Source: The Saint Tikhon Choir
September 24, 2020
On August 28, the world-premiere recording of Alexander Kastalsky’s Requiem was released by Naxos Records. The recording—which was made during a live performance in the Washington National Cathedral in October of 2018 in celebration of the 100-year anniversary of the World War I Armistice—features the combined forces of multiple GRAMMY-winning ensembles, including the Cathedral Choral Society of the National Cathedral, the Clarion Choir, the Kansas City Chorale, the Saint Tikhon Choir, and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s, all under the baton of celebrated conductor Leonard Slatkin.
This historic recording is the first-ever recording of Kastalsky’s monumental score, which lay in obscurity for more than a century. On September 9, the album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Traditional Classical charts, edging out several heavy-hitter competitors, including John Williams, Eric Whitacre, and the London Symphony Orchestra. It is only the second Naxos release in over 30 years to reach the top of the Billboard charts. The recording is already garnering high praise from critics, being called “tremendously dignified” (MusicWeb International) and “essential listening” (AllMusic).
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