St. Petersburg State Academic Capella

The St. Petersburg State Academic Capella has its origins in 1479 when, by the decree of Grand Duke Ivan III, the State Choir of Singing Deacons was established in Moscow. It became the first professional choir in Russia and the cradle of Russian choral art. In 1701, the choir was renamed the Court Choir, and on May 16 (27), 1703, it participated in the celebrations marking the foundation of St. Petersburg by Peter I. In 1763, by the decree of Catherine II, the Court Choir was renamed the Imperial Court Chapel.

Throughout different periods, outstanding musicians, composers, and educators worked on enhancing the professional skills of Russia’s main choir, including M.I. Glinka, M.A. Balakirev, N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, D.S. Bortniansky, M.F. Poltoratsky, A.F. Lvov, A.S. Arensky, G.Ya. Lomakin, M.G. Klimov, P.A. Bogdanov, G.A. Dmitrevsky, and others. Currently, the Choir is led by People’s Artist of the USSR Vladislav Chernushenko.

For centuries, the first Russian professional choir has continued to astonish and captivate with its mastery. Robert Schumann wrote in his diary: “The Choir is the most beautiful choir we have ever heard: the basses at times resemble the sounds of an organ, and the sopranos sound magical…”. Ferenc Liszt and Adolphe Adam also spoke enthusiastically about the Court Choir. Hector Berlioz’s impressions are noteworthy: “It seems to me that the choir of the Choir <…> surpasses all similar ones in Europe. Comparing the choral performance of the Sistine Choir in Rome with the performance of these miraculous singers is like contrasting the negligible composition of barely squeaking musicians from a third-rate Italian theater with the orchestra of the Paris Conservatory.” V.V. Stasov wrote: “Where today can you find a choir like the choir of the Imperial Russian Court Choir?… Only with us do we encounter such skill…”.

Even in the 20th century, the Greek conductor Dimitrios Mitropoulos enthusiastically praised the art of the Choir: “…I have not only never heard anything like the performance of the Choir, but I also could not imagine that a choir could sing like that. The Choir is the eighth wonder of the world.” The Swiss press wrote in 1928 after the triumphant tours of the Choir in Europe: “The concert of the Russian State Choir showed examples of choral art that stood at an unreachable height.”

Throughout its existence, the Choir has had a tremendous impact on the development of Russian musical culture and has been a crucial source of musical education in Russia. The artistic performance of the Choir contributed to the formation of traditions in Russian choral art. Through its creative practice, the Choir assisted in the creation of new choral works and served as a significant professional school that nurtured numerous conductors and artists.

Initially, only men sang in the choir, but from the mid-17th century, boys were included. In 1738, by the decree of Empress Anna Ioannovna, the first special school in Glukhov was opened to meet the needs of the Court Choir. In 1740, according to her decree, training of young singers in playing orchestral instruments was introduced. In 1846, regent classes were opened at the Choir to prepare leaders for church choirs.

Being the only artistically and organizationally developed state choir collective, the Court Choir participated in all musical events held in the capital. Court singers were indispensable participants in solemn festivities, assemblies, and masquerades. From the 1730s, the Court Choir was involved in the productions of the Court Theater. The choir produced many soloists for the opera stage, widely known in musical circles of their time.

In 1796, Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky became the director of the Choir. Under his leadership, the Imperial Choir Choir gained European fame. Dmitry Stepanovich focused all his attention on improving the choir and composing works for it.

Since its organization in 1802 by the St. Petersburg Philharmonic Society, the Choir has participated in all its concerts. Thanks to the performances of the Choir, the capital was introduced for the first time to outstanding works of classical music, such as Mozart’s Requiem, Beethoven’s Missa solemnis (world premiere), Beethoven’s Mass in C major, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Berlioz’s Requiem, Haydn’s oratorios “The Creation” and “The Seasons,” and others.

From 1837 to 1861, the conductor of the Court Chapel was Alexey Fyodorovich Lvov, the composer of the anthem “God Save the Tsar!” He was a renowned violinist, composer, and an outstanding engineer in transportation. Alexey Lvov, a Major General, Privy Councillor, and close to the imperial family, became an excellent organizer of professional musical education.

On January 1, 1837, at the initiative of the sovereign, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka was appointed as the Kapellmeister of the Court Chapel, serving for three years. A remarkable connoisseur of vocal art, Glinka quickly achieved high results in developing the performing skills of the Court Chapel.

In 1850, Lvov organized the Concert Society at the Court Chapel, which played a significant role in the musical enlightenment of Russia. The Society operated in the concert hall of the Chapel, with its choir consisting of 70 singers and the orchestra of the Imperial Opera.

In 1882, after the establishment of the first Russian symphony orchestra – the Court Music Choir, the formation of the structure of the Imperial Choir as one of the largest global music centers was completed. The Choir included a choir, a symphony orchestra, a music school, instrumental classes, regent classes, and a school of theatrical arts (Shlyakhtensky Corps).

In 1883, Milii Alexeevich Balakirev was appointed as the conductor of the Imperial Choir, and Nikolai Andreevich Rimsky-Korsakov was approved as his assistant. The collaboration of Balakirev and Rimsky-Korsakov for 10 years was an era in the development of performance, educational, and educational work in the Chapel.

After the October Revolution of 1917, regent classes and the Shlyakhtensky Corps were annulled, and later, the symphony orchestra and school (Choral School) were removed from the structure of the Chapel. The choir continued its active concert activities. Significant changes occurred in the choir’s repertoire. The programs of numerous performances of the Chapel from 1917 to 1920 included works by Arensky, Balakirev, Cui, Lyadov, Rimsky-Korsakov, Taneyev, Tchaikovsky, Scriabin, Glazunov. In addition, the choir’s repertoire included the best examples of world classics: Mozart’s Requiem, Handel’s “Samson,” Schumann’s “Paradise and the Peri,” Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mass, a cappella choirs by Schubert and Mendelssohn, etc. The Chapel’s repertoire also featured Russian folk and revolutionary songs.

In 1921, the Petrograd State Philharmonic was founded based on the Court Choir and orchestra. In 1922, the choir was separated into an independent organization, and the entire educational and production complex, consisting of the choir, choral technical school, and choral school, was renamed the State Chapel, and later the Academic Chapel.

In 1920, for the first time, a group of 20 female voices was included in the Chapel Choir, and in 1923, girls were admitted to the choir school for the first time.

The highest creative achievements of the Chapel in the first half of the 20th century are largely associated with the names of outstanding choir directors and educators – Mikhail Klimov and Pallady Bogdanov. In 1928, under Klimov’s leadership, the Chapel went on a major concert tour of Western European countries: Latvia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy. The choir’s tours were exceptionally successful.

The Great Patriotic War changed the nature of the Chapel’s activities. Some choir members went to the front, and the remaining composition of the Chapel and its choir school were evacuated to the Kirov region. Under the direction of the chief conductor Elizaveta Kudryavtseva, the Chapel gave 545 concerts in military units, hospitals, factories, and concert halls in many cities.

In 1943, Georgy Dmitrevsky, one of the greatest Soviet choir directors, was appointed as the artistic director of the Chapel. His name is associated with the brilliant revival of the Chapel in the post-war years.

The last decades have been marked by a new rise in the performing and concert life of the Chapel. In 1974, Vladislav Chernushenko became the artistic director and chief conductor of the Chapel. From this time, the revival of the historical traditions of Russia’s oldest choir began.

The Chapel carefully preserves and restores the “golden fund” of its classical repertoire. Through the efforts of Vladislav Chernushenko and the Chapel, a valuable layer of the national culture – the works of Russian sacred music – has been brought back to life. In 1982, for the first time in over half a century, Rachmaninoff’s “All-Night Vigil” was performed. Spiritual compositions by Grechaninov, Bortnyansky, Arkhangelsky, Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Chesnokov, Berezovsky, Vedel were once again heard. Part concerts of the 17th-18th centuries, cantatas from the Petrine era, choral arrangements of Russian folk songs vividly demonstrate the beauty and richness of Russian choral culture. The Chapel’s repertoire also includes works by contemporary composers.

Throughout its centuries-old history, the Chapel has been an ensemble that, with equal skill, performed both a cappella choir works and large oratorio-cantata compositions with orchestral accompaniment. This wide range defines the creative face of the Chapel today. With the recreation of the symphony orchestra in 1991, large vocal-symphonic works, such as Mozart’s Requiem and Great Mass, Bach’s Magnificat and Mass in B minor, Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony and Mass in D major, Verdi’s Requiem, Tchaikovsky’s cantatas, Taneyev’s “John Damascene,” Orff’s “Carmina Burana,” and many other works, began to be regularly performed on the Chapel stage.

In working on perfecting the vocal mastery of the choir, the artistic director of the Chapel, Vladislav Chernushenko, attaches great importance to directing the performed works, the compositional completeness of their stage embodiment. Thanks to this, each concert number turns into a vivid artistic canvas in terms of psychological depth and imagery.

The Chapel leads an active concert life, receiving high praise from audiences and the press for performances in many cities in Russia, neighboring countries, Germany, France, Ireland, Spain, Greece, Slovenia, Serbia, Austria, Korea, and the USA. The choir’s performances at international festivals are accompanied by enthusiastic reviews. In November 2001, at the invitation of His Holiness Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Alexy II, the Chapel of St. Petersburg participated in the largest international charity concert “Holy Sites of Russia,” gathering the best creative forces under the arches of the Bolshoi Theatre.

During the Chapel’s tours, foreign media invariably publish reviews in enthusiastic tones, defining its place among the best choral ensembles in the world.

The Chapel of St. Petersburg, preserved during the years of great trials, has confirmed the glory of Russian choral art. Under the leadership of People’s Artist of the USSR Vladislav Chernushenko, the Chapel has been a true guardian of Russian music traditions and a majestic monument to Russian culture for many years.

Source: Committee for Culture of St. Petersburg State Academic Capella