ORTHODOX MUSIC ON CD 

© 2002 by Orchid Land Publications

[20030927, updated 20070928 & 20080624]

When this page was set up long ago, good Orthodox music on CD was hard to find.
The situation has totally changed as of this revision, which changes nothing below.
While the Slavs sing in harmony, the Greeks sing in unison or in octaves. 
Instrumental accompaniment, say by an organ, is generally unknown
today, although that has not been uniformly true in past times.

     I have a whole shelf or so of Orthodox music CDs, and there are many more to be had.  I recommend the following for your starter kit:

The divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church (in English  (in English by the 
     Choir of St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Rose Bay, NSW, Australia)  
     9 319614 000483 (available from Orthodox Bookstores)
In Greek:  The divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (in Greek by a Greek 
     choir  OPS 30-78   HM 90  LC5718   DDD
Divine Liturgy (Zagorsk monks)--Harmonia mundi 278.691

Very good:  A beautiful arrangement and rendering of the original Akathist (with the koukoulia added):  
Ivan Moody, AKATHIST (Gothic Records; 2 disks:  G 49210-2).  It's in English.

From Russia various Orthodox anthems by great composers:  http://en.liturgy.ru/zvuk/index.php 
Many .mp3 selections from each of five choirs; also a number of bell selections.

A simple English version of the Russian Orthodox Liturgy is available from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press:   Divine Liturgy (Zagorsk monks)--Harmonia mundi 278.691. This was performed by a combination of three seminary choirs.  For the great choral music of the Slavonic tradition, you could do not better than to begin with these wonderful disks:

God in Russia: Zagorsk monastic choir
      Koch-Schwann LC 0278  CD 313 003 H1 ADD
In the golden glow of icons: Old Russian Choral Music;
     half of this disk contains the Paschal services.  Melodia-Eurodisc  IC 0202  
    259 035 / D218  ADD  [note track 9 et al.]
Missa russica [excuse the mistranslated title] made for the 1000-year 
     celebration.  Koch-Schwann CD 3-1212-2  LC1083 DDD [note track 15, 
     Martynov, tr. 15]

Note also:  Russian Voices--Koch Schwann 3-1595-1/2 DDD [note tracks 9 & 11]

Also:    There are various recordings of Great Vespers, the Paraklesis and the Akathist, the Paschal services, services for Christ's Birthday, etc.  

     Highly to be recommended is Ivan Moody's Passion and Resurrection (beautifully performed on Hyperion CDA66999  3-1595-2Y4 x 2 DDD) as well as other things by this composer.  (Note that the Resurrection is never forgotten during the sad prayers of Great Friday and the Great Sabbath.)  The composer was a Psaltis when this page was first put online; he is now a deacon and in October of 2007 is to be ordained in Madrid to the holy priesthood of (despite his forename) the Greek Orthodox Church.  I understand that this was written with prayer and fasting; it certainly fulfills the aim of being a beautiful presentation of the spirit of Great Week, which follows the Great Fast after the two-day break of Lazaros Sabbath and the Palm Lordsday that celebrates Christ's Entry into Jerusalem.  In holistic Orthodox fashion, the composer presents "ikons" or separate pieces of our Savior's Incarnation, Mystic Banquet (tò Deîpnon mystikón), Garden Agony, Trial, Crucifixion, Deposition from the Life-giving Cross, Sealing of the Tomb, and triumphant and saving Resurrection.  Hyperion CDA66999  3-1595-2Y4 x 2 DDD). 

      Some pieces by John Tavener, including the Allelouïas ("Song for Athene"; see Innocence, Sony 0-7464-66613-2), which were sung during the procession from Westminster Abbey at Princesss Diana's funeral are very well worth listening to.   Among the half-dozen disks of this composer's music that I have are "Two hymns to the Mother of God," Akathist of Thanksgiving," "Chanticleer:  Lamentations and praises," and  "Fall and Resurrection."  Another modern composition based on the Lamentations that can be recommended is by Tavener:  "Lamentations and praises" (Teldec); the music is beautifully rendered by the Chanticleers.  You might want to start with the Third Stasis, which begins with track 13.  

     Several other well-known Scandanavian and other contemporary composers (notably Pärt) have composed contemporary music on Orthodox themes influenced by Orthodox liturgical music.  There are also older Russian composers worthy of mention, some included on the disks listed above.

Note also:  Byzantine Chant in Western Notation by Fr. Seraphim Dedes

    Two disks of Mediæval Western music--one Italian, one English--are worth a listen; the boy choirs are very good, as are the recordings:

Allegri Miserere (Ps. 50)  (Gimell  CDGIM 339 AAD)
Th. Tallis, Spem in alium (Gimell CDGIM 006; the Tallis Scholars; digital)

     I have a whole shelf or so of Orthodox music CDs, and there are many more to be had.  I recommend the following for your starter kit:

The divine Liturgy of the Orthodox Church (in English  (in English by the 
     Choir of St. George Greek Orthodox Church, Rose Bay, NSW, Australia)  
     9 319614 000483 (available from Orthodox Bookstores)
In Greek:  The divine Liturgy of St John Chrysostom (in Greek by a Greek 
     choir  OPS 30-78   HM 90  LC5718   DDD
Divine Liturgy (Zagorsk monks)--Harmonia mundi 278.691

Very good:  A beautiful arrangement and rendering of the original Akathist (with the koukoulia added):  
Ivan Moody, AKATHIST (Gothic Records; 2 disks:  G 49210-2).  It's in English.

From Russia various Orthodox anthems by great composers:  http://en.liturgy.ru/zvuk/index.php 
Many .mp3 selections from each of five choirs; also a number of bell selections.

A simple English version of the Russian Orthodox Liturgy is available from St. Vladimir's Seminary Press:   Divine Liturgy (Zagorsk monks)--Harmonia mundi 278.691. This was performed by a combination of three seminary choirs.  For the great choral music of the Slavonic tradition, you could do not better than to begin with these wonderful disks:

God in Russia: Zagorsk monastic choir
      Koch-Schwann LC 0278  CD 313 003 H1 ADD
In the golden glow of icons: Old Russian Choral Music;
     half of this disk contains the Paschal services.  Melodia-Eurodisc  IC 0202  
    259 035 / D218  ADD  [note track 9 et al.]
Missa russica [excuse the mistranslated title] made for the 1000-year 
     celebration.  Koch-Schwann CD 3-1212-2  LC1083 DDD [note track 15, 
     Martynov, tr. 15]

Note also:  Russian Voices--Koch Schwann 3-1595-1/2 DDD [note tracks 9 & 11]

Also:    There are various recordings of Great Vespers, the Paraklesis and the Akathist, the Paschal services, services for Christ's Birthday, etc.  

     Highly to be recommended is Ivan Moody's Passion and Resurrection (beautifully performed on Hyperion CDA66999  3-1595-2Y4 x 2 DDD) as well as other things by this composer.  (Note that the Resurrection is never forgotten during the sad prayers of Great Friday and the Great Sabbath.)  The composer was a Psaltis when this page was first put online; he is now a deacon and in October of 2007 is to be ordained in Madrid to the holy priesthood of (despite his forename) the Greek Orthodox Church.  I understand that this was written with prayer and fasting; it certainly fulfills the aim of being a beautiful presentation of the spirit of Great Week, which follows the Great Fast after the two-day break of Lazaros Sabbath and the Palm Lordsday that celebrates Christ's Entry into Jerusalem.  In holistic Orthodox fashion, the composer presents "ikons" or separate pieces of our Savior's Incarnation, Mystic Banquet (tò Deîpnon mystikón), Garden Agony, Trial, Crucifixion, Deposition from the Life-giving Cross, Sealing of the Tomb, and triumphant and saving Resurrection.  Hyperion CDA66999  3-1595-2Y4 x 2 DDD). 

      Some pieces by John Tavener, including the Allelouïas ("Song for Athene"; see Innocence, Sony 0-7464-66613-2), which were sung during the procession from Westminster Abbey at Princesss Diana's funeral are very well worth listening to.   Among the half-dozen disks of this composer's music that I have are "Two hymns to the Mother of God," Akathist of Thanksgiving," "Chanticleer:  Lamentations and praises," and  "Fall and Resurrection."  Another modern composition based on the Lamentations that can be recommended is by Tavener:  "Lamentations and praises" (Teldec); the music is beautifully rendered by the Chanticleers.  You might want to start with the Third Stasis, which begins with track 13.  

     Several other well-known Scandanavian and other contemporary composers (notably Pärt) have composed contemporary music on Orthodox themes influenced by Orthodox liturgical music.  There are also older Russian composers worthy of mention, some included on the disks listed above.

Note also:  Byzantine Chant in Western Notation by Fr. Seraphim Dedes

    Two disks of Mediæval Western music--one Italian, one English--are worth a listen; the boy choirs are very good, as are the recordings:

Allegri Miserere (Ps. 50)  (Gimell  CDGIM 339 AAD)
Th. Tallis, Spem in alium (Gimell CDGIM 006; the Tallis Scholars; digital)