Track Listing

1. Alleluia, Behold the Bridegroom - Nikolai Korniev, St. Petersburg Chamber Choir
2. Sorup Sorup (Holy Holy) - Nikolai Korniev, St. Petersburg Chamber Choir
3. Lord Have Mercy [Liturgy of St. John Chryostom, Op. 31] - Valery Polyansky,
4. Mercy of Peace [Excerpts] - Valery Polyansky,
5. Komm Susser Tod - Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble
6. Serenade
7. Grant Us This O Lord [Liturgy of St. John Chryostom, Op. 31]
8. Our Father - St. Petersburg Chamber Choir
9. Gloria [All Night Vigil, Op.37][Excerpt] - USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir
10. Peaceful Light (Kiev Chant) [All Night Vigil, Op. 37] - USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir
11. Praise the Lord O My Soul (Greek Chant) [All Night Vigil, Op. 37] - USSR Ministry of Culture Chamber Choir
12. Blessed Art Thou O Lord (Kiev Chant) [Ancient Tune from the Reqiem Lit]
13. Chorale - Nikolai Korniev, St. Petersburg Chamber Choir
14. Amen, Alleluia [Liturgy of St. John Chryostom, Op. 31] - Valery Polyansky,

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10577 in Music
• Released on: 2000-02-22
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .21 pounds

Amazon.com
What could be more sublime than a wall of dark, rotund Russian voices shimmering against the rising, ornate walls of a great cathedral? Not much, and this compilation of absolutely magnificent music proves it. The label Hearts of Space returns on this third choral collection to the ominous Slavic chant of their first choral album, Sacred Treasures I, which gathered together recordings of stunning Bulgarian and Russian choirs portraying the sacred works of Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, and other composers. Whereas Treasures I pulled from varied sections of sacred liturgies, including solo passages, Treasures III most often stays in harmonic chant with select voices occasionally rising and rolling in polyphonic heavenly calls. The collective voice draws the emotive tension taut here, as on Rimsky-Korsakov's "Our Father," which uses the absence of darkness to later juxtapose bold, rising drama. The Kiev chant "Blessed Art Thou O Lord" sends chills down the spine as the whispering consonants of the Russian language skip across the ancient repetition like sand skitters over a stormy beach. This is a collection as breathtakingly beautiful as the Cathedral of the Dormition itself. Not to be missed. --Karen K. Hugg

Customer Reviews

Wow...a total unexpected joy!
Its just like the first Sacred Treasures! Just so heavenly! Sacred Treasures I and III are a must! Again the Orthodox faithful sing just like an angelic choir! If you love choral music, this is the one! Just enjoy a piece of heaven!

Worth Buying Just for Track 5!
Unlike so many "choral compilation" CDs, there is not a track on this album that falls victim to "schlock." Although it is an example of excellent Romantic Russian sacred music, the real highlight of the album is Gunnar Eriksson's ad lib arrangement of Bach's Komm Susser Tod. The Erik Westberg ensemble executes this performance with all the mystery embodied in the text...creating celestial overtones without bordering on New Age. As far as I know, this is the only recording of Eriksson's arrangement.If you like Bach, buy this album. If you like choral music, buy this album. If you like Russian choirs, buy this album. If you want to be spiritually revived, listen to track 5 (and then the rest of the album!)

PURE ECSTASY.
I have a number of choral and chant CD's, and I have to say that this one is my favorite. I think I like it even more than Sacred Treasures I. Sacred music can often seem perfunctory, but the music on this CD doesn't suffer from that problem.

The disc covers a wide cross-section of historically important pieces, from ancient Greek Orthodox chant through the early 20th Century choral masterpieces of Rachmaninov. There's also the added surprise of a modern fantasy setting of Bach's Apollonian masterpiece "Komm Susser Tod" ("Come Sweet Death") by Scandinavian composer Gunnar Eriksson. And the Komitas-penned "Sourp Sourp" (Holy Holy) might be the most beautiful song I've ever heard.

The sacred music from Russia has always held a special place for me. If you haven't heard Russian sacred music and want to dip your toe in the water, you owe it to yourself to get this CD (and Sacred Treasures I). Warm and serene, this music glows.