Dear Gentlemen,

In this blog I have tried to assemble a list of prominent Soviet tenors – tenors behind the Iron Curtain – singers the careers of which went largely obscure from the Western public because of the political realities of the era they were part of – realities which dictated the detachment of the Soviet opera from its Western counterpart.
It just so happened that these times were the Golden Era of the Russian Opera, and the voices that were hidden behind the Iron Curtain were of a remarkable quality.
In addition to that, the revival of these voices in the West is also of much interest because of the unique character and the idiosyncratic nature of the Soviet school of operatic singing, which was different from the Western in many aspects.
By “voices behind the Iron Curtain” I mean those artists whose entire career or a significant part of it developed during the most ideologically radical years of the Soviet rule and the Soviet Union’s disconnection from the West, and not those who had already established a name for themselves in an earlier period, or those who have only started their way in Soviet Union’s very last days or are singing well into the present – both are more familiar to the Western public.
In cases of some of the singers the information and the recordings presented here is all that is left of them, and in some cases appears for the first time in the internet, or in English and for the Western public.

You can reach me at:


Murtuza Mamedov (1897)






Born on June 22nd in the village of Hanbagy, near the town of Shusha, Elizavetpolskaya province. Lyric-dramatic tenor. People’s artist of the Soviet Union (1938).
Born into a family of a tanner.
Already in his childhood for his exceptional voice and musical talent he received the nickname Bülbül, which means “nightingale” in Azeri, which stayed with him for his whole life.
In 1915 he was invited to sing in Tiflis, and astonished the famous Georgian singer Vano Saradjashvili. By 1916 he was already renown all over the Caucasus region. The same year he also sang in his first opera role.
He received his musical education in the Moscow conservatory (class of N.Speranski), also studied with V.Nikolskiy, finishing his studies in 1927. Then went to La-Scala, where he studied with G.Anselmi and R.Grani for four years.
The Italian journal “Arte Nostra” published an article about him, the “Colombia” record company approached him for recordings, many opera theaters around the world invited him to perform with them. It was said that his Italian pronunciation was perfect.
He had the opportunity to hear the legendary Russian tenor Sobinov when being in Moscow, and “could not get enough of him”, according to his words. When being in Italy he once spent all his money to go and hear Chaliapin sing. According to his words, after that experience he could not sleep the whole night and had profound visions of the essence of vocal art.
In the 1920ies he was one of the founders of the Azerbaijani national musical theater and opera, as well as its soloist, and also a folk singer.
One of the characteristic traits of his style was the combination of Azerbaijani folk motives with the traditions of Italian classical operatic singing. He was said to have a very gentle, light, swift, silver-like voice with a beautiful timbre. He could sing in both lyrical and dramatic roles.
He also was a very successful and colorful dramatic stage actor.
Became a laureate of the First all-USSR Competition of pianists, violinists, cellists and vocalists in Moscow in 1933.
From 1932 to 1961 - taught in Azerbaijani State Conservatory (from 1940 – professor).
His contribution to the gathering, studying and development of Azerbaijani folk music is enormous. For example, his articles are to this day being used as a basis for study books for Azerbaijani folk music, and the first study books for playing on the Azerbaijani folk instruments as tara, kemancha and balaban were written by him.
He also consulted the most prominent Azerbaijani composers in their work, and was many times the first and the main soloist in their operatic works. He has done a great deal to spread the Azerbaijani musical culture all over USSR.
In addition to that, he was one of the founders of the Azerbaijani Institute of Arts and Architecture.
Was also a deputy in first, second and third convocation of the High Soviet of the Azerbaijani Soviet Socialistic Republic.
Received the Stalin Premium (1950). The Medal of Lenin (1946, 1956), The Red Banner of Labor (1936, 1958), The Honor Sign (1938) and the Italian sign “Garibaldi Star”.
Died on 26th of September 1961 in Baku.
 

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)