Program Notes

Composed by Sergei Rachmaninoff in 1915, All-Night Vigil stands as one of the most significant choral works of the 20th century. Despite its initial success, the All-Night Vigil, also known as the Vespers, faded into obscurity as the Soviet Union suppressed religious practices including the performances of Orthodox Church Music in 1918. The work was revived in Russia in 1988 to celebrate the 1,000th Anniversary of Russia’s conversion to Orthodox Christianity. In 1990, Robert Shaw recorded the work here in the United States. Shortly thereafter ORS gave one of the first West-Coast performances of the work and then recorded it under the baton of Vladimir Minin, the conductor of Russian State Academic Choir who had led the 1988 revival performance in the Soviet Union. We are thrilled to present the work again to begin our 50th Season.

Rachmaninoff’s setting of the All-Night Vigil is without a doubt the best-known piece of music written for the Russian Orthodox Church. This has always surprised me as Rachmaninoff was neither a religious man, nor a choral composer. Rachmaninoff composed almost exclusively for piano: both solo piano music and concertos. The All-Night Vigil was only his second choral composition. His approach to choral writing is so unique that, when the piece re-emerged in 1988, it was just as ground-breaking in the choral world as it was in 1915.

Rachmaninoff's vocal writing in the All-Night Vigil is highly demanding. Unlike his predecessors, Rachmaninoff sees each section of the choir as its own musical unit, rather than as one large instrument. He writes for sopranos, altos, tenors, and basses much as other composers would write for strings, woodwinds and brass. Each voice part is given intricate melodies and harmonies, each part is pushed to the extremes of their vocal ranges, and each part is divided at times into two or three parts. The choral textures range from ethereal and delicate to powerful and exuberant, showcasing the full range and capabilities of the human voice.

In his preparation for writing the All-Night Vigil, Rachmaninoff spent several years studying the various styles of chanting used in the Russian Orthodox Church. The All-Night Vigil incorporates traditional Znameny chants that date back to the 10th century, Kieven Chants from 11th-13th centuries, Byzantine Chants from the Greek Orthodox Church, and his own melodies written seamlessly in these older styles.

Rachmaninoff chose the texts for the All-NIght Vigil in a similar way to how Handel crafted The Messiah and Mendelssohn did Elijah; he selected pre-existing religious texts from various sources, including the Russian Orthodox liturgy, and the Book of Psalms. Some are drawn from the evening Vespers service, others from the Matins, and some are unique to this work. Thus, this piece was never intended for liturgical use but rather for concert performances like ours this weekend. We hope you enjoy it as much as we do.

Written by Artistic Director Ethan Sperry