American Symphony Orchestra Performs U.S. Premiere Of Sergei Taneyev's AT THE READING OF A PSALM at Carnegie Hall

The American Symphony Orchestra completes its 60th anniversary season on Friday, July 15, 2022 at 8 PM. The program, part of the Orchestra's Vanguard Series and presented in a special collaboration with the Bard Music Festival, is conducted by Music Director Leon Botstein and features the U.S. premiere of Sergei Taneyev's final work, At the Reading of a Psalm.

Conceived as a massive statement of Russian Orthodox faith at the onset of WWI, this large-scale cantata for full orchestra, double chorus, and vocal soloists showcases the dramatic effect of Taneyev's contrapuntal mastery. The concert, initially scheduled for January 28, was postponed due to the Omicron variant.

All of the singers are Metropolitan Opera artists: soprano Mané Galoyan debuted at the Met as Prilepa/Chlöe in Pique Dame; mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti, whose voice has been described as "powerful and agile" (The New York Times), sings this season in The Rake's Progress and Elektra; tenor Terrence Chin-Loy debuted in the fall as Adult William in Terence Blanchard's Fire Shut up in My Bones; and bass Christian Zaremba has sung the roles of Lesbo in Agrippina and Angelotti in Tosca at the Met.

Sergei Taneyev's At the Reading of a Psalm, U.S. Premiere

Friday, July 15, 2022, 8 pm
Carnegie Hall (Stern Auditorium/Perelman Stage)
Mané Galoyan, soprano
Eve Gigliotti, mezzo-soprano
Terrence Chin-Loy, tenor
Christian Zaremba, bass
Bard Festival Chorale
First Movement
i. Chorus (Allegro tempestoso)
ii. Double Chorus (Andante sostenuto)
iii. Chorus. Triple Fugue (Fuga a tre soggetti, Andante - Allegro molto)
Second Movement
iv. Chorus (Allegro moderato - Fuga. Allegro tenebroso)
v. Quartet (Andante)
vi. Quartet and Chorus (Adagio ma non troppo)
Third Movement
vii. Interlude (Allegro appassionato)
viii. Aria (Alto Solo) (Adagio piu tosto largo)
ix. Double Chorus (Finale) (Adagio pietoso e molto cantabile-Allegro moderato-Allegro molto)

Tchaikovsky famously described Sergei Taneyev as "the finest contrapuntist in Russia." This is clearly demonstrated in At the Reading of a Psalm, comprised of three main movements, each subdivided into three sections. The repeating melodic motifs, as well as a refined set of harmonic connections between the individual sections, give the cantata a deep sense of musical architecture and Taneyev's command of counterpoint can be heard throughout. The work is based on a poem by the 19th-century poet and religious philosopher Aleksey Khomyakov, and is dedicated to the memory of his late mother, who often read the poetry of Khomyakov to him. Offering moments of grandeur as well as passages of contemplation, the cantata is a testament to the composer's genius. Serge Koussevitzky conducted the premiere in 1915 wartime Petrograd, a few months before Taneyev's death.

The American Symphony Orchestra plans to record At the Reading of a Psalm in advance of the July 15 performance for future use and release.

Tickets: Priced at $25-$65, tickets are available at carnegiehall.org, by calling CarnegieCharge at 212.247.7800, or visiting the box office at 57th St & 7th Ave. Ticket holders will need to comply with the venue's health and safety requirements, which can be found here.

For more information, please visit americansymphony.org.