# Unknown Choir piece - can anyone help me?



## Stag

Hi There,

I`m new to this forum and i`ve got a question that`s been 'haunting' me for quite some time now.
I accidently stumbled upon this video 



I don`t like this sort of black metal nonsense, but the choir bit in the beginning is quite intriguing and i would really like to know the name and composer.

Can anyone help me out?

Thanx!


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## hreichgott

I don't recognize it but it reminds me of Palestrina.


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## ptr

Try Rachmaninoff's Vesper (All Night Virgil)!

/ptr


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## Norse

It's not from Rach's Vespers, but it does have a Russian church music sound to it, both the music and the choir itself.

I believe Rachmaninov's earlier Liturgy of St John Chrysostom, Op. 31 has more of this simple "chordal chanting", but I don't know that work well enough to say wether it could be it.


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## Guest

I doubt very much it's a piece by Palestrina, as suggested above. Palestrina wrote in Latin for the RC Church, whereas this piece would seem to have a definite Russian Orthodox flavour which is different in character from anything of similar ilk in the RC tradition. 

I don't think it's a piece by Rachmaninoff. It's not from Vespers, and I'm doubtful that it's from St John Chrystostom. I think the piece is of much older vintage than any of Rachmaninoff's works. 

On that reckoning, it could be a piece by the well regarded Ukranian composer Bortniansky (1751-1825), who wrote liturgical music of this general nature for the Orthodox Church. Most of this liturgical music goes by the name of "Sacred Concerto No ..." I believe there are over 30 in total. I only have a few of these concertos and I can't match up exactly the piece in question with anything that I have, but there are strong similarities regards that characteristic droning sound you get with Orthodox liturgical works. 

If you google "Amazon Bortniansky MP3" you'll find samples of the various "sacred concertos" to listen to. Each concerto has three movements, and they're mostly based on a well-known piece of NT biblical text. Click on the left hand side start arrow and you'll hear a short sample. I think you see the strong similarity very quickly.


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## Art Rock

It reminds me of Grechaninov.

Performance (warning - low quality recording)


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## Stag

This goes to everyone in this thread, thanx for all the great tips! I`m gonna check `m out.
Sorry for the late reply, ive been busy.

Cheers!


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