Sensitive to musical beauty, to spiritual movements. Chesnokov Pavel Grigorievich - composer and brilliant conductor

CHESNOKOV, PAVEL GRIGORIEVICH(1877-1944), Russian composer, choral conductor, author of widely performed spiritual compositions. Born near the town of Voskresensk (now the town of Istra), Zvenigorod district, Moscow province, on October 12 (24), 1877 in the family of a rural regent. All the children in the family showed musical talent, and the five Chesnokov brothers different time studied at the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing (three became certified regents - Mikhail, Pavel and Alexander). In 1895 Chesnokov graduated with honors from the Synodal School; subsequently took composition lessons from S.I. Taneev, G.E. Konyus (1862-1933) and M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov; much later (in 1917) he received a diploma from the Moscow Conservatory in composition and conducting classes. After graduating from the Synodal School, he worked in various Moscow colleges and schools; in 1895-1904 he taught at the Synodal School, in 1901-1904 he was assistant regent of the Synodal Choir, in 1916-1917 he conducted the chapel of the Russian Choral Society.

Since the 1900s, Chesnokov gained great fame as a regent and author of sacred music. For a long time he led the choir of the Trinity Church on Gryazi (on Pokrovka), from 1917 to 1928 - the choir of the Church of St. Basil of Neocaesarea on Tverskaya; He also worked with other choirs and gave spiritual concerts. His works were included in the repertoire of the Synodal Choir and other major choirs. In total, Chesnokov created about five hundred choral plays - spiritual compositions and transcriptions of traditional chants (among them several complete cycles of the liturgy and all-night vigil, a memorial service, cycles To the Blessed Virgin Mary, In days of war, To the Lord God), treatments folk songs, choirs to poems by Russian poets. Chesnokov is one of the most prominent representatives of the so-called. "new direction" in Russian sacred music ( cm. RUSSIAN SACRED MUSIC); Typical for him, on the one hand, is an excellent mastery of choral writing, excellent knowledge of various types of traditional singing (which is especially evident in his transcriptions of chants), and on the other hand, a tendency towards great emotional openness in the expression of religious feelings, up to a direct rapprochement with song or romance lyrics (especially typical for spiritual works for solo voice and choir that are now very popular).

After the revolution, Chesnokov led the State Academic Choir and was choirmaster of the Bolshoi Theater; from 1920 until the end of his life he taught conducting and choral studies at the Moscow Conservatory. After 1928 he was forced to leave the regency and the composition of sacred music. In 1940 he published a book Choir and management. Chesnokov died in Moscow on March 14, 1944

Recently, music lovers in Russia celebrated the 125th anniversary of the birth of Pavel Chesnokov. He wrote both secular and church music, but he was honored, first of all, as an Orthodox church composer and leader of many church choirs.

The works of Pavel Chesnokov are very advantageous in concert terms. They let the singers the best way demonstrate their vocal capabilities, which is why stars often turn to Pavel Chesnokov’s spiritual chants Russian opera, for example, Irina Arkhipova, former soloist of the Bolshoi Theater. But this is not always good from the point of view of the church, because worship does not require spectacular and brightly colorful sound. On the contrary, they interfere with the depth and severity of prayer, and therefore are little compatible with worship. However, this is where the universality of Pavel Chesnokov’s talent was revealed. He was cramped within narrow limits and the composer, by the grace of God, argued with the director of the church choirs. And this dispute did not always end with an unambiguous solution to the issue.

The name of Pavel Chesnokov is mentioned next to such famous names as Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Sergei Rachmaninov, Sergei Taneyev, Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. All of them belong to the so-called Moscow school of composers. The music of these composers is characterized by deep lyricism and psychology.

Pavel Chesnokov was born in 1877 in the Moscow region into a family of hereditary regents. In 1895, he graduated from the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing, then took lessons from the composer and music theorist Sergei Taneyev, then director of the Moscow Conservatory. Sergei Taneyev went down in music history as a master of choral polyphony, and he taught this art to Pavel Chesnokov.

Pavel Chesnokov was a highly qualified master of polyphony. Russian Orthodox sacred music as it exists today is predominantly polyphonic. Polyphony began to penetrate Russian sacred music in the 17th century. And before that, for six centuries, from the moment of baptism Ancient Rus' in 988, monophonic church singing existed, which came to Rus', like Christianity itself, through Byzantium. The element of monophony was rich and expressive in its own way. Such singing was called znamenny singing from the ancient Slavic word “znamya”, which means “sign”. The “banners” were also called “hooks”. In Rus', sounds were recorded with the help of “banners” or “hooks,” and these signs actually resembled hooks of different shapes. This recording of sounds had nothing in common with musical notation, not only in appearance, but even in the recording principle. It was a whole culture that existed for more than 500 years and then, due to historical reasons as if sunk into the sand. Among modern musicians there are enthusiasts who search for ancient manuscripts in archives and decipher them. Znamenny singing is gradually returning to church life, but for now it is perceived more as a rarity, exotic.

To the credit of Pavel Chesnokov, it should be said that he also paid tribute to Znamenny singing, and this showed his sensitivity as a musician who sensed the prospect of musical historical development. He harmonized znamenny chants, trying to connect the past with the present. But still, in his musical and artistic essence, he belonged to our era and practiced polyphony.

In 1917, Pavel Chesnokov graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, he was a student of the composer Mikhail Ippolitov-Ivanov. Pavel Chesnokov worked a lot: he taught a choral conducting class at the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing, taught choral singing in primary and secondary schools and, in addition, directed the choir of the Russian Choral Society and was a regent in several church choirs. The Regency was the main thing in his life. Could he have imagined at a time when Russia was still Orthodox state, that the coming revolution will overturn all the foundations of life, and his noble cause will become objectionable in his own country?.. But this happened during the years of Soviet power, with which Pavel Chesnokov developed rather tense relations, although representatives of official state atheism in the Soviet Union could not help see his great talent as a composer and choirmaster. Music encyclopedia published in Soviet time, wrote about Pavel Chesnokov like this: “He was one of the greatest masters of Russian Soviet choral culture. Having extensive teaching experience, Chesnokov, as a choir director, achieved perfect performance technique, impeccable structure and ensemble, and an accurate transmission of the composer’s intentions.”

Even under the new government, Pavel Chesnokov worked very actively, although the regency work in church choirs, his favorite, was not as much as before. In addition to directing a number of choirs, the composer taught at the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing, which was transformed by the new government into a secular institution and was named the Choir Chapel. Pavel Chesnokov also directed the Moscow Academic Choir, was the choirmaster of the Bolshoi Theater, and taught at the Moscow Conservatory and its school. And, of course, he wrote music.

According to experts, Pavel Chesnokov was a brilliant choral conductor. He wrote the book "The Choir and Its Management." Now it is considered a reference book for major choral conductors. In the 30-40s, Pavel Chesnokov, after being unable to publish it for a long time, turned for help to Sergei Rachmaninoff, who was then in exile in the USA. Finally, Pavel Chesnokov's book was published in the Soviet Union, but with a disapproving preface. He was never forgiven for his permanent regency...

Pavel Chesnokov died in 1944 in Moscow. It was the time of the Second World War. The Moscow Conservatory, where he taught, was evacuated, but the composer refused to evacuate. He did not want to part with the church, with the regency, which was not possible everywhere at that time. Pavel Chesnokov revered church service above his own life.

Modern musicians note interesting musical language Pavel Chesnokov, who wrote over 500 choral works. This is what the manager said church choir Moscow Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Valentin Maslovsky: “He was an extraordinary person. He was the last regent of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the former Moscow Cathedral, blown up in Stalin’s time. When the temple was destroyed, Pavel Chesnokov was so shocked by this that he stopped writing music. He took a kind of vow of silence. As a composer, he died along with the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. An excellent musician, Pavel Chesnokov very subtly felt every word, every verse, every prayer. And he reflected all this in music."

“There are a lot of garlic sounds in churches, and this is no coincidence,” says Marina Nasonova, regent of the Church of Saints Cosmas and Damian without Silver in Moscow, candidate of art history. “This is a unique figure among composers church music, because he combined a very good academic composition education with the highest compositional technique. At the same time, coming from a family of hereditary regents, he had been in church since childhood, served as a chanter and knew very well the applied church tradition. He had a keen sense of worship. His music is extremely deep in its spirituality."

All-night vigil and liturgy

All-night vigil is an evening service that begins in the evening. The rite and content of this service took shape in the first centuries of the adoption of Christianity. What is the meaning of the all-night vigil? The salvation of humanity in the Old Testament time (before the birth of Jesus Christ) through faith in the coming Messiah - the savior. The All-Night Vigil opens with the ringing of bells - the good news - and combines Great Vespers with Litia and blessing of the loaves, Matins and the first hour. Over the centuries, the moral and edifying nature of readings and chants has evolved. During the service the Holy Trinity is glorified. The main choral parts contain important event moments, they develop plot outline narratives, and at the same time they are emotional, psychological and spiritual climaxes.
One of the first big numbers is “Bless my soul, lords” based on the text of Psalm 103. This is a story about God’s creation of the world, glorifying the Creator of everything earthly and heavenly. This is a solemn, joyful song about the harmony of the universe, of everything that exists. But the man disobeyed God’s prohibition and was expelled from paradise for his sin.

After reading the Gospel and the choir “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,” a canon is read in honor of a saint and the holiday of the given service. Before canon 9 of the canon, the deacon calls for the Mother of God to be magnified by singing, and the choir sings the song “My soul magnifies the Lord.” This is a song on behalf of the Mother of God, Mary’s own doxology, spoken at the meeting with the righteous Elizabeth. The Virgin Mary addresses her with words that reveal the delight and joy of Her soul. “And Mary said, My soul magnifies the Lord; and My spirit rejoiced in God My Savior, because He looked upon the humility of His servant; for from now on all generations will call Me blessed; that the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is His name” (Gospel of Luke, chapter 1, vv. 46-49).
Let us briefly compare the different versions - everyday and concert - of the four main choirs of the All-Night Vigil.
In the usual chant “Bless the Lord, my soul,” despite the stinginess expressive means in melody and harmony, a sublime, pure image is created, expressing the delight of the soul. In Rachmaninoff’s “Vespers,” “Bless the Lord, O My Soul,” is written for choir and alto soloist. The composer took an ancient Greek chant as the basis for the theme and in a complex choral arrangement retained the features of ancient chants. The image created by Rachmaninov is harsh, ascetic, strict, and at the same time “written out” in music in more detail, with subtle nuances of dynamics and tempo.
“Quiet Light” - as a rule, large choirs. The choir of Kyiv chant is soulful, lyrical, sublimely peaceful. Music conveys the essence of what is happening - immersion in perception, contemplation of a quiet, blessed light. The melody of the upper voice seems to sway smoothly and soar against the background of other voices, forming a barely noticeable, soft change of harmonic colors.

Born on October 24, 1877 in the family of a regent near Voskresensk, now the Moscow region. Soviet choral conductor, teacher and composer.

He graduated from the Synodal School in 1895 as a choral conductor, in 1917 from the Moscow Conservatory in composition class with S.N. Vasilenko (previously took lessons from S.I. Taneev and M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov. He taught at the Synodal School (Choral Academy), in 1920 -44 at the Moscow Conservatory (from 1921 - professor), where he taught a class of choral conducting, developed courses in choral studies and methods of working with the choir. He was the chief conductor of the Moscow State Choir (1917 - 22), headed the Moscow Academic Chapel (1922 - 28), was choirmaster of the Bolshoi Theater.

Chesnokov is one of the greatest masters of Russian choral culture, who with his versatile musical activity contributed to raising it to a high level; his book “The Choir and Its Management” (1940; 3rd ed. - 1961) is the first in Soviet and world literature on in choral studies, a detailed and profound work in which the theoretical problems of choral art are developed. author of many musical works - songs, romances, choirs, etc.

Chesnokov wrote over 500 choral works, including many church works. Until 1917, he published over 50 opuses of church works. The choral letter reflected all the rich experience of the Synodal Choir that raised him.

In the constellation of names of famous composers of Russian sacred music, there is one name, when uttered, many Russians feel warmth and bliss in their hearts. This name has not been overshadowed by others, sometimes very famous names; it has stood the test of the strictest court - the impartial Court of Time. This name - Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov.

Chesnokov was born on October 25, 1877 in the village of Ivanovskoye, Zvenigorod district, Moscow province. Already in childhood he discovered a wonderful voice and bright musical abilities. At the age of five, Pavel began singing in church choir, of which his father was regent. This helped him enter the famous Synodal School of Church Singing, which became the cradle of many outstanding figures of Russian choral culture. Here his teachers were the great V.S. Orlov and the wise S.V. Smolensky. After graduating from college with a gold medal (in 1895), Chesnokov studied composition privately with S.I. for four years. Taneyev, simultaneously working as a teacher of choral singing in women's boarding schools and gymnasiums. In 1903, he became the choir director at the Church of the Trinity on Pokrovka (“on Gryazi”). This choir soon gained fame as one of the best in Moscow: “They didn’t pay the singers, but the singers paid to be accepted into Chesnokov’s choir,” one of the Moscow regents later recalled.

For many years, Chesnokov, while continuing to work in Moscow (during these years he also presided over the Church of Cosmas and Damian on Skobelevskaya Square), often traveled around Russia: he acted as a conductor of spiritual concerts, conducted classes at various regency and regency-teacher courses, and participated in the work of regency congresses. It was the regency business that was central to the life and work of the renowned master of church singing. But he himself was never satisfied with himself, and therefore in 1913, being already widely known throughout singing Russia, the 36-year-old composer of sacred music entered the Moscow Conservatory. Here he studied composition and conducting with M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov and instrumentation with S.I. Vasilenko. Chesnokov marked his fortieth birthday in 1917 by graduating from the conservatory with a class free composition(with a silver medal), having in his creative portfolio about 50 opuses of sacred and secular music. And in the same year, it was Chesnokov and his choir who received the honor of participating in the enthronement of Patriarch Tikhon.

The master’s subsequent activities were filled with painful attempts to find a place for himself in a new, radically changed life: conductor and artistic director various Moscow choirs (but nowhere for a long time) teacher at the music school and the People's Choral Academy (formerly the Synodal School), professor at the Moscow Conservatory. Until 1931, he was regent at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, and in 1932 he became the first head of the department of choral conducting at the conservatory. In 1933, Chesnokov’s book “The Choir and Its Management” was completed and in 1940 published (and sold out within a few hours) - the only major methodological work of the famous choral figure. It summarized the many years of invaluable experience of the author himself and his fellow synodals. For many years, this work (though without the chapter on regency practice removed by the author at the request of the publisher) remained the main manual for the training of domestic choirmasters. All this time he continued to compose sacred music, but no longer for performance or publication, but only for himself.

The last years of the composer's life were the most dramatic. Mental suffering was increasingly drowned out by alcohol. In the end, the heart could not stand it, and one of the most soulful lyricists of Russian sacred music found rest in the old Moscow Vagankovsky cemetery...

Assessing Chesnokov’s multifaceted, original talent, contemporaries noted in him a unique combination of various qualities, both musical and “great human”: strict professionalism and deep respect for his work, enormous musicality, brilliant artistic talent, a magnificent refined ear and, also, spiritual purity , sincerity, deep humanity and respect for people. And all these qualities were reflected in one way or another in his music, just as his characteristics as a choirmaster, conductor, and performer were reflected in it.

Among Chesnokov’s works there are romances and children’s songs (just remember the charming cycle “Galina’s Songs”), there are piano music and among student works - instrumental works and symphonic sketches. But most of his opuses were written in the genre of choral music: choirs a sarella and with accompaniment, arrangements of folk songs, transcriptions and editions. The most important part of his legacy is sacred music. In it the composer's talent and soul found the most perfect, deepest, most intimate embodiment.

Entering the galaxy of composers of the so-called new Moscow school of church music, Chesnokov is still noticeably different from them. Like Kastalsky, who constructed a special (partly speculative) “folk-modal system” and used it in his secular and spiritual compositions, Chesnokov “built”, or rather, intoned his own system, built on easily recognizable melodic and harmonic turns of Russian urban song and everyday romance late 19th century. Unlike Grechaninov, who created a special monumental temple-concert style of sacred music, based on the vocal-instrumental polyphony of orchestral writing, Chesnokov creates the no less rich polyphony of his compositions exclusively on the unique originality of the singing voices a sarella, imperceptibly dissolving the dome “echoes” of the temple into the choral sonority acoustics. Unlike Shvedov, who imbued his spiritual compositions with the “delights” of romantic harmony and rational design of form, Chesnokov never succumbs to the temptation to compose for the sake of demonstrating authorship, but always follows his lyrical, sincere, childish, slightly naive musical instinct. Unlike Nikolsky, who often complicated the church-singing style by using brightly concert, purely orchestral writing techniques, Chesnokov always preserves in purity the unique, entirely Russian vocal-choral style of temple sonority. And yet he approaches the text like an astute playwright, finding in it monologues, dialogues, lines, summaries and many stage plans. Therefore, already in his Liturgy, op. 15 (1905), he discovered and brilliantly applied all those dramatic techniques that Rachmaninov would use 10 years later in the famous “Vespers.”

And there is, among many others, one fundamental feature of Chesnokov’s vocal-choral writing. Whether a soloist sings or a choral part sounds, this statement is always personal, i.e., essentially, solo in nature. Chesnokov's melodic talent is not characterized by developed melodies (with the exception of quoting everyday tunes), his element is a short motive, less often a phrase: sometimes of a recitative-ariot nature, sometimes in the spirit of an urban romance song. But any melody requires accompaniment, and the role of such accompaniment is played by all other choral voices. Their task is to highlight, interpret, decorate the melody with beautiful harmony - and it is precisely admiring the beautiful, “spicy”, romantically refined harmony that is characteristic of Chesnokov’s music. All these features indicate that Chesnokov’s music belongs to the genre of lyricism - often sentimental, expressive in its improvisational and everyday origins, and personal in the nature of the statement.

Most of all, this statement becomes romantically moving and artistically convincing when the composer uses the concerto genre, commissioning solo part a separate voice. Chesnokov's legacy includes many choral concerts for all types of voices. Particularly notable among them is the six-concert opus 40 (1913), which brought the author truly boundless fame and glory (especially thanks to the unique concert for bass-octavist accompanied by mixed choir). At the same time, much more often one can observe in Chesnokov’s works diverse manifestations of the principle of concert performance, based on the maximum identification of the group performing capabilities of the parts that make up the choir. Opus 44, “The Most Important Hymns of the All-Night Vigil” (1913), can be classified as works of this kind. It is significant that both of these opuses, completed in the year their author began studying at the Moscow Conservatory, not only demonstrate a new level of Chesnokov’s compositional skills, but also testify to his unique attitude to the genres of sacred music, built on the creative combination of domestic church singing traditions and the latest achievements musical art.

A remarkable feature of Chesnokov’s music is its simplicity and accessibility, its recognition and heartfelt closeness. She delights and elevates, cultivates taste and corrects morals, awakens souls and inspires hearts. Having walked along with the earth that gave birth to it, a long and difficult path, this music still sounds bright and sincere today. Because, as it was said in the obituary of the composer’s memory, published in the “Journal of the Moscow Patriarchate” in April 1944, “without striving for any external effects, Chesnokov inspired the words of prayer petitions and doxologies with the simplest melodies, sounding from the depths of pure and perfect harmony. (...) This wonderful composer conceptualized church music as prayer wings on which our soul easily ascends to the throne of the Most High.”

Konstantin NIKITIN

The Russian history of the past century shows us wonderful examples of standing up for the faith. In Russia, during the atheistic regime, hundreds of thousands of Orthodox Christians accepted torture and death for Christ. But there were people whom the atheistic authorities did not dare to openly persecute. Nevertheless, their life was a stoic profession of faith and they managed to remain faithful to God. Such people include Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov.

P.G. Chesnokov was born in 1877 in a working-class village in the Moscow province. His father was a regent in the local church - conductor of the church choir. From the early age, when the father began to take his little son to the service, Chesnokov’s singing ministry began.

It is significant that Pavel Grigorievich was born on the day of remembrance of the Monk Cosmas of Maium, a hymn writer who, according to Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky), “composed sweet, harmonious songs for the Church, with tireless deeds presenting himself as a harmonious psalter to the Lord.”

The Lord endowed the boy with excellent hearing and voice, and at the age of eight he entered the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing. Pavel finishes it in 1895 with a gold medal.

After this, he worked as a regent in many churches in Moscow, taught in gymnasiums and colleges and at the same time continued his musical education. For several years he has been taking composition lessons from S.I. Taneyev, and in 1913 he entered the Moscow Conservatory, from which he graduated in 1917 with a silver medal in the free composition class.

Chesnokov works a lot: he leads a choral conducting class at the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing, teaches choral singing in primary and secondary schools, in addition, he directs the choir of the Russian Choral Society and serves as a regent in several church choirs. The Regency was the main thing in his life.

Could he have imagined at a time when Russia was still an Orthodox state that the coming revolution would overturn all the foundations of life, and his noble cause would become objectionable in his own country?..

The revolution found Chesnokov at the height of his creative and vital forces and, of course, there was with a strong blow for him. Regent, composer, teacher - all his activities were entirely devoted to the Church...

In the early 20s, concerts from Chesnokov’s works were still held in some places, but as the persecution of the Church and believers intensified, it became clear that the previous creative activity was impossible. And what could be more painful for a real artist than forced silence?

At this time, many artists emigrated, and even brother Alexander left for Paris, but Pavel Grigorievich, who undoubtedly had such an opportunity, remained in Moscow, and this was natural for someone whose work was deeply national.

He directs the Moscow Academic Choir, works as a choirmaster at the Bolshoi Theater, and teaches at the Moscow Conservatory and its school. And, of course, writes music.

Chesnokov was dearly loved by Muscovites. To confirm this, we can cite a fragment of congratulations on the 30th anniversary creative activity, received by him from the clergy and parishioners of the St. Nicholas Church on Arbat:

...Thank you for the Orthodox story,

For the faith of our native antiquity,

For a song consonant, glorious,

In a vision of the coming Spring.

Thank you for the burning flame -

Their prayer lives in silence.

Thanks for all the pleasures

Our rapturous soul.

We welcome you for many years,

May genius live forever

And the Eternal to us, many years old,

He sings to the joy of Russia.

According to experts, Pavel Chesnokov was a brilliant choral conductor. After graduating from the conservatory, Chesnokov begins to write the main work of his life - the book “The Choir and Its Management.” At the end of 1917, he writes: “God gave me the idea that I should write a book...” By 1926, almost all the work was completed. But the joy over the creation of the book was premature.

In 1930, he wrote to his brother Alexander in Paris: “...You probably remember that in December 1917 I started writing big book– “The choir and its management.” I, who had never written two lines for publication, sat down to write a large book because, after working for twenty years in the field of my favorite choral business, I realized that there is no science in our art. Having realized this, I set myself a bold thought - to create, if not science, then at least a true and solid foundation for it.

The work, which lasted continuously for thirteen years, was full of sorrows and joys, because to discover laws and their systems means to exert the greatest stress, not only physical, volitional, nervous, but also the strain of the entire spiritual essence... I will be brief - the book was rejected, print it from I can’t have us in the USSR.

Cause? Apolitical. But, of course, this is not the reason. Everyone who needed it knew that I was not a politician, that I was a choir specialist and was writing a scientific and technical book. The real reason, in my opinion, is that it was written by Chesnokov, a former church regent and spiritual composer. And so the thought came to me - if it’s not possible here, with us, then maybe, maybe it will be abroad?..”

WITH Soviet power Pavel Chesnokov had a rather tense relationship, but representatives of official state atheism in the Soviet Union could not help but see his great talent as a composer and choirmaster, and in 1931 permission to publish the book was nevertheless given. True, another nine whole years passed before it was published, full of moral suffering and upheaval.

In 1940, the book was finally published, but with a disapproving preface. He was never forgiven for his permanent regency... Be that as it may, since then it has remained a reference book for the world's leading conductors.

Despite the unequivocal attitude of the authorities towards him, Pavel Grigorievich enjoys enormous authority among fellow musicians, and in 1920 M.M. Ippolitov-Ivanov invites him to teach at the Moscow Conservatory. Standing at the origins of the creation of the department of choral conducting at the Conservatory, Chesnokov was the founder of the national choir school. In the period from 1917 to 1933, he led several professional and amateur groups.

With Alexander Vasilievich Alexandrov and others famous masters choral art. Moscow Conservatory, mid-1930s.

It cannot be said that the repressions did not affect him in any way. One day (in the late 30s), coming home in the evening, he said to his wife Yulia Vladislavovna: “Yulechka, pack your things, they’ll probably take me away soon.” - "What's the matter?" “Today I was called to the Lubyanka and asked to write anti-religious ditties.” - "And you?" - “Naturally, he refused.” But the Lord was merciful, and after this incident Chesnokov was no longer remembered “there.”

Creative heritage of P.G. Chesnokov extensively. He wrote both secular and church music, but, first of all, gained fame as a church Orthodox composer. The church hymns he created are practically all the most important prayers of Orthodox worship (often in several versions). From them we can trace the development of Chesnokov’s compositional language. His writings are very different.

The early ones, performed by the Synodal Choir in the Kremlin Assumption Cathedral, are quite simple in musical composition and inspired by strict ancient chants. Later works are based on the same chants, but appear before us in a completely new form, thanks to various harmonization techniques. However, each creation of the composer surprisingly easily conveys the words of prayer to the hearts of both the simple and the sage. Chesnokov's creativity is deeply national and original.

The works of Pavel Chesnokov are very advantageous in concert terms. They allow singers to best demonstrate their vocal capabilities, which is why Russian opera stars, for example, Irina Arkhipova, a former soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, often turn to Pavel Chesnokov’s spiritual chants.

But this is not always good from the point of view of the church, because worship does not require spectacular and brightly colorful sound. On the contrary, they interfere with the depth and severity of prayer, and therefore are little compatible with worship. But this is where the universality of Pavel Chesnokov’s talent was revealed. He was cramped within narrow limits and the composer, by the grace of God, argued with the director of the church choirs. And this dispute did not always end with an unambiguous solution to the issue.

The name of Pavel Chesnokov is mentioned next to such famous names as Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Taneyev, Ippolitov-Ivanov. All of them belong to the so-called Moscow school of composers. The music of these composers is characterized by deep lyricism and psychology.

The element of monophony was rich and expressive in its own way. Such singing was called znamenny singing from the ancient Slavic word “znamya”, which means “sign”. The “banners” were also called “hooks”. In Rus', sounds were recorded with the help of “banners” or “hooks,” and these signs actually resembled hooks of different shapes. This recording of sounds had nothing in common with musical notation, not only in appearance, but even in the recording principle. It was an entire culture that existed for more than 500 years and then, due to historical reasons, seemed to disappear into the sand.

Among modern musicians there are enthusiasts who search for ancient manuscripts in archives and decipher them. Znamenny singing is gradually returning to church life, but for now it is perceived more as a rarity, exotic.

Chesnokov is one of the most prominent representatives of the so-called “new direction” in Russian sacred music. Typical for him are, on the one hand, excellent mastery of choral writing, excellent knowledge of various types of traditional singing, and on the other hand, a tendency towards great emotional openness in the expression of religious feelings, even to the point of direct rapprochement with song or romance lyrics. The latter is especially typical for sacred works for voice and choir that are now very popular.

Modern musicians note the interesting musical language of Pavel Chesnokov, who created over 500 choral pieces.

“There are a lot of garlic sounds in churches, and this is not by chance,” says Marina Nasonova, regent of the Church of the Holy Silverless Cosmas and Damian in Moscow, candidate of art history. - This is a unique figure among composers of church music, because he combined a very good academic composition education with the highest compositional technique. At the same time, coming from a family of hereditary regents, he had been in church since childhood, served as a chanter and knew very well the applied church tradition. He had a keen sense of worship. His music is extremely deep in its spirituality.”

Valentin Maslovsky, director of the church choir of the Moscow Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, says: “He was an extraordinary person. He was the last regent of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the former Moscow Cathedral that was blown up during Stalin's time. When the temple was destroyed, Pavel Chesnokov was so shocked by this that he stopped writing music. He took a kind of vow of silence.

As a composer, he died with the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. The most magnificent musician, Pavel Chesnokov very subtly felt every word, every verse, every prayer. And all this was reflected in the music.”

One of the composer’s best creations, “May my prayer be corrected...” became such a crystal-clear reflection.

CD cover Panikhida CD -

October 24 marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of the Russian composer Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov, one of the most brilliant, famous and beloved authors of church chants. What are its features creative style, why did P. Chesnokov’s sacred music have not only fans, but also opponents, what was the fate of his creative legacy? At the request of the magazine “Orthodoxy and Modernity”, Doctor of Art History, Professor of the Moscow State Conservatoire talks about this. P.I. Tchaikovsky, presenter Researcher State Institute art history Natalya Plotnikova.

“Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov was a man of deep decency, who preserved the naive simplicity and gullibility of his poetic and sensitive soul until his old age.<…>He had a persistent and persistent character; reluctantly abandoned previously formed opinions: in his judgments and statements he was straightforward and completely alien to hypocrisy; internally focused; in the manifestation of feelings he is restrained and taciturn, only occasionally revealing significant inner strength; prone to subtle and intelligent humor; in all his actions he is always unhurried and punctual; in dealing with people, as a rule, he is attentive, correct and discreetly affectionate, filled with great human charm; true to his friendly feelings; he harmoniously combined the features of mental and physical purity.”

These words were dedicated to Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov (1877-1944) by his younger contemporary and colleague K.B. Bird, rightly believing that “to form a sufficiently clear and complete idea of the appearance of the artist and his work, it is necessary to know the main features that characterize personal qualities.” By reading the verbal portrait and looking at old photographs, you can try to understand what human qualities possessed a remarkable composer, regent, choral conductor, teacher, one of the outstanding representatives of that very Moscow Synodal school, which was the highest peak of the centuries-old development of domestic liturgical singing. The significance of this school is well known, and yet one cannot help but be surprised by such a powerful movement, rise, takeoff, and brilliant constellation of authors: A. D. Kastalsky (1856-1926), Vic. S. Kalinnikov (1870-1927), A. V. Nikolsky (1874-1943), S. V. Rachmaninov (1873-1943) ... Let's pay attention to the dates of their lives. Pavel Grigorievich was, in fact, the last of the “synodals” who made the school’s glory before the 1917 revolution, the largest composer who ended his career in his homeland. For some time, traditions continued to live in the works of N. S. Golovanov (1891-1953), written “on the table”, in the foreign opuses of A. T. Grechaninov (1864-1956). Was ending great era, which gave Russian culture masterpieces of choral music.

And it began in 1889, when S. V. Smolensky (1848-1909) was appointed director of the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing. Thanks to him, a New direction in Russian sacred music emerged - a multifaceted cultural and artistic phenomenon that holistically embraces musical composition, scientific works on the history and theory of ancient and modern church singing, closely and directly related to the Russian choral performing school. Already at the first lecture on October 5, Smolensky spoke about his ardent belief in the vitality of the ideas he developed “in his studies on the monuments of our ancient church singing,” about the significance of this newly discovered source of knowledge for “the direction of his Russian music, for the creation of his own counterpoint.” It is not known whether the eleven-year-old student of the Synodal School, third-grader Pasha Chesnokov, heard this lecture, but Stepan Vasilyevich has always been an indisputable authority for him, he trusted his opinion both in life and in work.

Six years later, by the time he graduated from college, Chesnokov was the author of several spiritual chants, and on February 18, 1896, his Antiphon of the 4th Tone was performed at the home concert of the Synodal Choir under the direction of V. S. Orlov. Two works by Chesnokov - “Cherubimskaya” and “It Is Worthy” - were included in the concert program on December 18, 1897, which became one of the starting points new school, about which Smolensky himself proudly wrote: “The spiritual concert on December 18 aroused unanimous approval in the press as indicating a serious and lively direction of our activities.” The first editions of Chesnokov’s sacred music were published later, in 1904, but since that time they have become an integral part of both church life and concert programs all around Russia.

From 1895 to 1904, Pavel Grigorievich was an assistant regent of the Synodal Choir, but the fame of an outstanding conductor - “both a remarkable virtuoso and the finest artist"- brought him the management of the choir of singing lovers at the Church of the Holy Trinity on Gryazekh at the Pokrovsky Gate (1902-1914). The choir was “modest in size and in the quality of the vocal material of its members,” but its performance was called “excellent,” it was distinguished by “first-class merits”; a contemporary believed that “it is difficult to imagine more control power and wise measures in comparing the sonority of not only individual groups, but also individual voices of the choir.”

Before the revolution, Chesnokov’s authority as a remarkable regent was established by his activities in 1911-1916 at summer courses at the Regency School, founded by Smolensky. “The course choir annually, at the end of classes, sang the funeral Liturgy and memorial service for Smolensky under the direction of Chesnokov in the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood in St. Petersburg and aroused universal admiration among the numerous listeners praying.” Pavel Grigorievich repeatedly left Moscow at the invitation of places to conduct spiritual concerts (Kharkov, 1911; Nizhny Novgorod, 1914; Kineshma, 1925).

During the Soviet years, Chesnokov headed the State Academic Choir for five years (1922-1927), the only large professional choir in Moscow. choir group, and the choir always sang, “like one person, like a real collective artist.” He also directed the choir of the Moscow Proletkult (1928-1932), a vocal and choral ensemble (1933-1938).

Chesnokov's legacy in the field of sacred music is enormous: it includes 38 opuses and 17 works without an opus, in total more than three hundred chants. Before the revolution, all of Chesnokov’s works were published by P. Jurgenson’s publishing house. In the second half of the 1920s, 17 chants were reproduced on a hectograph thanks to P. M. Kireev, previously the owner of the publishing house. In the 1990s, several attempts at publication were made in Moscow. In 1992, the Russian Music Publishing House released a reprint of the Liturgy op. 42 as part of a series prepared based on materials from the Publishing Department of the Moscow Patriarchate under the leadership of His Eminence Pitirim, Metropolitan of Volokolamsk and Yuryevsk. In 1994-1995, Chesnokov’s “Collected Spiritual and Musical Works” was planned, three notebooks with opuses 6, 33, 30, 19, 9 were published (editors and authors of the introductory article in the first notebook were A. G. Muratov, D. G. Ivanov). Nowadays, the publication of all unpublished works was carried out by the publishing house “Life-Giving Source” in four editions of “Spiritual works for a cappella choir”. The preparation of the musical publication with accurate source study comments was carried out by A.A. Naumov, a great expert on the life and work of the composer; He also compiled a detailed “List of spiritual and musical works by P. G. Chesnokov,” which gives a clear and precise idea of the chronology of his work from 1895 to 1927.

Chesnokov's largest opuses include: op. 12 (1906) Memorial service (“In memory of the dear, unforgettable brother Nikolai Grigorievich Chesnokov”); op. 24 (1909) Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts with the famous “Let my prayer be corrected” (viola solo); op. 30 (1909) Hymns from the funeral service of the laity; op. 39 (1912) Memorial service (No. 2) (“In memory of the dear, unforgettable teacher-friend Stepan Vasilyevich Smolensky); op. 39a (1912) Requiem (No. 2), arranged by the author for male choir; op. 43 (1914) “To the Most Holy Lady”; op. 44 (1914-1915) “The most important chants of the All-Night Vigil.”

Note that for a long time Chesnokov did not create complete cycles of the Liturgy. Yes, op. 9 is a collection: it opens with 17 numbers “From the Liturgy”, followed by eight hymns “From the All-Night Vigil” and five hymns of Great Lent and the Liturgy. Opuses 15 and 16 (1907) are called “Chants from the Liturgy”, they contain a selection of works, including from previous opuses 7, 8, 9, 10.

And only in the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom op. 42 (1913) for a small mixed choir, he implements the idea of cyclicity, creating a unified cycle in figurative and musical terms, which is especially noted in the author’s preface: “I wanted to give small choirs a Liturgy that was integral in mood, valuable in content and accessible in execution. The future will show how far I have achieved this goal.” The last two cycles are the All-Night Vigil and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom's usual melody op. 50 were written in 1917.

The composer created mono-genre cycles: op. 22 (1908) Worshipmen for the Lord’s and Mother of God’s feasts, Znamenny chant, the last number is the famous “Angel Crying” with soprano solo; op. 25 (1909) Ten involved; as well as polyphonic arrangements of vocal melodies: op. 17 (1907) “Lord, I cried”, “Let my prayer be corrected” and the first stichera with a chant of eight voices, Kyiv chant; op. 18 (1908) Theotokos dogmatics of eight voices, large znamenny chant; op. 19 (1907) “God the Lord” and Sunday troparia in eight tones; op. 47 (1915-1916) Irmos Resurrection in eight voices, for a small mixed choir.

At the beginning of the First World War, responding to the growth of religious and patriotic sentiments in society, Chesnokov wrote several cycles: op. 45 (1915) “In the Days of War,” including special enhanced prayers Mother of God(“To You, the Invincible Wall” and “Mother of God”); op. 46 (1915) “The continuation of prayer singing to the Lord God, sung during the battle against the adversaries who come upon us.”

Other opuses by P. G. Chesnokov are of a composite nature and contain various liturgical chants. One of them certainly stands out - op. 40 (1913), containing the composer’s most famous works with solo voices: “My soul magnifies the Lord” (soprano solo), dedicated to A. V. Nezhdanova, in which “the singer’s pure and gentle voice rings, literally pouring out like a lark against the background of luxurious sonority choir”, “Eternal Council” (solo alto and male choir), “The Prudent Robber” (tenor solo and male choir), “Now You Let Go” (bass solo), “God Is With Us” (tenor solo), finally, “Not reject me in my old age" with a unique solo of the lowest male voice- octavist, or bass profundo, reaching G counteroctave.

The final points of Pavel Grigorievich’s creative activity in the field of sacred music occurred in 1927-1928. In December 1927, he wrote the last church hymn, “Angel Crying” (No. 2) for a soloist (tenor) and mixed choir, and on June 1, 1928, he ceased his regency activities. The fight against “churchism” gained momentum, composers were obliged not to disseminate their cult works, regency activities began to be considered incompatible with the title of Soviet professor. But even in these years, Chesnokov’s music was constantly heard at services. “A questionnaire on the performance of composers for 1927-1928” shows that in 446 churches in Russia Chesnokov’s chants were performed 5221 times.

What primarily attracted listeners to Chesnokov’s music? Its beauty is the beauty of melody, harmony, choral sound. “It is written stylishly and very beautifully,” a critic noted in 1898 about the chant “Bless the Lord, my soul.” “It’s a beautiful and full-sounding work,” says another about the composition “The Highest of Heaven.” “The sweet singer, the servant of God Paul” was proclaimed many years by 22 Moscow protodeacons at a prayer service in honor of his thirtieth birthday musical activity. Sweet singing is a pleasant, gentle, beautiful singing coming from the soul, from the heart. Admirers of Pavel Grigorievich’s talent, parishioners of the Church of St. Basil of Caesarea wrote: “It is impossible to perceive your wonderful works, <…>which have always testified and testify not only to the inexhaustibility of your creativity and the strength of your compositional skill, but also to your deep faith, to your religious delights, which you poured out in the chants you created.”

Chesnokov had an amazing melodic gift, the ability to compose striking, memorable melodies, especially in chants in honor of the Mother of God. How to convey in sounds the words of the Most Holy Lady “My soul magnifies the Lord”? Even theologians fall silent, reflecting, for example, on the mysterious events of the Feast of the Assumption, giving way to singing: “A certain spiritual darkness covers the revelation of everything in words about Her, not allowing us to clearly express the hidden understanding of the sacrament” (St. Andrew of Crete). And since it is not typical to talk about what is above words, love for the Mother of God should be sanctified primarily through hymns.”

The melody “Angel Crying” begins with the soloist’s words of the Archangel’s greeting “Pure Virgin, rejoice”: a small wave-like movement with a graceful descent, then its repetition, and then a take-off, a wide leap, an enlargement of the rhythm (“and again the river”). And finally, the culmination: “Rejoice!” - coverage of the octave, sliding down to the third tone - stable, but also solemn. What is striking here is the melodic pattern in the literal sense, that is, the pattern with melody, the carefully verified musical embodiment of speech, and the subtle insight into the meaning of each word.

In the soft three-part structure of this chant by Chesnokov one can discern some distant similarity with the beginning of F. Makarov’s famous Easter Zadostoinik, and the hymnic D major evokes the Cherubic No. 7 of D. S. Bortnyansky. And at the same time, in Chesnokov’s creation there is more freedom, space, and joyful light. By building the form, the composer easily and imperceptibly overcomes the traditional school “square” construction (five lines of the chant have a length of 13-12-11-7-11 bars). The fugato characteristic of classical sacred concerts is repeated twice (“Rejoice now,” “Shine, shine”), the ascending order of entry of voices ends with a wide choral chant; These small sections do not stop or slow down the movement, but enhance the upbeat nature of the chant. Is the influence of opera or salon music felt in this “Angel Crying”, for which the composer was often reproached? It seems that the presence of such an aria with a choir would introduce features of oratorio into the opera, and then critics should note the special sublimity, solemnity and even prayerfulness of this music, that is, qualities inherent in spiritual chants.

Chesnokov was often reproached for excessive beauty, inappropriate in church singing, “romantic style”, chromaticisms in melody and harmony, luxurious “spicy” non-chords. But K. B. Ptitsa also wrote about the unusual “transformation” of the same means in choral performance: “Perhaps a stern ear and keen eye A professional critic will note in the scores the salon quality of individual harmonies, the sentimental sweetness of some turns and sequences. It is especially easy to come to this conclusion when playing the score on the piano, without a sufficiently clear understanding of its sound in the choir. But listen to the same piece performed live by a choir. The nobility and expressiveness of the vocal sound greatly transforms what was heard on the piano. The content of the work appears in a completely different form and is capable of attracting, touching, and delighting the listener.”

Chesnokov's works demonstrate excellent compositional technique; he masters a wide variety of methods of presentation and development of musical fabric, including polyphonic ones. It is known how persistently and persistently Pavel Grigorievich strove to receive a real professional education, namely as a composer; the learning process lasted almost until his fortieth birthday. After graduating from the Synodal School, “in 1895-1900 he studied privately with M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov. Then, in search of a teacher, he thought and dreamed of studying with G. E. Konyus, A. T. Grechaninov, S. I. Taneyev, S. V. Rachmaninov. Konyus, having become acquainted with two published works by Chesnokov in the summer of 1902, gave the following assessment of the young composer: “I really like his work. He is undeniably talented. Sincere. He is sensitive to musical beauty, to spiritual movements and, in addition, possesses the ability of musical painting, knows how to give figurative relief to his thoughts. If he writes a lot and improves, he will go far.” Taneyev also assessed Chesnokov in 1900: “He can do a lot in the field of church music.” In 1917, being the author of fifty secular and spiritual opuses, Pavel Grigorievich graduated from the Moscow Conservatory in the classes of special theory and free composition (with S. N. Vasilenko) with a small silver medal.

Many of Chesnokov’s works are amazing examples of how in detail, step by step, he reveals and develops the content of the text. One of these samples, “Behold the Groom” op. 6 No. 1, was analyzed in detail by priest Mikhail Lisitsyn, the creator of the theory of the New Direction. For example, with the words “Behold the Groom is coming,” in his opinion, “it turns out like a program picture”: “the news of the approach of the Groom is transmitted in the crowd from mouth to mouth, which is expressed by Mr. Chesnokov through imitation.” Another explanation: at the words ““Be careful, for my soul,” that is, “be attentive,” the melody is transferred to the soprano, the first bass enters the second and with this blow, as if trying to arouse the attentiveness of the soul.”

Lisitsyn especially emphasizes the formation of new sound colors from unusual combinations of voices: “All this, like mixing instruments in an orchestra, each time gives new and new colors, so that choral pieces in the compositions of the New Direction in Russian sacred music become similar to orchestral ones. Because of this, the former term “put”, or “transpose” something onto the choir can now be replaced by the expression “orchestrate” something onto the choir, which will be more consistent with the essence of church music of the New Direction.” This idea of Father Mikhail Lisitsyn, revealing one of the most important properties of the Moscow school, coincides with the ideas expressed by Chesnokov in the book “The Choir and Its Management.” Summarizing his many years of experience as a conductor, his exquisite knowledge of human voices, Pavel Grigorievich developed the idea of choral timbre (orchestration) of performed works, calling it “the science of the future.” He wrote that “with the emergence of a science akin to instrumentation, but studying human voices, their timbres, ranges, registers and using different combinations of voices in register-timbre groups,” composers will no longer create four-voice, but multi-line choral scores, using as fully as possible possibilities of choir sound.

Chesnokov's music is distinguished by another valuable quality: continuity of development, a special energy that connects the various sections of the work into a single whole. Often the entire composition can be viewed as one extended crescendo leading to a vivid climax. Thus, at the beginning of the chant “To You, the Invincible Wall,” the concentration of the prayer is emphasized by the unison women's voices in B minor (although the composer does not ignore the words “salvation affirmation”, marking them with the first major highlight). The next line, “Destroy the resistant councils, and turn Your people’s sorrow into joy,” again starts from the minor key, little by little rushes upward, but still lingers on the word “sadness” with a sudden piano, and only at the end does it reach the major key. But the composer does not stop, he continues to develop, turning his attention to the bass part: “Fence your city” - it sounds insistent, demanding. Here Chesnokov’s favorite dissonant chord with a second appears, reminiscent of the epic, heroic pages of Russian operas (for example, the prologue to Borodin’s “Prince Igor”). The last section (18 bars) contains a gradual, stepped, but purposeful rise to the brightest climax of the chant, marked by a wide chant and a powerful increase in the texture of the divisi sopranos, tenors and basses (“as you are, O Mother of God, our hope, our hope”); followed by a slow decline repeated three times last words“our hope,” as if fading in pianissimo on the lips of those praying. Dynamics, nuances, phrasing, strokes are dictated by the text, everything is thought out to the smallest detail and recorded in the score. That is why Chesnokov’s chants were always listened to “with captivating attention.”

Some of Chesnokov's later opuses contain a lot of verbal comments that help express the will of the author. For example, in the Six Psalms op. 53 No. 1, in addition to the tempo designation “Moderately” and the nuance “Solemnly”, several remarks are immediately given in the canonarch (viola) part: “In one breath, rhythmically, in time, quickly, sonorously, clearly.” With the introduction of the solo voices (“Lord, open my lips”) a new tempo was written out: “Slowly, but not very”, new nuances: “Singing, prayerfully joyful, light”, and each soloist wrote out the remark “Softly” many times. Sometimes the composer is very categorical. Thus, in the commentary to his last work “Angel Cries” (No. 2) with a tenor solo, he writes: “It is customary to sometimes assign solo tenor parts soprano soloists and vice versa. I declare that this composition is intended only for a tenor soloist. If the solo part is sung by a soprano, the composition will be completely ruined.”

In the chant “Memorial” (Op. 53 No. 4, based on the text of the last three sections of morning prayers, dedicated to the community and choir of the Church of St. Basil of Caesarea, where the composer directed the choir from the beginning of 1920 to July 1, 1928), 31 remarks are recorded. Here is a kind of author's preface: “The nuances must be precise and calm. The diction is clear and bold, because if the words do not reach the listener, everything is lost. General mood- reverent quietness and prayerfulness. Viola is bright and convex; sensitive, gifted insight into what is being performed and complete sound completeness are the conditions under which only performance can be entrusted.” A few pages later, he again gives extended instructions: “For the first part of the “Memorial” (“Save”), a wide, massive, melodious viola is desirable, but here - a strict, dispassionate (monastic) canonarch. It is better if these two parts are performed by two different violas, each typical in their own way. Violas should be for women, but not for children. All recitative sections should be performed slightly faster than the beat; All clocks must have a certain speed of movement. This entire part (“Remember”) is performed by the choir in a strictly shaded sound. Viola is bright, dispassionate, humbly asking.” It is impossible not to note the originality of the composer’s vocabulary, for example, here: “In small nuances there should be no oversalting or pretentiousness.” The prayer “Remember, Lord, from the life of this departed servant of Thy ever-memorable, His Holiness Tikhon, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia” is accompanied by the remark “Severity and dispassion in external design and deep inner expressiveness,” and above the female trio that enters next, on the word “remember” is written “gently (three candles).” The note “devoutly, but not defiantly and not loudly, but with faith and confidence” on the words “I confess to you, Lord, all my sins” makes me think once again about what a wide palette of sound colors and shades Pavel Grigorievich felt and sensed in the choir sound.

Chesnokov became widely known for his compositions with the solo roles of the deacon. According to the memoirs of Hieromonk Daniil (Sarychev), a resident of the Danilov Monastery, Chesnokov eclipsed all church composers with his innovations. “Almost all the protodeacons - Mikhailov, Kholmogorov, Turikov - sang his litanies, 'God Save.' It's about first of all about the “Great Litany” (deacon bass solo) from op. 37 (1911), dedicated to the great archdeacon Konstantin Rozov. Chesnokov’s opinion is known: “It always seemed to me that the litanies are performed completely differently from how they should be, that is, the deacon, with whom all the content is relegated to the background, and the choir, this humbly asking crowd, is in the foreground with its thunder.” and monotony. This thought prompted me to write the ektenia in the proposed (reverse) form.”

The new presentation - the deacon's melodious recitative against the backdrop of choral accompaniment - was received with great enthusiasm. “More solemn majesty is heard in the prayer for the Royal House and the hierarchs of the church; the exciting voice of earthly sorrow is heard in the humble prayer for the “ill, suffering, and captives.”<…>It is with this form of writing that the Great Litany acquires significance, corresponding to its meaning in worship, each word is imprinted in the soul with the appropriate mood.” This is confirmed by the welcoming address dated November 16/29, 1925, signed by ten protodeacons and 12 deacons of the city of Moscow: “You are the first in your musical church works paid attention to the diaconal ministry. The acts that you put into melody showed us, the deacons, a new understanding of our purpose as clergy, who must not only accurately and clearly convey the text of liturgical prayers, but also combine the beauty of sound with the transmission and take care of creating a high spiritual level in the worshipers through their service. moods. That's how I understood it Orthodox Rus' Your works for deacons, why these works found such a wide reception throughout Rus'.”

It is worth noting that in 1917, the Moscow Council of Deans, “having heard statements from some dean fathers about the increasing and more frequent utterance of Chesnokov’s litanies in some churches in Moscow, reminiscent of theater plays devoid of a prayerful character and generally alien to the Orthodox church system, they determined: to bring to the attention of the rectors of churches through the dean fathers that the recitation of such litanies should be completely prohibited.” But from the memoirs of a contemporary, we learn about the actual permission to perform these works, given by Metropolitan Tryphon (Turkestanov). Bishop Trifon, knowing about the complaints about Chesnokov’s music, asked the famous protodeacon Mikhail Kholmogorov to sing the litany at his mass in the Andronievsky (Spaso-Andronikov) Monastery, and then asked several of those present at the table about the impression made. And when the monk from New Athos said: “When I listened to her, I had such a feeling as if I was not on earth, but in heaven,” Vladyka supported him: “So I had exactly the same feeling. Sing, Father Protodeacon, sing!” .

The 140th anniversary of Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov gives us a reason to sum up some results: what has been done to study his biography, to preserve, research, disseminate his heritage, to perpetuate his memory? Things are going relatively well with the publication of his spiritual works: they are all published in the sum of pre-revolutionary, Soviet and modern publications, however, the complete collection of Chesnokov’s works in the truly scientific sense of the word is missing. There is also no complete set of all his works in audio recordings, although individual compositions are constantly heard at services, in concerts, and recorded on discs. Publications in different volumes“Russian Sacred Music in Documents and Materials” of many documentary sources (correspondence, fragments of memoirs, periodicals, concert programs, etc.), mostly prepared and commented by A. A. Naumov. But there is not a single monograph about Chesnokov... The foundation of musicological research laid in the works of K. B. Ptitsa and K. N. Dmitrevskaya is practically not being developed. The first edition of the book “The Choir and Its Management”, which contained examples from spiritual and musical literature and analyzes, has not been published similar works, only a preface was published with a dedication to the Russian regents, “seekers, striving for knowledge of their art.” There is not a single monument, bust of Chesnokov; at the place of his burial at the Vagankovskoye cemetery there is a simple marble plaque. “Finally, it seems, Chesnokov’s time has come,” wrote A. A. Naumov on the 120th anniversary of Pavel Grigorievich. With hope, we will repeat this in 2017, paying tribute to respect and love to the outstanding Russian musician.