University of South Carolina Scholar Commons Theses and Dissertations Summer 2019 Vladimir Pleshakov: A Historiography And Analysis of his Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom Andrew Cameron Pittman Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarcommons.sc.edu/etd Part of the Other Music Commons VLADIMIR PLESHAKOV: A HISTORIOGRAPHY AND ANALYSIS OF HIS LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM by Andrew Cameron Pittman Bachelor of Music Education East Carolina University, 2003 Master of Music New England Conservatory, 2005 Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting School of Music University of South Carolina 2019 Accepted by: Larry Wyatt, Major Professor Andrew Gowan, Committee Member Alicia Walker, Committee Member Samuel Douglas, Committee Member Cheryl L. Addy, Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School © Copyright by Andrew Cameron Pittman, 2019 All Rights Reserved. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First and foremost, I would like to express my eternal gratitude for Dr. Vladimir Pleshakov, his music, his life story, his graciousness, and his incredible patience. For without him, this document would not have been possible. Additionally, I’d like to thank Dr. Vladimir Morosan and Musica Russica, not only for their excellent research and books on Russian Liturgical history, but their permission to use any of their published materials in my document. Thank you to Dan Foster for relaying his priceless experiences with Dr. Pleshakov and their Carnegie Hall debut. Next, I’d like to thank Dr. Larry Wyatt and Dr. Andrew Gowan for their encouragement and support of my career and education over the last decade. I’d like to thank Mr. Jeff Whicker, my high school choral director, Professor John Kramar, my undergraduate voice teacher, Dr. Matthew Harden and Dr. Daniel Bara, my two undergraduate choral directors, and Mr. Edward Zambara, my graduate voice teacher, for these gifted educators not only inspired my chosen career path, they inspired me to live a full, rich, and well-rounded life. Finally, I’d like to thank my grandparents for their emotional and financial support, my mother and father for their tireless encouragement, and my life partner, Krista Wilhelmsen, for pushing me to finish this document and insisting that I reach out to Dr. Pleshakov, despite my reserved personality of “not wanting to bother people.” iii ABSTRACT Vladimir Pleshakov, an accomplished concert pianist, began composing at the age of seventy-five after a struggle with cancer. While awaking from anesthesia after surgery, Pleshakov began hearing spontaneously-composed and completed original Slavonic sacred choral music (in his mind). Over the last decade Dr. Pleshakov has produced nearly sixty compositions. Many of his compositions have found critical acclaim and are published by Musica Russica. This document provides a biography, list of compositions, background information, and a conductor’s analysis of his Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ............................................................................................... iii ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES .................................................................................. viii FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................... ix CHAPTER I: PROSPECTUS ..............................................................................................1 Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 Justification ..............................................................................................................3 Limitations ...............................................................................................................3 Methodology ............................................................................................................4 Literature Review.....................................................................................................4 CHAPTER II: BIOGRAPHY ..............................................................................................6 Background ..............................................................................................................6 Shanghai ...................................................................................................................8 Early Exposure to Music ..........................................................................................9 Australia .................................................................................................................12 California ...............................................................................................................14 Recording Career ...................................................................................................20 Europe ....................................................................................................................23 East Coast...............................................................................................................24 Conductor Dan Foster’s Experiences Working with Dr. Pleshakov ......................29 v CHAPTER III: HISTORY OF RUSSIAN LITURGICAL SINGING ..............................31 Overview ................................................................................................................31 The First Epoch ......................................................................................................31 The Second Epoch .................................................................................................33 The New Russian Choral School ...........................................................................38 Performance Characteristics ..................................................................................42 CHAPTER IV: A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF THE DIVINE LITURGY ...........................43 Overview ................................................................................................................43 Structure of the Liturgy ..........................................................................................47 CHAPTER V: STYLISTIC ELEMENTS OF LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ......................................................................................................49 Overview ................................................................................................................49 Language ................................................................................................................50 Form .......................................................................................................................51 Texture ...................................................................................................................55 Rhythm and Meter .................................................................................................56 Harmony ................................................................................................................59 Melody ...................................................................................................................62 Range, Tessitura, and Voicing ...............................................................................65 Pleshakov’s Published Works ................................................................................66 Concluding Thoughts on Pleshakov’s Sacred Choral Style ..................................66 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..............................................................................................................71 APPENDIX A: SUMMARY ANALYSIS OF LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ......................................................................................................74 vi APPENDIX B: TRANSLATION OF TEXTS FOR THE LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM ......................................................................................................95 APPENDIX C: PRONUNCIATION GUIDE FOR CHURCH SLAVONIC ..................102 APPENDIX D: COMPOSER’S NOTES .........................................................................103 APPENDIX E: PLESHAKOV’S LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM .................110 APPENDIX F: PLESHAKOV’S LITURGY OF ST. JOHN CHRYSOSTOM (SELECTED MOVEMENTS TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH) .....................147 APPENDIX G: ADDITIONAL COMMUNION HYMNS BY PLESHAKOV..............152 vii LIST OF MUSICAL EXAMPLES Example 5.1. Vladimir Pleshakov, “IV. The Third Antiphon,” Liturgy, mm. 6-23 ..........52 Example 5.2. Vladimir Pleshakov, “II. The Second Antiphon,” Liturgy, mm. 6-10 .........53 Example 5.3. Vladimir Pleshakov, “IV. The Third Antiphon,” Liturgy, mm. 24-30 ........54 Example 5.4. Vladimir Pleshakov, “XII. The Lord’s Prayer,” Liturgy, mm. 6-10 ............54 Example 5.5. Vladimir Pleshakov, “VI. The Prokeimenon,” Liturgy, mm. 1-18 ..............55 Example 5.6. Vladimir Pleshakov, “VIII. The Cherubic Hymn,” Liturgy, mm. 46-51 .....56 Example 5.7. Vladimir Pleshakov, “I. The First Antiphon,” Liturgy, mm. 5B-6 ..............57 Example 5.8. Vladimir Pleshakov, “III. Hymn: Glory… Father,” Liturgy, mm. 6-10 ......57 Example 5.9. Vladimir Pleshakov, “III. Glory to the Father,” Liturgy, mm. 21-35 ..........58 Example 5.10. Vladimir Pleshakov, “V. The Entrance