The All-Night Vigil (Pre-reform Russian: Всенощное бдѣніе, Vsénoshchnoye bdéniye; Modern Russian: Всенощное бдение) is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff, his Op. 37, written and premiered in 1915.

The piece consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff's finest achievement and "the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church". It was one of Rachmaninoff's two favorite compositions along with The Bells, and the composer requested that one of its movements (the fifth) be sung at his funeral.

Note: The title of the work is often translated as simply Vespers, which is both literally and conceptually incorrect as applied to the entire work; only the first six of its fifteen movements set texts from the Russian Orthodox canonical hour of Vespers.

History

Composition history

Rachmaninoff composed the All-Night Vigil in less than two weeks in January and February 1915. The All-Night Vigil is perhaps notable as one of two liturgical settings (the other being the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) by a composer who had stopped attending church services. As required by the Russian Orthodox Church, Rachmaninoff based ten of the fifteen sections on chant. However, the five original sections (numbers 1, 3, 6, 10, & 11) were so heavily influenced by chant that the composer called them "conscious counterfeits".

Rachmaninoff's work is a culmination of the preceding two decades of interest in Russian sacred music, as initiated by Tchaikovsky's setting of the all-night vigil. The similarities between the works, such as the extensive use of traditional chants, demonstrates the extent of Tchaikovsky's influence; however, Rachmaninoff's setting is much more complex in its use of harmony, textual variety and polyphony.

Performance history

The first performance was given in Moscow on March 10 of that year, partly to benefit the Russian war effort. Nikolai Danilin conducted the all-male Moscow Synodal Choir at the premiere. It was received warmly by critics and audiences alike, and was so successful that it was performed five more times within a month. However the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of the Soviet Union led to the government condemnation of religious music, and on 22 July 1918 the Synodal Choir was replaced by a nonreligious "People's Choir Academy". It has been written that "no composition represents the end of an era so clearly as this liturgical work".

Analysis

The Vigil includes three styles of chant: znamenny (in numbers 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14), a more recitational "Greek" style (numbers 2 and 15), and "Kiev" chant — a chant developed in Kiev in the 16th and 17th centuries (numbers 4 and 5). Before writing, Rachmaninoff had studied ancient chant under Stepan Smolensky, to whom he dedicated the piece. It is written for a four-part choir, complete with basso profondo. However, in many parts there is three, five, six, or eight-part harmony; at one point in the seventh movement, the choir is divided into eleven parts. Movements 4 and 9 each contain a brief tenor solo, while movements 2 and 5 feature lengthy solos for alto and tenor, respectively. The fifth movement, Nunc dimittis (Nyne otpushchayeshi), has gained notoriety for its ending in which the low basses must negotiate a descending scale that ends with a low B-flat (the third B-flat below middle C). When Rachmaninoff initially played this passage through to Kastalsky and Danilin in preparation for the first performance, Rachmaninoff recalled that:

Danilin shook his head, saying, "Now where on earth are we to find such basses? They are as rare as asparagus at Christmas!" Nevertheless, he did find them. I knew the voices of my countrymen...

Movements

See also: All-night vigil

Note: Numbers 1-6 contain settings from the Russian Orthodox Vespers service (Russian: Вечерня, Vechernya), numbers 7-14 settings from Matins (Russian: Утреня, Utrenya), and number 15 from The First Hour, or Prime (Russian: Первый час, Pervïy chas).

Seq.	Church Slavonic	Transliteration	English equivalent
1	Пріидите, поклонимся.	Priidite, poklonimsya.	Come, Let Us Worship.
2	Благослови, душе моя, Господа. Греческаго роспѣва.	Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda. Grecheskago rospeva.	Praise the Lord, O My Soul. Greek Chant.
3	Блаженъ мужъ.	Blazhen muzh.	Blessed is the Man.
4	Свѣте тихій. Кiевскаго роспѣва.	Svete tikhiy. Kievskago rospeva.	O Gladsome Light. Kiev Chant.
5	Нынѣ отпущаеши. Кiевскаго роспѣва.	Nïne otpushchayeshi. Kievskago rospeva.	Lord, Now Lettest Thou. Kiev Chant.
6	Богородице Дѣво.	Bogoroditse Devo.	Rejoice, O Virgin.
7	Слава въ вышнихъ Богу (шестопсалміе).	Slava v vïshnikh Bogu (shestopsalmiye).	Glory To God in the Highest (hexapsalmos).
8	Хвалите имя Господне. Знаменнаго роспѣва.	Khvalite imya Gospodne. Znamennago rospeva.	Praise the Name of the Lord. Znamennïy Chant.
9	Благословенъ еси, Господи. Знаменнаго роспѣва.	Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi. Znamennago rospeva.	Blessed Art Thou, O Lord. Znamennïy Chant.
10	Воскресеніе Христово видѣвше.	Voskreseniye Khristovo videvshe.	Having Beheld the Resurrection.
11	Величитъ душа моя Господа.	Velichit dusha moya Gospoda.	My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord.
12	Великое славословіе. Знаменнаго роспѣва.	Velikoye slavosloviye. Znamennago rospeva.	The Great Doxology. Znamennïy Chant.
13	Тропарь. Днесь спасеніе. Знаменнаго роспѣва.	Tropar'. Dnes spaseniye. Znamennago rospeva.	Troparion. Today Salvation is Come. Znamennïy Chant.
14	Тропарь. Воскресъ изъ гроба. Знаменнаго роспѣва.	Tropar'. Voskres iz groba. Znamennago rospeva.	Troparion. Thou Didst Rise from the Tomb. Znamennïy Chant.
15	Взбранной воеводѣ. Греческаго роспѣва.	Vzbrannoy voyevode. Grecheskago rospeva.	To Thee, Victorious Leader. Greek Chant.

Recordings

The first recording of the Vigil was made by Alexander Sveshnikov with the State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR for the Soviet Melodiya label in 1965. Because of Soviet anti-religious policies, this record was never available for sale within the USSR, but was only made for the export market and private study. This recording still has a legendary reputation, in part because of its extremely strong low basses, but also because of the solos by Klara Korkan and Konstantin Ognevoi. The Sveshnikov recording was first released in the United States in 1973 on the Melodiya-Angel label. The March 1974 Stereo Review noted that Angel's general manager Robert E. Myers "tracked down the recording" and "had to prevail rather heavily on the Soviet powers that be to make it part of their trade agreement with Angel.

Year	Conductor	Choir	Soloists	Label
1965	Aleksandr Sveshnikov	State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR	Klara Korkan (mezzo-soprano) Konstantin Ognevoy (tenor)	Melodiya
1967	Karl Linke	Johannes-Damascenus-Chor für Ostkirchliche Liturgie	Marie-Louise Gilles Günter Schmitz	Christophorus
1978	Georgi Robev	Svetoslav Obretenov Choir	Natalia Peneva (alto) Todor Grigorov-Tres (tenor)	Vanguard
1983	Yevgeny Svetlanov	Svetoslav Obretenov Choir		Russian Disc
1986	Valery Polyansky	Chamber Choir of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR	Irina Arkhipova (mezzo-soprano) Viktor Rumantsev (tenor) Yuriy Vishnyakov (basso profundo)	Melodiya/Moscow Studio Archives
1986	Vladislav Chernushenko	St. Petersburg Cappella	Zhanna Polevtsova (mezzo-soprano) Sergei Rokozitsa (tenor)	Chant du Monde/IML
1987	Mstislav Rostropovich	Choral Arts Society of Washington	Maureen Forrester (mezzo-soprano) Gene Tucker (tenor)	Erato
1989	Robert Shaw	The Robert Shaw Festival Singers	Karl Dent (tenor)	Telarc
1990	Matthew Best	Corydon Singers	Joya Logan (alto) John Bowen (tenor)	Hyperion
1991	Oleg Shepel	Voronezh State Institute of Arts Chamber Choir	Yelena Necheporenko (mezzo-soprano) Aleksandr Zlobin (tenor) Ruben Sevostyanov (tenor) Aleksandr Nazarov (bass)	Globe
1993	David Hill	The Philharmonia Chorus	Sarah Fryer (mezzo-soprano) Peter Butterfield (tenor)	Nimbus
1993	Nikolai Korniev	St. Petersburg Chamber Choir	Olga Borodina (alto) Vladimir Mostovoy (tenor)	Philips
1994	Robin Gritton	Berlin Radio Chorus	Tatjana Sotin (alto) Thomas Kober (tenor)	CPO
1994	Tõnu Kaljuste	Swedish Radio Choir	Malena Ernman (alto) Per Björslund (tenor) Nils Högman (tenor)	Virgin
1994	Georgi Robev	Bulgarian National Choir		Capriccio
1995	William Hall	William Hall Master Chorale	Jonathan Mack (tenor)
1997	Aleksey Puzakov	Choir of St Nicholas Church Tolmachi	Tatiana Gerange (alto) Dmitriy Borisov (tenor) Nikolay Sokolov (archpriest)	Boheme
1998	Stephen Cleobury	Choir of King's College, Cambridge	Margaret Cameron (alto) Richard Eteson (Tenor) James Gilchrist (tenor) Jan Lochmann (bass)	EMI
1998	Karen P. Thomas	Seattle Pro Musica	Yelena Posrednikov (alto) Stuart Lutzenhiser (tenor) Misha Myznikov (baritone)
2000	Aleksandr Govorov	Accordance (male choir)	Dmitriy Popov (tenor) Vladimir Pasyukov (basso Profundo)
2000	Yevhen Savchuk	Ukrainian National Capella "Dumka"	Olga Borusene (soprano) Mykhaylo Tyshchenko (tenor) Yuri Korinnyk (tenor)	Regis/Brilliant Classics
2000	Howard Arman	Leipzig Radio Chorus	Klaudia Zeiner (alto) Mikhail Agafonov (tenor) Lew Maidarschewski (bass)	Berlin Classics
2000	Torsten Mariegaard	Copenhagen Oratorio Choir	Lotte Hovman (alto) Poul Emborg (tenor)	Classico
2001	Jaroslav Brych	Prague Philharmonic Chorus		Praga
2003	Dale Warland	Dale Warland Singers		Rezound
2004	Eric-Olof Söderström	Finnish National Opera Chorus	Raissa Palmu (soprano) Erja Wimeri (contralto) Eugen Antoni (tenor)	Naxos
2004	Paul Hillier	Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir	Iris Oja (alto) Vladimir Miller (bass) Mati Turi (tenor) Tiit Kogerman (tenor)	Harmonia Mundi
2004	Nigel Short	Tenebrae	Frances Jellard (alto) Paul Badley (tenor)	Signum U.k.
2007	Marcus Creed	SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart		Hänssler
2008	Victor Popov	Academy of Choral Art, Moscow	A. Timofeeva (mezzo soprano) D. Kortchak (tenor)	Denon
2012	Sigvards Klava	Latvian Radio Choir		Ondine
2013	Peter Broadbent	Joyful Company of Singers	Lorna Perry (alto) Andrew Shepstone (tenor)	Nimbus Records
2015	Charles Bruffy	Phoenix Chorale and Kansas City Chorale	Frank Fleschner (tenor) Julia Scozzafava (mezzo-soprano)	Chandos Records

References

1. ^ Francis Maes, tr. Arnold J. Pomerans, Erica Pomerans, A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar, University of California Press, 2002, p. 206
2. ^ Rachmaninov's All Night Vigil: Vespers
3. ^ Sergei Bertensson, Jay Leyda, Sophia Satina, Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music, Indiana University Press, 2001, p. 191
4. ^ Sergei Bertensson, Jay Leyda, Sophia Satina, Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music, Indiana University Press, 2001, p. 190
5. ^ Perrie, Maureen; Lieven, Dominic; Suny, Ronald G., eds. (2006). The Cambridge History of Russia: Volume 2, Imperial Russia, 1689-1917. p. 115. 
6. ^ Clark, Duncan (2001). "Rachmaninov". Classical Music: The Rough Guide. p. 390. 
7. ^ Harrison, Max (2006). Rachmaninoff: Life, Works, Recordings. pp. 197–198. 
8. ^ Sergei Bertensson, Jay Leyda, Sophia Satina, Sergei Rachmaninoff: A Lifetime in Music, Indiana University Press, 2001, p. 192
9. ^ Green, Jonathon; Karolides, Nicholas J. (2009). The Encyclopedia of Censorship. p. 590. 
10. ^ Svetlana Zvereva, tr. Stuart Campbell, Alexander Kastalsky: His Life and Music, Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2003, p. 204
11. ^ Francis Maes, tr. Arnold J. Pomerans, Erica Pomerans, A History of Russian Music: From Kamarinskaya to Babi Yar, University of California Press, 2002, p. 206
12. ^ Rachmaninoff Vespers/Concerto/Rhapsody
13. ^ Vespers, Op. 37, Records in Review, 1975 edition, Wyeth Press, p. 317