Tchaikovsky
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Liturgy of Saint John Chrysostom
(Литургия святого Иоанна Златоуста)
Setting of 15 numbers from the Russian Orthodox Liturgy, for unaccompanied voices, Op. 41 (1878).
| Catalogue References | TH 75 (as "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) ; ČW 77 (as "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom") |
|---|---|
| Date | May–July 1878 |
| Text | Liturgical |
| Language | Russian Church Slavonic |
| Tempo/Section Listing |
|
| Instrumentation | Chorus (SATB) |
| Arrangements | Also arranged for solo piano by Tchaikovsky, May 1878 (for rehearsal purposes only) |
| First Performance | Kiev University Church, June 1879. |
| Autograph Location | Moscow (Russia): Glinka National Museum Consortium of Musical Culture (ф. 88, No. 124) — choral score and piano arrangement |
| First Publication | Moscow: P. Jurgenson, 1879 |
| Average Duration | 48 minutes |
| External Links |
IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library
 (downloadable score)Wikipedia (article) |
History
The idea of composing the Liturgy dates from the end of April 1878 [1]. The Liturgy was composed between 4/16 May and 27 May/8 June 1878 [2], together with four romances (from Op. 38), and the violin pieces (Op. 42). Letters between 21 July/2 August and 29 July/10 August the same year show that it was sent together with the other manuscripts to Pyotr Jurgenson [3].
On 1/13–2/14 November, while stopping in Moscow on his way from Saint Petersburg to Kamenka, Tchaikovsky corrected the proofs of the Liturgy [4]. On 27 October/8 November 1878, Pyotr Jurgenson told the composer: "You might want to pick up the first offprints of your Liturgy on Wednesday" [5]. The Liturgy appeared in print early in 1879. Its appearance on sale in Moscow and Saint Petersburg caused protests from the offices of the Director of the Imperial Chapel Choir, Nikolay Bakhmet’ev. The latter began legal proceedings against Jurgenson, accusing him of publishing the Liturgy without the approval of the director of the chapel, and of violating a number of government and synodal decrees. Jurgenson had 143 of his plates of the Liturgy confiscated. and Bakhmet’ev prosecuted him for allegedly breaking the law. The case dragged on for a long time.
Although in June 1879 the Chief Administration for Printed Matter (Главное управление по делам печати) in Moscow authorized Jurgenson to publish the Liturgy, subject to the approval of the city's church censor, Nikolay Bakhmet’ev continued to protest. Then Pyotr Jurgenson took legal action against Bakhmet’ev. Nevertheless, the continued circulation of the composition hindered Bakhmet’ev and his supporters among the clergy. The judgement of the Interior Minister was finally made in December 1879, and this was also in favour of Jurgenson. Eventually the confiscated plates were released in November and December 1880 on the orders of the Synod, who enacted a decree allowing the Moscow church censor to approve the publication of church music without reference to the Director of the Imperial Chapel Choir.
The first performance of the Liturgy took place in Kiev University Church in June 1879. In Moscow it was first heard in a private concert of church music at the Conservatory in November 1880, and later at a special concert of the Russian Musical Society on 18/30 December 1880, performed by Pyotr Sakharov's chorus. Its success with the public was great, although the opinion of the press was divided [6].
In 1887 Pyotr Jurgenson published the choral parts of the Liturgy; the choral score had been printed in 1885 [7]. A second edition of the Liturgy appeared in 1896 [8].
From:
Музыкальное наследие Чайковского (1958), pp. 359–360
English text copyright © 2006 Brett Langston
Notes:
- See letter 820 to Nadezhda von Meck, 30 April/12 May 1878 [back]
- See letter 843 to Nadezhda von Meck, 27 May/8 June 1878 [back]
- See letter 883 to Pyotr Jurgenson, 20 July/1 August 1878 [back]
- See letter 957 to Anatoly Tchaikovsky, 2/14 November 1878, and letter 959 to Nadezhda von Meck, 6/18 November 1878 [back]
- See letter from Pyotr Jurgenson to Tchaikovsky, 20 February/4 March and 2/14 March 1879 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
- See Modest Tchaikovsky, Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 2 (1901), pp. 438–441 [back]
- In 1883, the violinist Ivan Gavrushkevich asked Tchaikovsky if he could arrange the Liturgy for string quintet with two cellos, or for a quintet of three violins and two cellos. Evidently Tchaikovsky declined this proposition (see letter from Ivan Gavrushkevich to Tchaikovsky, 8 January 1883 — Klin House-Museum Archive — and letter 2218 from Tchaikovsky to Pyotr Jurgenson, 4/16 February 1883) [back]
- Passed by the censor on 4/16 November 1896 [back]