Sergey Rachmaninov’s “ All-Night Vigil”: A masterpiece of Russian Orthodox sacred music, full of spiritual depth and musical brilliance. Composed in 1915 for a Moscow benefit concert for war victims, “ All-Night Vigil” is a powerful testament to the Orthodox chant tradition and its profound reflection. Rachmaninov himself considered this vespers liturgy for mixed choir a cappella his most important creation throughout his life. In his own words, he was interested “less in God and the religious ceremony than in the singing of incomparable beauty.” The work unites the composer’s childhood memories and the religious soul of his homeland. Just two years later, in the winter of 1917, Rachmaninov was forced to leave this very homeland forever. In this production, the Bavarian Radio Chorus, conducted by its Artistic Director Peter Dijkstra, reveals the full emotional and sonic range of this masterpiece of Russian Orthodox sacred music.