The Choir directed by of
one of the few masters and experts of ancient Russian “pre-Schismal” singing
was established by Anatoli Grindenko in 1983 in the Trinity Lavra of St.
Sergius.last two centuries, while a huge cultural layer, no less significant for the world
culture than ancie In 1985, with the blessing of Metropolitan Pitirim of Volokolamsk and
Kolomna, it was reorganized into the Choir of the Publishing Department of the
Moscow Patriarchate, composed of the singers of Moscow churches. The Chamber
Choir “Drevnerussky Raspev” is a kind of creative laboratory where scientists
and performers work together.
According to the world media,
the Choir has totally changed the way people think of Russian music. Before,
it was only based on the achievements of the Russian composers’ school of the
nt Russian painting, fell between the cracks.
Anatoli
Grindenko, Founder and Art Director of the Male Choir “Drevnerussky Raspev”, graduated
from Moscow State Conservatory where he learned ancient Russian znamenny
chants. Time and again, Anatoli Grindenko took part in folklore and
archeological expeditions in the south and north of Russia, got to know various
Old Believer traditions, took part in expeditions to Cappadocia and Egypt,
studied canonical iconography, and collected lots of iconographic material. Through
the Anatoli Grindenko’s creative experience, talent and deep knowledge of the
ancient Russian singing tradition, the Choir “Drevnerussky Raspev” has become
on the leading national singing groups in the field of performing Russian
church music.
The group
and its Director are primarily aimed at restoring the ‘alphabet’ that would allow
to understand the language of the whole ancient Russian art. “Our concerts are similar
to missionary work. It is rather meetings, talks and communal praying,” Anatoli
Grindenko said.
In its
concert programs, the Choir shows a brilliant mastery of various performing
styles from pre-Schismal and “Venetian” styles, which existed in the Ancient
Rus in the 17th century, and early “Russian baroque” of the 18th
century, to pieces of Russian classical music of the 19th and 20th
centuries and Russian folk songs.