Orthodox Sacred Music Reference Library

Lvov, Aleksei

Alekseilvov

LVOV, Aleksei Fyodorovich (b. 25 May [5 June] 1798, Revel, today Tallin, Estonia; d. 16 [28] December 1870, estate of Roman’, near Kovno, today Kaunas, Lithuania) — began his career as a military engineer, while continuing to play the violin, which he had studied from childhood. In 1833 gained fame as the composer of the national anthem “God, Save the Tsar”; in 1834 was appointed as personal adjutant to Emperor Nicholas I. From 1837 through 1861, served as Director of the Imperial Court Chapel. As Director of the Chapel, Lvov had a marked effect on the direction of church singing in Russia. Enforcing the Imperial Decree of 1816, according to which only works approved by the Director of the Chapel could be performed at divine services, Lvov exercised strict control over the repertoire of church choirs in Russia. Under his administration, precentors’ courses were established at the Imperial Chapel, as well as a system of examinations and ranks for church precentors; each diocese in the Russian Empire was required to send candidates for training. Lvov also supervised the compilation and arrangement in four-part harmony of the Obikhod notnovo peniya [Common book of musical singing], which later came to be required throughout the entire country. In his theoretical work O svobodnom ili nesimmetrichnom ritme [Concerning free or unsymmetrical rhythm] (1858), Lvov was the first among Russian musicians to identify theoretically the possibility in choral music of rhythm determined by verbal accents rather than by a regular meter. Lvov’s compositional output bears a strong influence of the Italianate style and in particular, of early German Romanticism. In the field of church music, in addition to the Obikhod and a number of simple harmonizations of various common chants, he composed 48 works (publ. by A. Gutheil): of these 17 are composed in free rhythm, but only five are chant arrangements; 15 works have the character of “miniature” sacred concertos, while four are large-scale, multi-movement sacred concertos. In Lvov’s works the harmony, replete with chromaticism, has a marked predominance over melody.

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Lv008

Arkhangel'skii glas

With the voice of the Archangel

S.Op. 8

Magnification for the Annunciation

First printed edition

2

Lv008

Lv001

Blagoslovi, dushe moia, Gospoda

Bless the Lord, O my soul

S.Op. 1

Russian Greek Chant

Introductory Psalm

Ps. 103[104]:1, 6, 10, 24

SATB

First printed edition

4

Lv001

Lv027

Da ispravitsia molitva moia [No. 1]

Let my prayer arise

S.Op. 21

Kievan Chant

Prokeimenon at Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts

Ps. 140[141]:2-4

SSA Trio and SATB Chorus

A. Gutheil #A.377921 G. 1887

First printed edition

2

Lv027

Lv028

Da ispravitsia molitva moia No. 2

Let my prayer arise

S.Op. 22

Prokeimenon at Liturgy of Pre-Sanctified Gifts

Ps. 140[141]:2-4

SSA Trio and SSATB Chorus

A. Gutheil #A.377922 G. 1887

First printed edition

6

Lv028

Lv030

Da molchit vsiakaia plot'

Let all mortal flesh keep silent

S.Op. 24

Cherubic Hymn for Holy Saturday

SATB

A. Gutheil #A.377924 G. 1887

First printed edition

3

Lv030

Lv012

Dostoino est' No. 1

It is truly meet

S.Op. 12

First printed edition

3

Lv012

Lv013

Dostoino est' No. 2

It is truly meet

S.Op. 13

First printed edition

3

Lv013

Lv014

Dostoino est' No. 3

It is truly meet

S.Op. 14

[Russian "Greek" Chant]

First printed edition

3

Lv014

Lv042

Glagoly moia vnushi, Gospodi

Give ear to my words, O Lord

S.Op. 36

Sacred concerto

Psalm 5

SATB Soli and SA(div)T(div)B Chorus

A. Gutheil #A.377936 G. 1887

First printed edition

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcMyinnRxvY

12

Lv042

Lv046

Gospodi, vo svete litsa Tvoego poidem... Blagosloven griadyi

O Lord, we will walk in the light of Thy countenance... Blessed is He that comes

S.Op. 40

Communion Hymn for Transfiguration and Hymn at the appearance of the Communion Gifts

Ps. 85[86]:1-2; 7, 10-12, 15-17

SATB-SATB (divisi)

A. Gutheil #A.377940 G.

First printed edition

7

Lv046