Lettest Thou 02:38
• 5 Kalinnikov: Vespers: V. Rejoice, O Virgin 01:12
• 6 Kalinnikov: Vespers: VI. Praise the Name of the Lord 02:35
• 7 Kalinnikov: Vespers: VII. From My Youth 02:59
• 8 Kalinnikov: Vespers: VIII. Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ 04:25
• 9 Kalinnikov: Vespers: IX. My Soul Magnifies the Lord 08:14
• Alfred Schnittke (1934 - 1998): Three Sacred Hymns:
• 10 Schnittke: Three Sacred Hymns: I. Hail Mary, Full of Grace 02:02
• 11 Schnittke: Three Sacred Hymns: II. Lord Jesus 01:28
• 12 Schnittke: Three Sacred Hymns: III. Our Father 03:19
• Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1840 - 1893): Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41:
• 13 Tchaikovsky: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41: VI. Cherubic Hymn 05:49
• Sergei Rachmaninoff (1873 - 1943): Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op. 31:
• 14 Rachmaninoff: Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op. 31: VIII. Cherubic Hymn 04:57
• Victor Kalinnikov: Cherubic Hymn No. 2:
• 15 Kalinnikov: Cherubic Hymn No. 2 05:28
• Total Runtime 58:00

Info for Kalinnikov: Vespers - Cherubic Hymn No. 2 - Schnittke: Three Sacred Hymns - Tchaikovsky: Cherubic Hymn, Op. 41 - Rachmaninoff: Cherubic Hymn, Op. 31

Trained at the Musical Dramatic Institute of the Moscow Philharmonic School, Viktor Sergeyevich Kalinnikov (1870-1927) was active as a conductor of choirs and orchestras in various Moscow schools and musical theaters, as well as a professor at the Conservatory from 1922 until his death. He was the brother of the symphonist Vasily Kalinnikov (1866-1901). Viktor Kalinnikov belongs to that group of Russian composers (along with Chesnokov, Golovanov, Kastalski, Nikolski and Shvedov, among others) who, at the turn of the two centuries, dedicated themselves mainly to the sacred choral repertoire, considerably enriching the musical corpus of Orthodox liturgies.

During the first two decades of the 20th century, their activity was centered on the Moscow Synodal School and its famous men’s and boys’ choir, before the revolutionary authorities banned all music and religious events.

Kalinnikov’s health was fragile and he left a very small body of work: only 24 short sacred pieces. However, their rich vocal writing, at the service of the sacred liturgical text, their spiritual depth, their melodic invention (which does not take up the traditional melodies of the liturgy), their very elaborate harmony, always rich, sometimes even unexpected, attentive to creating the right climate for the expression of the text, make his works of great quality.

Unlike the great cycles of sacred music by Tchaikovsky, Gretchaninov or Rachmaninov, which were written in one piece, the pieces that make up Kalinnikov’s “Vespers” were written in isolation, between the years 1914 and 1918, the years of the War and the Revolution. They are grouped in a collection in the traditional order of their appearance in the service. Had his health, the political situation, and the place of church music taken a different course, no doubt Kalinnikov would have completed the work with the still missing hymns: the Great Doxology and the Взбранной воеводе (O Victorious Queen).

Les Vocalistes Romands
Renaud Bouvier, conductor

Les Vocalistes Romands
is a vocal ensemble of about thirty singers whose reputation is due in part to their programmes, which like to get off the beaten track of the repertoire usually performed by choirs. They work with eclectic pieces that favour the spirit of chamber music: a cappella works, or works with piano, string quartet or even small instrumental ensembles. Bach, Brahms, Liszt or Schubert rub shoulders with Martin, Poulenc, Kodaly, Wolf, Messiaen, Vaughan Williams, Britten, Gretchaninov, Stravinsky, Schnittke, Pärt, Kalinnikov, to name but a few.

Alongside large-scale projects with orchestra, such as the two times two Bach Passions (2016), the creation at Lausanne Cathedral and for Espace 2 of Valentin Villard's Fresque poétique I and the revival of Michel Hostettler's Naissance de la Lumière (2017, in collaboration with the OCL and the Chœur de la Cité de Lausanne), as well as Bach's Christmas and Easter Oratorios (2018-2019), the Vocalistes Romands also propose concert forms in which the music is enhanced by the venue in which it is performed, such as "Lumières d'hiver" (2015), "Lumières d'été" (2016) and "A demi-mot" (2017-2018).

Renaud Bouvier
is an independent choral and orchestral conductor with extensive experience in choral conducting since 2003. Trained as a conductor, after studying bassoon, singing, musical analysis and orchestration, and active for twenty years in publishing and university literary research, he likes to approach the repertoire with curiosity and rigour. In 2023, he is at the head of four choirs: Académie vocale de Suisse romande (professional), Chœur de la Cité de Lausanne, (oratorio), Les Vocalistes Romands (chamber), Cantabile, chœur symphonique du canton de Neuchâtel (symphonic).

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