# All-Night Vigil (Rachmaninoff)

The All-Night Vigil (Pre-reform Russian: Всенощное бдѣніе, Vsénoshchnoye bdéniye; Modern Russian: Всенощное бдение) is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff, his Op. 37, premiered on 10/23 March 1915 in Moscow.
The piece consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff's finest achievement and "the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church". It was one of Rachmaninoff's two favorite compositions along with The Bells, and the composer requested that its fifth movement (Нынѣ отпущаеши, Nunc dimittis) be sung at his funeral.
The title of the work is often mis-translated as Vespers. This is both literally and conceptually incorrect as applied to the entire work; only the first six of its fifteen movements set texts from the Russian Orthodox canonical hour of Vespers.

## History
### Composition history

Rachmaninoff composed the All-Night Vigil in less than two weeks in January and February 1915. The All-Night Vigil is perhaps notable as one of two liturgical settings (the other being the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom) by a composer who had stopped attending church services. As required by the Russian Orthodox Church, Rachmaninoff based ten of the fifteen sections on chant. However, the five original sections (numbers 1, 3, 6, 10, & 11) were so heavily influenced by chant that the composer called them "conscious counterfeits".
Rachmaninoff's work is a culmination of the preceding two decades of interest in Russian sacred music, as initiated by Tchaikovsky's setting of the all-night vigil. The similarities between the works, such as the extensive use of traditional chants, demonstrates the extent of Tchaikovsky's influence; however, Rachmaninoff's setting is much more complex in its use of harmony, textual variety and polyphony.

### Performance history

The first performance was given in Moscow on 10/23 March 1915, partly to benefit the Russian war effort. Nikolai Danilin conducted the all-male Moscow Synodal Choir at the premiere. It was received warmly by critics and audiences alike, and was so successful that it was performed five more times within a month. However the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of the Soviet Union led to the government condemnation of religious music, and on 22 July 1918 the Synodal Choir was replaced by a non-religious "People's Choir Academy". It has been written that "no composition represents the end of an era so clearly as this liturgical work".
Individual movements of Rachmaninoff’s Vigil are incorporated by conductors into the actual sacred performance, or celebration (to use the proper Orthodox term), of the All-Night Vigil. On the night of April 2, 2022, Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeyev, celebrated a hierarchical All-Night Vigil that included all of the movements of Rachmaninoff’s work, incorporated with the complete order of the service.

## Analysis

The Vigil includes three styles of chant: znamenny (in numbers 8, 9, 12, 13 and 14), a more recitational Greek style (numbers 2 and 15), and "Kiev" chant — a chant developed in Kiev in the 16th and 17th centuries (numbers 4 and 5). Before writing, Rachmaninoff had studied ancient chant under Stepan Smolensky, to whom he dedicated the piece. It is written for a four-part choir, complete with basso profondo. However, in many parts there is three-, five-, six-, or eight-part harmony; at one point in the seventh movement, the choir is divided into eleven parts. Movements 4 and 9 each contain a brief tenor solo, while movements 2 and 5 feature lengthy solos respectively for alto and tenor. The fifth movement, Nunc dimittis (Nyne otpushchayeshi), has gained notoriety for its ending in which the low basses must negotiate a descending scale that ends with a low B-flat (the third B-flat below middle C). When Rachmaninoff initially played this passage through to Kastalsky and Danilin in preparation for the first performance, Rachmaninoff recalled that:
   Danilin shook his head, saying, "Now where on earth are we to find such basses? They are as rare as asparagus at Christmas!" Nevertheless, he did find them. I knew the voices of my countrymen...

## Movements

Note: Numbers 1–6 contain settings from the Russian Orthodox Vespers service (Russian: Вечерня, Večérnja), numbers 7–14 settings from Matins (Утреня, Útrenja), and number 15 from The First Hour (Первый час, Pérvyj čas).
| Seq. | Church Slavonic | Transliteration | English equivalent |
| 1 | Пріидите, поклонимся. | Priidite, poklonimsya. | Come, Let Us Worship. |
| 2 | Благослови, душе моя, Господа. Греческаго распѣва. | Blagoslovi, dushe moya, Gospoda. Grecheskago raspeva. | Bless the Lord, O My Soul. Greek Chant. |
| 3 | Блаженъ мужъ. | Blazhen muzh. | Blessed is the Man. |
| 4 | Свѣте тихій. Кiевскаго распѣва. | Svete tikhiy. Kievskago raspeva. | O Gladsome Light. Kyiv Chant. |
| 5 | Нынѣ отпущаеши. Кiевскаго распѣва. | Nïne otpushchayeshi. Kievskago raspeva. | Now Lettest Thou. Kyiv Chant. |
| 6 | Богородице Дѣво. | Bogoroditse Devo. | Rejoice, O Virgin. |
| 7 | Слава въ вышнихъ Богу (шестопсалміе). | Slava v vïshnikh Bogu (shestopsalmiye). | Glory To God in the Highest (the six psalms). |
| 8 | Хвалите Имя Господне. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Khvalite Imya Gospodne. Znamennago raspeva. | Praise the Name of the Lord. Znamennïy Chant. |
| 9 | Благословенъ еси, Господи. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Blagosloven yesi, Gospodi. Znamennago raspeva. | Blessed Art Thou, O Lord. Znamennïy Chant. |
| 10 | Воскресеніе Христово видѣвше. | Voskreseniye Khristovo videvshe. | Having Beheld the Resurrection of Christ. |
| 11 | Величитъ душа моя Господа. | Velichit dusha moya Gospoda. | My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord. |
| 12 | Великое славословіе. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Velikoye slavosloviye. Znamennago raspeva. | The Great Doxology. Znamennïy Chant. |
| 13 | Тропарь. Днесь спасеніе. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Tropar'. Dnes spaseniye. Znamennago raspeva. | Troparion. Today Salvation is Come. Znamennïy Chant. |
| 14 | Тропарь. Воскресъ изъ гроба. Знаменнаго распѣва. | Tropar'. Voskres iz groba. Znamennago raspeva. | Troparion. Thou Didst Rise from the Tomb. Znamennïy Chant. |
| 15 | Взбранной воеводѣ. Греческаго распѣва. | Vzbrannoy voyevode. Grecheskago raspeva. | To Thee, Victorious Leader. Greek Chant. |

## Recordings

The first recording of the Vigil was made by Aleksandr Sveshnikov with the State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR for the Soviet Melodiya label in 1965 – exactly half a century after the work's first performance. Because of Soviet anti-religious policies, this record was never available for sale within the USSR, but was only made for the export market and private study. This recording still has a legendary reputation, in part because of its extremely strong low basses, but also because of the solos by Klara Korkan and Konstantin Ognevoi. The recording was first released in the United States in 1973 on the Melodiya-Angel label. The March 1974 edition of Stereo Review noted that Angel's general manager Robert E. Myers had "tracked down the recording" and "had to prevail rather heavily on the Soviet powers that be to make it part of their trade agreement with Angel".
| Year | Conductor | Choir | Soloists | Label |
| 1965 | Aleksandr Sveshnikov | State Academic Russian Choir of the USSR | Klara Korkan (mezzo-soprano) Konstantin Ognevoy (tenor) | Melodiya |
| 1967 | Karl Linke | Johannes-Damascenus-Chor für Ostkirchliche Liturgie | Marie-Louise Gilles Günter Schmitz | Christophorus |
| 1978 | Georgi Robev | Svetoslav Obretenov Choir | Natalia Peneva (alto) Todor Grigorov-Tres (tenor) | Vanguard |
| 1983 | Yevgeny Svetlanov | Svetoslav Obretenov Choir | | Russian Disc |
| 1984 | Kenneth Montgomery | Groot Omroepkoor | Wil Boekel (alto) Frank Hameleers (tenor) | KRO-klassiek |
| 1986 | Valery Polyansky | Chamber Choir of the Ministry of Culture of the USSR | Irina Arkhipova (mezzo-soprano) Viktor Rumantsev (tenor) Yuriy Vishnyakov (basso profundo) | Melodiya/Moscow Studio Archives |
| 1986 | Vladislav Chernushenko | St. Petersburg Cappella | Zhanna Polevtsova (mezzo-soprano) Sergei Rokozitsa (tenor) | Chant du Monde/IML |
| 1987 | Mstislav Rostropovich | Choral Arts Society of Washington | Maureen Forrester (mezzo-soprano) Gene Tucker (tenor) | Erato |
| 1989 | Robert Shaw | The Robert Shaw Festival Singers | Karl Dent (tenor) | Telarc |
| 1990 | Matthew Best | Corydon Singers | Joya Logan (alto) John Bowen (tenor) | Hyperion |
| 1991 | Oleg Shepel | Voronezh State Institute of Arts Chamber Choir | Yelena Necheporenko (mezzo-soprano) Aleksandr Zlobin (tenor) Ruben Sevostyanov (tenor) Aleksandr Nazarov (bass) | Globe |
| 1993 | David Hill | The Philharmonia Chorus | Sarah Fryer (mezzo-soprano) Peter Butterfield (tenor) | Nimbus |
| 1993 | Nikolai Korniev | St. Petersburg Chamber Choir | Olga Borodina (alto) Vladimir Mostovoy (tenor) | Philips |
| 1994 | Josef Pancik | Prague Chambrer Choir | | Discover |
| 1994 | Robin Gritton | Berlin Radio Chorus | Tatjana Sotin (alto) Thomas Kober (tenor) | CPO |
| 1994 | Tõnu Kaljuste | Swedish Radio Choir | Malena Ernman (alto) Per Björslund (tenor) Nils Högman (tenor) | Virgin |
| 1994 | Georgi Robev | Bulgarian National Choir | | Capriccio |
| 1995 | William Hall | William Hall Master Chorale | Jonathan Mack (tenor) | |
| 1997 | Aleksey Puzakov | Choir of St Nicholas Church Tolmachi | Tatiana Gerange (alto) Dmitriy Borisov (tenor) Nikolay Sokolov (archpriest) | Boheme |
| 1998 | Stephen Cleobury | Choir of King's College, Cambridge | Margaret Cameron (alto) Richard Eteson (Tenor) James Gilchrist (tenor) Jan Lochmann (bass) | EMI |
| 1998 | Karen P. Thomas | Seattle Pro Musica | Yelena Posrednikov (alto) Stuart Lutzenhiser (tenor) Misha Myznikov (baritone) | |
| 1998 | Roger McMurrin | The Kyiv Symphonic Choir | Valentyna Svitylnyk (mezzo-soprano) Anatoliy Glavin (tenor) | Music Kiev |
| 2000 | Aleksandr Govorov | Accordance (male choir) | Dmitriy Popov (tenor) Vladimir Pasyukov (basso Profundo) | |
| 2000 | Yevhen Savchuk | Ukrainian National Capella "Dumka" | Olga Borusene (soprano) Mykhaylo Tyshchenko (tenor) Yuri Korinnyk (tenor) | Regis/Brilliant Classics |
| 2000 | Howard Arman | Leipzig Radio Chorus | Klaudia Zeiner (alto) Mikhail Agafonov (tenor) Lew Maidarschewski (bass) | Berlin Classics |
| 2000 | Torsten Mariegaard | Copenhagen Oratorio Choir | Lotte Hovman (alto) Poul Emborg (tenor) | Classico |
| 2001 | Jaroslav Brych | Prague Philharmonic Chorus | | Praga |
| 2003 | Dale Warland | Dale Warland Singers | | Rezound |
| 2004 | Eric-Olof Söderström | Finnish National Opera Chorus | Raissa Palmu (soprano) Erja Wimeri (contralto) Eugen Antoni (tenor) | Naxos |
| 2004 | Paul Hillier | Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir | Iris Oja (alto) Vladimir Miller (bass) Mati Turi (tenor) Tiit Kogerman (tenor) | Harmonia Mundi |
| 2004 | Nigel Short | Tenebrae | Frances Jellard (alto) Paul Badley (tenor) | Signum U.k. |
| 2004 | Michael Gläserri | Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks | Theresa Blank (alto) Anton Rosner (tenor) | Oehms |
| 2005 | Thomas Edward Morgan | Ars Nova Singers | Adam Finkel (tenor) J.R. Humbert (tenor) Philip Judge (bass) Brian du Fresne (chimes) | New Art Recordings |
| 2007 | Marcus Creed | SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart | | Hänssler |
| 2008 | Viktor Popov | Academy of Choral Art, Moscow | A. Timofeeva (mezzo-soprano) D. Kortchak (tenor) | Delos |
| 2010 | Pasi Hyökki | Talla Vocal Ensemble | | Fuga |
| 2012 | Sigvards Kļava | Latvian Radio Choir | | Ondine |
| 2012 | Andrew Clark | Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum | | |
| 2013 | Peter Broadbent | Joyful Company of Singers | Lorna Perry (alto) Andrew Shepstone (tenor) | Nimbus Records |
| 2014 | Teemu Honkanen | Key Ensemble | Kristina Raudanen (alto) Mats Lillhannus (tenor) Reino Kotaviita (bass) | Fuga |
| 2014 | Kaspars Putniņš | Netherlands Radio Choir | Matthew Minter Pierrette de Zwaan Eyjólfur Eyjólfsson Gert-Jan Alders | BIS |
| 2014 | Charles Bruffy | Phoenix Chorale and Kansas City Chorale | Frank Fleschner (tenor) Julia Scozzafava (mezzo-soprano) Paul Davidson (bass) Toby Vaughn Kidd (bass) Bryan Pinkall (tenor) Bryan Taylor (bass) Joseph Warner (bass) | Chandos Records |
| 2016 | Nicolas Fink | WDR Rundfunkchor | Beate Koepp (alto) Kwon-Shik Lee (tenor) | Clarus |
| 2016 | Janos Dobra | Budapest Tomkins Vocal Ensemble | Judit Rajk (contralto) Tamas Dubno (tenor) | Hungaroton |
| 2016 | Stefan Parkman | Academy Chamber Choir of Uppsala | Patrik Wallin (tenor) Annika Hudak (mezzo-soprano) | Footprint Records |
| 2017 | Risto Joost | MDR Rundfunkchor | Klaudia Zeiner (alto) Falk Hoffmann (tenor) | Genuin |
| 2017 | Marcel Verhoeff | Great Russian Academic Boys- and Malechoir | Olga Marinova (alto) Nikolay Almazov (tenor) | VMS |
| 2017 | Peter Jermihov | The Gloriæ Dei Cantores with members of: St. Romanos Cappella, The Patriarch Tikhon Choir, The Washington Master Chorale | Mariya Berezovska (alto) Dmitry Ivanchenko (tenor) Vadim Gan (clergy exclamations) | Gloriae Dei Cantores Recordings |
| 2017 | Jeremy Backhouse | Vasari Singers | Catherine Wyn-Rogers (alto) Adam Tunnicliffe (tenor) | VasariMedia |
| 2018 | Irina Bogdanovich | University of Warsaw Choir | Jadwiga Rappé (alto) Mateusz Markuszewski (tenor) | |
| 2018 | Violetta Bielecka | Choir of the Podlaskie Opera and Philharmonic | Agnieszka Rehlis (mezzo-soprano) Rafal Bartminski (tenor) Krzysztof Drugow (bass) | Dux Recording Producers |
| 2020 | David Wolfswinkel | Koorinsident | Minette du Toit-Pearce (alto) Vasti Zeeman-Knoessen (alto) Nathan Zachary Lewis (tenor) | Koorinsident Recordings 2021 Michael Slon University Singers of Virginia and the Virginia Oratorio Society |
| 2023 | Joseph Fort | Choir of King's College London | Caitlin Goreing (alto) Chris O'Leary (tenor) | Delphian Records |
| 2023 | Steven Fox | The Clarion Choir | | Pentatone |
| 2023 | Andrei Petrenko | Yekaterinburg Philharmonic Choir | Diliza Nadyrova (alto) Victor Galler (tenor) Dmitry Kharpov (tenor) | Fuga Libera |
| 2024 | Ekaterina Antonenko | PaTRAM Institute Male Choir | Igor Morozov (tenor) Evgeny Kachurovsky (baritone) Alexis V. Lukianov (octavist) | Chandos Records |

## In popular culture

The Russian feminist protest punk rock group Pussy Riot used the sixth movement as the basis for its protest song "Mother of God, Chase Putin Away".