Judas kiss. On the Vatican Customers for the Opuses of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
On April 5, the Crocus City Hall will once again feature the work of Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) entitled The St. Matthew Passion.
Performers: National Philharmonic Orchestra of Russia ( artistic director and chief conductor - Vladimir Spivakov), Academic large choir "Masters of Choral Singing" (artistic director and chief conductor - National artist Russian Federation Lev Kontorovich), Moscow Synodal Choir (artistic director and chief conductor - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Alexei Puzakov), Academic Choir Moscow state university named after M.V. Lomonosov (artistic director - Mirza Askerov), choir of the Russian University of Economics named after G.V. Plekhanov (head - Olga Ushakova). Soloists: Anna Aglatova (soprano), Svetlana Shilova (mezzo-soprano), Alexei Neklyudov (tenor), Nikolai Didenko (bass). Conductor - People's Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov.
On the eve of Holy Easter, this work for soloists, choir and string orchestra is called upon to reveal the drama of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ in the Russian language Orthodox tradition, through the most modern approaches to sound, video and light. The premiere of the program in the spring of 2016 gathered a full house in the Crocus City Hall.
The monumental oratorio "Passion according to Matthew" by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) for soloists, choir and string orchestra was published in 2007. The work sounded more than 80 times in the cities of Russia, near and far abroad.
“The oratorio “Passion according to Matthew” by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk, in its very inner structure, in the very intention of the composer, contains inner picturesqueness. The frescoed monumental character of this work initially strove for a certain visualization, even when it was performed in the ascetic spaces of philharmonic halls. That is why its performance in the Crocus City Hall, decided as a modern multi-dimensional cinematic action, is extremely organic for this majestic work,” said Special Representative of the President of the Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, Ambassador-at-Large Mikhail Shvydkoi.
Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) Oratorio "Passion according to Matthew"
for soloists, mixed choir And symphony orchestra
Libretto
1. The council of the chief priests, the betrayal of Judas.
Choir: Holy lamentation, come, let us sing to Christ. Hallelujah.
EVANGELIST (Matthew 26:1-5): When Jesus finished all these words, he said to his disciples: you know that in two days the Passover will be, and the Son of Man will be handed over to be crucified. Then the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people gathered in the courtyard of the high priest, whose name was Caiaphas, and they decided in council to take Jesus by cunning and kill him; but they said: only not on a holiday, so that there would not be indignation among the people.
Chorus: Oh my God! I will sing to you a grave song. Hallelujah.
EVANGELIST (Matthew 26:14-16): Then one of the twelve, called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said: what will you give me, and I will betray him to you? They offered him thirty pieces of silver; and from that time on he looked for an opportunity to betray Him.
CHORUS: Your Mother weeps and weeps. Hallelujah.
2. The Last Supper
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:17-19): On the very first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus and said to Him: Where do you order us to prepare the Passover for You? He said: go to the city to such and such and say to him: The teacher says: My time is near; I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples at your place. The disciples did as Jesus commanded them and prepared the passover. When evening came, He lay down with the twelve disciples; and as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”
CHORUS: At Thy supper, O Christ God, Thou didst say unto Thy disciple: One of you shall betray me. (At Your supper, Christ God, You said to Your disciples: One of you will betray Me.)
Evangelist (Matt. 26:22-25): They were very sad, and began to say to Him, each of them: Is it not I, Lord? He answered and said, He who dips his hand with me into the dish, this one will betray me; However, the Son of Man goes as it is written about Him, but woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed: it would have been better for this man not to have been born. At the same time, Judas, betraying Him, said: Is it not I, Rabbi? Jesus says to him: You said.
CHORUS: Grieving zealously, beginning to say to Him one each of them: Is it not I, Lord? Ask Judas: Isn't it Az, Rabbi? Jesus said: You said, Jude. (Greatly saddened, they began to say to Him, each of them: Is it not I, Lord? Judas asked: Is it not I, Rabbi? Jesus answered: You said, Judas.)
3. Jesus at the Last Supper
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:26-29): And while they were eating, Jesus took bread, and having blessed it, broke it... and giving it to the disciples, he said: Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup and gave thanks, and gave it to them, and said, Drink all of you out of it, for this is My Blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. I tell you that from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until the day when I drink new wine with you in the kingdom of my Father. And having sung, they went up to the Mount of Olives.
4. Prediction about the denial of Peter
CHORUS: Wanderings of the Lord and immortal meals in a high place, lofty minds, faith, come enjoy it, having ascended the Word, having learned from the word, We magnify Him. (The hospitality of the Master and the immortal meal in a high place, faithful ones, come, let us enjoy, knowing the lofty thoughts of the lofty Word from the Word itself, which we magnify.)
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:31-35): Then Jesus said to them: you will all be offended because of Me this night, for it is written: I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered; after my resurrection I will go before you into Galilee. Peter answered Him, “If everyone is offended about You, I will never be offended. Jesus said to him, “Truly, I say to you, this very night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. Peter says to him, Even though it behooves me to die with you, I will not deny you. All the students said the same.
5. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
MEZZO-SOPRANO: I see Your chamber, my Savior, adorned, and I don’t have imam clothes, but I will enter into it. (I see your chamber prepared, my Savior, but I have no clothes to enter it.)
Evangelist (Matt. 26:36): Then Jesus comes with them to a place called Gethsemane Metropolitan Hilarion (Alpheus) oratorio "St. Matthew Passion"
for soloists, mixed choir and symphony orchestra
1. The Council of the chief priests, the betrayal of Judas.
CHORUS: Crying holy , Come, ye will sing Christ. Hallelujah.
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:1-5) When Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples , Ye know that after two days the Passover , and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified . Then gathered the chief priests and the scribes and the elders of the people in the courtyard of the high priest , named Caiaphas , and consulted that they might take Jesus by subtilty, and kill ; But they said, Not during the feast, lest there be an uproar among the people.
CHORUS: O Lord my God! I will sing you the song of a funeral. Hallelujah.
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:14-16): Then one of the twelve , called Judas Iscariot, went unto the chief priests and said, What will ye give me , and I will deliver him unto you ? They offered him thirty pieces of silver ; and from that time he sought the opportunity to betray him.
CHORUS: She cries and sobs your mother. Hallelujah.
2. The Last Supper
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:17-19) : On the first day of unleavened bread the disciples came to Jesus prstupili and said unto him, Where wilt thou that we prepare for the e to eat the passover? He said, Go into the city to a certain man and tell him, The Master saith, My time is at hand; you have to keep the passover with my disciples. And the disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover. When evening came, he sat down with the twelve disciples; and as they were eating, he said, Verily I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
CHORUS: Your Evening , O Christ our God , spake Thou Thy disciple: Single from you betray Mn . (Evening thy Christ our God, You said to His disciples, one of you will betray me.)
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26: 22-25) : they were exceeding sorrowful , and began to say to him , each of them , Is it I , Lord? He answered and said, dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me; Son of man goeth as it is written of him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! It would have been the man had not been born. Then Judas , who betrayed him , said: Is it I, Rabbi? Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said.
CHORUS: Skorbyasche exceedingly , nachasha glagolati He is one of kiyzhdo not az , Lord? Judah Question: Do az , Rabbi? Verb Jesus , Thou hast CAMPAIGNS , Judeo . (Exceeding sorrowful, they began to say to him, each of them, Is it I, Lord? And Judah said, not I, Rabbi? Jesus answered, Thou hast said, Judah.)
3. Jesus at the Last Supper
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:26-29) : And as they were eating , Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake ... and gave it to the disciples and said , Take, eat: this is my body . And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave to them, saying , Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins . I tell you that from now on I will not drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you wine in the kingdom of my Father. And sung a hymn, they went to the Mount of Olives.
4. Prediction of Peter's denial
CHORUS: Wanderings and Episcopal bezsmertnyya meal on high place high minds , rather, Come enjoy , vozshedsha words from the word nauchivshesya , Whose magnify . (Masters of Hospitality and immortal meal on a high place , true , come , enjoy , lofty thoughts prevysshee knowing a word from the word itself, which we magnify .)
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26: 31-35) : Then said Jesus unto them, All ye shall be offended because of me this night: for it is written, I will smite the shepherd, and the sheep shall be scattered herds ; risen again, I will go before you into Galilee . Peter answering said unto him , Though all men shall be offended because of thee, I never be offended . Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, That this night, before the cock crows, you will deny me three times. Peter said unto him, Thought I should die with thee, I will not deny thee. Likewise also said all the disciples.
5. Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane
Mezzo-soprano: Your Chamber of AIDA , O my Savior , decorated, and clothing not an imam , yes , let us vnidu . (Halls hath thy see my salvation, I have no clothes to enter it.)
EVANGELIST (Matt. 26:36) : Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gefsima
The premiere of the second version of the oratorio "Passion according to Matthew" by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev took place in Moscow. A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory, the author of a series of articles on music, I.S. Bach Abbot Peter (Meshcherinov).
"Passion according to Matthew" by Metropolitan Hilarion. Photo: mospat.ru
First of all, it was very significant for me to be in my alma mater, in the hall in which I spent all my youth - during my studies I worked in the orchestra of the Great Hall of the Conservatory.
True, the way the hall was renovated upset me - but that's another story.
I was already familiar with Vladyka Hilarion's work in the video recording (in the first edition); and listened live for the first time.
I liked it very much.
The second edition, in which the author himself reads the Gospel, is more concise, more concentrated than the first; and, in my opinion, this is good for a concert - and the expanded version is better listened to at home, where there are more amenities for individual listening. Vladyka somewhat expanded the "canonical framework" of the Passion; according to tradition, the gospel text ends with how the tomb of the Lord is sealed and guards are assigned to it; here Vladyka Hilarion brought the story to the very end of the Gospel of Matthew, to the Resurrection. For a non-liturgical, concert piece, this is, of course, more logical.
I really liked the way Vladyka read the gospel text, and how well the gospel was set to music.
In some fragments of the Passion, the hall simply froze; I especially remember the choral fragment “We sing to You” from such moments - just wonderful music.
I would like better diction from the choir - but here, perhaps, the acoustics are to blame, which, in my opinion (or rather, “rumor”) has changed after the repair, not for the better.
I was very impressed by the sermon with which the author preceded the performance; a rare example of a Christ-centered pastoral word in our time.
- Johann Bach and Metropolitan Hilarion - is it a repetition, development, continuation?
- Yes, of course, when we (in musical context) we pronounce the word "Passion", it is impossible not to recall the greatest "singer of the Passion of the Lord" in the history of music - Johann Sebastian Bach. I know that ow. Hilarion is a connoisseur and lover of Bach's work, and he himself said that Bach's work was one of the most important sources of inspiration for him (I don't remember the exact quote).
"Passion according to Matthew" by Metropolitan Hilarion. Photo: mospat.ru
"Passion" ow. Hilarion is not a "repetition" of Bach; I must say that Vladyka's music has its own style, its own sound, it is not an eclectic imitation.
But what place (in my opinion) this work occupies in today's cultural life- it is very interesting.
On the one hand, the "ceiling" of musical culture for so many people today is musicals and soundtracks - so if we call our musical era“time of the musical”, it will be quite accurate (of course, I don’t want to talk about “pop music”).
On the other hand, academic music itself today still for the most part continues the line, I would say, of excessive “elitism”; for the most part, this music is atonal and intended for the intellect rather than for direct perception. And here comes a work that, on the one hand, is written in the best academic traditions, and, on the other hand, is accessible to people, accessible in the best sense of the word, without any “decrease” (I recall how Haydn specifically cared about the accessibility his music, although he could write the most complex and most learned work).
It also seems to me very important a successful combination in the "Passion" ow. Hilarion Western tradition- that's what you asked about the "continuation" of Bach - and Orthodox liturgical creativity: passionate chants very successfully formed into western form"Passion". This is a wonderful example of the expressed musical means Christian universalism, the unity of a common Christian culture - something that, in my opinion, we really lack today.
I'm not talking about the missionary significance of the Passion. For me personally, it is very gratifying that vl. Hilarion showed that not only the rock environment or youth subculture– mission space; it can also be high culture.
– Classical music and spiritual life – how are they connected for you?
I am a musician by education (and maybe even more than by education); For me, music is very important, like a kind of spiritual bread. My favorite composers are Bach and Haydn. But being both a monk and a priest, I am aware that the spiritual life goes on as usual. Music can contribute to it on the terms, so to speak, of the general development of the personality, the refinement of the soul, the education of taste.
A creative gift is, of course, a gift from God, and the great composers undoubtedly displayed heavenly harmony in their works. Music came out of worship, being originally its accompaniment. But I would not mix the sphere of aesthetics and the spiritual life itself, well, for example, prayer.
- Is it possible to talk about modern era classical music?
The modern era, nevertheless, in my opinion, is a kind of “inter-epoch” (this is such a neologism). Hard to say. Here the composer and philosopher Vladimir Martynov speaks of "the end of the time of composers." Usually, cultural epochs are spoken of in historical context, and the time in which a person directly lives is very difficult for him to assess "globally". Then, the era in music was primarily composed of great composers (which does not detract from the importance of the environment in which they were formed). And obstacles to God, so that He bestows His gifts on whom He wants, of course, cannot be placed.
Have you tried writing music yourself?
In my student years I tried, of course. But I realized that this is not my calling.
Thank you for this interview!
Metropolitan Hilarion's speech before the beginning of the oratorio
“Today we will hear the gospel story of the suffering, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ.
In the last days of His earthly life, the Lord was left alone in the face of suffering and death. He drank to the dregs the cup that was prepared for Him, and experienced the worst thing that can befall a person - loneliness and abandonment. He was alone in Gethsemane, for His disciples fell into a deep sleep, He was alone at the court of the chief priests, at the interrogation of Herod and at the trial of Pilate, for His disciples fled in fear. He was alone when he went to Golgotha; a passer-by, not a beloved disciple, helped carry the Cross. He was alone on the Cross, alone dying, abandoned by all.
On the Cross, Jesus cried out to His Father: “My God, My God, why did You leave Me?” (Mt. 27; 46). This cry contained the pain of all mankind and every person - the pain of everyone who feels that he is alone, and who thinks that he has been abandoned by God. For it is scary to be abandoned by relatives and friends, but it is even more terrible when it seems to you that God has abandoned you, that an insurmountable wall stands between God and you and He does not seem to hear, does not see, does not notice ...
If you suffer from loneliness, remember how lonely the Savior was during the last hours of His earthly life. If your loved ones and your disciples have turned away from you, if you have been subjected to undeserved slander, if they bear false witness against you and declare you guilty of death, remember that the Lord Himself went through this.
If the one who lived with you under the same roof, took communion from the same Chalice, ate your bread, whom you trusted with all the power of love, with whom you shared your thoughts and feelings, from whom you did not hide anything and for whom you did not regret anything - if this man betrayed you, remember that the Lord also experienced this.
If your cross has fallen on you with such a weight that you are unable to bear it, if your loved ones do not want to share it with you, be grateful to that, perhaps, a random passerby who will help you carry at least some part of it. way.
If a wave of God-forsakenness has swept over your head and it seems to you that there is no God, or that He has turned away and does not hear you, then do not despair, for Christ also went through this terrible and bitter experience.
If they condemn you and insult you, if they hit you in the face and spit on you, nail you to the cross and give you bitter bile instead of water, pray for those who crucify you, for they do not know what they are doing.
Listening to the story of the Evangelist Matthew about the suffering, death on the cross and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, let us thank the Lord that He became lonely so that we would not be alone, was left so that we would not be left, went through insults and abuse, slander and humiliation, suffering and death, so that in every suffering we feel that we are not alone, but that the Savior Himself is with us until the end of time.
Passion according to Matthew Metropolitan Hilarion. Photo: mospat.ru
"Matthew Passion"(2006) - a monumental work for soloists, choir and orchestra by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev). Fragments of the Gospel alternate with musical numbers - recitatives, choirs, and arias, the text of which is borrowed mainly from the Orthodox service of Holy Week. Prayerful empathy for the suffering Savior and spiritual comprehension of the death of the God-man on the cross - this is the inner content of the music, reflecting the Orthodox reading of the history of the suffering of Jesus Christ.
"PASSION ACCORDING TO MATTHEW"
(premiere of the oratorio by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
In the center of the story - recent chapters The Gospels of Matthew, which tell about the last days of the earthly life of Jesus Christ: from the Last Supper to death on the Cross.
"PASSION ACCORDING TO MATTHEW"
(second version)
The peculiarity of the second version is the reading of the Gospel not in the manner typical for the reading of the Gospel in the temple, but the combination of reading with music, when the word is superimposed on the musical themes of the work.
The text of the Gospel is read by Metropolitan Hilarion.
Big Symphony Orchestra. P.I. Tchaikovsky, Moscow Synodal Choir Conductor - Alexey Puzakov.
And although the title of the work coincides with famous essay Bach, but musical language different. The emotional element of human suffering, which is emphasized by the Catholic tradition, is not the main thing here - the spiritual understanding of the death of the God-man on the cross and His Resurrection prevails, which is characteristic of the Orthodox view.
"PASSION ACCORDING TO MATTHEW"
Movie. (music by Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev)
About the author.
Vladyka Hilarion is a very gifted person: a true scholar, a talented composer and a great administrator, he amazes both with his knowledge and with his ability to direct all his will to solving the urgent tasks facing the Russian Orthodox Church. His books on the life and work of the great saints of the Church: St. Gregory the Theologian, St. Isaac the Syrian and Simeon the New Theologian, studies in the field of imyaslavsky disputes can rightfully be considered one of the best of their kind.
Here is what Metropolitan Hilarion himself writes about his work:
“In my composition, I relied on the musical vision of the Bach era: that is why I called my composition “Passion according to Matthew” - so that there would be no questions about who I focus on. But this is "not quoting and not recomposing, not parody and not deconstruction." I will add, this is not a stylization. Bach's music for me is a reference point, a standard, and therefore individual Bach intonations are naturally woven into the musical fabric of my composition. But the old form of the Passions, dating back to the pre-Bach era (recall the wonderful Passions by Schutz), I filled with new content.
The originality of this work lies, firstly, in its Christocentricity. In the Russian secular musical tradition, until the last quarter of the 20th century, there were no works dedicated to the life, suffering, death and resurrection of Christ. The gospel was not perceived by our secular composers as a worthy subject for musical creativity. Russian operas and oratorios were written in historical or romantic plots, the religious element in them was not central. In my essay, I relied on gospel story and on liturgical texts, which, again, were used only in rare cases in our secular music. The structure of my work is reminiscent of the structure of the Following of the Passion of Christ, performed on the eve of Good Friday. This service is sometimes called the Service of the Twelve Gospels, because the gospel passages in it are interspersed with troparia, stichera and canons containing theological commentary on the gospel text. The same commentary on the gospel story of the Passion of Christ is my music.
Secondly, The Matthew Passion is the first musical composition written for the concert stage, but based on the traditions of the Russian church music. IN XIX-XX centuries there was a divide between music for liturgical use, and secular, concert music. The first sounded almost exclusively in temples, the second - in concert halls and theaters. But I wanted to create a kind of synthesis of these two traditions, to overcome the artificial divide between them. I wanted people who do not go to church regularly to be able to experience the same feelings that Orthodox believers experience when they attend Holy Week services. For me, the Matthew Passion is not only a musical, but also a missionary project. I wanted people to go to church when they heard this music.
Thirdly, as a libretto, I used liturgical texts that I myself chose, sometimes adapting or abbreviating them so that they fit easier to music. My task was to paint a series of musical frescoes, which together would form an integral iconographic composition dedicated to the Passion of Christ. If icons and frescoes are speculation in colors, then I wanted to create speculation in music, that is, music that would be filled with ecclesiastical, theological content.”
March 21 at Great Hall The Moscow Conservatory will perform the oratorio by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) of Volokolamsk "Passion according to Matthew", version two. Tatyana's Day decided to ask a few questions about the premiere to oratorio conductor Alexei Puzakov, director of the Moscow Synodal Choir.
Alexey Alexandrovich, this is the second version of the oratorio. So there is a first?
- "Passion according to Matthew" Metropolitan Hilarion wrote in Vienna, when he was Bishop of Vienna and Austria. The oratorio was first performed five years ago in Moscow and one day later in Rome. This composition was written for a classical string orchestra and a mixed choir with the participation of soloists. It is divided into four thematic parts: "The Last Supper", "Judgment", "Crucifixion" and "Burial". Writtenfor execution during spiritual concert not during worship. It was originally built classic pattern: for example, the choir enters, then the words of the evangelist follow, which are read in a manner characteristic of reading the Gospel in Orthodox church, that is, on one note (psalmodic, even reading). Next comes the chorale, which, based on the liturgical texts of Holy Week, supports our prayerful empathy with a certain gospel fragment.
On March 21, the second version of the Matthew Passion will be performed for the first time. It differs in that the Gospel will not be read in a diaconal manner and not separately from the musical numbers. It will be intertwined with the musical fabric - thus the work will become more holistic and dynamic. Some numbers are abbreviated, especially those of the everyday plan: for example, some stichera with a canonarch. Musical themes are combined with an understandable, clear reading of the Gospel in Russian.
When did the second version appear? Was it conceived right away?
The second version arose during creative search, after all creative person never stops, strives to improve. In this case, the idea is to make the work more understandable and close to a modern person who is not used to standing for long services and listening to monotonous reading, whose event thread is lost from such reading, attention is scattered.
The work was written for educational, missionary purposes. It is designed to give the church person the opportunity to once again feel, comprehend, and experience the redemptive sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to convey the history of our salvation in an accessible classical form to the non-church person, who, perhaps, for the first time hears about Christ, about Calvary, and the main thing is to assure of its importance for the life of every person and the whole world.
Did you conduct the very first performance of an oratorio?
No, the first premiere was conducted by Vladimir Ivanovich Fedoseev, head of the Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony Orchestra. This time, due to a busy schedule, Vladimir Ivanovich will not be in Moscow, so he entrusted, with the blessing of Metropolitan Hilarion, to conduct the premiere of the second version to me.
How many people are involved in the performance of the work?
There will be an orchestra on the stage - closer to the edge of the stage, and a choir - behind the orchestra, on special stands. All together - about two hundred people.
How long have you been preparing for the premiere?
Quite a long time, yes. But the most serious rehearsals will take place three days before the concert in the studio of the symphony orchestra. On the day of the premiere, we will all meet on the stage of the conservatory for a dress rehearsal.
What is the originality of Vladyka Hilarion's work? We all know about Bach's Matthew Passion, for example, it already seems that it cannot be otherwise ...
You know, Vladyka consciously chose the name “Passion according to Matthew”, relying on his predecessors, primarily on the work of Johann Sebastian Bach, whom he deeply reveres as a composer and Christian. Bach was a man of faith: he began each of his works with the words “Jesus, help me,” then he wrote music and ended the score with the words “Glory to Thee, Lord.” Basically, Bach's music is dedicated to Christ, the spiritual life of man.
"Passion" was written by other composers - it was a certain genre. But every person, every time, brings some of their own sound, vision, which was not there in the time of Bach. And Vladyka wrote his own version, although, of course, his music is built according to the laws of classical harmony, and in this sense, Metropolitan Hilarion does not strive to be an experimenter. However, one can still talk about innovation: the fact is that such works were not written in Russian before him. There is also a novelty in the fact that the gospel words have become the basis and content of the musical concert form.
Vladyka's work is modern, but based on the best canons and traditions of his predecessors.
Tell us a little about the soloists who will take part in the second version of the oratorio.
Anna Aglatova, soprano, invited from the Bolshoi Theatre. Maxim Pasteur, tenor, also from the Bolshoi. Polina Shamaeva, mezzo-soprano, is a graduate of the Viktor Sergeevich Popov Academy of Choral Art, she is a soloist in various musical groups. Anton Zaraev is a young bass who is still learning, but has already established himself on the professional stage.
To what extent does the sound of the choir and orchestra depend on the striving of each participant towards God?
Genuine prayerful and spiritual singing is impossible without the participants in this singing being imbued with the soul of what they sing about, impossible without personal prayer. This is the perfect chant. But in our life we can not always meet the ideal. We cannot demand deep faith and churchness from each participant of the premiere. However, no matter what a person who performs spiritual music feels, no matter what views he holds - especially a young man who does not understand everything and accepts it as the Truth - if he takes up the performance with sincerity, then it ennobles him. A person pronounces the words of a prayer, tries to understand - and the Lord will definitely come to meet him.
The process of entering spiritual singing is the same as entering church life. Of course, a lot here depends on who leads, in a musical group - on the conductor. After all, only he, in most cases, will be able to explain how to properly set up the performer. Spiritual singing is a common work, a common feat of striving for God.
March 21 - was this date chosen for the premiere by chance? It is clear that Great Lent is coming ...
So it happened - providentially. The conservatory itself proposed this number. But, firstly, this is the Wednesday of the Week of the Adoration of the Cross, when we bow to the Cross, which stands in the center of the oratorio “St. Matthew Passion”. But it's also… Johann Sebastian Bach's birthday - such a greeting from time immemorial. After all, we all - both Bach and subsequent generations - go through our own personal path of knowing God, correcting ourselves and striving for a future life.
