San Francisco Classical Voice

CHORAL MUSIC REVIEW

Blend of Skill and Taste

April 5, 2003

Gregory Smirnov

By Rajna Klaser

The concert presented by Slavyanka men's choir at St. Dominic's Catholic Church Saturday was one of those events that distinguish the San Francisco Bay Area as a unique concert culture. It is remarkable to hear Russian Orthodox Christian music performed by Slavyanka's men with such conviction and excellence, and then realize they are not Russian or even of Russian descent. It is hard to fathom the time and pure will power invested in the learning and understanding of this foreign tradition in order to reach this level of excellence. Though labeled an amateur choral ensemble, Slavyanka is a well-balanced chorus of considerable strength and superb musicianship, with a vast Eastern European repertoire and exciting programming designed by director Gregory Smirnov.

Saturday's program was a gem offering an overview of the principal genres in Russian Orthodox Christian liturgy, covering stylistic changes that occurred in past 150 years as well as other Eastern European traditions. To program nine adaptations of such a generic form as the Lord's Prayer might have seemed an odd and laborious choice. However, by putting these adaptations in chronological order and juxtaposing interpretations of “Great Men” like Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, and Stravinsky with lesser known but firmly accepted composers in local church communities, Gregory Smirnov and Slavyanka offered a fascinating historical and cultural lesson.

Korsakov's adaptation faithfully relied on its folk roots and the principles of the Russian Orthodox chant style of singing utilizing simple, understated, yet powerful chord progressions. In contrast, Tchaikovsky's prayer featured romantically soaring melodies, intense dynamic changes, and more-elaborate chord progressions. While remaining true to its traditional opening motive, the Lord's Prayer by Stravinsky featured significant departures in the harmonic language with narrow, cluster-like, dissonant voicing. An intriguing use of dissonance separates compositions by Kedrov Sr. and Kedrov Jr,, Stravinsky's contemporaries. Unlike Stravinsky, the Kedrovs' experimentation with the pedal tone, a backbone of Orthodox church singing traditionally considered the dominion of the low basses, was the most curious as they moved the pedal from one voice section to another.

Slavyanka

A contemporary version by Vladimir Licina, a young Serbian-American composer, featured a haunting baritone solo, while the choir provided a richly colored background. Gregory Smirnov's own adaptation of the Lord's Prayer departed from the traditional idiom by omitting a standard opening, using fragmentation in the lower voices to contrast the enchanting melody of the tenors, and adding intense dynamic changes. In each rendition of the Lord's Prayer, Slavyanka's performance was suspenseful, faithfully following the principles of this great tradition while respecting the Lenten performance practice with its more restrained interpretation.

The program's second half featured various prayer forms performed during Lent, the Holy Week, and Vespers. Beatitudes “In Thy Kingdom” by Bulgarian composer Khristov was the highlight of the program. The piece was appealing, with an abundance of folksy open fifths that alternated with complex harmonic progressions, which in turn were resolved in three-octave unisons creating an eerie sense of infinity. The choir reached its zenith in this piece, building up to the central point of the text, the joyful “raduysya” (“rejoice”). Slavyanka rejoiced with force at this point, savoring each enunciation of this word as if it were the prayer itself. Slavyanka's diction was excellent throughout the concert, but what set this piece apart from the rest of the program was the particularly tasteful phrasing and attention to the text.

Another powerful piece was Mokranjac's “Blessed be the name of the Lord,” featuring the fine characteristics of old Serbian folk chants. Slavyanka's superb tuning, clear, bell-like open sound during the forceful, dynamic climax, and a sudden switch to a shimmering, yet serene, prayerful closing amen attest to this group's superb musicianship.

Gregory Smirnov and Slavyanka followed the constraints imposed by the rules of Lenten performance practice in the Russian Orthodox Church tradition. While it might be argued that such an approach might eventually backfire because of the audience's expectations of a concert as a spectacle, at these times it is quite appropriate to be immersed in a more prayerful and inward musical experience leaving aside the formality and pretense of a staged presentation.