Liturgy St. John Chrysost.-Russian Medieval Chant

Liturgy St. John Chrysost.-Russian Medieval Chant

Artist: The Russian Patriarchate Choir; Anatoly Grindenko
Item number: AJ006
Category: Russian
Chant Type: Znamenny
Language: Old Slavonic
Label: Opus 111
Period: Contemporary
Length: 71'56
Release date: 1995
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Price: $18.98 USD
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You may need RealPlayer or Windows Media Player to listen to the music samples below.

1. The Great Litany

2. First Antiphon

3. The Little Litany

4. Second Antiphon

5. Hymn

6. The Beatitudes

7. Troparion, Mode 7

8. Troparion, Mode 8

9. Entrance with the Gospel

10. Troparion, Mode 4

11. Troparion, Mode 7

12. Troparion, Mode 1

13. Kontakion, Mode 8

14. Kontakion to Our Lady

15. Trisagion

16. Prokeimenon

17. Hymn of the Cherubim

18. Litany

19. The Creed

20. The Anaphora

21. Communion Chant

22. Hymn to Our Lady

23. Litany

24. The Lord

25. Exclamation


A recording of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom sung in Znammeny chant, this is another product of the efforts of A. Grindenko and Russian chant musicologists to find and recreate the various medieval chant forms of the Russian Orthodox Church. Fortunately Znammeny chant not only was little influenced by Western musical influences, but continued to be practiced by the Russian Old Believers who escewed the ecclesiastical reforms of the church in the 17th century--thus recreation efforts can draw on ancient manuscripts and living tradition. Znammeny chant, like Byzantine chant, is based on eight modes, but most of the similarities end there. The modes of Znammeny chant are based on very different musical principles and Znammeny uses a unique form of notation. This recording by the Russian Patriarchate Choir, includes the hymnology of the Divine Liturgy drawn from research on ancient chant documents from the middle to late 17th century. Includes complete liner notes and hymn text in English, French and German. For more information on Znammeny chant click here.

By: Benjamin Williams

Once again A. Grindenko and the Russian Partiarchate Choir deliver to us a unique reconstruction of "lost" medieval Russian chant. In this instance, a complete divine liturgy from authentic documents of Russian znammeny chant that have been transcribed into western notation for performance. The sound and style will be unlike the Russian liturgical choral music most people are familiar with, to the extent that it may not be liked. At first it sounds too monotonous (notice the root word similarity to monotone and monody), but once past that initial reaction one realizes the complexity and nuance that existed within this cjant form that we would consider to operate in a limited range. Its constrained nature inherently creates a sense of centering, of peace and tranquility, and therefore it will be appreciated and enjoyed by not just chant enthusiasts, but my many looking these qualities.