Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1888-12-21
VERY FINE MUSIC IN RUSSIA.
The Beautiful Choir Of the lmpcriol Chapel
in st. Petersburg.
MusinnI HnrnIl

hbSitdi HtIdils
1t is a singular fact that in Greek and
Russian churches congregational singing
is absolutely forbidden. The music II
sung in fourpart harmony, without in
strCmental accompaniment, by the priest
choir, TO q silent congregation. The
priests maintain that this custom is il
strict accordance with the earliest and
pUrest form Oi Christian Rarship p. Furth-
srmore, the congregation were forb ddeu
to sing Dy an ordinance OF the Council
of Ladoika, In the year 364, the reason
assigned being that the Christian tucts
even at that remote period had become
corrupted, every man singing his own
version in violation of decency and con
cord" This singing with the spirit and
understanding also Is certainly cOnGuc-
tive to more worthy and reverent ceIe-
bration of praise, as many OF those who
are condemned to listen 10 the uucouth
no'tts INDUCED in by many earnest,
though muslcally undisciplIned, Chris
tians of the present day are wont TO de
clare. The Russians chauts are akin tn
the Gregorian, being urbarred N -Iodies,
destitute of rhythm. There are eight OF
them in use, which are changed every
week, and al! of them are stated to have
been the work OF ST.. John OF Damascus,
have retained their original force ever
since. Throughout Russia the sans
ritual music is used in every church with
desirable uniformity. Some ot these
melodies were printed in 1872, and have
since been reproduced in modern uota.
zion. As a rule, they are gung by four
male voices With magnificent effect. The
quality of mems voices In Russia, es peel
ii q has il r.g
the basses heiag of such unu.uaI depth
thai they have special part assigned
them an octave belog the real part.
These are called "ootavists," aId no. q
few of them can take the beloE G C.
Such exec optional voices are found chiefly
10 north Russia, where con:relto voices
of urusuei depth and sorority are also to
be met ~Ith. The fenors and male ana
female sopranos for the most part come
from the southern portion of the country.
The imperial chapel in ST.. Petersburg
posss sses the finest choir in Russia. IL
Ucmbers 12O voices, exclusively made up
of men aud boys. The members Of this
i'm peria! cloir are C refclIy select d, have
10 other occupation, and preserve their
voices with the utmost care. They study
vOcslIzit alton for an hour and half daiIs
| under Italian masters, besides receiving
instruction in cSurch style under native
teachers. Several modern cGm posers
! have contributed notes specially written
for the choir, among whom may be Rlen-
TONED Bort0isDsKI, Gs!uppy, Davydof,
Beresoysky, and Turcheninof--ihe last
named is specially esteemed. In al these
IL odern productions fugsi Imitation IL
rare, the voices moving together in com
pact masses, thus preserving the charac-
teris.ics of the old church chant. L: Is q
wise enactment that no church nusic
can be printed or performed in Russia
until il has ftst received the sanction OF
the proper authorities. by such means
Its purity is preserved intact. Won Mol
Ike, asserts that "Ebe music of
the Russian church is as fer removed
from the meager hymns cf Protestant
ism as from the operate music of the Ro-
man Catholic church" II certainly does
possess distinctive character, and is
eminently fitted to its purPo-e. Its sim
pie dignity is str rikingiy impressive, but
it must not be forgotten that its ef1ec.
is largely dependent on the manner of
Its presentation.