With his masterfully composed Vespers Liturgy for choir a cappella, Rachmaninov transports the listener into a musical world of admirable depth and inwardness. Inspired by old modes, he created one of his most beautiful works. The »All-Night Vigil«, composed in 1915 for a benefit concert in Moscow in aid of war victims, takes up the fascinating tradition of Orthodox chants and reflects it profoundly. At the same time, Rachmaninov created a musical monument to his childhood memories and the religious soul of his homeland – a homeland he would soon leave. Rachmaninov himself described listening to his vesper liturgy as »an hour of the happiest satisfaction«.
PERFORMERS
Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks choir
Heejoon Lee tenor
Krzysztof Michalski violoncello
Peter Dijkstra conductor
PROGRAM
Sergej Rachmaninow
All-Night Vigil, Op. 37
Benjamin Britten
Suite No. 3 for Violoncello Op. 87 (excerpts)
