Orthodox Sacred Music Reference Library
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Smolensky, Stepan
SMOLENSKY, Stepan Vasil’yevich (b. 8 [20] October 1848, Kazan’; d. 20 July [2 August] 1909, Vasil’sursk) — trained as a lawyer and a teacher of history, studied music on his own; directed a church choir in Kazan and studied ancient chant with the Old Ritualists. From 1889 through 1901 served as Director of the Moscow Synodal School of Church Singing and professor of the Moscow Conservatory in Russian church singing. In 1901–03 was Director of the Imperial Court Chapel in St. Petersburg. In 1907 founded the Precentors’ School in St. Petersburg — the first institution in Russia for preparing choral conductors with open admissions. Author of numerous monographs and articles in the history and theory of Russian church singing. Was responsible for assembling a vast collection of ancient Russian musical manuscripts (now at the State Historical Museum in Moscow). As a composer of sacred music, Smolensky composed relatively little: a Memorial Service for male chorus, “Litanies” and the “Paschal Stichera” in znamenny chant, “Khvalite imia Gospodne” [“Praise the name of the Lord”] and “Kto Bog velii?” [“Who is so great a God?”] (all published privately); he also compiled a number of simple arrangements of common hymns for male chorus. Of much greater significance is Smolensky’s influence on performance and compositional activity in the field of Russian church music. The reforms he carried out at the Moscow Synodal School established the Synodal Choir on the highest artistic level and stimulated a number of composers to write works for the church, using ancient chants and indigineously Russian musical elements (e.g., counter-voice polyphony, a variable texture, modal harmony). Smolensky’s followers — Alexander Kastalsky, Alexander Grechaninov, Pavel Chesnokov, Alexander Nikolsky, and others — created an entirely new direction in Russian church music at the turn of the 20th c.
22 results found
Blessed be the name of the Lord
N.O.N.
Dismissal sentence
S(div)AT(div)B
n.p. no # 1904
First printed edition
2
Sm008
The Little Litany
N.O.N.
[Znamenny Chant]
Gospodi, pomilui
S(div)AT(div)B
n.p. no # 1904
First printed edition
1
Sm004
The Great Litany
N.O.N.
[Znamenny Chant]
Gospodi, pomilui
S(div)AT(div)B
n.p. no # 1904
First printed edition
2
Sm003
The Main Hymns of Divine Liturgy, the Prayer Service, the Memorial Service, and the All-Night Vigil, arranged for a choir of men's voices by S. V. Smolenskii. Volume 1. Hymns of the Divine Liturgy
TTBB
St. Petersburg: Prilozhenie k zhurnalu "TSerkovnyie vedomosti, izdavaemyie pri Sviateishem Sinode", 1893
First printed edition
49
Sm020-Sb
The Main Hymns of Divine Liturgy, the Prayer Service, the Memorial Service, and the All-Night Vigil, arranged for a choir of men's voices by S. V. Smolenskii. Volume II. The Order of the Prayer Service of Thanksgiving and the Memorial Service
TTBB
St. Petersburg: Prilozhenie k zhurnalu "TSerkovnyie vedomosti, izdavaemyie pri Sviateishem Sinode", 1893
First printed edition
34
Sm021-Sb
The Main Hymns of Divine Liturgy, the Prayer Service, the Memorial Service, and the All-Night Vigil, arranged for a choir of men's voices by S. V. Smolenskii. Volume III. Hymns of the All-Night Vigil
TTBB
St. Petersburg: Prilozhenie k zhurnalu "TSerkovnyie vedomosti, izdavaemyie pri Sviateishem Sinode", 1893
First printed edition
148
Sm022-Sb
Praise the name of the Lord
N.O.N.
Ancient Chant
Polyeleion
Ps. 134[135]:1,21; 135[136]:1,26
S(div)AT(div)B
n.p. no # 1904
First printed edition
4
Sm002
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit
N.O.N.
[Znamenny Chant]
Response after the Peace
S(div)AT(div)B
n.p. no # 1904
First printed edition
1
Sm007
Panikhida na temy iz drevnikh rospevov, dlia khora muzhskikh golosov
Memorial Service on melodies of early chants for Male Chorus
N.O.N.
TTBB
St. Petersburg: Energiia, 1905
First printed edition
17
Sm009-Sm017
The Litany of Supplication
N.O.N.
[Znamenny Chant]
Podai, Gospodi
S(div)AT(div)B
n.p. no # 1904
First printed edition
2
Sm006