Orthodox Sacred Music Reference Library
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Gretchaninoff, Alexander
GRETCHANINOFF, Alexandre Tikhonovich (b. 13 [25] October, 1864, Moscow; d. 4 January, 1956, New York) — studied at the Moscow Conservatory (1881-1890) and the St. Petersburg Conservatory (1890- 1893), which he completed in composition as a student of Rimsky-Korsakov. Collaborated with various choral ensembles, including Melnikov’s Choir in St. Petersburg, the Moscow Synodal Choir and Vasilyev’s Choir in Moscow, which premiered his numerous choral compositions. Also worked in the fields of theater music, children’s music, and musical ethnography. Toured in Russia and abroad as a pianist, accompanist, and conductor. In 1925 emigrated to Paris, where he lived until 1939, when he moved to New York. Gretchaninoff composed several operas, symphonic and chamber music, as well as numerous solo songs, children’s songs and choruses, choral part songs and arrangements of folk songs for chorus. On texts from the Russian Orthodox liturgy, he composed four settings of the Divine Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, an All-Night Vigil, and a cycle of hymns from Passion Week, as well as approximately 20 shorter works. He also composed several settings of the Latin Mass and several Latin motets, some of which remain in manuscript. Early in his musical career, Gretchaninoff came under the influence of Stepan Smolensky, Director of the Moscow Synodal School of Church Music and leader of the movement to return Russian church music to its roots in ancient ecclesiastical chant and the choral folk song. Although Gretchaninoff tended not to use actual chants in his sacred works, he frequently devised new chant-like melodies. Together with other composers working at the Moscow Synodal School (e. g., Kastalsky, Chesnokov, Nikolsky), he used a rich palette of choral textures, ranging from stark unison (sometimes doubled in two or three octaves, reminiscent of Old Believers’ singing) to “choral symphonism” in eight to twelve diverse parts. In a quest to expand his expressive resources, in 1917 he made a major break with tradition by including instruments in his third setting of the Divine Liturgy, the Liturgia domestica, opus 79. No other composers have followed Gretchaninoff’s lead, however: to date this work remains the only setting of a text from the Russian Orthodox liturgy with instrumental accompaniment.
117 results found
Blagoslovi, dushe moia, Gospoda
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Op. 23, No. 1
Introductory Psalm
Ps. 103 [104]:1,6,10,19-20,22-23,33
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #26532 1901
First printed edition
8
Gr020
It Is Truly Meet
Op. 80, No. 1
Common Chant T.8
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
M. Gutheil, 1918
Not found
Gr086
2
No. 2 - Antifony (Antiphons) Blagoslovi, dushe moia, Gospoda
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Op. 79, No. 2
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
4
Gr071
3
No. 2a - Khvali, dushe moia, Gospoda
Praise the Lord, O my soul
[Op. 79, No. 2a]
Second Antiphon
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
3
Gr072
4
No. 3 - Slava... Edinorodnyi Syne
Glory... Only-begotten Son
Op. 79, No. 3
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
4
Gr073
6
No. 5 - Posle chteniia Apostola
After the Epistle reading
Op. 79, No. 5
S(div)AT(div)B(div)
1
Gr075
8
No. 7 - Zaupokoinaia i drugie ektenii
Litany for the departed and other litanies
Op. 79, No. 7
SA(div)T(div)B(div) and Bass Solo
4
Gr077
10
No. 9 - Posle Kheruvimskoi pesni
After the Cherubic Hymn
Op. 79, No. 9
S(div)AT(div)B(div)
3
Gr079
15
No. 14 - Khvalite Gospoda s nebes
Praise the Lord from the heavens
Op. 79, No. 14
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div) and Tenor Solo
9
Gr084
Liturgiia Sv. Ioanna Zlatousta No. 4; Novyi Obikhod
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom No. 4: A New Version of the Common Hymns
Op. 177
Selected hymns from the Divine Liturgy
San Francisco R Club, Chapter 140 of the Federated Russian Orthodox Clubs of America, 1950
First printed edition
Contains the composer's inscription on the front page to Ivan. A. Gardner, New York 1953
42
Gr098-113
2
No. 2 - Antifony - Blagoslovi, dushe moia, Gospoda
Antiphons - Bless the Lord, O my soul
Op. 177, No. 2
SATB
3
Gr099
6
No. 3a - Gospodi, spasi... i Trisviatoe
O Lord, save... and the Trisagion
[Op. 177, No. 3a]
SATB
3
Gr103
10
No. 7 - Ektenii posle Kheruvimskoi pesni
Litanies after the Cherubic Hymn
Op. 177, No. 7
SATB
3
Gr107
Liturgiia Sv. Ioanna Zlatoustago [No. 1]
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom [No. 1]
Op. 13
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
First printed edition
62
Gr001-017
2
No. 2 - Antifony - Blagoslovi, dushe moia, Gospoda
Antiphons - Bless the Lord, O my soul
Op. 13, No. 2
SATB
2
Gr002
3
No. 2a - Slava... Edinorodnyi Syne
Glory... Only Begotten Son
[Op. 13, No. 2a]
SA(div)T(div)B(div)
3
Gr003
8
No. 5 - Posle chteniia Evangeliia
After the Gospel reading
Op. 13, No. 5
SA(div)T(div)B(div)
3
Gr008
16
No. 12 - Khvalite Gospoda s nebes
Praise the Lord from the heavens
Op. 13, No. 12
Communion Hymn for Sundays
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
5
Gr016
Liturgiia Sv. Ioanna Zlatoustago No. 2
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom No. 2
Op. 29
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #28311-28323
First printed edition
91
Gr023-039
2
No. 2 - Antifony - Blagoslovi, dushe moia, Gospoda
Antiphons- Bless the Lord, O my soul
Op. 29, No. 2
Common [Russian Greek] chant
Ps. 102[103]:1-2
S(div)AT(div)B
2
Gr024
3
No. 2a - Khvali, dushe moia, Gospoda
Praise the Lord, O my soul
[Op. 29, No. 2a]
Common [Russian Greek] chant
Second Antiphon
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
2
Gr025
4
No. 2b - Slava... Edinorodnyi Syne
Glory... Only Begotten Son
[Op. 29, No. 2b]
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
5
Gr026
8
No. 4 - Posle chteniia Apostola
After the Epistle reading
Op. 29, No. 4
SA(div)T(div)B(div)
1
Gr030
9
No. 5 - Posle chteniia Evangeliia
After the Gospel reading
Op. 29, No. 5
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
5
Gr031
5
No. 5 - Da ispravitsia molitva moia
Let my prayer arise
Op. 58, No. 5
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div), SSAA semi-chorus, and Tenor Solo
9
Gr048
8
No. 8 - Razboinika blagorazumnago
The wise thief
Op. 58, No. 8
PJu #36038 n.d.
SATB-SATB (divisi)
6
Gr051
10
No. 10 - Bog Gospod'... i Blagoobraznyi Iosif
God is the Lord... and The Noble Joseph
Op. 58, No. 10
Bulgarian Chant
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
4
Gr053
14
No. 13 - Da molchit vsiakaia plot'
Let all mortal flesh keep silent
Op. 58, No. 13
SATB-SATB (divisi) and Alto Solo
12
Gr057
The Lord's Prayer No. 2, in A flat
Op. 107, No. 3
The Lord's Prayer
SAT(div)B(div) and Soprano Solo
G. Schirmer #7607 1932
First printed edition
authorized edition with English text; in collaboration with Carl Deis
4
Gr095
The Lord's Prayer; Pater noster
[Op. 107, No. 1]
The Lord's Prayer
S(div)AT(div)B(div) and Alto Solo
G. Schirmer #7393 1930
First printed edition
Russian language version: n.p. n.d. 2 pp. (Identified as Op. 107, No. 2) authorized edition with English text; adapted and revised by Carl Engel
4
Gr093
1
No. 1 - Blagoslovi, dushe moia, Gospoda
Bless the Lord, O my soul
Op. 59, No. 1
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div) and SSAA semi-chorus
9
Gr058
5
No. 5 - Khvalite imia Gospodne
Praise the name of the Lord
Op. 59, No. 5
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div) and SSAA semi-chorus
10
Gr062
6
No. 6 - Voskresnye tropari (Blagosloven esi, Gospodi)
Resurrectional troparia (Blessed art Thou, O Lord)
Op. 59, No. 6
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
8
Gr063
8
No. 8 - Voskresenie Khristovo videvshe
Having beheld the Resurrection of Christ
Op. 59, No. 8
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
6
Gr065