Composers of the 20th-21st Centuries. For women's choir a cappella

A series of five choir collections issued by the “Compozitor Publishing House • Saint-Petersburg” is arranged to coincide with the 7th International Competition for Young Choral Conductors to be held in Russia for the first time ever. The competition will be organized by the St. Petersburg State University of Culture and Arts and the Center for international cooperation “Inter Aspect” in conjunction with the European Choral Association — Europa Cantat (April 3–6, 2013, St. Petersburg).

The collection “Composers of the 20th–21st centuries for women’s choir a cappella” contains њuvres by the 4 composers of the 20th–21st centuries: Yu. Falik, D. Smirnov, R. Shchedrin and A. Pärt.
     The first two are representatives of the St. Petersburg composition school whose music is widely known and performed mainly in Russia, while the last two are world-renowned composers, and every their work (contemporary or dating from the middle twentieth century) always generates keen interest by the public.

“Zwei Beter” (“Two Praying Men”), a work by Estonian composer A. Pärt is published in Russia for the first time ever. It is overwhelming in its depth and austerity typical of his music, and of course, tremendous spiritual meaning. R. Shchedrin’s early work “Silent Is the Ukrainian Night” published in the author’s version for female choir make us immerse into the charming poetry of A. Pushkin and into transparent, simple and yet fresh harmonies.

“Come”, a fragment from D. Smirnov’s choral concerto “Annunciation” set to P. Yavorov’s verses is a refined and tremulous polyphonic oevre by one of St. Petersburg leading choral composers. The winning features of this work are the sincere intonations and the magic palette used by the author.

To round out the picture, the “Drawling song” from Yu. Falik’s cycle “Four Russian songs to the verses by Nikolai Klyuyev” is a striking example of composer’s ability to represent the nature of the Russian song using his own language and original features of female choral singing, which may now sound in unison, and then may split in polyphonic tutti... I am confident that performing these compositions will brighten up any choral concert and show the multifaceted nature of female choir.

Sergei Yekimov

Contents:

Yu. Falik. DRAWLING SONG. From the cycle “Four Russian Songs to the Verses by Nikolai Klyuyev” (Music text example)
R. Shchedrin. SILENT IS THE UKRAINIAN NIGHT... Verses by A. Pushkin
A. Pärt. ZWEI BETER. Text of the Gospel According to St. Luke 18:9–14
D. Smirnov. COME. From the concerto for women’s choir “The Annunciation”. Verses by P. Yavorov, translated by L. Ozerov
Supplement. English translation of the Russian texts