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Fedor Shalyapin
Born February 13, 1873 in Kazan, Russia
Died April 12, 1938 in Paris, France
Feodor Chaliapin is perhaps the most legendary operatic bass in history. Possessed of a large and beautiful voice, he devoted himself to all aspects of his art -- most significantly his dramatic portrayals -- at a time when such things were not at all typical of singers. Chaliapin was born the son of Russian peasants and was apprenticed to a cobbler at the age of ten. However, a brief engagement with a touring opera and a fortuitous meeting with his first voice teacher, Dimitri Usatov (both during his teen years), alerted the young singer to the true extent of his musical potential. Usatov was, in fact, so impressed with the young man that agreed to teach him free of charge.
In 1894, Chaliapin sang in St. Petersburg and soon was accepted at the Imperial Opera. In 1896, he sang with a private opera company in Moscow, making his debut as Ivan Susanin in Glinka's A Life for the Tsar, for which he received excellent reviews. At the same time, he gave many successful solo concerts. His first appearance outside Russia was in Boito's Mefistofele at Teatro alla Scala in 1901. He sang nearly every season at Monte Carlo from 1905 to 1937. His first role there was King Philip in Don Carlo, and there he created the role of Don Quixote in Massenet's setting of that tale. In 1933 he starred in a film about the same idealistic knight (this project was ultimately left incomplete, but it resulted in the fine Don Quichotte songs of both Maurice Ravel and Jacques Ibert).
In 1907, the bass made his Metropolitan Opera debut in Boito's Mefistofele, and later that season sang both Gounod's Faust (Mefistophele) and Mozart's Don Giovanni (Leporello). His return to the United States was delayed until 1921 when he sang the title role in Boris Godunov. He sang with the Metropolitan Opera until 1929.
In 1908, Chaliapin began his close association with Diaghilev in Paris, where many famous productions of Russian operas were staged. He sang several Russian roles at Covent Garden, London in 1913. In 1914, he returned to Russia and stayed until after World War I and the Great Revolution. In 1922, he immigrated to France, which remained his home for the remainder of his life.
Chaliapin appeared in nearly all of the great opera houses of Europe, as well as those of England and the United States; in 1935-36 he made a world tour, including performances in China and Japan.
Chaliapin was a large man with great dramatic flair, and he could portray any type of character. He was a master of make-up, and he used this skill to help create his characters. His voice was wide ranging, allowing him to sing baritone roles like Eugene Onegin as well as bass roles like Oroveso. In his recitals, he never revealed what he would sing; the printed program would simply say "Selections to be announced."
When he immigrated to Paris, he fell out of favor with the Russian government, but his native country's official posture toward him warmed when it became apparent that he was bringing Russian opera to people all over the world. Besides the Russian operas already mentioned, Chaliapin also sang Khovanchina, Prince Igor, Dargomyzhsky's Rusalka, Sadko, Mozart and Salieri (which he premiered), Rubinstein's The Demon, Serov's Judith and Gretchaninov's Dobrinya Nikititsch. His art is preserved on his many recordings made between 1901 and 1935 which document his wide ranging repertoire. Without his performances of Boris Godunov, the opera would probably not have had the enduring popularity that it has subsequently enjoyed. ~ Richard LeSueur, All Music Guide
Fjodor Ivanovich SHaljapin (1873-1938) - russkij pevec (bas). Debjutiroval na opernoj scene v 1890 (Ufa, partija Stol'nika v "Gal'ke" Monjushko). V 1893-94 vystupal v Tiflise (partii Mefistofelja, Tonio v "Pajacah" i drugie), zatem v Peterburge v teatre "Arkadija", v Panaevskom teatre. V 1895 debjutiroval v Mariinskom teatre (partija Mefistofelja), ispolnjal partiju Robinzona v "Tajnom brake" CHimarozy (1895). V 1896-99 pel v Moskovskoj chastnoj russkoj opere Mamontova (debjut v partii Ivana Susanina). Zdes' talant pevca raskrylsja v polnoj mere. Sredi luchshih partij na jetoj scene Ivan Groznyj v "Pskovitjanke" Rimskogo-Korsakova, Mel'nik, Dosifej, Boris Godunov, Sal'eri (mirovaja prem'era opery "Mocart i Sal'eri" Rimskogo-Korsakova, 1898). S oseni 1899 SHaljapin vnov' stanovitsja artistom Imperatorskih teatrov (debjut v partii Mefistofelja v Bol'shom teatre. Na scene teatra byl uchastnikom mirovyh prem'er oper "Ledjanoj dom" Korewenko (1900, partija Birona), "Pir vo vremja chumy" Kjui (1901), "Dobrynja Nikitich" Grechaninova (1903).
V 1901 godu Fjodor SHaljapin s bol'shim uspehom ispolnil partiju Mefistofelja v odnoimjonnoj opere Bojto v La Skala (dirizhiroval Toskanini, partiju Fausta pel Karuzo). Gastroliroval v Monte-Karlo (1905-06, vystupal s Kal've, Farrar; vpervye ispolnil zdes' partiju Filippa II, Berline (1907). S 1908 vystupal v Russkih sezonah v Parizhe (Boris Godunov), gde imel triumfal'nyj uspeh (jetu zhe partiju ispolnil v 1909 v La Skala, v 1913 v Londone). V 1910 byl uchastnikom mirovoj prem'ery opery "Don Kihot" Massne (Monte-Karlo), zaglavnaja partija kotoroj byla special'no napisana dlja pevca. prodolzhal vystupat' v Rossii (v tom chisle v opernom teatre Zimina, petrogradskom Narodnom dome). V 1917 ispolnil v Bol'shom teatre partiju Filippa II. Sredi drugih partij Knjaz' Galickij v "Knjaze Igore", Demon, Konchak, Aleko, Olofern v opere "JUdif'" Serova, Bazilio, Leporello.
V 1922 SHaljapin pokinul Rossiju. Vystupal v SSHA (Metropoliten Opera, CHikago i drugih), Parizhe, Londone, Berline, Barselone, Milane (La Skala) i drugih gorodah v svoih luchshih partijah, uchastvoval v russkih antreprizah (v tom chisle v 1930-31 v spektakljah "Russkoj opery" Cereteli i V. de Bazilja "Knjaz' Igor'", "Rusalka", i "Boris Godunov"). Poslednee publichnoe vystuplenie pevca sostojalos' v 1937. Vystupal takzhe kak opernyj rezhissjor. Snimalsja v kino (ispolnil zaglavnuju rol' v fil'me "Don Kihot", 1932, muzyka ZH. Ibera). Avtor memuarov "Stranicy iz moej zhizni" (1917), "Maska i dusha" (1932).
SHaljapin - odin iz velichajshih pevcov XX veka. Narjadu s zamechatel'nym pevcheskim masterstvom obladal dramaticheskim darom. Ego traktovki obrazov Mefistofelja, Borisa Godunova i drugih rolej proizvodili neizgladimoe vpechatlenie na zritelja. Ispolnjal takzhe kamernye proizvedenija i narodnye pesni. Mnogie vystuplenija pevca byli zapisany na plastinkah.
"Dostojnejshim ukrasheniem serii "Grand Collection" stal albom samogo proslavlennogo russkogo basa Fedora SHalyapina. Vokalnyj genij SHalyapina do sih por ostayutsya neprevzojdennymi, osobenno v sozdannyh im obrazah Borisa Godunova i Mefistofelya. ..."
"1. Stsena koronatsii: hor «Slava» i monolog Borisa «Skorbit dusha» - Prolog. Studijnye elektrozapisi, sdelannye v Anglii.
2. Dostig ya vysshej vlasti – d. 2
3. Oh, tyazhelo! Daj duh perevedu – d. 2
4. Proschanie s ..."
"1. Bojto. Ariya Mefistofelya. 1922 god
2. Bojto. Ariya Mefistofelya so svistom. 1926 god
3. Motsart. Ariya Leporello. 1928 god
4. Massne. Smert Don Kihota. 1927 god
5. Verdi. Ariya Filippa. 1922 god
6. Verdi. Rechitativ i kavatina dona Silvy. 1912 ..."
"Fedor Shalyapin : duhovnye pesnopeniya, arii iz oper, romansy i pesni russkih i zarubezhnyh kompozitorov - s 1 po 20 trek;
Fedor Shalyapin : russkie narodnye pesni, sceny iz opery ..."
"V disk vhodyat pesni sleduyuschih ispolnitelej:
Sergej Lemeshev - s 1 po 24 treki;
Fedor SHalyapin - s 25 po 41 treki;
Lidiya Ruslanova - s 42 po 59 treki;
Nadezhda Plevitskaya - s ..."
"Disk yavlyaetsya kollektsiej romansov russkih kompozitorov - na nem predstavleny takie krupnye imena, kak Glinka, Musorgskij, Rimskij-Korsakov, CHajkovskij, Rubinshtejn, Dargomyzhskij, est i menee izvestnye, no proslavivshie zhanr russkogo romansa - ..."
