Tchaikovsky: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41, TH 75 (Excerpts) & 9 Sacred Pieces, TH 78

Two of Tchaikovsky's major sacred works are the focus of this album by the Latvian Radio Choir and conductor Sigvards Kļava. The composer, always interested in Russian Orthodox music, wrote his monumental Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom in 1878, comprising fifteen movements to be sung during a liturgical service. His collection of Nine Sacred Pieces is from 1884-85.

Featuring

Sigvards Kļava
Kārlis Rūtentāls
Gundars Dziļums
Agnese Urka
Agate Burkina
Dace Strautmane

Latvian Radio Choir
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

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Composer Biography

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the composer, regularly attended worship services and found great happiness and pleasure in the liturgy.

Compositional Technique

In his sacred works, Tchaikovsky avoided uniformity, repetition, and technical intricacy, focusing instead on emotional openness and directness of feeling.

Performer Biography

The Latvian Radio Choir, founded in 1940, is an award-winning ensemble known for its wide repertoire and for encouraging composers to write new music that challenges the human voice.

Composition History

Tchaikovsky's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41, was written in 1878 as an initiative to create a new style of music for the Orthodox Church.

Composer's Artistic Vision

Tchaikovsky believed the 'sweet style' of contemporary church music, like that of Dmitri Bortnyansky, was inconsistent with the spirit of the Orthodox church and sought to create a new style.

Cultural Impact

Tchaikovsky's sacred music, including works on this album, helped pave the way for a new era of Russian sacred music by composers like Sergey Taneyev and Serge Rachmaninov.

Compositional Technique

Tchaikovsky's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom can be approached as a worship service or as a purely musical, autonomous concert piece, as presented in this recording.