Chesnokov, Pavel Grigorievich. Chesnokov Pavel Grigorievich - composer and brilliant conductor, Russian choral conductor, composer, church choir director, professor at the Moscow Conservatory

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Russian empire RSFSR USSR

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composer, choral conductor

Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov(October 12 (24), 1877, Zvenigorod district, Moscow province - March 14, 1944) - Russian composer, choral conductor, author of widely performed spiritual compositions.

Biography

Musical works

In total, the composer created about five hundred choral pieces: spiritual compositions and transcriptions of traditional chants (among them several full cycles liturgy and all-night vigil, memorial service, cycles “To the Most Holy Lady”, “In the Days of War”, “To the Lord God”), adaptations 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; Typical for him are, on the one hand, excellent mastery of choral writing, excellent knowledge different types traditional singing (which is especially evident in his transcriptions of chants), and on the other hand, a tendency towards great emotional openness in expression religious feeling, 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).

Literature

Chesnokov P. G.. Choir and its management. A manual for choral conductors. Ed. 3rd - M., 1961
Dmitrevskaya K. Russian Soviet choral music. Vol. 1.- M.: “Soviet Composer”, 1974.- P. 44-69
List of published spiritual works by P. G. Chesnokov

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Musicians in alphabetical order
Born on October 24
Born in 1877
Born in Zvenigorod district
Died on March 14
Died in 1944
Died in Moscow
Composers by alphabet
Church Regents
Spiritual composers
Choral conductors of Russia
Choral conductors of the USSR

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See what “Chesnokov, Pavel Grigorievich” is in other dictionaries: - (1877 1944) Russian choral conductor. In 1895 1916 teacher of the Synodal School (People's Choral Academy), in 1917 22 chief conductor of the Moscow state choir , in 1922 28 director of the Moscow Chapel. The author of the first Russian... ... Big

Soviet choral conductor, teacher and composer. He graduated from the Synodal School as a choral conductor in 1895, and from the Moscow Conservatory in 1917, majoring in composition with S... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Chesnokov, Pavel Grigorievich- CHESNOKOV Pavel Grigorievich (1877 1944), choral conductor, composer and teacher. Leader of many choirs (church and secular). One of the largest representatives of Russian choral culture. About 500 works for choir; Russia's first capital... Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1877 1944), choral conductor, regent, composer. In 1895 1916 teacher at the Synodal School (People's Choral Academy), in 1917 22 chief conductor Moscow State Choir, in 1922 28 director of the Moscow Chapel. The author of the first... ... encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1877, near Voskresensk, Moscow province, now Istra, 1944, Moscow), composer, choral conductor, regent. From the family of a clergyman. In 1895 he graduated from the Synodal School of Church Singing; in 1895 99 he took composition lessons from S.I. Taneyeva,... ... Moscow (encyclopedia)

Genus. 1877, d. 1944. Choral conductor. He was the chief conductor of the Moscow State Choir (1917-22), and directed the Moscow Chapel (1922-28). Author of musical works for choir. Since 1921, professor at the Moscow Conservatory... Big biographical encyclopedia

- (October 24 (12), 1877 March 14, 1944) Russian choral conductor, composer, church choir director, professor at the Moscow Conservatory (since 1921). Born on October 24 (12 according to the old style) October 1877 near the city of Voznesensk, Zvenigorod district... ... Wikipedia

Grigorievich Russian choral conductor, composer, church choir director, professor at the Moscow Conservatory Chesnokov, Pavel Vasilyevich artist, heraldist ... Wikipedia

Chesnokov Pavel Grigorievich (October 24 (12), 1877 March 14, 1944) Russian choral conductor, composer, church choir director, professor at the Moscow Conservatory (since 1921). Born on October 24 (12 according to the old style) October 1877 near the city of Voznesensk... ... Wikipedia

Chesnokov, Pavel Grigorievich Russian choral conductor, composer, church choir director, professor at the Moscow Conservatory Chesnokov, Pavel Vasilievich artist, heraldist ... Wikipedia

Books

Choir and its management. Textbook, Chesnokov Pavel Grigorievich, P. G. Chesnokov is one of the greatest masters of Russian choral culture, who contributed to his versatile musical activity raising it to a new, highest level. Real work... Category: Music Series: Textbooks for universities. Special literature Publisher:

Born near the city of Voskresensk (now Istra) 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, he took composition lessons from S. I. Taneyev, G. E. Konyus and M. M. Ippolitov-Ivanov. After graduating from the Synodal School, he worked in various Moscow colleges and schools: in 1895-1904 he taught at the Synodal School, and in 1901-1904 he was an assistant regent of the Synodal Choir. In 1916-1917 he conducted the chapel of the Russian Choral Society (on Kuznetsky Most in the house of Torletsky - Zakharyin).

In 1917, Chesnokov received a diploma from the Moscow Conservatory in composition and conducting classes.

Since the 1900s, Chesnokov gained great fame as a regent and author of sacred music. For a long time directed 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.

After the revolution, Pavel Grigorievich led the State Academic Choir and was choirmaster 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 his regency and the composition of sacred music. In 1940 he published a monumental work on choir dance, “The Choir and Its Management.”

Musical works

In total, the composer created about five hundred choral pieces: spiritual compositions and transcriptions of traditional chants (among them several complete cycles of the liturgy and all-night vigil, a memorial service, the cycles “To the Most Holy Lady,” “In the Days of War,” “To the Lord God”), adaptations of folk songs, choirs based on poems by Russian poets. Chesnokov is one of the most prominent representatives of the so-called “new direction” in 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).

Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov (1877-1944)

Spiritual choirs.

Son of a church regent (near Zvenigorod). I discovered music early. abilities and a wonderful voice. Entered the Synod. school and graduated with a gold medal. Student of Smolensky and (privately) Taneyev. Since 1903 - regent; quickly becomes known for his compositions and excellent work with the choir. He taught at the Synod. school and at the annual summer regency courses in St. Petersburg, actively participated in regency congresses. In 1913 (at 36 years old, being famous composer and conductor) entered Moscow. cons. (learned by Ipp.-Ivanov). After the revolution, he taught and conducted in different places (school named after the Oct. Rev., 2nd State Choir, Moscow Academic Chapel, Bolshoi Theater Choir, Moscow Philharmonic Chapel, choral class (later department) of the Conservatory), at the same time without leaving the regency (until 32 in the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, which he did not want to leave even a minute before the explosion, he was the last to leave the temple). In 1940 he published the book “The Choir and Its Management” (originally conceived as a summary of the choir’s experience), which has since become one of the main and best textbooks on choral affairs. During the war, Chesnokov, while remaining regent, did not go on evacuation with the professors of the conservatory and, having lost bread cards, starved and died at the beginning of 44 (a frozen body was found at a bakery on Herzen Street).

Author of numerous compositions and harmonizations, creator of his own inimitable and always recognizable style of choral writing. The sophistication and beauty of harmonies, emotional depth and purity, and great melodic gift make Chesnokov the largest spiritual composer of the 20th century. Despite his excellent knowledge of voices and the laws of choral texture, Chesnokov’s choirs (as well as solo parts: “Angel cries out,” “Let him be corrected,” etc.) are very complex and “risky” for church performance: they need to be sung either very well and strictly , or not to sing at all - the slightest emotional “pressure” can turn the finest harmonies into unacceptable “sweetness” and sentimentality.

As a composer, Chesnokov enjoys wide, worldwide fame. He wrote many vocal works (over 60 opuses), mainly for mixed choirs without instrumental accompaniment, over 20 women's choirs with piano accompaniment, several arrangements of Russian folk songs, romances and songs for solo voice.

His vocal and choral flair, understanding of the nature and expressive capabilities of the singing voice have few equals not only in the works of domestic but also foreign choral literature.

He knew and felt the “secret” of vocal and choral expressiveness. Maybe a stern ear and keen eye A professional critic will note in his 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 idea 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 same music appears in a completely different form and is capable of attracting, touching the soul, and sometimes delighting the listener. “You can go through all the choral literature over the last hundred years and you will find little that equals Gareshkov’s mastery of choral sound,” said the prominent Soviet choral figure G. A. Dmitrevsky in conversations with us.

Many of Chesnokov’s choral works have become firmly established in concert repertoire choral groups, in learning programs classes of conducting and choral specialty. Some of them can rightly be classified as works of Russian choral classics.

Love for choral creativity in all its manifestations was the meaning of P. G. Chesnokov’s whole life. However, the most striking aspect of his artistic aspirations was, perhaps, his love for choral performance. If the passion and need for composition was capable of cooling with age, then he retained his love for working with the choir until the end of his days. “Egorushka, let me stand in front of the choir for an hour,” he asked his beloved chapel assistant at the Moscow State Philharmonic, G. A. Dmitrevsky, when he came to the choir rehearsal, still not recovering from his illness. In the difficult year of 1943, shortly before his death, when the decision was made to organize a professional chapel at the Moscow Conservatory, Chesnokov, sick and almost unable to work, touchingly asked N. M. Danilin, who was scheduled to be the artistic director of the chapel, to give him the opportunity to work with the choir.

Without exception, all choirs headed by Chesnokov during his many years of creative activity achieved excellent artistic results. In a number of cases, choirs led by him achieved exceptionally high vocal and technical skill and vivid expressiveness.

In his work with the choir, Chesnokov appeared as an excellent connoisseur of choral singing, an excellent educated musician and a talented, highly professional conductor. Perhaps we can say that his work with the choir was not filled with that exciting interest and brightly directed strong-willed

direction leading the team to an artistic goal predetermined by the conductor, as could be observed, for example, with N. M. Danilin. Nevertheless, every step of his work with the choir was deeply meaningful and consistent, every requirement was completely expedient and clear, in all the actions of the choir his leadership was felt - the ardent creative feeling and strong thought of a great artist and musician. All his activities with the choir, from rehearsal to concert inclusive, never had the character of everyday life and handicraft.

He was an excellent expert and practitioner of the vocal nature and performing capabilities of the human voice. Having an excellent command of the theoretical foundations and techniques of singing art, Chesnokov, as true master his business, he considered working on vocals in a choir to be the most difficult task, requiring a special approach in the performance of each given piece. He spoke with restraint about voice production, but was very attentive to choral and solo singing sound; I always knew and took into account the vocal laws both in working with the choir and in composition. He told how A.V. Nezhdanova, who had ideally pure intonation, sang the solo written for her by Chesnokov insufficiently accurately. Having carefully examined the work and deeply thought through the reasons for the impure intonation, he noticed an abundance of transitional notes. I changed the key, a few sounds, and the solo sounded perfect.

The works of Pavel Chesnokov are very advantageous in concert plan. They let the singers the best way demonstrate your vocal capabilities. 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 regent 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, like 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.

Chesnokov is one of the most prominent representatives of the so-called. The “new direction” in Russian sacred music is typical for him, on the one hand, of an excellent command 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).

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”. Sounds were recorded with the help of “banners” or “hooks” in Rus', and these signs actually resembled hooks of different shapes in appearance. This recording of sounds had nothing in common with musical notation, not only appearance, but even according to 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 searching for ancient manuscripts in the archives and deciphering 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.

This is what the head of the church choir of the Moscow Church of the Intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary Valentin Maslovsky said: “It was extraordinary personality. He was the last regent of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, 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 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."

“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 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 was in the church from childhood, served as a singer and knew very well the applied church tradition. His music was extremely deep in its spirituality."

I based my work on my observations over many years of practical work, setting as my task a theoretical substantiation of conclusions tested in practice. In the proposed book, however, one should not look for any strictly scientific provisions. My goal was to consolidate and systematize what I had achieved through many years of practice. I wanted, mainly, to make it easier for novice conductors to follow the path that I myself have traveled.

Let this work of mine lay the foundation for the development of choral science.

There are 2 directions in Chesnokov’s work: 1. Reliance in church music on znamenny chant (“Mercy of the World”, “Praise the Name of the Lord”) 2. Use of turns of Russian lyrical romance (“Thy secret evening”)

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 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's compare briefly different variants- everyday and concert - 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 Rachmaninov’s “Vespers” “Bless the Lord, O My soul,” 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.

The beginning of Christian church singing is sanctified by the example of Jesus Christ, who ended the Last Supper by singing the Psalms: “And having sung, they went to the Mount of Olives” (Matt. 26:30). In the 4th century, the entire rite of the Christian Church was organized. Eight-voice singing was established, and by the beginning of the 8th century, liturgical singing was established by the greatest songwriter, John of Damascus. A single type of octagonism was adopted, which is observed to this day. In 988, Rus' adopted Christianity, and Prince Vladimir brought to Kyiv, along with the clergy, singers from Bulgaria and a full clergy (choir) from Greece. Thus, the initial formation of Russian church music is based on a mixture of Bulgarian and Greek styles. The oldest chant of the church is the Znamenny chant, which got its name from the word “banner” - “sign”. These signs were placed above the words of prayers. Until the 16th century, the singing of the entire Orthodox Church was only melodic, performed by a male choir in unison (in unison, the simultaneous sound of two or more sounds of the same pitch) or antiphonally (two choirs alternately). Long durations were used, there was no meter, and there were many chants of one syllable. The largest scientist in the field of deciphering hook singing is Viktor Brazhnikov.

Octoconsonance

The Russian octagonal system itself was compiled by the 12th century, when the Znamenny chant reached the apogee of its development. The theory of octal singing is set out in the book “Svyatogradets”, the manuscript is kept in the Paris library. In practice, the book “Octoechus” is still used, where a service is written out for each day of the week for each of the eight voices, and separately for holidays. In octovos there are 4 main voices and 4 auxiliary voices. They were formed on the basis of folk modes (there are 7 main modes of folk music: Ionian, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Aeolian, Lacrian). The weeks of voices are counted from Easter.Voice - a certain motive; There are 4 forks: tropar, sticherny, irmos, power.Troparion - the main short prayer to a saint or holiday.Stichera - some short prayers, which describe an event.Irmosy - the first song of the canon; the last song -confusion . Powerful - short prayer before reading the Gospel, it is divided by the words “Glory even now.”

The first mention of polyphony dates back to the beginning of the 16th century. It was also called "line singing". The more diverse the horizontal (melody) of such singing was, the more complex its vertical became (well, simply put, it’s a chord - several sounds, different in height, taken simultaneously by several voices), which was not paid attention to at all. Polyphony consisted of the superposition of several znamenny chants one on top of the other. IN early XVII century, linear notation began to spread (they began to write with notes, and not with hooks-badges as before). At the end of the 17th century, as a result of Polish influence, harmonic partes singing spread, first in the form of cants (“song”) - short hymn chants (kant more closely refers to secular music, but is also used in sacred music). For example, the cant "Russian Orel", dedicated to the Poltava victory of Peter I.

The annual cycle of worship depicts the entire history, fate, entire past life of the Church, Her teachings, dogmas, lives, sufferings of the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, the Mother of God, the apostles, prophets, martyrs. The main types of Orthodox services are the Liturgy and the All-Night Vigil. The word "liturgy" translated from Greek means "common cause." The Old Testament established that people pray and make sacrifices to God at certain hours (54th Psalm of King David). These prayers are now read in church before the Liturgy and the All-Night Vigil and they are called “The Hours” (1st, 3rd, 6th, 9th). 1st hour - 7 am (The Trial of Jesus Christ in the New Testament); 3rd hour - 9 am (Descent of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles); 6th hour - 12-14 hours (The Suffering of Christ); 9th hour - 15 hours (His death on the cross).

Liturgy (Mass)

Liturgy - a morning service in which the Eucharist (Communion) is celebrated. The liturgy has 3 parts: 1. Proskomedia (offering) - served without singing. 2. Liturgy of the catechumens (catechumens are people who are preparing to be baptized). Hymns: 1) Bless the Lord, my soul (102nd Psalm of King David); 2) Praise, my soul, the Lord (145th Psalm) The indicated Psalms depict God’s benefits to the human race. 3) The Only Begotten Son (prayer); 4) Gospel beatitudes; 5) Trisagion.

3. Liturgy of the Faithful. Hymns: 1) Cherubic song, in which there is a call to put aside worldly cares and direct thoughts to God; 2) The Symbol of Faith - recited in chant by all parishioners; 3) The mercy of peace - consists of three sections: 1 - The mercy of peace is the sacrifice of praise; 2 - Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God of hosts (“Lord of the hosts of heaven”) - praising the Lord together with the angels; 3 - We sing to you - the descent of the Holy Spirit on bread and wine, their transformation into the Body and Blood of the Lord. 4) It is worthy to eat - a hymn to the Mother of God. Those for whom the Sacrifice of Christ was made are remembered, first of all the Most Holy Theotokos. 5) Our Father - recited in chant by all parishioners; 6) Communion verse, during which the priests receive communion at the altar, then prayers for communion are read; 7) Choir “Receive the Body of Christ” - at this time parishioners receive communion; 8) Vidihom the True Light - prayer after communion in gratitude.

All-night vigil

It is performed on the eve of the liturgy in the evening. Consists of Vespers and Matins.Vespers 1) Bless the Lord, my soul (Psalm 103); 2) Blessed is the man (1st Psalm); 3) Stichera for the chanting “Lord, I have called to You”; 4) The light is quiet; 5) Vouchsafe, Lord; 6) Now you let go; 7) Virgin Mary, rejoice (hymn to the Mother of God); 8) Small Doxology - Vespers ends (“Glory to God in the highest”).Matins 1) Praise the name of the Lord; 2) Reading the Gospel; 3) Having seen the Resurrection of Christ; 4) Canon, where prayers are read and irmos are sung; 5) My soul magnifies the Lord (song of the Mother of God); 6) Stichera (“Let every breath glorify the Lord”); 7) Great doxology; 8) Hymn to the Mother of God “Victory Voivode Elected”

CHESNOKOV, PAVEL GRIGORIEVICH(1877-1944), Russian composer, choral conductor, author of widely performed sacred 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 studied at different times 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 directed 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), arrangements of folk songs and choirs based on 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 its 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 allow singers to best demonstrate their vocal capabilities, which is why Russian opera stars, for example, Irina Arkhipova, often turn to Pavel Chesnokov’s spiritual chants. former soloist 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 the baptism of Ancient Rus' in 988, there was monophonic church singing, 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”. Sounds were recorded with the help of “banners” or “hooks” in Rus', and these signs actually resembled hooks of different shapes in appearance. 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.

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, and 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 an Orthodox state that the coming revolution would overturn all the foundations of life, and his noble cause would become undesirable in his own country?.. But this happened in the years Soviet power, with whom Pavel Chesnokov developed a rather tense relationship, although representatives of official state atheism in the Soviet Union could not help but see him great talent composer and choirmaster. Music Encyclopedia, released in Soviet time, wrote about Pavel Chesnokov like this: “He was one of the greatest masters of Russian Soviet choral culture. Having great pedagogical 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 regent 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 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 genius 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 Rachmaninov, 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 the interesting musical language of Pavel Chesnokov, who wrote over 500 choral works. This is what the head of the church choir of the Moscow Church of the Intercession said Holy Mother of God 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 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. An excellent musician, Pavel Chesnokov very sensitively felt every word, every verse, every prayer, and reflected all this in music.”

All-night vigil and liturgy

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 paucity of expressive means in melody and harmony, a sublime, pure image is created, expressing the delight of the soul. In Rachmaninov’s “Vespers” “Bless the Lord, O My soul,” 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.

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 studied at the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing at different times (three became certified regents - Mikhail, Pavel and Alexander). In 1895 Chesnokov graduated with honors from the Synodal School; Subsequently, he 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 has 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 large 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), arrangements of folk songs, choirs based on 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, even to the point of direct rapprochement with song or romance lyrics (especially typical for spiritual compositions for solo voice and choir that are now very popular).

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 a church Orthodox composer and leader of many church choirs.

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 the service 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 revealed the universality of Pavel Chesnokov’s talent. He felt cramped in the narrow confines 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.

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 the baptism of Ancient Rus' in 988, there was monophonic church singing, 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”. With the help of “banners” or “hooks” in Russia, sounds were recorded, and these signs really resembled hooks of different shapes. This recording of sounds had nothing in common with musical notation, not only in appearance, but even in the principle of recording. 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 and exotica.

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 led 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. 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 undesirable in his own country?.. But this happened during the years of Soviet power, with which Pavel Chesnokov had rather tense relations, although Representatives of official state atheism in the Soviet Union could not help but see his great talent as a composer and choirmaster. A musical encyclopedia published in Soviet times wrote about Pavel Chesnokov like this: “He was one of the greatest masters of Russian Soviet choral culture. Possessing extensive pedagogical experience, Chesnokov, as a choir director, achieved perfect performance technique, impeccable structure and ensemble, and an accurate transmission of the composer’s intentions.”

Pavel Chesnokov worked very actively under the new government, 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 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 Rachmaninov, who was then in exile in the USA. Finally, Pavel Chesnokov's book was published in the Soviet Union, but with a disapproving preface. They never forgave him for the permanent regency...

Pavel Chesnokov died in 1944 in Moscow. It was during 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 the interesting musical language of Pavel Chesnokov, who wrote over 500 choral works. This is what Valentin Maslovsky, the head of the church choir of the Moscow Church of the Intercession of the Most Holy Theotokos, said: “This was an extraordinary personality. He was the last regent of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the former Moscow Cathedral, which was blown up during Stalin's time. When the temple was destroyed, Pavel Chesnokov was so shocked by this that he stopped composing 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 sensitively felt every word, every verse, every prayer. And all this was reflected in music.”

“There is a lot of garlic in churches, and this is no coincidence,” says Marina Nasonova, regent of the Church of the Holy Besslessnikov 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 choirboy 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

After reading the Gospel and the choir “Having seen the Resurrection of Christ,” a canon is read in honor of some saint and holiday of the given service. Before canon 9 of the canon, the deacon calls to exalt the Mother of God with 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 paucity of expressive means in melody and harmony, a sublime, pure image is created, expressing the delight of the soul. In Rachmaninov’s “Vespers” “Bless the Lord, O My Soul,” 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 stern, 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 Kyiv chant choir is soulfully 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.