The Choir and How to Direct It

From Russia's leading choral musician of his day, a unique view into the famed Russian a cappella style. Conceived in the 1910s, completed in 1930 and first published in Russia in 1940, Chesnokov's pioneering treatise on the choral art is both a significant historical document and valuable resource for choral musicians today.

One does not usually expect choral treatises to be best-sellers, but in the Soviet Union in 1940, when Pavel Chesnokov's The Choir and How to Direct It first appeared in print, it sold out within a matter of hours. The book's popularity later led to two subsequent Russian editions in 1952 and 1961. Now decades later, this is the first translated publication of the book outside of Russia ever to appear.

With deep insight and in great detail, this book reveals how to achieve the ideal a cappella choir sound through ensemble, intonation, and nuance.In addition, readers will learn the steps a conductor must take to achieve true choral artistry thorough analysis and mastery of the score, a systematic approach to rehearsal technique, meaningful conducting gestures, as well as inspired communication and leadership.