Search - Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky, Choir of the Moscow Choral Academy, Viktor Popov (director) :: Russian Religious Singing 4

Very good, boys and men as intended.

Carmi Turchick | 05/29/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This recording by a high quality boys and men choir is one of the best available, and closer to Tchaikovsky's intentions than most. Tchaikovsky wrote the Liturgy to be performed in the Russian Orthodox churches, which would not include women in their choirs.



Most choirs do not have the boys available to sing this difficult work, so they use women. In most cases this is a disaster as the women are allowed to use their full voices and they overwhelm the piece, blowing the men out and introducing a tamber that Tchaikovsky never intended. This is especially problematic in the upper registers.



Here we have the rare pleasure of well trained boy singers instead, and the difference is obvious and welcome. Aside from the occasional small problems of a smeared consonant from inexact rhythm, the singers and the conductor give a very good, sensitive, emotionally committed, and artistic interpretation of Tchaikovsky's work.



The only notable issue is the lack of Deacon and Celebrant parts, which would have been sung if the piece were performed as a true Liturgy in an Orthodox Church.



My other favourite recording of this piece, which I sang on, is by the Russian Chamber Chorus of New York. While women replace the boys, a big emphasis was placed on singing as much like boys as possible for women with some success. While boys would have still been an improvement, the piece remains well within the spirit and intentions of Tchaikovsky. As the recording includes the Deacon and Celebrant, as well as the traditional first antiphon which would have been sung in any religious performance of the Liturgy, it is in some ways more true to Tchaikovsky's intent.



I think that both recordings deserve to be heard, far more than the score available with women blasting away operatic high notes."