In 1978, the Melodiya released the album "The Russian Part Song Concert." The vocal music of the 17th-18th centuries was performed by the Moscow Chamber Choir under the direction of Vladimir Minin. The recording emerged during a time in the USSR when there was a growing interest in ancient Russian music, and it became part of the repertoire of academic ensembles. It is now available in digital format.
The part song concert, a style of polyphonic choral music, spread in the second half of the 17th century. The compositions often used texts from church services and were closely connected to the tradition of Russian sacred music.
The pieces, written from the second half of the 17th century to the 18th century, showcase the development of the Russian part song concert. From piece to piece, the internal dramaturgy changes: from the development of a single image in the early works of anonymous authors to the contrasting musical themes in the final chorus of Dmitry Bortnyansky’s "Why Are You Downcast, O My Soul." The album reflects the unique nature of choral music of that time: relying on traditional texts, composers conveyed vivid human emotions. The Christmas sticheron "Rejoice, O Righteous," the small concert "Who Shall Separate Us," "Universal Glory," "Unwedded Virgin," and the concert "Today Christ" reveal the emotional world of a person from the 17th-18th centuries.
The Moscow Chamber Choir, led by Vladimir Minin, was founded in 1972. The ensemble was called a "group of enthusiasts" and a "group of soloists" – former students and choir singing enthusiasts who were bright artistic individuals. In their work, the choir followed the style of past centuries, and their main repertoire consisted of folk songs, Russian chants, and compositions from the 17th-19th centuries.
