Program notes for Bortniansky's Kol' slaven
Tony
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Kol’ slaven
(The glory of our God)
Dmitri Stepanovich Bortniansky (Russian name) was born in 1751 in Ukraine. His name is Dmytro Stepanovych Bortnians’ky in the Ukrainian language and his birthplace is called Hlukhiv in Ukrainian and Glukhov in Russian. He is claimed as both a Ukrainian and a Russian composer. His earliest musical training was at the Preparatory Musical School in Hlukhiv. At the age of seven he became a pupil at the Imperial Court Chapel in St. Petersburg, Russia, where he was a favorite choirboy of Empress Elizabeth. He soon was cast as a principal in opera productions and played leading roles in court productions. During this period he studied composition with Baldassare Galuppi (1706-1785). When Galuppi returned to Venice in 1769, Catherine the Great sent Bortniansky to Italy to continue his studies with Galuppi. His first compositions were written in Italy and include operas and settings of Roman Catholic texts. His setting of a German liturgy also dates from this period. It is likely that Kol’ slaven was written during this time.
Bortniansky returned to Russia in 1779. At first he was an assistant director at the imperial court chapel but when Paisiello left Russia in 1783, Catherine the Great promoted Bortniansky to the post of Kapellmeister to her son, Prince Paul. In addition to composing operas in French, it was also during this time that he composed most of his Russian Orthodox sacred music. These include 41 works for 3-4 voices, 26 pieces for double chorus, 35 choral concertos for four voices, 10 choral concertos for double chorus and a setting of the Divine Liturgy.
After the death of Catherine the Great in 1796, Tsar Paul I promoted Bortiansky to Director of Vocal Music and in 1801 to Director of the Imperial Court Chapel. This was the first time a Slavic composer had held the post. The position brought with it not only prestige as a composer but powerful influence over the future of sacred choral music throughout the Russian Empire. Under Bortniansky’s leadership, the size of the Court Chapel Choir was increased to 108 singers and its repertoire expanded to include performances of Western masterworks such as Haydn’s Creation (performed 1802), Mozart’s Requiem (performed 1805), Handel’s Messiah (performed 1806), and Beethoven’s Christ on the Mount of Olives (performed 1813).
Bortiansky probably wrote the music for Kol’ slaven in 1769 while studying in Italy but it is not clear whether the Russian version or a German version came first. At that time his studies included the setting of German texts. The composer may have met the author of the German version, Gerhard Tersteegen (1697-1769), during the last year of the poet’s life and may have been motivated to write a choral setting of his poem, “Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe.” Tersteegen was a respected spiritual leader and mystic whose poetry had been published in 1731. It was this collection of poetry that became a source for the texts of many Lutheran hymns that were subsequently translated into English. John Wesley translated several of Tersteegen’s hymns into English and they appeared in Methodist hymnals in England. Bortniansky’s hymn appears in many American hymnals under the tune name “St. Petersburg,” with the opening line, “Before thy throne, O God, we kneel,” with text by William Boyd Carpenter. Carpenter’s English lyrics are not a translation of either the German or the Russian lyrics. These hymnal versions (along with a great many other versions of the hymn in various languages) also do not use Bortniansky’s original harmonies and, in some cases, alter his original rhythms and phrasing as well. Most of these arrangements are not credited, giving the misleading idea that Bortniansky’s compositional style was considerably more romantic than it actually was.
The Russian version, Kol’ slaven, sets the poetry of M.M. Kheraskov, a Mason. The hymn was first associated with Freemasonry in Russia but its popularity quickly grew and it became an unofficial national anthem until it was superseded by Lvov’s “God save the Tsar.” Except during the Soviet period (1917-1991) Kol’ slaven has been used in Russia at public gatherings and military ceremonies such as the christening of ships, lowering or raising of the flag and at military funerals. Kol’ slaven also became popular among émigré Russians and has been associated with Russian emigration in many countries.
The singing of hymns with multiple verses in chorale style is not a part of Russian Orthodox worship. For this reason Bortniansky’s hymn is not considered liturgical in the Russian Church but is used mostly for secular ceremonies. The language of the hymn is Russian (although with several archaic words and word endings) rather than the language of Russian Orthodox worship, Church Slavonic. In Germany the hymn, sung to Ich bete an die Macht der Liebe, is used not only in worship but also for military ceremonies and is occasionally sung as a prelude to the German national anthem.
Those interested in hearing performances of this hymn in different languages from around the world can find them on You Tube by searching the title Kol’ slaven.