All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff)
The All-Night Vigil is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff, his Op. 37, premiered on 23 March 1915 in Moscow.
The piece consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff's finest achievement and "the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church". It was one of Rachmaninoff's two favorite compositions along with The Bells, and the composer requested that its fifth movement be sung at his funeral.
The title of the work is often mis-translated as simply Vespers. This is both literally and conceptually incorrect as applied to the entire work: only the first six of its fifteen movements set texts from the Russian Orthodox canonical hour of Vespers.
History
Composition history
Rachmaninoff composed the All-Night Vigil in less than two weeks in January and February 1915. The All-Night Vigil is perhaps notable as one of two liturgical settings by a composer who had stopped attending church services. As required by the Russian Orthodox Church, Rachmaninoff based ten of the fifteen sections on chant. However, the five original sections were so heavily influenced by chant that the composer called them "conscious counterfeits".Rachmaninoff's work is a culmination of the preceding two decades of interest in Russian sacred music, as initiated by Tchaikovsky's setting of the all-night vigil. The similarities between the works, such as the extensive use of traditional chants, demonstrates the extent of Tchaikovsky's influence; however, Rachmaninoff's setting is much more complex in its use of harmony, textual variety and polyphony.
Performance history
The first performance was given in Moscow on March 10, 1915, partly to benefit the Russian war effort. Nikolai Danilin conducted the all-male Moscow Synodal Choir at the premiere. It was received warmly by critics and audiences alike, and was so successful that it was performed five more times within a month. However the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of the Soviet Union led to the government condemnation of religious music, and on 22 July 1918 the Synodal Choir was replaced by a non-religious "People's Choir Academy". It has been written that "no composition represents the end of an era so clearly as this liturgical work".Analysis
The Vigil includes three styles of chant: znamenny, a more recitational "Greek" style, and "Kiev" chant — a chant developed in Kiev in the 16th and 17th centuries. Before writing, Rachmaninoff had studied ancient chant under Stepan Smolensky, to whom he dedicated the piece. It is written for a four-part choir, complete with basso profondo. However, in many parts there is three-, five-, six-, or eight-part harmony; at one point in the seventh movement, the choir is divided into eleven parts. Movements 4 and 9 each contain a brief tenor solo, while movements 2 and 5 feature lengthy solos respectively for alto and tenor. The fifth movement, Nunc dimittis, has gained notoriety for its ending in which the low basses must negotiate a descending scale that ends with a low B-flat. When Rachmaninoff initially played this passage through to Kastalsky and Danilin in preparation for the first performance, Rachmaninoff recalled that:
Danilin shook his head, saying, "Now where on earth are we to find such basses? They are as rare as asparagus at Christmas!" Nevertheless, he did find them. I knew the voices of my countrymen...
Movements
Note: Numbers 1–6 contain settings from the Russian Orthodox Vespers service, numbers 7–14 settings from Matins, and number 15 from The First Hour.| Seq. | Church Slavonic | Transliteration | English equivalent |
| Пріидите, поклонимся. | Priidite, poklonimsya. | Come, Let Us Worship. | |
| Благослови, душе моя, Господа. Греческаго распѣва. | Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda. Grecheskago raspeva. | Bless the Lord, O My Soul. Greek Chant. | |
| Блаженъ мужъ. | Blazhen muzh. | Blessed is the Man. | |
| Свѣте тихій. Кiевскаго распѣва. | Svete tikhiy. Kievskago raspeva. | O Gladsome Light. Kyiv Chant. | |
| Нынѣ отпущаеши. Кiевскаго распѣва. | Nïne otpushchayeshi. Kievskago raspeva. | Now Lettest Thou. Kyiv Chant. | |
| Богородице Дѣво. | Bogoroditse Devo. | Rejoice, O Virgin. | |
| Слава въ вышнихъ Богу. | Slava v vïshnikh Bogu. | Glory To God in the Highest. | |
| Хвалите имя Господне. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Khvalite imya Gospodne. Znamennago raspeva. | Praise the Name of the Lord. Znamennïy Chant. | |
| Благословенъ еси, Господи. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi. Znamennago raspeva. | Blessed Art Thou, O Lord. Znamennïy Chant. | |
| Воскресеніе Христово видѣвше. | Voskreseniye Khristovo videvshe. | Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ. | |
| Величитъ душа моя Господа. | Velichit dusha moya Gospoda. | My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord. | |
| Великое славословіе. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Velikoye slavosloviye. Znamennago raspeva. | The Great Doxology. Znamennïy Chant. | |
| Тропарь. Днесь спасеніе. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Tropar'. Dnes spaseniye. Znamennago raspeva. | Troparion. Today Salvation is Come. Znamennïy Chant. | |
| Тропарь. Воскресъ изъ гроба. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Tropar'. Voskres iz groba. Znamennago raspeva. | Troparion. Thou Didst Rise from the Tomb. Znamennïy Chant. | |
| Взбранной воеводѣ. Греческаго распѣва. | Vzbrannoy voyevode. Grecheskago raspeva. | To Thee, Victorious Leader. Greek Chant. |
Recordings
The first recording of the Vigil was made by Alexander Sveshnikov with the State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR for the Soviet Melodiya label in 1965 – exactly half a century after the work's first performance. Because of Soviet anti-religious policies, this record was never available for sale within the USSR, but was only made for the export market and private study. This recording still has a legendary reputation, in part because of its extremely strong low basses, but also because of the solos by Klara Korkan and Konstantin Ognevoi. The recording was first released in the United States in 1973 on the Melodiya-Angel label. The March 1974 edition of Stereo Review noted that Angel's general manager Robert E. Myers had "tracked down the recording" and "had to prevail rather heavily on the Soviet powers that be to make it part of their trade agreement with Angel".| Year | Conductor | Choir | Soloists | Label |
| 1965 | Aleksandr Sveshnikov | State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR | Klara Korkan Konstantin Ognevoy | Melodiya |
| 1967 | Karl Linke | Johannes-Damascenus-Chor für Ostkirchliche Liturgie | Marie-Louise Gilles Günter Schmitz | Christophorus |
| 1978 | Georgi Robev | Svetoslav Obretenov Choir | Natalia Peneva Todor Grigorov-Tres | Vanguard |
| 1983 | Yevgeny Svetlanov | Svetoslav Obretenov Choir | Russian Disc | |
| 1984 | Kenneth Montgomery | Groot Omroepkoor | Wil Boekel Frank Hameleers | KRO-klassiek |
| 1986 | Valery Polyansky | Chamber Choir of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR | Irina Arkhipova Viktor Rumantsev Yuriy Vishnyakov | Melodiya/Moscow Studio Archives |
| 1986 | Vladislav Chernushenko | St. Petersburg Cappella | Zhanna Polevtsova Sergei Rokozitsa | Chant du Monde/IML |
| 1987 | Mstislav Rostropovich | Choral Arts Society of Washington | Maureen Forrester Gene Tucker | Erato |
| 1989 | Robert Shaw | The Robert Shaw Festival Singers | Karl Dent | Telarc |
| 1990 | Matthew Best | Corydon Singers | Joya Logan John Bowen | Hyperion |
| 1991 | Oleg Shepel | Voronezh State Institute of Arts Chamber Choir | Yelena Necheporenko Aleksandr Zlobin Ruben Sevostyanov Aleksandr Nazarov | Globe |
| 1993 | David Hill | The Philharmonia Chorus | Sarah Fryer Peter Butterfield | Nimbus |
| 1993 | Nikolai Korniev | St. Petersburg Chamber Choir | Olga Borodina Vladimir Mostovoy | Philips |
| 1994 | Robin Gritton | Berlin Radio Chorus | Tatjana Sotin Thomas Kober | CPO |
| 1994 | Tõnu Kaljuste | Swedish Radio Choir | Malena Ernman Per Björslund Nils Högman | Virgin |
| 1994 | Georgi Robev | Bulgarian National Choir | Capriccio | |
| 1995 | William Hall | William Hall Master Chorale | Jonathan Mack | |
| 1997 | Aleksey Puzakov | Choir of St Nicholas Church Tolmachi | Tatiana Gerange Dmitriy Borisov Nikolay Sokolov | Boheme |
| 1998 | Stephen Cleobury | Choir of King's College, Cambridge | Margaret Cameron Richard Eteson James Gilchrist Jan Lochmann | EMI |
| 1998 | Karen P. Thomas | Seattle Pro Musica | Yelena Posrednikov Stuart Lutzenhiser Misha Myznikov | |
| 1998 | Roger McMurrin | The Kyiv Symphonic Choir | Valentyna Svitylnyk Anatoliy Glavin | Music Kiev |
| 2000 | Aleksandr Govorov | Accordance | Dmitriy Popov Vladimir Pasyukov | |
| 2000 | Yevhen Savchuk | Ukrainian National Capella "Dumka" | Olga Borusene Mykhaylo Tyshchenko Yuri Korinnyk | Regis/Brilliant Classics |
| 2000 | Howard Arman | Leipzig Radio Chorus | Klaudia Zeiner Mikhail Agafonov Lew Maidarschewski | Berlin Classics |
| 2000 | Torsten Mariegaard | Copenhagen Oratorio Choir | Lotte Hovman Poul Emborg | Classico |
| 2001 | Jaroslav Brych | Prague Philharmonic Chorus | Praga | |
| 2003 | Dale Warland | Dale Warland Singers | Rezound | |
| 2004 | Eric-Olof Söderström | Finnish National Opera Chorus | Raissa Palmu Erja Wimeri Eugen Antoni | Naxos |
| 2004 | Paul Hillier | Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir | Iris Oja Vladimir Miller Mati Turi Tiit Kogerman | Harmonia Mundi |
| 2004 | Nigel Short | Tenebrae | Frances Jellard Paul Badley | Signum U.k. |
| 2005 | Thomas Edward Morgan | Ars Nova Singers | Adam Finkel J.R. Humbert Philip Judge Brian du Fresne | New Art Recordings |
| 2007 | Marcus Creed | SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart | Hänssler | |
| 2008 | Victor Popov | Academy of Choral Art, Moscow | A. Timofeeva D. Kortchak | Denon |
| 2010 | Pasi Hyökki | Talla Vocal Ensemble | Fuga | |
| 2012 | Sigvards Klava | Latvian Radio Choir | Ondine | |
| 2012 | Andrew Clark | Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum | ||
| 2013 | Peter Broadbent | Joyful Company of Singers | Lorna Perry Andrew Shepstone | Nimbus Records |
| 2014 | Teemu Honkanen | :fi:Key|Ensemble|Key Ensemble | Kristina Raudanen Mats Lillhannus Reino Kotaviita | Fuga |
| 2014 | Kaspars Putniņš | Netherlands Radio Choir | BIS | |
| 2015 | Charles Bruffy | Phoenix Chorale and Kansas City Chorale | Frank Fleschner Julia Scozzafava Paul Davidson, Toby Vaughn Kidd, Bryan Pinkall, Bryan Taylor & Joseph Warner | Chandos Records |
| 2016 | Nicolas Fink | WDR Rundfunkchor | Beate Koepp Kwon-Shik Lee | Clarus |
| 2016 | Stefan Parkman | Academy Chamber Choir of Uppsala | Patrik Wallin Annika Hudak | Footprint Records |
| 2017 | Risto Joost | MDR Rundfunkchor | Klaudia Zeiner Falk Hoffmann | Genuin |
| 2017 | Marcel Verhoeff | Great Russian Academic Boys- and Malechoir | Olga Marinova Nikolay Almazov | VMS |
| 2017 | Mariya Berezovska Dmitry Ivanchenko Vadim Gan | |||
| 2018 | Irina Bogdanovich | University of Warsaw Choir | Jadwiga Rappé Mateusz Markuszewski | University of Warsaw Choir, University of Warsaw |