Orthodox Sacred Music Reference Library
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Kompaneisky, Nikolai
KOMPANEISKY, Nikolai Ivanovich (b. 1848, Priyutino, nr. Taganrog; d. 17 [30] March 1910, St. Petersburg) — studied at the Nikolayevsk Cavalry School; took lessons in cello and music theory, studied vocal technique with the outstanding opera singer Osip Petrov. Was friends with the leading composers of the nascent Russian nationalist school, Alexander Dargomyzhsky, Modest Musorgsky, Alexander Serov and others, under whose influence he wrote two operas on national themes: Taras Bulba and May Night (which he subsequently burned); his other secular works — a symphony, romances — have not survived either. With the rise in the 1890s of the «New Direction» in Russian Orthodox sacred music, K. began to compose arrangements of church chants and write extensively as a musical critic and publicist (in such magazines as Russkaia muzykal'naia gazeta, Muzyka i penie, et al.) on topics related to church singing. Together with Archpriest Mikhail Lisitsyn, Semyon Panchenko, and Nikolai Cherepnin, K. comprised the St. Petersburg contingent of the New Direction.
Kompaneisky was an advocate of an unadulterated “Old Russian” style in church composition. The guiding principle of his chant arrangements was not so much the “harmonization” of church melodies, in which the top voice is underpinned with subordinate parts that lack independent interest, but rather the contrapuntal combination of characteristic melodic elements — “chantlets” (povevki) that comprise a given church chant. His works possess a churchly quality, are expressive, and display a close correlation between music and text; and while at times they may lack technical polish, this was a fact that the composer himself unapologetically admitted. Among the techniques one frequently encounters in his arrangements are elements (such as voice leading and unison cadences) consciously borrowed from Russian folk song. In his works K. attempted to introduce what he referred to as a purely Russian, vocal-choral “symphony,” based on counter-voice heterophony, applied to church music. He successfully fought for the uncensored publication of sacred choral works against the claims of the supervisory council of the Moscow Synodal Choir School; after initial difficulties in obtaining permission to publish his works, most of them (over 50) were published by P. Jurgenson. His major sacred works include the Theotokia Dogmatika in znamenny chant (1900–1903) and the Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom, based on Bulgarian chants (1906).
74 results found
Cherubic Hymn
S.Op. 30
Kievan Chant
Izhe kheruvimy
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #33118 n.d.
First printed edition
7
Km057
Cherubic Hymn
S.Op. 2
Kievo-Pechersk Chant
Izhe kheruvimy
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #28570 1903
First printed edition
Defective original
11
Km002
Cherubic Hymn
S.Op. 4
Sofroniev Melody
Izhe kheruvimy
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #28574 1903
First printed edition
8
Km004
Cherubic Hymn
S.Op. 3
Streletsky Melody
Izhe kheruvimy
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #28572 1903
First printed edition
6
Km003
Cherubic Hymn
S.Op. 1
Znamenny [Kievan] Chant
Izhe kheruvimy
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #28568 1903
First printed edition
7
Km001
Christ is risen
[S.Op. 28a]
Troparion of Pascha
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #33112 n.d.
First printed edition
Defective original
3
Km055
Praise the name of the Lord
S.Op. 33
Znamenny Chant (variant)
Polyeleion
Ps. 134[135]:1,21; 135[136]:1,26
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #33220 n.d.
First printed edition
5
Km060
Kondak na Rozhdestvo Khristovo
Kontakion for the Nativity of Christ
S.Op. 10
Russian Greek Chant
Deva dnes'
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
PJu #29152 1903
First printed edition
Defective original
4
Km011
Liturgiia Sv. Ioanna Zlatoustago
Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom
S.Op. 26
Bulgarian Chant
PJu #31947-61 1907
First printed edition
81
Km028-044
3
No. 3 - Tropar' Svv. Kirillu i Mefodiiu
Troparion to SS. Cyril and Methodius
S.Op. 26, No. 3
Bulgarian Chant
SAT(div)B
2
Km030
5
Come, let us worship
[S.Op. 26, No. 4a]
Bulgarian Chant
SAT(div)B(div)
2
Km032
6
The Trisagion Hymn
S.Op. 26, No. 5
Bulgarian Chant
S(div)AT(div)B(div)
2
Km033
7
The Trisagion Hymn
S.Op. 26, No. 6
Bulgarian Chant
S(div)A(div)T(div)B
3
Km034
8
No. 7 - Posle chteniia Apostola
After the Epistle reading
S.Op. 26, No. 7
Bulgarian Chant
SAT(div)B
4
Km035
9
Cherubic Hymn
S.Op. 26, No. 8
Bulgarian Chant
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
7
Km036
10
No. 9 - [Prositel'naia ekteniia] Posle Heruvimskoi pesni
[Litany of Supplication] After the Cherubic Hymn
S.Op. 26, No. 9
3
Km037
11
A mercy of peace
S.Op. 26, No. 10
Bulgarian Chant
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
7
Km038
13
It is truly meet
S.Op. 26, No. 12
Athonite monastery melody
T(div)B(div) and 2 Canonarchs
6
Km040
14
After the Hymn to the Mother of God
S.Op. 26, No. 13
Bulgarian Chant
SAT(div)B(div)
4
Km041
15
Communion Hymn
S.Op. 26, No. 14
Bulgarian Chant
S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)
7
Km042
16
No. 15 - Po iavlenii Sv. Darov
Upon the appearance of the Holy Gifts
S.Op. 26, No. 15
Bulgarian Chant
SAT(div)B
6
Km043
A mercy of peace
S.Op. 40
Bulgarian Chant (variant)
TTBB
PJu #33122 n.d.
First printed edition
4
Km067