Polyphony/Early choral/Russian choral

Posted by: Bruce Woodhouse on 23 March 2007

I've been buying a fair bit of choral music lately, religious polyphony music is I think a fair label, (you'll have to forgive my knowledge of more accurate terms).

I've a big selection of Arvo Part, recently bought this great collection of Renaissance polyphony and I've other 'Early' music such as Machaut, Hildegard Bingen and others. I've really enjoyed some Russian choral music, on this compilation especially.

I think I actually like the lovely dark resonance of this 'Eastern' male choral stuff most of all, although the typical gregorian chant discs I've heard have left me rather underwhelmed-and thinking of those ghastly shops that sell candles, wind chimes and glass dolphins!

Can anyone advise on some more choral purchases, particularly of a 'russian persuasion'.

Bruce
Posted on: 25 March 2007 by Nick Lees
Whoa, having a hard time typing against the wind blowing through this one.

If you like "Russian" voices, try stuff by the Rustavi Choir. They're Georgian and will probably try and kill me for lumping them in with Russian, but hey. You know that gorgeous bit of choral singing towards the end of Kate Bush's Seventh Wave side of Hounds Of Love? That was nicked from a Georgian chant. The Rustavi will give you folk choral rather than religious though.

Rachmaninov's Vespers is modern but stone-cold gorgeous. I've got the St Petersburg Chamber Choir version on Philips, but I suspect there are better ones. You can here samples of a different version here to get an idea.

And of course if you like that there's his Liturgy Of St. John Chrysostom, samples here. I have a Russian version by the Moscow Academy Of Choral Singing and like it, but again better informed contributors may have better versions to suggest.

I'm better informed on English Tudor polyphony (Byrd, Tallis, Sheppard et al.) and Spanish (e.g. Victoria) but that's a bit off topic it seems. Yell if you want more though.
Posted on: 25 March 2007 by Bruce Woodhouse
Gary, thanks for that. I'd given up on this thread. I've a bit of Tallis and Victoria's Requiem. I fancy something with a more Slavic twist; I'll look into the things you've suggested.

Bruce