Yurlov State Academic Chorus Chorus/Choir   

Founded in 1919 as the State Republican A Cappella Chorus, The Yurlov State Academic Chorus is one of the oldest and most respected choral ensembles in Russia. The ensemble gained international recognition in 1958, when Professor Alexander A. Yurlov, a People's Artist of Russia, became its Artistic Director. Yurlov aspired to extend the range and repertoire of the chorus, as well as ground its performances on the centuries-old Russian choral tradition: pure and harmonious sound, huge sound range, and passionate interpretation.

During his 15-years as Artistic Director, Yurlov helped to bring many neglected Russian choral masterpieces of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries to an international audience; in recognition to his invaluable contribution, the ensemble assumed his name.

The Yurlov Academic Chorus is noted for its performance of ancient Russian Orthodox chants, as well as Baroque and Classical choral polyphony by such native composers as Diletsky, Titov, Kalashnikov, Vedel, Beresovsky, and Bortnyansky - and particularly those working during the reign of Peter the Great (r. 1672-1726). The Yurlov Academic Chorus was instrumental in reviving the lost treasures of Russian choral music tradition, and restoring them to the mainstream of Russian culture.

In 1981, the direction of the ensemble was passed to People's Artist of Russia, Professor Stanislav Gusev. A graduate from the Moscow Conservatory, Gusev worked as a choral conductor with the Bolshoi Theater for ten years prior to joining the Yurlov Academic Chorus.

Although the ensemble's core repertoire remains the Russian spiritual music of the 16th-18th centuries, it also performs vocal and symphonic compositions by Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Mozart, Verdi, Berlioz, Liszt, Mahler, Schubert, Dvorak, and Britten, among many others. The ensemble has performed throughout Russia, and has made concert tours to Poland, Bulgaria, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Japan, Greece, Austria, and elsewhere. In 1992, the Chorus participated in the prestigious Virtuosos of the World Festival in France.

The Yurlov Academic Chorus has recorded more than twenty CDs, six of which have won international awards.

The "Forum" Theater Orchestra was founded in 1989 by conductor Mikhail Yurovski, who also serves as its Artistic Director. Mr. Yurovski was born in Moscow in 1945, into a family of musicians. After completing his studies in conducting, theory, and music history at the Moscow Conservatory, he began his professional career, in 1970, as the assistant conductor to Maestro Gennadi Rozhdestvensky at the Moscow Radio Orchestra. In 1972, Mr. Yurovski became conductor of the Stanislavsky Theater, where he remained until 1989. In addition to his work with the "Forum" Theater Orchestra, Mr. Yurovski has been guest conductor to the East Berlin Komische Oper, the Semperoper in Dresden, and the Deutsche Oper in Berlin. In all he has conducted over fifty operas and ballets, with particular emphasis on the contemporary opera repertory; he has conducted the premiers of such operas as Bortniansky's Quintus Fabius, Knaifel's The Canterville Ghost, Dennisov's The Four Maidens, and Henze's Ondine. He has undertaken tours of Germany, Bulgaria, Poland, Holland, Portugal, Turkey, and Japan.

The Classical Archives is delighted to feature the "Forum" Theater Orchestra's 1990 recording of Rimsky-Korsakov's little-known opera Christmas Eve. The opera is based on the short story of the same name by famed Ukranian author, Nikolai Gogol - novelist, playwright, satirist, and founder of so-called critical realism in Russian literature. Both Tchaikovsky and Mussorgsky were likewise drawn to the material of Gogol's story, with its blend of popular fantasy, tenderness, and farce, as well as its predilection for Slavic myths, gods, and diabolism. Rimsky-Korsakov was so taken with the subject matter that he himself wrote the libretto to Christmas Eve. The opera was premiered at the Maryinsky Theater in St. Petersburg on November 28, 1895. A subtle political element within the libretto - namely, the inclusion of a minor character, the Czarina, with recognizable similarities to Catherine II - was enough to create tension between the composer and the imperial family, in turn contributing to opera's short run.

The story of Christmas Eve, with its deep links to Ukranian folk culture, inspired Rimsky-Korsakov to produce some of his most delightful music. The opera makes abundant use of the Leitmotiv technique for principal characters, some of whose themes stem from Ukrainian folk songs. As in Rimsky-Korsakov's other operas, the orchestra itself takes a leading role, with several extended entr'actes, acting as orchestral "commentary" on the action or leading characters. The mix of natural and supernatural themes in the story allows the composer to indulge in both diatonic and chromatic writing - including elaborate use of the tritone (the "diabolus in musica") in association with the character of the Devil. Although the opera shows some indebtedness to his fellow Russian composers, Tchaikovsky and especially Mussorgsky (e.g. his opera Sorochintsy Fair), Christmas Eve is a masterful expression of Rimsky-Korsakov's own rich aesthetic, brilliant orchestration, and musical inventiveness.

To improve the listening experience, we here provide a brief synopsis of Christmas Eve.

Reviews

"The Russians are superb! It was one of the best a cappella performances we have ever heard, and the chorus sounded like a well-balanced and highly disciplined orchestra. Each vocal part was clearly heard, hence the overall impression of a fine stereo recording."

Portsmouth News, Great Britain

"The chorus made a profound impression with its rich tone, technical proficiency, and fine singing - it sounded like a big symphony orchestra. In their third visit to the city, the Yurlov Academic Chorus captivated its audience with its immaculate style and the glowing beauty of Russian and Soviet music."

Pomorska, Poland

"For the past several years, the Yurlov Academic Chorus has been led by People's Artist of the Russian Federation, Stanislav Gusev, a sensitive and highly emotional musician, who has full command of all the secrets of his profession."

"Particularly impressive are the rich Russian basses, a coveted dream of any chorus and conductor, and the fact that each chorus member - a gifted singer in his own right - does not stand out as an individual, but rather becomes part of the overall balance, creating an organ-like sound."

Silistrinska Tribuna, Bulgaria