Rachmaninov's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, composed in 1910, was banned by religious authorities when it appeared on the ridiculous grounds that it was "modernist" -- it is as limpidly tonal as any other Russian religious setting of the era -- and it has always taken a backseat to the composer's Vespers. It has less of a sweep than that epic setting, but Rachmaninov himself esteemed the work highly, and when it receives a careful performance, it is lovely. That's just what it gets here from the Estonian Philharmonic ...
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Rachmaninov's Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, composed in 1910, was banned by religious authorities when it appeared on the ridiculous grounds that it was "modernist" -- it is as limpidly tonal as any other Russian religious setting of the era -- and it has always taken a backseat to the composer's Vespers. It has less of a sweep than that epic setting, but Rachmaninov himself esteemed the work highly, and when it receives a careful performance, it is lovely. That's just what it gets here from the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir under conductor Kaspars Putnin?. Choral music in the Baltic countries maintains a very high level of quality, and this small choir is arguably the jewel in the crown. It doesn't have the rumbling bass sound cultivated by Russian and Russian-related specialists in this repertory, but Putnin? forges a choral sound that is both ethereal and rich. Listen to the "In Thy Kingdom" movement for a taste for the group's melodic sense, which is entrancing throughout. The BIS label's...
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