SPIRITUAL REVIVAL CHOIR OF RUSSIA
Serene Ecstasy (Delos)
Reviewed by Holly Day

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Every time I listen to something I got from Delos, one of my first thoughts is: "I love this label!" Everything I get from them is amazingly recorded, to the point where classical music sounds wonderful even on my pitiful stereo system, and even more amazing on a good hi-fi. Not only does music from Delos sound good, the material they chose to record and release is top quality, passionate, and accessible without coming across like so much of the homogenous muck that passes for classical music nowadays. This collection of a capella religious music is no exception. Directed by composer/conductor Lev Kontorovich and using arrangements from Tchaikovsky, Chesnokov, and some contemporary composers as well, the Spiritual Revival Choir of Russia chronicles the sorrowful and joyful past of the Russian Orthodox Church through song. Founded as recently as after the end of the Soviet era in 1992, this relatively-new choir is obviously reveling at the opportunity to sing these songs in a public forum again, and the joy in these pieces is almost palpable.

© 2001 - Holly Day