In the mid-19th century, St. Petersburg high society held 'river serenades' on summer evenings, where they listened to musical settings of Russian poets while on boats.
Performer Biography
Andrey Petrenko, the conductor, has been the principal chorusmaster of the Mariinsky Theatre since 2000, where he has prepared over forty opera premieres.
Composition History
Sergei Rachmaninoff's Liturgy of St John Chrysostom was composed in the summer of 1910 to commemorate the first anniversary of Stepan Smolensky's death.
Compositional Technique
Mikhail Glinka's 'Venetian Night' is a barcarolle inspired by Italian folksongs, using its rhythm as a key element to musically express the landscape.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Pyotr Tchaikovsky composed his Liturgy of St John Chrysostom to try and restore the true identity of Russian sacred music, which he felt was lost at the time.
Cultural Impact
The Russian folksong 'Oh You Wide steppe' is considered so fundamental to Russian identity that one cannot claim to be a true citizen without knowing its words.
Historical Context
The genre of 'postilion songs,' like 'Steppe All Around,' emerged in Russia with post-chaises, sung by postilions during their long journeys, often to the sound of hooves and sleigh bells.
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