Tchaikovsky

Liturgy of St John Chrysostom; Nine Sacred Choruses

Agnese Urka, Agate Burkina (soprano), Dace Strautmane (alto), K rlis R tent ls (tenor), Gundars Dzi ums; Latvian Radio Choir/ Sigvards Klava

Ondine ODE 1336-2 77:07 mins Liturgical music is not the first thing one associates with Tchaikovsky but, as Jānis Torgāns’s programme note mentions, he was a man of faith who regularly attended worship. Two of his major sacred works are heard here – the Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (1878) – texts which the composer regarded as in themselves ‘one of the greatest works of art’ – and the Nine Sacred Choruses (1884-5), which replicate some of the same material, most notably The Lord’s Prayer.

Ironically, his setting of the Liturgy was scarcely welcomed by the Orthodox Church, and indeed initially banned by the director of the Imperial Chapel!

Tchaikovsky’s eight-part settings are of the utmost dignity, utilising the unaccompanied forces with discretion and subtlety, with some particularly telling moments when the regularly static harmony suddenly shifts or becomes enriched. The sound of the mixed choir is not, perhaps, what the composer would have had in mind, but they produce distinguished and distinctive tone, with flawless balance and no straining for either low or high notes. The two soloists – tenor Kārlis Rūtentāls sings the words of the Celebrant Priest, bass Gundars Dziļums those of the Deacon – are well-chosen.

Conductor Sigvards Klava achieves precise chording and proves sensitive to pacing, with the music’s flow carefully measured. Intonation is close to ideal. In the apt acoustic of St John’s Church, Riga, there’s an impressive sense of perspective, and of wide spaces opening up and resounding with Tchaikovsky’s carefully considered harmonies. George Hall

PERFORMANCE ★★★★

RECORDING ★★★★