[Rachmaninov]《徹夜晚禱(All-Night Vigil)》

Serge Rachmaninoff - Vespers - All-Night Vigil.
Olga Borodina, mezzo-soprano.
Vladimir Mostowoy, tenor.
St. Petersburg Chamber Choir.
Nikolai Korniev.
The All-Night Vigil (Russian: Всенощное бдение, Vsenoshchnoe bdenie), Opus 37, is an a cappella choral composition by Sergei Rachmaninoff, written and premiered in 1915. It consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff's finest achievement and "the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church". It was one of Rachmaninoff's two favorite compositions along with The Bells, and the composer requested that one of its movements (the fifth) be sung at his funeral. The title of the work is often translated as simply Vespers, which is both literally and conceptually incorrect as applied to the entire work: only the first six of its fifteen movements set texts from the Russian Orthodox canonical hour of Vespers.
Rachmaninoff composed the All-Night Vigil in less than two weeks in January and February 1915. The first performance was given in Moscow on March 10 of that year, partly to benefit the Russian war effort. Nikolai Danilin conducted the all-male Moscow Synodal Choir at the premiere. It was received warmly by critics and audiences alike, and was so successful that it was performed five more times within a month. However the Russian Revolution of 1917 and the rise of the Soviet Union led to a ban on performances of all religious music, and on 22 July 1918 the Synodal Choir was replaced by a nonreligious "People's Choir Academy". It has been written that "no composition represents the end of an era so clearly as this liturgical work"
1. Приидите, поклонимся
Priidite, Poklonimsya
Come, Let Us Worship
2. Благослови, душе моя (греческого роспева)
Blagoslovi, Dushe Moya
Praise the Lord, O My Soul (Greek Chant)
3. Блажен муж
Blazhen Muzh
Blessed is the Man
4. Свете тихий (киевского роспева)
Svete Tikhyi
O Gentle Light (Kiev Chant)
5. Ныне отпущаеши (киевского роспева)
Nyne Otpushchayeshi
Lord, Now Lettest Thou (Nunc Dimittis) (Kiev Chant)

6. Богородице Дево, радуйся
Bogoroditsye Devo, Raduisya
Rejoice, O Virgin (Hail Mary (Ave Maria))

7. Шестопсалмие
(alternate: Slava V Vyshnikh Bogu)
The Six Psalms (alternate: Glory To God in the Highest)

8. Хвалите имя Господне (знаменного роспева)
Khvalite Imya Gospodne
Praise the Name of the Lord (Znamenny Chant)

9. Благословен еси Господи (знаменного роспева)
Blagosloven Yesi, Gospodi
Blessed Art Thou, O Lord (Znamenny Chant)

10. Воскресение Христово видевше
Voskreseniye Khristovo Videvshe
Having Beheld the Resurrection
11. Величит душа моя Господа
Velichit Dusha Moya Gospoda
My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord (Magnificat)
12. Славословие великое (знаменного роспева)
(alternate: Slava V Vyshnikh Bogu)
The Great Doxology (Znamenny Chant) (alternate: Glory to God in the Highest)

13. Тропарь: Днесь спасение (знаменного роспева)
Dnes Spaseniye Miru Byst
Troparion: Today Salvation is Come (Znamenny Chant)

14. Тропарь: Воскрес из гроба (знаменного роспева)
Voskres Iz Groba
Troparion: Thou Didst Rise from the Tomb (Znamenny Chant)

15. Взбранной Воеводе (греческого роспева)
Vzbrannoy Voyevode
O Queen Victorious (Greek Chant)

拉赫瑪尼諾夫雖以浪漫鋼琴作品聞名於世，卻表示他自己最鍾愛的樂曲是兩部聲樂曲目《晚禱》(Vespers,又稱守夜) 和《小鍾》，並曾指定在其葬禮演唱《晚禱》的第五段“主，讓你的仆人平靜離去”來作為葬禮悼念音樂。
　　無伴奏大型合唱曲《晚禱》是1915年在世局動蕩的氛圍下以兩周時間寫成，內容依循曆史可以追溯到拜占庭時代的俄羅斯東正教儀軌(按照該教習俗，星期天深夜，信徒們聚集在一起舉行徹夜連續的祈禱活動All-Night Vigil，直至第二天清晨)，前六首為《晚禱》，後八首為《晨禱》，其中十曲取材俄羅斯傳統宗教頌歌，另外五曲則為自由創作。全曲充滿藝術化的筆觸，代表著拉赫瑪尼諾夫最華麗的成就之一。(http://www.verycd.com/topics/278378/)