San Diego Master Chorale

Though Rachmaninoff is remembered for his epic compositions and performances at the piano, among his favorite works was his choral setting of the orthodox liturgy, The All-Night Vigil. It stands out not only from his instrumental music but among all choral works for the incredibly demanding range of voices required. 

Eager for the challenge, the San Diego Master Chorale has long awaited the occasion to present this tremendous piece. Before a sold out audience, in the beautiful setting of Saints Constantine and Helen Greek Orthodox Church, music director John Russel and the chorale gave a stellar performance worthy of this music’s legacy. Its soaring climaxes and haunting depths are made possible by the choir singing as many as eleven different notes together, requiring a massive ensemble agile enough to navigate both the racing passages and epically low, rumbling bass notes. 

Nikolai Danilin, who conducted the premiere in 1915, first looked at the score and shook his head at Rachmaninoff asking, “Where on earth will we find such basses? They are as rare as asparagus at Christmas!” The chorale’s basses rose, or rather descended to the challenge.

Dispersed throughout the rich choral textures are a few poignant solos, most notably in the fifth text. Rachmaninoff cherished this section enough to program it for his own funeral. With the text translating to “Lord, now let thy servant depart in peace,” J. Anthony Malerich’s warm tenor tone filled the beautiful hall for this reverent moment. The piece also offers the choir a departure from the usual Latin texts to sing instead in the old Church Slavonic- another element which gives its texture a richness unique among the repertoire.

An instant classic at the premiere, its success would be short-lived after the Soviets’ condemnation of all religious music. Thankfully, the All-Night Vigil survived the decades of censorship.

Nearly a thousand years in the making, since the schism of the Roman Catholic and East Orthodox churches, this sacred style of pure vocal music without any instrumental accompaniment has remained intact. What Rachmaninoff contributed to this tradition with his brilliant writing and what the San Diego Master Chorale contributed with their deeply moving performance remind us that tradition is never about the preservation of ashes, but always the worship of fire.

https://www.sdmasterchorale.org/rachmaninoff-all-night-vigil-review/