“Chesnokov represents a late flowering of Russian Orthodox traditions in the years before the Revolution. … [C]omposers sought to renew the style by returning it to its roots in Medieval Slavic chant. Chesnokov excelled in this style, and in his many liturgical works was able to find an ideal balance between tradition and expression. His music was valued for its clarity, both in his voicing of harmonies and in his setting of texts. The Liturgy exemplifies Chesnokov’s approach, using traditional chant melodies and bringing them to the fore, but adding rich layers of harmony. These are made possible by the inclusion of female voices.”
– Gavin Dixon
Only available recording of Pavel Chesnokov’s Russian liturgical choral masterpiece, suppressed for decades of Soviet rule and recorded shortly before the fall of the Warsaw Pact under the direction of one of Russia’s leading choral conductors.
