The sufferings of Matthew Illarion Alfeev. Metropolitan Hilarion Alfeev - passion oratorio after Matthew
Passion according to Matthew. Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev)
Recording of a concert in the Great Hall of the Moscow Conservatory on March 27, 2007.
Monumental work for soloists, choir and orchestra
Concert of works by Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev) of Vienna and Austria performed by the Bolshoi Symphony Orchestra. P.I. Tchaikovsky and the State Choir Tretyakov Gallery sounds majestic and exciting.
Track listing:
1. The Last Supper: choir: Sacred lament, come, let us sing to Christ
2. The Last Supper: Evangelist: Council of High Priests, Betrayal of Judas
3. The Last Supper: chorus and recitative: Teche saying Judas the lawless scribe
4. The Last Supper: Evangelist: last supper
5. The Last Supper: chorus: Only one of you will betray Me
6. Last Supper: Evangelist: Consecration of the Apostles
7. The Last Supper: choir and recitative: The Wanderings of the Lady
8. Last Supper: Fugue
9. The Last Supper: Evangelist: Prediction of Peter’s Denial
10. The Last Supper: chorus and recitative: Even if everyone is rejected
11. Last Supper: Aria
12. Last Supper: Evangelist: Gethsemane Controversy
13. The Last Supper: chorus and recitative: Today is the Creator of heaven and winter
14. Last Supper: choir: Blessed are you
15. Trial: Evangelist: The Arrest of Jesus
16. Court: choir and recitative: Teacher’s student agrees on the price
17. Court: Chorale
18. Trial: Evangelist: Jesus on trial before Caiaphas
19. Judgment: chorus: Dress yourself in light like a robe
20. Judgment: Evangelist: Peter's Denial
21. Judgment: chorus and recitative: Peter denied three times
22. Court: Aria
23. Judgment: Evangelist: The End of Judas
24. Judgment: Chorus: Cue the image, Judas
25. Trial: Evangelist: Jesus before Pilate
26. Judgment: chorus and recitative: When you appeared before Caiaphas, O God
27. Court: Fugue
28. Crucifixion: Chorus: Let all human flesh be silent
29. Crucifixion: Evangelist: The Path to Calvary
30. Crucifixion: Chorus: To Your Cross
31. Crucifixion: Choir: Today hanging on the tree
32. Crucifixion: Evangelist: Crucifixion
33. Crucifixion: Chorus: Thou hast redeemed us from our legal oaths
34. Crucifixion: Evangelist: Death of Jesus
35. Crucifixion: Chorus: We sing to you
36. Crucifixion: Evangelist: Earthquake
37. Crucifixion: Chorale and recitative: All creation changed with fear
38. Crucifixion: Aria: Lamentation of the Virgin Mary
39. Crucifixion: Choir: Do not cry for Me, Mother
40. Crucifixion: Chorus and recitative: Rise, O God, judge of the earth
41. Crucifixion: Fugue
42. Burial: Evangelist: Joseph of Arimathea
43. Burial: choir: Noble Joseph
44. Burial: Evangelist: Guard at the coffin
45. Burial: Aria
46. Burial: chorus: Thou hast descended into hell
47. Burial: Fugue
48. Burial: choir: We proclaim Thy Death, O Lord, and Resurrection
Performers:
Choir of the State Tretyakov Gallery,
Big Symphony Orchestra named after P.I. Tchaikovsky.
Conductor - National artist USSR Vladimir Fedoseev.
Soloists:
Protodeacon Viktor Shilovsky - Evangelist (baritone),
Olga Shalaeva (soprano),
Irina Romishevskaya (mezzo-soprano),
Andrey Nemzer (tenor),
Alexey Tikhomirov (bass)
MP3, 320 kbps
Archive size: 203 MB
05/06/2016 added link to full text
- libretto of the oratorio:https://yadi.sk/i/4Co4Ab0VrXzYC
The text contains references to the text of the Gospel of Matthew,
and also provides translations into Russian of texts performed by
choir and soloists in Church Slavonic.
Enjoy your acquaintance!
Add. information:
On April 20, 2009, in connection with his appointment to a post involving constant participation in the work of the Holy Synod, and for diligent service to the Church of God, he was elevated to the rank of Primate of the Russian Church archbishop. http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/621941.html
On February 1, 2010, Illarion (Alfeev) was elevated to the rank of metropolitan- In consideration of his diligent service to the Church of God and in connection with his appointment as chairman of the Department for External Church Relations of the Moscow Patriarchate - a permanent member of the Holy Synod.http://www.patriarchia.ru/db/text/1058804.html
This is what the bishop himself writes about his work. Hilarion:
“In my composition, I relied on the musical vision of Bach’s era: that is why I called my composition “St. Matthew Passion” - so that there would be no questions about who I was focusing on. But this is “neither a quotation nor a recomposition, nor a parody nor a deconstruction.” Let me add that this is not stylization. Bach's music is a reference point for me, a standard, and therefore individual Bach intonations are naturally woven into the musical fabric of my composition. But I filled the old form of the “Passion,” dating back to the pre-Bach era (remember Schutz’s wonderful “Passions”) with new content.
Thirdly, as a libretto I used liturgical texts that I myself chose, sometimes adapting them or shortening them so that they fit more easily into the 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 church, theological content.”
Here is an example of criticism:
Primitive from Oxford
Bishop Hilarion wrote the Orthodox "St. Matthew Passion"
Petr Pospelov
Vedomosti
30.03.2007, 56 (1830)
A priest in a cassock, bowing from the stage in response to the applause of a crowded audience and accepting flowers from enthusiastic fans - this was seen on the walls of the conservatory, where Vladimir Fedoseev conducted Bishop Hilarion's St. Matthew Passion.
When was it to premiere modern composition gathered a full Great Hall of the Conservatory? Perhaps during the times of Shostakovich, Sviridov, Schnittke. For Bach's St. Matthew Passion, the hall is always full, no matter who performs it. Now it turns out that whoever wrote them.
Composing music is not the main work of the life of Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev) of Vienna and Austria. He is a famous theologian, as well as a representative of the Russian Orthodox Church in Europe, where he is entrusted with the difficult task of building bridges between Christian denominations. In the mid-80s, Alfeev graduated from the Gnessin ten-year school and even entered the composition class at the Conservatory. Realizing a different calling, he left music and returned to composing only twenty years later. “St. Matthew Passion” was one of his first scores performed in concert format.
There are Latin Passions, there are Protestant ones, now there are all sorts of them - even carnival ones, like the Argentinean Osvaldo Golijov. Bishop Hilarion wrote the Orthodox Passion. A real protodeacon (Viktor Shilovsky), with voiceover, but in an authentic manner, reads the Gospel in Russian. One for all: neither Jesus, nor the disciples, nor the crowd have their own voices and characters. The reading is interspersed with choirs (the Tretyakov Gallery Choir sang) and short arias based on Church Slavonic texts from Holy Week, and orchestral numbers. The orchestra is an impressive string composition - there are no other instruments. The two-hour piece is conventionally divided into parts: “The Last Supper,” “The Trial,” “The Crucifixion,” and “The Burial.”
Quality musical composition unequal. Many choirs are designed in the style of Orthodox choral music. In this tradition, the author feels organic and naturally follows the structure of the text. Often one comes across beautiful things in the spirit of Grechaninov, Rachmaninov’s “Vocalise” creeps in by itself, one has to remember the choirs from Mussorgsky’s operas. In the last part, especially in the aria of the Virgin, you are convinced that the author is familiar with the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical Jesus Christ Superstar, and perhaps with the film music of Michael Nyman. And, blowing wherever it wishes, the spirit of Soviet cinema music spills across the pages of the score.
But the Orthodox composer also could not do without Bach in the Passion. And not in orchestral fugues: they just look like student exercises, performed barely with a straight A. But in a whole series of numbers the author directly transfers key Bach pieces to himself - not only from “Matthew”, but also from “John”. Famous aria Erbarme dich, borrowed by 70 percent, becomes a Funeral Song - however, not for the alto, but for the tenor and much shorter, but with the same solo violin. This is neither quotation nor recomposition, nor parody nor deconstruction. It is generally inappropriate to use terms from the arsenal here contemporary art, where the artist sometimes uses the material of classical art, establishing a conscious distance in relation to it. It is inappropriate here to recall Bach himself, who copied Vivaldi without worrying about authorship - these were creative borrowings from an equal, sophisticated colleague. It's more like a village singer re-singing a city romance in his own way. Or an artist from the people makes handwritten book, imitating printed publications.
European educated person, studied philosophy at Oxford, on the path musical creativity the bishop acts as naive artist. Primitive is a respected art form, but is not accepted in academic music. The very nature of the craft divides composers into professionals and half-educated ones, leaving no options. The case of Bishop Hilarion is interesting. But this is not a pure case.
Composer Alfeev is familiar with such concepts as “polystylistics” or “post-avant-garde”; in Europe he even made acquaintance with the highly professional composer Arvo Pärt. The similarity between them is imaginary, but it would be better if the professional context did not arise at all. “The St. Matthew Passion” does not have the systemic unity that is inherent in both the classics and the primitive. In relation to Bach, Alfeev is a naive artist; in relation to Orthodox choral music, he is a man of tradition; modern music- epigon. These positions are confused with each other - that is why, if you do not make assumptions about the scale of talent, the bishop's opus is unsuccessful.
Nevertheless, it is important, and very important. Let’s put aside church support for the project and the fact that Patriarch Alexy II, who arrived at the second section and took a seat in the government (!) box, confidently addressed the public as a flock (but does a person who buys a ticket to a concert automatically become a parishioner?) . Let us take into account that just today the St. Matthew Passion will be repeated in Rome in Italian, now with the blessing of Pope Benedict XVI. But let’s ask better why Vladimir Fedoseev wanted to perform this work and why did the audience applaud him gratefully?
Eternal plot, Lenten feelings? Certainly. The simplicity of the music? Of course. But there is a third thing, which is broader than both music and faith - people feel the need for non-author art. Expressing not the personal view of the artist, but - choose for yourself - the original universally significant or collective unconscious. Therefore, if the premiere of Bishop Hilarion’s “Matthew Passion” did not mark the birth of a masterpiece, it did reveal a serious mental order.
Response to the criticism of Bishop Hilarion, the author:
Hilarion Alfeev
Post-avant-garde from Pospelov
“The Passion...” of Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev).
The Lord responds to criticism
Bishop Hilarion (Alfeev) does not agree with Peter Pospelov’s critical review of “The St. Matthew Passion.” Vladyka sent two letters to the editor of the publication “Tatiana’s Day”
The online publication “Tatyana’s Day” has already published alternative responses to the “Matthew Passion” sent by Bishop Hilarion. This time we offer our readers the answer of the Vienna Archpastor himself.
From the editor: We are extremely grateful to Bishop Hilarion of Vienna for his attention and reasoned answer. However, we do not consider the topic closed. The field of musical (as well as literary and artistic) creativity suggests that a person presenting his work to the public must be prepared for any reaction. Up to very critical. And persons in clergy are no exception here. As the author of non-liturgical music, Bishop Hilarion is a composer and his works are evaluated according to the same laws as the works of any secular author.
We believe it is extremely important that in assessing cultural phenomena We did not proceed from the idea of corporate unity in the era of stagnation and so that the acceptance or non-acceptance of certain works by persons of high clergy did not become a criterion of trustworthiness.
“The Passion...” of Bishop Hilarion, as a musical experience, can be liked or disliked; its missionary effect is also a subject of discussion.
Read, compare arguments, listen to music and write in Tatiana's Day.
The performance of my composition “St. Matthew Passion” in the Great Hall of the Conservatory on March 27 caused such a reaction from the public that neither I, nor Vladimir Fedoseev, nor the musicians could have expected. The audience gave a standing ovation for several minutes, many came close to the stage, about fifty bouquets of flowers were handed to me and the performers. Then dozens of people went to the artistic room - to Fedoseev and to me, took autographs, expressed gratitude. Until midnight, groups of people remained near the entrance to the Great Hall, discussing what they had heard.
Musical critic Pyotr Pospelov described the audience’s reaction to my composition as follows: “A priest in a cassock, bowing from the stage in response to the applause of a crowded audience and accepting flowers from enthusiastic fans - this was seen on the walls of the conservatory, where Vladimir Fedoseev conducted Bishop Hilarion’s St. Matthew Passion. When was it that the premiere of a contemporary work gathered a full Great Hall of the Conservatory? Only in the times of Shostakovich, Sviridov, Schnittke.”
What, according to the author of the article, caused such a resounding success of the concert? It turns out that not by the quality of the music or the quality of performance, but by the action of the “collective unconscious”. The concert in the Great Hall of the Conservatory, they say, revealed a “mental order” for non-author, impersonal music.
In order to understand the author’s thought process, one should turn to the projects of Mr. Pospelov himself. His main brainchild is the TPO “Composer”, about which he himself writes the following: “The Creative and Production Association “Composer” professes commitment to classical Russian and foreign musical traditions and carries out large-scale production of music of classical and romantic genres, namely operas, musical dramas, solemn cantatas, piano quintets, ninth symphonies, masses, sonatas, variations, Diaghilev ballets, Hungarian rhapsodies and Neapolitan songs. The association understands its activities as the beginning of a new stage in modern post-avant-garde art... Noting the crisis of individual creativity, TPO "Composer" acts as a single collective Author... Composing music at TPO "Composer" is put on a flow-conveyor basis. Creativity is carried out according to a clear schedule, on the principles of a competent division of labor; it takes place in a high-tech environment, using computers and office equipment, computer science and music statistics. As a result, the speed and productivity of work compared to the average classic of the 19th century- the beginning of the 20th century increases by 24–28 times while maintaining the same level of performance... Work in the Composer technical vocational school is honorable and prestigious; the contribution of each specialist is appreciated, which helps strengthen his professional authority. In addition, TPO "Composer" provides its employees with salaries, advances, sabbaticals, time off, food orders and preferential benefits. travel tickets. Every Thursday a massage therapist visits workplaces” (http://www.proarte.ru/ru/komposers/tpo/).
This, it turns out, is what kind of music there is a “mental order” for today. Putting on stream the production of musical works by a collective author at a speed exceeding Beethoven's by 24-28 times, this is what Mr. Pospelov and his comrades offer as an alternative to author's creativity. In this way, the collective “St. Matthew Passion 2000” was written, performed in the Anglican Church of St. Andrew. Obviously, it is this opus that is positioned as truly professional post-avant-garde art. It remains only incomprehensible why, with a mental order for non-author’s music, which is the production of the Composer TPO, the Great Hall of the Conservatory still applauded completely author's work.
The main reproach that Pospelov makes against me is that my music is supposedly similar to the music of other composers, in particular Bach. Pospelov considered the aria for tenor and solo violin from the 4th movement of my composition to be 70 percent borrowed from Bach. It is possible that the percentage calculation was carried out using high-tech office equipment from TPO Kompozitor. My modest arithmetic resources are not enough for such precision, but it seems to me that, apart from the solo violin, there are no direct borrowings from Bach or other composers in this aria.
Such borrowings exist in other places, which for some reason Pospelov did not catch. Namely, the chorale performed by the orchestra is a conscious allusion to Bach's chorales, only it has no words and does not involve a choir. The initial sounds of the melody of this chorale echo one of the fugues of the Well-Tempered Clavier. The final chorus, “We Proclaim Thy Death, O Lord,” contains melodic turns reminiscent of Caccini’s “Ave Maria.”
These borrowings were not conscious: they were dictated by the fact simple fact that in my essay I rely on musical style composers of the Baroque era and, above all, of course, Bach. Added to this is the reliance on the tradition of Russian church singing (both ancient, one-voice and four-voice) and individual elements of the style of 20th-century composers, in particular Prokofiev and Shostakovich. In each of these styles, especially in the Baroque style, there is a certain set of melodic and harmonic formulas, which, like the chants of a Znamenny chant, flow from one composition to another. These formulas are as versatile as resolving the dominant into the tonic, or using the diatonic scale as a building block for creating a melody. The use of these universal elements makes the music of different composers certainly similar in some ways, but is this a disadvantage?
There are so many examples of the music of one composer, similar (or in some way similar) to the music of another, that even the powerful post-avant-garde office equipment of the Composer TPO would not be enough to count them. Sviridov's waltz from the music to Pushkin's story "The Snowstorm", for example, is very similar to Khachaturian's waltz from the music to Lermontov's drama "Masquerade". I won’t say by what percentage, but it’s like two peas in a pod. What causes this similarity? First of all, the fact that both composers consciously used the same musical language– in the language of the second romantic waltz half of the 19th century century. All waltzes of this era, which Khachaturian and Sviridov recreate in their music, are characterized by similar intonations: they are a characteristic of the genre. It is hardly worth reproaching Sviridov for the fact that his waltz turned out to be similar to Khachaturian’s, and both composers should be accused of borrowing the intonations of a waltz music of the XIX century. Ultimately, what matters is the result, and in both cases it turned out to be very impressive.
In my composition, I relied on the musical vision of Bach’s era: that is why I called my composition “St. Matthew Passion” - so that there would be no questions about who I was focusing on. But, as Pospelov rightly notes, this is “neither quotation nor recomposition, nor parody nor deconstruction.” Let me add that this is not stylization. Bach's music is a reference point for me, a standard, and therefore individual Bach intonations are naturally woven into the musical fabric of my composition. But I filled the old form of the “Passion,” dating back to the pre-Bach era (remember Schutz’s wonderful “Passions”) 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 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 on historical or romantic subjects; the religious element in them was not central. In my essay I relied on gospel story and on liturgical texts, which, again, are only in in rare cases used in our secular music. The structure of my essay is reminiscent of the structure of the Consequence 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 are interspersed with troparia, stichera and canons containing theological commentary on the Gospel text. My music is the same commentary on the gospel story of the Passion of Christ.
Secondly, the St. Matthew Passion is the first musical composition, written for the concert stage, but based on the traditions of 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 churches, the second - in concert halls and theaters. I wanted to create some 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 experience the same feelings that Orthodox believers experience when they attend Holy Week services. For me, “St. Matthew Passion” is not only a musical project, but also a missionary project. I wanted people to flock to church after hearing this music.
Thirdly, as a libretto I used liturgical texts that I myself chose, sometimes adapting them or shortening them so that they fit more easily into the 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 church, theological content.
As for the quality of music, then, as you know, there are no comrades according to taste. Many were shocked by this music, which was obvious from the reaction of the public in Moscow and Rome. And some people didn't like her. But the Church itself attracts some people, while repelling others. For example, Mr. Pospelov is clearly repulsed by her. He was outraged that the Patriarch in the Great Hall of the Conservatory addressed the listeners as his flock (“does a person who buys a ticket to a concert automatically become a parishioner?”). But the public was not at all outraged by this fact. On the contrary, the entire hall stood up when the Patriarch entered, and people did not sit down until he finished his speech. In my opinion, this was quite eloquent evidence of the feelings and emotions of the audience. Yes, people bought a ticket to a concert, but ended up at a large-scale musical and liturgical event dedicated to Christ and reminiscent of an Orthodox service. And thank God that the walls Great Hall The conservatories, from which religion had been artificially eradicated for seventy years, saw this.
Time will tell whose “St. Matthew Passion” will outlive its authors and enter the concert repertoire of choral and orchestral groups—mine, or those composed by the Composer TPO headed by Mr. Pospelov. In the meantime, I can only sincerely thank God for the fact that He has deigned me to serve Him not only through the means that are familiar to me, but also through the music that He inspired me to create. I had no advanced office equipment in my hands, I had no advances, no salaries, no massage therapist on Thursdays. There wasn't even a piano to play the written musical numbers. But I had great inspiration, and as a believer, I attribute this inspiration to help from above. And therefore I would like to end with the words that Bach put on the last pages of his scores: “Soli Deo Gloria” - glory to God alone!
“Matthew Passion” by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev)
A grand light and sound show for the whole family.
The work for soloists, choir and string orchestra is intended to reveal the drama of the last days of the life of Jesus Christ in Russian on the eve of Holy Easter. Orthodox tradition, through the most modern approaches to sound, video and light. The premiere of the program in the spring of 2016 attracted a full house at Crocus City Hall.
The monumental oratorio “St. Matthew Passion” by Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev) for soloists, choir and string orchestra was published in 2007. The work was performed more than 80 times in cities of Russia, near and far abroad. The oratorio was performed by outstanding musicians of our time, the best orchestras, choirs and soloists of the world opera stage. Last year, at Crocus City Hall, the performance of the St. Matthew Passion at the height of Lent became especially significant and grandiose. With a full house in the hall, there were a lot of both church-going guests and a completely secular audience.
The story of last days the earthly life of Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection, as set out in the Gospel of Matthew, appears before the audience in a new original stage incarnation - a light and music show. The visual accompaniment of the music is worthy of the highest praise: frescoes, paintings on divine themes, video projections, the wind on which seems to be felt in the hall... The whole stage is perceived as a single canvas, an integral moving picture, it enchants and makes a strong impression.
“The oratorio “Passion according to Matthew” by Metropolitan Hilarion of Volokolamsk at its most internal structure, in the very plan of the composer contains internal picturesqueness. The fresco monumental character of this work initially aspired to a certain visualization, even when it was performed in the ascetic spaces of the philharmonic halls. That is why its performance in the Crocus City Hall, designed as a modern multidimensional cinematic action, highest degree organically for this majestic composition. Exciting pictures of the atoning sacrifice and resurrection of Jesus Christ in its spiritual and visible, sensory dimensions once again unfolded before us. The power of this symphonic work found new strength and captivated the large audience gathered that evening,” the special representative of the President speaks of the action Russian Federation for International Cultural Cooperation, Ambassador for special assignments Mikhail Shvydkoy.
Large-scale and execution itself piece of music: three choirs, soloists and big Symphony Orchestra– the Crocus City Hall stage can accommodate a total of about three hundred people. The conductor of the orchestra is People's Artist of the USSR and the RSFSR, winner of several orders "For Services to the Fatherland" and many international high awards Vladimir Fedoseev, in addition to all his achievements, is known as a parishioner of Metropolitan Hilarion. The text of the Gospel in Russian translation is performed by Metropolitan Hilarion himself, which gives it a special sound. The choir and soloists sing in Church Slavonic, and this enhances the impression of the Gospel text.
“Vladyka Hilarion could not help but follow the canon as a man who deeply comprehended the secrets of Scripture. But within the framework of this canon, he humbly acquired the highest creative freedom, which makes his Oratorio a deeply personal and unique work,” says Mikhail Shvydkoy.
Performers:
National philharmonic orchestra Russia.
Academic Big Choir “Masters of Choral Singing”. Artistic director and chief conductor - People's Artist of the Russian Federation Lev Kontorovich
Moscow Synodal Choir. Artistic director and chief conductor - Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Alexey Puzakov
Academic Choir of Moscow state university named after M.V. Lomonosov. Artistic director – Mirza Askerov
Choir of the Russian Economic University named after G.V. Plekhanov. Head – Olga Ushakova
Soloists:
Anna Aglatova (soprano)
Svetlana Shilova (mezzo-soprano)
Alexey Neklyudov (tenor)
Nikolay Didenko (bass)
Conductor:
People's Artist of the USSR Vladimir Spivakov
Crocus City Hall
at 20:00
Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes
