FEDOR SHALYAPIN

Fedor Ivanovich Chaliapin was born November 13, 1873 in Kazan, in a poor family of Ivan Yakovlevich Chaliapin, a peasant from the village Syrtsova Vyatka province. Mother, Evdokia (Avdotya) Mikhailovna (born Prozorova), originally from the village Dudinskaya the same province. Already in childhood, Theodore had a beautiful voice (soprano) and often sang with his mother, "podlazhivaya vote. " With nine years of singing in church choirs, trying to learn to play the violin, read a lot, but a hard working apprentice shoemaker, turner, carpenter, bookbinder, copyist. In twelve years, participated in the performances of touring troupe in Kazan as an extra. Indefatigable thirst for theater led him to various actors′ troupe, with whom he wandered the cities of the Volga region, Caucasus, Central Asia, then working as a loader, the porters at the pier, often starving and sleeping on benches.

In Ufa December 18, 1890 he first sang the solo part. From the memories of the Chaliapin:

". . . Apparently, in a modest Role chorus I had to show my natural musicality and not bad voice means. Once when one of the baritones troupe suddenly, just before the performance, for some reason, refused the role of the waiter in the opera Moniuszko "Pebbles" and replace it with the troupe was there is no one, the entrepreneur Semenov-Samara turned to me - do not agree I sing this party . Despite my extreme shyness, I agreed. It was too tempting: the first in the life of a serious role. I quickly studied the game and made.

Despite the unfortunate incident in this performance (I sat on the stage by his chair), Semenov-Samara yet been touched and my singing, and a conscientious desire to depict something like a Polish magnate. He added me a pay five rubles and was also entrusted to me the other roles. I still superstitiously think: a good sign of a newcomer in the first performance on stage with the audience to sit by his chair. All subsequent career, however, I keenly followed the chair and feared not just sit by, and sit in a chair of another . . .

In this my first season I sang more Fernando in "Il Trovatore" and the Unknown in "Askold′s grave. Success finally strengthened my decision to devote himself to the theater. "

Then the young singer moved to Tiflis, where he took free singing lessons with a famous singer D. Usatova, acted in amateur and student concerts. In 1894 he sang in the performances that took place in St. Petersburg suburban garden "Arcadia", then in Panaevskom theater.

Photo — «Fedor Shalyapin»

Fifth in April 1895 making his debut as Mephistopheles in the opera "Faust" by Gounod in the Mariinsky Theater.

In 1896, Chaliapin was invited to Moscow S. Mamontov private opera, where he took the leading position and fully revealed his talent for creating the years of work in this theater of a whole gallery of unforgettable images of Russian operas: Ivan the Terrible in "The Maid of Pskov" N. Rimsky-Korsakov (1896); Dosifej in Khovanshchina (1897), Boris Godunov in the opera Mussorgsky (1898), etc. "One of the great artist has become more" - wrote about twenty-five Feodor V. Stasov.

Communicating in Mamontov theater with the best artists of Russia (Polenova, V. and A. Vasnetsov, I. Levitan, V. Serov, M. Vrubel, Konstantin Korovin and others), the singer gave strong incentives for creativity: its scenery and costumes helped in creating a convincing scenic image. A number of operatic roles in the theater prepared, with the singer while still a beginner conductor and composer Sergei Rachmaninoff. Creative friendship united the two great artists before the end of life. Rachmaninoff dedicated to the singer several songs, including "Destiny" (poems by A. Apukhtin), "You knew him" (verses F. Tiutchev).

Deep national art of the singer admired by his contemporaries. "In the Russian art Chaliapin - the era in which Pushkin" - wrote to Gorky. In relying on the best traditions of national vocal school Chaliapin opened a new era in the national musical theater. He managed to surprise organically combine the two most important early opera - dramatic and musical - to bend his gift for tragedy, unique scenic plastic and deep musicality unified artistic vision.

On September 24, 1899 Chaliapin - the leading soloist of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters simultaneously, with the triumphant success on tours abroad. In 1901 in Milan′s La Scala, he sang with great success Mephistopheles in the opera A. Boito with E. Caruso, conducted by A. Toscanini. World renown Russian singer adopted a tour in Rome (1904), Monte Carlo (1905), Orange (France, 1905), Berlin (1907), New York (1908), Paris (1908), London (1913/14). Divine beauty of Chaliapin′s voice captivated listeners of all countries. His high bass posed by nature, with a velvety, soft tone, sounded full-blooded, powerful, and possessed a rich palette of vocal inflections. Effect of artistic transformation amazed the audience - there is not only the outward appearance, but also a deep inner content, which it transferred vocal singer.

Photo — «Fedor Shalyapin»

In creating intensive and scenic images of expressive singer helps his extraordinary versatility: he is a sculptor, and artist, wrote poetry and prose. This multi-talented actor recalls the great masters of the Renaissance - not accidentally contemporaries compared his operatic heroes from the titans of Michelangelo. Art Chaliapin overstepped national borders and affect the development of world opera. Many well-known conductors, actors and singers could repeat the words of the Italian conductor and composer J. Gavazzeni: "Innovation Chaliapin in the dramatic truth of opera has had a strong impact on the Italian theater . . . The dramatic art of the great Russian artist left a deep and enduring mark not only in the performance of Russian operas by Italian singers, but in general, for all the style of their vocal and theatrical interpretations, including works by Verdi . . . "

"Chaliapin attracted strong characters people involved in the idea and passion, experiencing profound emotional drama, as well as bright hilarious images - notes DN Lebedev. - With stunning honesty and strength reveals the tragedy of the unfortunate Chaliapin, distraught with grief at his father′s "Mermaid" or a painful disorder of mind and remorse felt by Boris Godunov.

In sympathy for human suffering manifested high humanism - the inalienable property of the progressive Russian art, rooted in the nation, on the purity and depth of feelings. In this nation, filled his whole being and all creation Chaliapin, rooted strength of his talent, the mystery of his credibility, familiar to everyone, even an inexperienced person. "

Chaliapin opposed to manipulative feigned emotion: "Every music has always somehow expresses the feelings, and where there is a sense, manual transmission leaves a terrible impression of monotony. Cold and protocol sounds dramatic aria, if it is not designed intonation phrase, if the sound is not colored shades necessary experience. In this tone . . . I recognized the compulsory transfer to Russian music, needs, and western music, although it is less than in Russian, psychological vibrations ".

For Chaliapin typical bright, intense concert activity. The students always admired performance of songs, "Miller", "Old Corporal," "The government clerk" Dargomyzhsky, "seminarian," "Trepak" by Mussorgsky, "Doubt" by Glinka, "The Prophet" by Rimsky-Korsakov, " ; Nightingale "by Tchaikovsky," The Double "by Schubert," I′m not angry, " In the dream I wept bitterly "Schumann.

Photo — «Fedor Shalyapin»

Here′s what he wrote about the creative side of the singer′s remarkable Russian musicologist academician Asafyev:

"Chaliapin sang true chamber music, happened, so intently, so deep that he seemed to be the theater has nothing to do, and never resorting to the required stage emphasis on accessories and scope of expression. Perfect calm and restraint possessed him. For example, I remember "In the dream I wept bitterly" noise - the sound of one voice in the silence, emotion is a modest, suppressed - but if there is no artist, and there is this big, jovial, generous in humor, the kindness, the clear rights. It sounds lonely voice - and in his voice all: the entire depth and fullness of the human heart . . . A person still, impossibly expressive eyes, but in a special way, not as, say, Mephistopheles in the famous scene with the students or sarcastic serenade: there they were burning fiercely , with a sneer, and then the human eye, feeling the element of sorrow, but realizing that only in the stern discipline of mind and heart - in a rhythm all its manifestations - the person acquires power over the passions, and over suffering. "

Press loved calculate fees actor, supporting the myth of fabulous wealth, greed Chaliapin. What with the fact that this myth is refuted posters and programs of the set of charity concerts, the singer′s famous speech in Kiev, Kharkov and Petrograd front of a huge audience of working? Dosuzhev rumor, newspaper rumors and gossip than once forced the artist to take up the pen to refute speculation and sensationalism, to clarify the facts of his own biography. Useless!

During World War II tours Chaliapin stopped. The singer discovered at his own expense two of the hospital for wounded soldiers, but not advertised its "good deeds". Lawyer MF Vol′kenshtein, who for years led the financial affairs of the singer, recalled: "If I only knew how many have passed through my hands Chaliapin money to help those who need it!"

After the October Revolution in 1917, Fyodor Ivanovich studied creative reorganization of the former imperial theaters, was elected member of the directorate of the Bolshoi and the Mariinsky Theater, conducted in 1918, the artistic part of the latter. In the same year was the first of the artists awarded the title People′s Artist of the Republic. Singer sought to withdraw from politics, the book of his memoirs, he wrote: "If I was living in something, so just an actor and singer, my vocation, I was betrayed by unchallenged.

Photo — «Fedor Shalyapin»

But the least I was a politician. "

On the surface it might seem that life Chaliapin safely and creatively saturated. He asked to speak at formal concerts, he performs much for the general public, it is awarded with honorary titles, asked to lead the kinds of art jury, councils theaters. But then he heard a dramatic appeal to "socialize Chaliapin", "put his talents to serve the people", often expressed doubts about the "class loyalty" of the singer. Someone calls for mandatory involvement of his family to perform labor service, someone appears to direct threats to the former actor imperial theaters . . . "I saw more clearly that no one needs what I can do what no point in my work there," - confessed artist.

Of course, Chaliapin could protect themselves from tyranny overzealous functionaries, turning a personal request to Lunacharsky, Peters, Dzerzhinsky, Zinoviev. But being in constant depending on the orders even as the senior management of the administrative and the party hierarchy actor humiliating. Besides, they often do not guarantee full social security and he certainly does not inspire confidence in the future.

The spring of 1922 Chaliapin did not return from a foreign tour, although continued for some time to consider his failure to return temporary. Significant role in the incident played a home environment. Care for children, the fear of leaving them without means of livelihood forced Fedor agree to endless touring. The eldest daughter Irina stayed in Moscow with her husband and her mother, Paula Ignatyevna Tornagi-Shalyapina. Other children from his first marriage - Lydia, Boris, Fedor, Tatiana - and children from his second marriage - Marina, Martha, Dass and children Mary V. (second wife), Edward and Stella lived with them in Paris. Chaliapin particularly proud of his son Boris, who, according to H. Benoit, has made "great success as a landscape painter and portraitist. Fedor willingly posed for his son, Boris made portraits and sketches of the Father "is priceless monuments of a great artist . . . ".

In a foreign country singer enjoyed the same success, touring almost every country in the world - in England, America, Canada, China, Japan, in Hawaii. Since 1930, Chaliapin appeared in the company "Russian Opera, whose performances were famous for their high level of staging culture. Particular success in Paris, had the opera "Rusalka", "Boris Godunov, Prince Igor. In 1935, Chaliapin was elected a member of the Royal Academy of Music (along with A.

Photo — «Fedor Shalyapin»

Toscanini) and handed a diploma academician. Repertoire Chaliapin was about 70 parties. In the operas of Russian composers, he created unparalleled strength and life-truth images of Miller ( "Mermaid"), Ivan Susanin ( "Ivan Susanin"), Boris Godunov and Barlaam (Boris Godunov), Ivan the Terrible (The Maid of Pskov " ) and many others. Among the best parties in Western opera - Mephistopheles (Faust and Mephistopheles "), Don Basilio (Il Barbiere di Siviglia), Leporello (Don Giovanni), Don Quixote (Don Quixote). Equally great was Chaliapin in the chamber-vocal performance. Here he brings an element of theatricality and created a kind of "theater romance. His repertoire includes up to four songs, ballads and works of chamber vocal music of other genres. Among the masterpieces of the Performing Arts includes "Flea", "Forgotten," "Trepak" by Mussorgsky, "Night parade" by Glinka, "The Prophet" by Rimsky-Korsakov′s "Two Grenadiers" by R. Schumann, "The Double" Schubert, as well as Russian folk song "Farewell to joy," "Not told to Masha for the little river walk," "Because of the island to the rod. "

In the 20-30-ies he made nearly three hundred recordings. "I love gramophone record . . . - Confessed Fedor. - I am concerned and creatively exciting idea that symbolizes the microphone is not any particular audience, and millions of listeners. The singer was very picky about the recordings, including his favorite - writing "Elegy" by Massenet, Russian folk songs, which he included in his recitals throughout the creative life. In remembrance Asafiev, "broad, powerful breathing inescapable great singer saturated melody, and heard, no limit to the fields and steppes of our motherland. "

August 24, 1927, the Council of People′s Commissars makes a decision on deprivation of Chaliapin title People′s Artist. In withdrawing from the title of National Artist Chaliapin, as rumors spread in the spring of 1927, Gorky did not believe: "People′s Artist of the same title given to you Sovnarkom only Sovnarkom and may be revoked, which he did, yes, of course, will not do. " But in reality it all happened differently, not so, as suggested by Bitter . . .

Commenting on the ruling People′s Commissars, AV Lunacharsky resolutely reject the politically motivated and argued that "the only reason for the deprivation Chaliapin was the title of his stubborn refusal to come at least briefly to his homeland and art serve the very people whose artist he was proclaimed .

Photo — «Fedor Shalyapin»

. . "

However, in the USSR is not their attempts to return Chaliapin. Autumn of 1928, Gorky wrote Fyodor Ivanovich from Sorrento: "They say - do you sing in Rome? I′ll come listen. Very want to listen to you in Moscow. I have said that Stalin, Voroshilov, etc. Even the "rock" in the Crimea and some other treasures returned to you. "

The meeting was held in Rome in April 1929. Chaliapin sang with great success "Boris Godunov". After the play, gathered in the tavern "Library". "They were all in very good spirits. Maxim Gorki, and many interesting things told about the Soviet Union, responded to many questions in the conclusion of Gorki said Fyodor Ivanovich: "Go home, look to build a new life, new people, their interest to you is huge, seeing you like stay there, I′m sure. " Daughter in law of the writer, NA Peshkov continues: "Maria V. , listened in silence, suddenly said sternly, turning to Fyodor Ivanovich:" In the Soviet Union you′re going only over my dead body. "Mood all fell rapidly zasobiralis home. "

More Chaliapin with Gorky never met. Chaliapin saw that brutal time of growing mass repression breaks down many of fate, he did not want to become either a voluntary victim, or the herald of the Stalinist wisdom or a werewolf, or vospevatelem leader of nations.

Far away from home for Chaliapin was especially dear to the meeting with Russian - Korovin, Rachmaninov, Anna Pavlova. Chaliapin was familiar with Toti Dal Monte, Maurice Ravel, Charlie Chaplin, HG Wells. In 1932, Fyodor Ivanovich starred in the film "Don Quixote" at the suggestion of German director Georg Pabst. The film was popular with the public. Even in his declining years Chaliapin homesick for Russia, gradually lost his cheerfulness and optimism, did not sing the new operatic roles, was often ill. In May 1937, doctors diagnosed him - leukemia. April 12, 1938 in Paris, the great singer died.

Until the end of his life Chaliapin remained a Russian citizen - he has not taken a foreign nationality, wanted to be buried in his homeland. His wish fulfilled, the singer′s ashes were transported to Moscow, October 29, 1984 is buried at Novodevichy Cemetery.