The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom by Rachmaninov (not to be confused with the more well-known Vespers), is part of a reform initiated by Tchaikovsky in his own version of the same religious service. At the time, Tchaikovsky had to fight against rigid and conservative ecclesiastical authorities and his music was strongly criticised. Rachmaninoff faced a similar situation after the creation of his own Liturgy, which was, back then, considered too modern by the narrow-minded clergy.
Composed in 1910 during his brief return to Russia after finding success in America, The Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom is entirely Rachmaninov’s own work, and is not a recreation of a pre-existing composition in any sense (for example, Vespers). As a child, Rachmaninov was surrounded by Orthodox chants and the sound of the St. Petersburg cathedral choir, the bells of which can be found in almost all of his works. The modernism that so offended the church stems from a rather scholarly writing style, rarely featuring four parts, frequently divided, with the use of solos emerging from the ensemble making its execution particularly complex.
The present recording—made in Tallinn in January 2021 by the renowned Estonian Philharmonic Choir conducted by Kaspars Putniņŝ—follows the recommendations given in the critical edition published in the series Monuments of Russian Sacred Music. This huge cultural project was edited by experts from around the world and aims to collect and preserve the Russian choral tradition that dates back thousands of years. © François Hudry/Qobuz