Kastalsky: Memory Eternal

Russian composer Alexander Kastalsky was highly influential during the early 20th century. A pupil of Tchaikovsky and Taneyev, he transformed Russian choral music, combining ancient, simple Slavic chant with the richer polyphony of Russian choral folk song. Think Rachmaninoff’s Vespers and you’ll have an idea of his style. Even before the First World War was over, Kastalsky composed this Requiem, a Memory Eternal to the Fallen Heroes, and it’s the a cappella version we hear here. The Clarion Choir, already proven in Russian repertoire, bring to the fore Kastalsky’s exquisite, burnished colours and beautifully balanced voicing with blended, nuanced ensemble.