Orthodox Sacred Music Reference Library

Kastalsky, Alexander

Alexanderkastalsky
KASTALSKY, Aleksandr Dmitriyevich (b. 16 [28] November 1856, Moscow; d. 17 December 1926, Moscow) — studied theory and composition at the Moscow Conservatory under Tchaikovsky, Taneyev, and Gubert. From 1887 and for most of his career, Kastalsky was closely connected with the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing, initially as a teacher of piano and conducting, from 1891 as assistant conductor (to Vasily Orlov), from 1900 as one of the precentors (of the left choir), and from 1910 as director of the School. From 1918 to 1926, when the Bolsheviks made it impossible for the Synodal School to continue its existence, he tried to salvage it in the form of the “People’s Choral Academy,” which eventually was absorbed into the Moscow Conservatory. Besides being active in church music, Kastalsky throughout his life worked in the field of musical ethnography, studying the characteristics of the Russian folk song, making arrangements of folk songs, and using elements of the latter in his compositions. As a composer, Kastalsky is a seminal figure, who was recognized by his contemporaries as having created a new direction in Russian church music. His followers included Pavel Chesnokov, Alexandre Gretchaninoff, Aleksandr Nikolsky, Viktor Kalinnikov, Constantine Shvedoff, and Sergei Rachmaninoff, among others. In Kastalsky’s sacred works, melodies and individual chant formulas of znamenny and other chants are combined with techniques of counter-voice polyphony, drawn from the Russian choral folk song. The skillful use of these peculiarly Russian elements give Kastalsky’s works a marked national flavor, while the use of church chants link them to ancient traditions of the church-musical aesthetic. Kastalsky’s published sacred works and arrangements number approximately 175 (many published numbers contain several separate titles); there are also a number of unpublished works, primarily comprising arrangements of various pattern melodies (podobnï). Kastalsky also edited the Obikhod Sinodal’novo khora [The Common Book of the Synodal Choir] in 1914. To make the performance of hymns in the so-called “common” chants more meaningful, he compiled the Prakticheskoye rukovodstvo k vïrazitel’nomu peniyu stikhir pri pomoshchi razlichnïkh garmonizatsiy [A practical manual for the expressive singing of stichera with the help of various harmonizations], which selectively applies major and minor harmony in accordance with the meaning and mood of a given liturgical texts.

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Ks156

Khristos voskrese

Christ is risen

S.Op. 77

Troparion of Pascha

SSAA

PJu #38607-23 1917

First printed edition

2

Ks156

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Ks118

Khvalite imia Gospodne No. 1

Praise the name of the Lord

S.Op. 53a

Kievan Chant

Polyeleios

Ps. 134-135

S(div)AT(div)B

V. Grosse #A.42 K. 1904

First printed edition

S.Op. 53b. V. Grosse #A.40 K. Arr. for small SATB chorus and SSAA by the composer.

5

Ks118

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Ks120

Khvalite imia Gospodne No. 2

Praise the name of the Lord

S.Op. 54b

Znamenny Chant

Polyeleios

Ps. 134-135

SATB

V. Grosse #A.41 K. 1905

First printed edition

5

Ks120

Ks119

Khvalite imia Gospodne No. 2

Praise the name of the Lord

S.Op. 54a

Znamenny Chant

Polyeleios

Ps. 134-135

SSATTB

V. Grosse #A.41 K. 1904

First printed edition

3

Ks119

Ks121

Khvalite imia Gospodne No. 3

Praise the name of the Lord

S.Op. 55a

Serbian Chant

Polyeleios

Ps. 134-135

S(div)ATB

V. Grosse #A.44 K. 1905

First printed edition

S.Op. 55b. V. Grosse #A.42 K. Arr. for SSAA by the composer.

3

Ks121

Ks026

Kondak i ikos iz Panihidï

Kontakion and oikos from the Memorial Service

S.Op. 20

Kievan Chant (Kontakion); [Znamenny Chant (Ikos)]

So sviatymi upokoi i Sam edin esi bezsmertnyi

S(div)A(div)T(div)B(div)

V. Grosse #A.13 K. 1898

First printed edition

Defective original

7

Ks026

Ks010

Kondak na Bogoyavleniye Ghospodne

Kontakion for the Theophany of Christ

S.Op. 8b

Znamenny Chant, T.4

Iavilsia esi dnes'

SSATB

V. Grosse #A.7 K. 1898

First printed edition

1

Ks010

Ks125 135

Liturgiia Sv. Ioanna Zlatoustago

Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom

[S.Op. 59]

SSAA

PJu #31023 1905

First printed edition

16

Ks125-135

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Ks125

1

No. 1 - Ekteniia velikaia

Great Litany

[S.Op. 59]

1

Ks125

Ks126

2

No. 2 - Edinorodnyi Syne

Only-begotten Son

[S.Op. 59]

3

Ks126

Ks127

3

No. 3 - Vo tsarstvii Tvoem

In Thy kingdom

[S.Op. 59]

2

Ks127

Ks128

4

No. 4 - Sviatyi Bozhe

Holy God

[S.Op. 59]

1

Ks128

Ks129

5

No. 5 - Ekteniia sugubaia

Augmented Litany

[S.Op. 59]

1

Ks129

Ks130

6

No. 6 - Kheruvimskaia pesn'

Cherubic Hymn

[S.Op. 59]

2

Ks130

Ks131

7

No. 7 - Ekteniia prositel'naia

Litany of Supplication

[S.Op. 59]

1

Ks131

Ks132

8

No. 8 - Milost' mira

A mercy of peace

[S.Op. 59]

3

Ks132

Ks133

9

No. 9 - Dostoino est'

It is truly meet

[S.Op. 59]

2

Ks133

Ks134

10

No. 10 - Otche nash

Our Father

[S.Op. 59]

The Lord's Prayer

2

Ks134

Ks135

11

No. 11 - Vmesto prichastna

In place of the Communion Hymn

[S.Op. 59]

Sacred concerto

3

Ks135

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Ks012

Mnogoletiye

The Many Years

S.Op. 9B

Ancient Chant

At Royal Hours on Eve of Nativity of Christ and Theophany, Cathedral Rite

S(div)AT(div)B

V. Grosse #A.7 K. 1898

First printed edition

1

Ks012

Ks004

Miloserdiya dveri otverzi nam

Open unto us the doors

S.Op. 4

Sacred concerto

Daily evening prayer to the Mother of God

S(div)AT(div)B(div)

V. Grosse #A.4 K. 1897

First printed edition

Defective original

5

Ks004

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