Rachmaninov: All-night Vigil, "Vespers"

This is a re-release of an SWRmusic bestseller. The SWR Vokalensemble, for many years counted among the top international ensembles for contemporary music, performs here with its chief conductor Marcus Creed one of the most important works in the a cappella repertoire: Rachmaninoff's All-Night-Vigil op.37. The piece consists of settings of texts taken from the Russian Orthodox All-night vigil ceremony. It has been praised as Rachmaninoff's finest achievement and "the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church.” It was one of Rachmaninoff's two favorite compositions along with The Bells, and the composer requested that its fifth movement (Nunc Dimittis) be sung at his funeral.