Based at Moscow's Schnittke Institute of Music, the 37-strong, mixed-voice Spiritual Revival Choir of Russia was founded in 1992 by director and arranger Lev Kontorovich. The first 15 songs of "Sounds" are Russian Orthodox sacred choral music from the late 1800s up until the Russian Revolution, featuring composers such as Peter Il'yich Tchaikovsky, four movements from the "Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, Op. 41," three versions of "Gladsome Light" (by Alexander Kastalsky, Viktor Kalinnikov and Anatoly Koselev, 6 songs by Pavel Chesnokov including "The Cherubic Hymn Op. 27," Rodion Shchedrin's "Hallowed Be Thy Name" and Valery Kitka's lovely "The Stars Are Falling in the Night." The next 8 songs are sacred music by German composers, including two cuts by Schubert, Hugo Wolf's "Komm, Trost der Welt," one each by Niel van der Watt and Olivier Messiaen, Mozart's wonderful "Laudate Dominum from Vesperae solennes de confessore" and two fine songs by Bach, "Ave Maria" and "Invention No. 8." "Sounds" is simply magnificent, every cut is stunningly beautiful! |