Edito de The Powers of HeavenFor their second recording together, Paul Hillier leads the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir in The Powers of Heaven - a selection of deeply moving sacred choral masterworks from the Slavic tradition. When Peter the Great moved the capital of the Russian empire westward from Moscow to St. Petersburg in the early 18th century, he simultaneously initiated a westernization of Russian culture. His policies led to the practice of importing foreign composers, among them Baldassare Galuppi, who adapted his Venetian manner of florid vocal writing, balanced phrases, and light imitative counterpoint to Slavonic texts and the a cappella medium, which had been flourishing in the Orthodox Church, where no musical instruments were allowed. Galuppi?s Italo-Slavic style was further developed by Giuseppe Sarti and reached new heights in the sacred choral concerto genre brought to its peak by Dmitry Bortniansky. Bortniansky?s sublime setting of The Cherubic Hymn is one of the summits of orthodox liturgy. The early Orthodox polyphony exemplified on The Powers of Heaven represents more than a shrewd adaptation of Western concertato techniques. It embodies a hope for spiritual salvation which, Orthodox Slavs believe, may best be realized through the act of singing. Lire la suite