The fruitfulness of the “Chants of the Russian Emigres” CD series, of which the present disc is Volume 9, demonstrates that, even in the most difficult circumstances, exiled from their homeland, Russian composers were able to focus on creating sacred choral works of great beauty and spiritual depth. Some of the composers on the present CD, such as Ivan (Johann von) Gardner and Ilyashenko, were “ahead of their time”--under-appreciated and under-performed by their exiled contemporaries; very likely these are the first performances of these particular works. Others, such as Ledkovsky and Konstantinov, are more widely performed. In either case, the “Chants” series offers a great service is by enabling these works to be heard here, opening creative vistas for lovers of Orthodox church singing everywhere, both in Russia and outside Russia. The repertoire focuses primarily on what Russian composers of the 20th century excelled at—arranging the standard chants of the Russian Church in splendid polyphonic garments; many of the present works were originally composed for mixed (SATB) chorus, and have been re-arranged here for men’s voices. This CD marks the first contribution to the series by the Novospassky Monastery Choir (comprised of professional singers from around Moscow) and, sadly, the last bow of their conductor, Leonid Baklushin (1965-2011), who reposed shortly after the conclusion of the recording sessions. Notes and rare biographical articles about the composers are in Russian and English. This important and original CD will be enjoyed by lovers of Russian male chorus singing as well as those interested in the history and choral literature of the Russian Orthodox Church.--V.M.
