The concert of the Novaya Opera Choir comprises compositions by Sergey Rachmaninoff and Francis Poulenc, the composers who belonged to different national cultures and branches of Christianity (Orthodoxy and Catholicism).
All music by Sergey Rachmaninoff (1873–1943) relates, one way or another, to the Orthodox traditions; the intonation of many of his compositions is based on the Znamenny (plain) chant. However, unlike other composers, such as Kastalsky and Smolensky, Rachmaninoff seldom worked in the genres of church service directly: apart from Liturgy of St.John Chrysostom he wrote the Deus meus motet for six voices, the choral concert O Mother of God Perpetually Praying and the famous All-Night Vigil. Nonetheless, the sacred music of the composer can surely be ranked among the gems of the genre.
The amazing beauty of Rachmaninoff’s Liturgy (1910) is determined, on the one hand, by its deep penetration into the Orthodox chant tradition and, on the other hand, by the large scale and brightness of contrasts, which are peculiar to the symphony composer. Rachmaninoff’s composition is not like liturgies that are sung during church services. With lyrical images prevailing, the piece is expressive and passionate in certain parts, while the extensive music forms and choral virtuosity add traits of the concert style to the Liturgy.
According to Francis Poulenc (1899–1963), he inherited cheerfulness and gaiety from his Parisian mother, while inclination to deep reflection and, in later years, devoutness came from his father, a believing Catholic. However it did not show in Poulenc’s works until a certain time. Poulenc’s world outlook changed dramatically in mid-1936 when his fellow composer Pierre-Octave Ferroud died tragically. Sensitive by nature, Poulenc withdrew into himself: ‘As I meditated on the fragility of our human frame, I was drawn once more to the life of the spirit,’ he wrote. Remembering his father’s stories about holy places of pilgrimage, Poulenc went to the village of Rocamadour in southwestern France, which is known for its wonder-working wooden Black Madonna kept in the church of Notre Dame. Soon he wrote his first sacred composition, Litanies à la Vierge noire (1936). From that time on sacred music played an important part in his work; its influences can be seen in his later secular compositions, for example, in the opera Dialogues des Carmélites (1957), one of the highest achievements of 20th-century arts.
In his choral music Poulenc combines the expressive means of the Gregorian chant and old vocal genres with the methods of modern choral writing; one example is motets. The concert presents Poulenc’s sacred compositions written in different years and intended for different choir structures: male (Quatre petites prières de Saint-François d’Assise), female (Ave verum corpus) and unaccompanied mixed choir (Quatre motets pour un temps de pénitence and Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël).