Tchaikovsky
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TH 75

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

Литургия святого Иоанна Златоуста

Setting of 15 numbers from the Russian Orthodox Liturgy, for unaccompanied voices, Op. 41 (1878).

1. Lord Have Mercy
   Господи, помилуй
2. Glory to the Father and to the Son
   Слава Отцу и Сыну
3. Come, Let Us Worship
   Приидите, поклонимся
4. Alleluja
   Аллилуйя
5. Glory to Thee, O Lord
   Слава Тебе Госполи
6. Cherubic Hymn
   Херувимская песнь
7. Lord, Have Mercy
   Господи, помилуй
8. I Believe in One God, The Father, The Almighty
   Верую во Единаго Бога Отциа
9. Merciful Peace
   Милость мира
10. We Hymn Thee
    Тебе поем
11. It is Truly Fitting
    Достойно есть
12. Amen. And With Your Spirit, Lord Have Mercy
    Аминь. И со духом твоим, Господи, помилуй
13. Our Father
    Отче наш
14. Praise the Lord from the Heavens
    Хвалите, хвалите, Господа с небес
15. Blessed is He Who Comes in the Name of the Lord
    Благословен грядый во имя Господне

• Composed May–July 1878.
• Scored for unaccompanied SATB chorus.
• Also arranged for solo piano by Tchaikovsky, May 1878.
• First performed in Kiev University Church, June 1879.
• Average duration: 58m 15s.

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 Petr 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, Petr 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, Nikolai 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 decrees and synods. 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 Inspector for the printed arts in Moscow authorised allowing Jurgenson to publish the Liturgy. subject to the approval of the church censor in Moscow, Nikolai Bakhmet’ev continued to protest. Then Petr 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-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 Petr Sakharov's chorus. Its success with the public was great, although the opinion of the press was divided [6].

In 1887 Petr 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

References:

1. See letter 820 to Nadezhda von Meck, 30 April/12 May 1878 [back]
2. See letter 843 to Nadezhda von Meck, 27 May/8 June 1878 [back]
3. See letter 883 to Petr Jurgenson, 20 July/1 August 1878 [back]
4. See letter 957 to Anatolii Tchaikovsky, 2/14 November 1878, and letter 959 to Nadezhda von Meck, 6/18 November 1878 [back]
5. See letter from Petr Jurgenson to Tchaikovsky, 20 February/4 March and 2/14 March 1879 — Klin House-Museum Archive [back]
6. See M. I. Tchaikovsky, Жизнь Петра Ильича Чайковского, том 2 (1901), pp. 438–441 [back]
7. In 1883, the violinist Ivan Gavrushkevich asked Tchaikovsky if he could arrange 1he 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 Petr Jurgenson, 4/16 February 1883) [back]
8. Passed by the censor on 4/16 November 1896 [back]