Cherubic Hymn
Heruvimskaya pesn'
by Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov
TTBB - Sheet Music

TTBB choir

SKU: MR.CN-009MC

Heruvimskaya pesn'. Composed by Pavel Grigorievich Chesnokov. Musica Russica #CN 009MC. Published by Musica Russica (MR.CN-009MC).

This is one of Chesnokov's most beautiful settings of the Cherubic Hymn, arranged for men's voices by the composer himself. While this is a relatively early work (the original edition indicates the date of composition1897), it already shows the twentyyearold composer to be a sensitive master of choral sonority. The freely composed setting uses no preexisting chant melodies: indeed the melodic leaps of a third and fourth would not be found in a typical Russian chant, which tends to move stepwise. Some melodic motives, however, are clearly derived from chant and folk song.


(The original mixedchorus version of this piece, cat. No. Cn009, appears on Conspirare's Grammywinning CD The Sacred Spirit of Russia, cat no. C122.)