Posts by Victor Alexandrov
With Faith and Love; Thoughts on a Russian-American Choral Masterclass
Spiritual music plays an important role in the cultural life of many countries in the world. It brings people together, unites their hearts, and acts as a crucial unifying link amongst worldwide musical cultures. The mission of the eminent Moscow conductor Vladimir Gorbik is directed specifically towards realizing these benevolent objectives and bringing them to…
Continue reading »Blessed Art Thou among Women—a New Release by the PaTRAM Institute Singers
Blessed Art Thou among Women—a New Release by the PaTRAM Institute Singers, Peter Jermihov, Conductor Reviewed by Vladimir Morosan The liturgical tradition of the Orthodox Church is extremely rich with hymnography in honor of the Virgin Mary—the Most Holy Theotokos or Mother of God, as she is typically referred to. Virtually every complex of Orthodox…
Continue reading »Kurt Sander’s Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom: An American Orthodox Musical Milestone
The appearance of Kurt Sander’s Divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, which was released simultaneously on April 26, 2019, in recorded form by Reference Recordings and in print form by Musica Russica, in many ways represents a unique and unprecedented event in the realm of Orthodox liturgical singing in North America. The work was created…
Continue reading »Sacred Choral Treasures of the Russian Emigration Premiered at the Moscow Conservatory Marking the Centenary of the Revolution: 1917–2017
In late 2016, as the tragic centenary of the Russian revolutions was approaching, conversations began among musicians in Russia and the U. S. regarding an appropriately solemn and musically significant way to pay homage to the memory of those who had been affected by these events—in particular, composers, choirmasters, and church singers—both those who suffered…
Continue reading »Good Music Lifts Us Up Towards God
(This interview with Russian conductor Vladimir Gorbik was first published in Pravoslavie i sovremennost, the official journal of the Diocese of Saratov, Russia) As previously reported in the Orthodox Arts Journal, a new symphony orchestra has been established in Moscow under the direction of Vladimir Gorbik—chief choirmaster of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Representation (Podvorye) in…
Continue reading »The Clarion Choir Extends the Visibility of Maximilian Steinberg’s Passion Week with New Recording and Russian Tour
Last year, readers of the Orthodox Arts Journal read about the significance of Passion Week by Maximilian Steinberg (1883–1946), a newly rediscovered choral masterpiece based almost entirely upon early Russian chant melodies. Completed in 1923 in St. Petersburg, just a few weeks before the communist authorities banned all composition and performance of sacred music, the…
Continue reading »Between Discipline and Joy: An Interview with Vladimir Gorbik
Interviewed by Natalia Gorenok Translated by Vladimir Morosan The art of Church singing as an integral part of the life of the Church, like the Church itself [in Russia], is experiencing a period of revival. Along the way, there are still many difficulties, because many of the traditional practices among choirmasters and church singers were…
Continue reading »St. Tikhon’s Monastery Reaches Out into the Culture through Sacred Music
The recent release of the CD Till Morn Eternal Breaks marks a number of laudable firsts: First and foremost, it is the debut CD comprised almost entirely of the choral works of American Orthodox composer Benedict Sheehan (b.1980), a gifted musician who has something important to say in ways that are both traditional and innovative. Second, it…
Continue reading »Building International Bridges Through Orthodox Sacred Music – A New CD from PaTRAM
The Patriarch Tikhon Choir Releases Its New CD In 2012, Vladimir Gorbik, the eminent Choirmaster of the Moscow Representation Church of the Holy Trinity-St. Sergius Monastery, came to North America for the first time to teach a master class on the interpretation of Russian Orthodox sacred choral music at St. Vladimir’s Seminary. After the success…
Continue reading »Preserving Traditions: A Thread of Succession Survives in Moscow
In recent months, discussions posted on various blogs and other social media have brought to light the ongoing quest of Orthodox church musicians in North America to define more clearly their vocation and sense of professional identity. A good deal of discussion has focused on the desirability and necessity of establishing an Orthodox choir school.…
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