Cappella Romana presents the last major sacred work composed in Russia after the imposition of Communism: Passion Week by Maximilian Steinberg. Born into a Jewish family in Vilnius, Steinberg became the student and son-in-law of Rimsky-Korsakov, a classmate of Stravinsky, and the teacher of Shostakovich. Steinberg’s Passion Week was composed 1921–1926; however, the work was never performed complete. Unlike Gretchaninoff ’s similar collection, nearly every movement is based upon medieval chant melodies, arranged by Steinberg in rich choral textures to magnify their intrinsic power and spirituality. As a bonus, the disc features select hymns for Passion Week arranged by Steinberg’s father-in-law, Rimsky-Korsakov.
