Phankhida or Panikhida is the name of an orthodox Russian requiem. This is an in-depth exploration of one of the Old Russian chant styles surveyed on Anatoly Grindenko's first record for Opus 111 (Early Russian Plain Chant, OP 30-79). Until the 18th century, the Russian Orthodox funeral service (panikhida) was sung almost exclusively to monodic chant; this disc presents an indigenous polyphonic setting (in strochny style) from a recently deciphered 17th-century manuscript. Be forewarned: This is strong stuff--Western ideas of consonance and dissonance don't apply here. The three-voice chants often move in parallel seconds; stacked seconds or fourths are standard cadences. (A few simple, appealing chants in the monodic znamenny style are also included.) If you're prepared for this music and approach it with open ears and mind, it's astonishing.
It contains:
- The King In Heaven
- Trisagion, Our Father
- Alleluia
- Lord, Have Mercy (Thrice)
- The Troparia In Tone 8
- Psalm 119
- Lord, Have Mercy (Thrice)
- Psalm 119
- Troparia In Tone 5
- Lord, Have Mercy (Thrice)
- Sessional Hym In Tone 5
- The Canon For One Who Is Departed. Ode 1. Heirmos.
- Ode 3. Heirmos
- Ode 4. Heirmos
- Ode 5. Heirmos
- Ode 6. Heirmos
- Kontakion. Oikos.
- Ode 7. Heirmos
- Ode 8. Heirmos
- Ode 9. Heirmos
- Trisagion
- The Troparia
- Lord, Have Mercy
- Memory Eternal
- Trisagion. Our Father
Stepan Vasilevic Smolensky (1848 - 1909) contributed in ca. 1900 two Litanies to the Panikhida and his pupil Pavel Chesnokov (1877 - 1944) two songs.