Description
Ruottinen composed his music for the Uspenie over a long period extending
from 1984 to 2019, and some of the earlier movements have previously been
performed and recorded. He completed the the first version of the full vigil for the 150th anniversary of
Helsinki’s Uspenski Cathedral in 2018, when much of it was sung by the Cathedral
choir conducted by Varvara Merras-Häyrynen.
The All-Night Vigil is one of the cornerstones of music of the Orthodox Church,
and sections of it have been given artistic expression by composers from
Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninoff onwards, in Finland also Einojuhani Rautavaara. Settings of the full vigil are, however,
rare. That by Ruottinen may be described as a through-composed entity designed
for use in Finnish worship, its technical demands compatible with its singers’ skills.
Matured over a period of four decades, it comprises movements in very different
styles yet still within keeping of the various Orthodox music traditions.
