Minin Choir will perform compositions by G. Pergolesi and A. Pyart

The Moscow State Academic Chamber Choir (Minin Choir) and the ensemble of soloists of the State Kremlin Orchestra of the Administration of the President of the Russian Federation present a program of sacred music XVIII and XXI centuries in the space of the State Museum of A. S. Pushkin. The concert on December 17 will feature G. Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater and A. Pärt’s “Lament of Adam”.

The works of Pärt and Pergolesi are united by an appeal to eternal subjects that served as the basis for many great works of world culture, were embodied in music, painting, sculpture, poetry … It is interesting that Pergolesi’s masterpiece is popular today, perhaps almost as much as Mozart’s Requiem: this beautiful music is not only often performed in concerts, but is in demand by world cinema. The oratorio by Arvo Pärt was written to the text of St. Silouan the Athonite and sounds in Russian. One of the most performed contemporary composers in the world, Pärt has repeatedly said that in his music he turned only to those Orthodox texts that touched him to the core.

Pergolesi’s Stabat Mater has been present in the Minin-choir’s repertoire for several decades, while Pärt’s “Adam’s Lament” is relatively recent (the composition itself was written in 2009). Timofei Golberg, artistic director of the group, speaks about the conceptuality of combining this music in the concert program: “Many modern composers have a kind of “couples” in Baroque music. We are talking about spiritual closeness, and about the commonality of techniques, manners of performance. For example, one of these couples is Bach and Schnittke, the other is Pergolesi and Pärt. Both Stabat Mater and “Adam’s Lament” are music that embraces the whole world with its grief, sadness and compassion.”

For the first time, the Ensemble of Soloists of the State Kremlin Orchestra will become a partner of the Minin Choir. The ensemble was created in September 2022 and is the basis of the string group of the State Kremlin Orchestra. The team is a creative community of musicians-performers who have not only rich orchestral experience, but also brilliant qualities of ensemble soloists. The repertoire of the ensemble of soloists under the direction of Konstantin Kaznacheev includes over 30 concert programs of different genres and eras. The artistic director and chief conductor of the orchestra is Konstantin Chudovsky. The head of the ensemble is the concertmaster of the orchestra Konstantin Kaznacheev.

Conductor – Timofey Golberg.

Press service of the Minin-choir