Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir
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Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir Kaspars Putniņš Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Friday Evening, February 3, 2017 at 8:00 St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church Ann Arbor 36th Performance of the 138th Annual Season Choral/Vocal Series The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir appears by arrangement with New World Classics. The Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir records for many labels, most prominantly ECM, Harmonia Mundi, and Ondine. In consideration of the artists and the audience, please refrain from the use of electronic devices during the performance. The photography, sound recording, or videotaping of this performance is prohibited. PROGRAM The Unorthodox Tradition Alfred Schnittke Three Sacred Hymns Virgin, Who Carried God Into the World Jesus Christ the Lord Our Father Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky 9 Sacred Choruses (excerpts) Cherubic Hymn, No. 3 Blessed Are They, Whom Thou Hast Chosen, No. 7 Now the Powers of Heaven, No. 9 Sergei Rachmaninoff The Theotokos, Ever-Vigilant in Prayer Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 (excerpts) My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord, No. 11 Praise the Name of the Lord, No. 8 Intermission Schnittke 12 Penitential Verses (excerpts) O My Soul, Why Art Thou Unafraid?, No. 7 Why Do I Live In Poverty, No. 3 O Man, Damned and Wretched, No. 5 3 Rachmaninoff All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 (excerpt) Rejoice, O Virgin, No. 6 Georgi Sviridov Inexpressible Miracle Rachmaninoff Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 31 (excerpt) We Hymn Thee, No. 12 4 THREE SACRED HYMNS Alfred Schnittke Born November 24, 1934 in Engels, Saratov Oblast, Russia Died August 3, 1998 in Hamburg, Germany Alfred Schnittke was born in Engels, The Three Sacred Hymns were on the Volga River, in the Soviet composed in 1983. The Russian Union. Schnittke began his musical conductor Valery Polyansky had education in 1946 in Vienna. In 1948, requested an a cappella work for his the family moved to Moscow, where choir, and though at first Schnittke Schnittke studied piano and received seemed reluctant, he apparently a diploma in choral conducting. woke in the middle of the night and During 1962–72, Schnittke was an wrote down these three pieces, and instructor in instrumentation at the handed the manuscript to Polyansky Moscow Conservatory, and for many the following day. The work was years after he wrote music mostly for published posthumously. films. Beginning in 1990, Schnittke resided in Hamburg, maintaining dual German-Russian citizenship. 1. Богородице Дево, Virgin, who carried God into the world, радуйся, Благодатная Марие, Rejoice, Maria, who hast been redeemed. Господь с Тобою; Lord be with you. благословен на Ты в женах, Blessed art thou amongst women и благословен плод Твоего, And blessed is the fruit of your womb, яко Спаса родила еси душ наших. For thou hast carried the savior of our souls. 2. Господи Иисусе Христе, Jesus Christ the Lord, Сыне Божий, The Son of God, помилуй мя грешного. Forgive me my sins.. Luke 18:13 5 3. Отче наш, Иже еси на небесех. Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be Да святится имя Твое, thy Name. да приидет Царствие Твое, Thy kingdom come. да будет воля Твоя Thy will be done, On earth as it in heaven. яко на небеси и на земли. Give us this day our daily bread. Хлеб наш насущный And forgive us our trespasses, даждь нам днесъ, As we forgive those who trespass against us. и остави нам долги наша, And lead us not into temptation, яко же и мы оставляем But deliver us from evil. должником нашим For thine is the kingdom, и не введи нас во искушение, And the power, но избави нас лукавагою And the glory, Яко твое естъ Царство и сила For ever and ever. и слава во веки. Аминъ. Amen. 6 9 SACRED CHORUSES (EXCERPTS) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Born May 7, 1840 in Votkinsk, Russia Died November 6, 1893 in Saint Petersburg Pyotr Tchaikovsky is one of the most written between November 1884 and loved Russian composers, whose the summer of 1885, and the words works are notable for their melodic were adapted by Tchaikovsky from inspiration, strong emotion, and Russian liturgical texts. The first their orchestration. Besides stage performance of the cycle took place music and symphonies he wrote a on March 1, 1886 in the Moscow fair amount of sacred music, all in Conservatory at an evening concert the Russian Orthodox tradition. His of church music by the Russian most famous works are the Vesper Choral Society, conducted by Dmitry Service, Op. 52 and the Liturgy of St. Orlov. The composer wrote: “one John Chrysostom, Op. 41 (1878). His 9 of Moscow‘s best church choirs Sacred Choruses for unaccompanied performed a program, which I put mixed chorus have also received together, of various new compositions some attention. In this cycle, he from the realm of church music. manages to impart a stately beauty Some of my new church pieces were with his deft handling of thematic included, and were sung very well.” material and vocal writing. It was Cherubic Hymn, No. 3 Иже херувимы, тайно образующе, Let us who mystically represent the и животворящей Тройце cherubim, трисвятую песнъ припевающе, and who sing the thrice-holy hymn всякое ныне житейское отложимъ to the life-creating Trinity, попеченiе, now lay aside all cares of this life, (Аминь.) (Amen.) Яко да Царя всехъ подымемъ, that we may receive the King of All, ангельскими невидимо дориносима who comes invisibly upborne by the angelic чиньми. host. Аллилуiа, аллилуiа, аллилуiа. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Text: from the Divine Liturgy 7 Blessed Are They, Whom Thou Hast Chosen, No. 7 Блажени, яже избрал иприял еси, Blessed are they, whom Thou hast chosen Господи! and taken, O Lord. И памятъ их в род Their rememberance is from generation to и род. generation. Аллилуия, аллилуия, аллилуия. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Text: Psalm 64(65): 4 Now the Powers of Heaven, No. 9 Ныне силы небесныя съ нами невидимо Now the Powers of Heaven serve invisibly служатъ: with us; се бо входитъ Царь славы, lo, the King of Glory enters. се, жертва тайная совершена Lo, the mystical sacrifice is up borne, дориносится. fulfilled. Верою и любовiю приступимъ, Let us draw near in faith and love да причастницы жизни вечныя будемъ. and become communicants of life eternal. Аллилуiя, аллилуiя, аллилуiя. Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia. Text: from the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts 8 THE THEOTOKOS, EVER-VIGILANT IN PRAYER Sergei Rachmaninoff Born April 1, 1873 in Starorussky Uyezd Died March 28, 1943 in Beverly Hills, California Sergei Rachmaninoff is renowned Orlov and Synodical Choir. It remained as a Russian pianist, composer, and unpublished during his lifetime, and conductor. Although Rachmaninoff’s also stands out among the works compositional activity was devoted of contemporaries by its artistic primarily to secular music (operas, design and intensity of expression. symphonies, chamber works, piano All of Rachmaninoff’s sacred works works, romances, and choruses with are marked by highly individualistic piano), his sacred choral works — the religious emotionalism and a Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. complexity of musical technique — 31, and the All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 — texture, sonority, and dynamics. The stand as major masterpieces in the Theotokos, Ever-Vigilant in Prayer is Russian church music literature. One a hymn to the Virgin — “the one who other sacred work, The Theotokos, gives birth to God” — and music full Ever-Vigilant in Prayer, was written of varied textures, tempos, and wide in his youth in 1893 and premiered in range of dynamics. the same year in Moscow by Vasily Въ молитвахъ неусыпающую Богородицу, The Theotokos, ever-vigilant in prayer, и в предстательствах мира непреложное and unceasing in her intercessions [for the упование, world], гроб и умерщвление neither the tomb nor death could hold не удержасти: captive; Якоже бо Живота Матеръ, к животу for as the Mother of Life, she was translated престави, to life во утробу Вселивыйся by the One who dwelt in her ever-virginal приснодевственную. womb. Text: Kontakion for the Dormition 9 ALL-NIGHT VIGIL, OP. 37 (EXCERPTS) Rachmaninoff The All-Night Vigil, Op. 37, composed and one of the greatest musical by Rachmaninoff, was written and achievements of the Russian premiered in 1915. It is widely regarded Orthodox Church. It was also one of as the pinnacle of Orthodox church Rachmaninoff’s favorite compositions, music — deftly deploying “choral and the composer requested that one orchestration,” an array of timbral of its movements (the fifth) be sung at and harmonic effects, and a variety of his funeral. It is written for a four-part compositional techniques, building to choir, complete with basso profondo. a joyous affirmation of religious faith. However, in many parts there is three, It consists of settings of texts taken five, six, or eight-part harmony; in the from the Russian Orthodox All-night seventh movement the choir is divided Vigil ceremony. It is considered to be into 11 parts. Rachmaninoff’s finest achievement 10 My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord, No. 11 Величит душа Моя Господа, и My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit возрадовася дух Мой о Боже Спасе doth rejoice in God my savior. Моем. Thou who art more venerable than the Честнейшую Херувим и славнейшую без Cherubim, and incomparably more glorious сравнения Серафим, без истления Бога than the Seraphim, Thou who didst bear Слова рождшую, сущую Богородицу, Тя God the Word without sin, Thou who art величаем. truly the mother of God, we exalt Thee. Яко призре на смирение рабы Своея, се For He hath regarded the lowliness of His бо от ныне ублажат Мя вси роды. handmaiden, and from henceforth all Честнейшую Херувим... generations shall call me blessed. Яко сотвори Мне величие Сильный, и Thou who art more venerable than the свято имя Его, и милость Его в роды Cherubim, etc.