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Feodor Chaliapine -one of the greatest Russian singers |
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His numerous records were first taken for the Russian label G&T, afterwards for HMV, even electrical ones.
More pictures of Feodor Chaliapine in some of his greatest roles - [ next>] |
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(p) 2007 Dutch Divas |
Fyodor
Ivanovich Chaliapin, born on February 11, 1873 in the Russian
village Omtewa near Kasan, died April 12, 1938, was one
of the greatest Russian singers ever to appear in Western
opera houses. As the son of a peasant, he had no formal education
and only little musical training. He made his debut (1890) in
Ufa, at a through South Russia touring operetta company. In 1892
in Tiflis his voice was discovered by the tenor Usatov, who developed
his voice further more. In 1893 he appeared in the role of Faust
of Gounod at the Opera of Tiflis. In 1894 he moved to St. Petersburg.
In 1896 he joined a private Moscow opera company, where he starred
as Boris Godunov and Ivan the Terrible. Going to the West, he
appeared at La Scala (1901); the Metropolitan Opera (1907), where
he was not appreciated; the Paris Opera (1908); Monte Carlo(1910)
in the premier of Massenet's Don Quichotte and Covent Garden
(1926). After the outbreak of the First World War Chaliapine
went back to Russia. He was distinguished by the Russian government
with the title " Artist of the People". However, in
1920 he left Russia for ever.
A return engagement (1921) at the Metropolitan
as Boris Godunov was an unqualified success, and Chaliapin remained
there for eight seasons. Also in the Netherlands Chaliapine has
sung with great success as Boris Goudonov with the Russian Opera
of Paris in 1932. In addition to the Russian repertory, he excelled
as Mephistopheles (in Gounod's Faust), and as Don Basilio, Leporello,
Boito's Mefistofele, and King Philip. A huge man with dark-timbered
basso, Chaliapin was one of the first singers to apply psychological
techniques to operatic acting. He created the title role in Massenet's
Don Quichotte at Monte Carlo in 1910 and later made a film of
the opera. From 1927 he lived in Paris and he departed from stage
in Monte Carlo in 1937.
Feodor - Chaliapin
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