April 12, 1938, Paris) - Russian opera and chamber singer (high bass), in different time soloist of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters, as well as the Metropolitan Opera, first People's Artist of the Republic (1918), in 1918-1921 - artistic director Mariinsky Theater. He has a reputation as an artist who has combined in his work “natural musicality, bright vocal abilities, extraordinary acting" He was also engaged in painting, graphics and sculpture. He had a great influence on world opera.
Biography
Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin was born in February 1873 in Kazan. His father, a minor official, served as an archivist in the district zemstvo government. Chaliapin's childhood was poor and hungry. He received the most unpretentious education - he graduated (and even then with difficulty) from the local parish school. His father got him a job as a scribe, first in the district zemstvo council, then with a moneylender, and finally in the court chamber. However, Chaliapin did not stay in any of these places. Moreover, he did not like clerking. He pursued his calling in a completely different way. A neighbor taught him the basics musical notation. After this, Chaliapin, who naturally possessed a beautiful treble, began singing in the suburban church choir. They noticed him, began to invite him to other churches, to sing at weddings and funerals, and then they took him into the bishop’s choir at the Spassky Monastery. When my voice began to break, I had to stop singing. For some time, Chaliapin worked as a scribe in a consistory, and in 1890 he managed to get a job in the Ufa opera troupe of Semenov-Samarinsky (by this time his voice had returned, but not a treble, but a baritone).
Once, when Chaliapin was already famous, in one of the taverns during a performance by a balalaika orchestra, he quietly began to sing along with the soloist: “Steppe and steppe all around...” And then from the next table a certain gentleman made a remark to him. As a result, both felt awkward. The stranger was immediately told to whom he had made the remark. Chaliapin was no less embarrassed, because for the first time in his life he was asked to stop singing.
As a singer he was virtually self-taught. But chance brought him together with the famous teacher, singing teacher, former artist of the Imperial Theaters Usatov. This happened in Tiflis, where Chaliapin stayed while wandering in search of work. As the singer himself later recalled, Usatov began the audition with the words: “Well, what? Let's shout." Chaliapin sang, the professor accompanied him. Finally, unable to bear it, Chaliapin asked: “What? Can I learn to sing? Usatov replied: “It should! Stay here and learn from me. I won’t take money from you.” “I was then shabby and dirty, I had only one shirt, which I washed myself in Kura,” the singer writes in his memoirs. Soon Usatov supplied him with linen and some clothes.
There, in September 1893, Chaliapin’s first performance took place on the stage of the Tiflis Opera House. A year later he was already singing the entire repertoire intended for his voice. It was in Tiflis that recognition came to him, although at that time it was still quite local. However, the opera community in the capital already knew about the talented bass.
On April 5, 1895, Chaliapin made his debut at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theater, and in 1896 at the Moscow private Russian Opera of Savva Mamontov, where the singer’s musical and acting talents were fully revealed. In performances of the Mammoth opera, performed first at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair and then in Moscow, Chaliapin sang his best roles. Chaliapin's debut in Moscow took place at the end of September 1896. He performed the role of Susanin in Glinka's opera. The press immediately noted his remarkable talent. A few days later he performed the role of Mephistopheles in Faust and earned great success. Two months later, his name was already on the lips of all Moscow theatergoers. But real fame came to Chaliapin at the end of the year, when Mamontov staged Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Woman of Pskov.” Chaliapin performed here for the first time as Ivan the Terrible.
In 1899 he was invited to Grand Theatre with the right to choose and stage performances. His first appearance on the Bolshoi stage was met with a fantastic ovation. It turned into a complete triumph, the likes of which, according to contemporaries, the walls of this theater had not seen for a long time. Critics wrote that Chaliapin's appearance was enormous in its significance, since it symbolized the completion of a long and complex process of creating Russian national opera. And this was actually true. With the arrival of Chaliapin, the theater's repertoire begins to be updated with operas by Russian composers, which Chaliapin always considered masterpieces of the world musical classics. Love for Russian opera and chamber music was the singer’s creative credo. Those works in which Chaliapin achieved the greatest success were introduced into the repertoire. In 1901, the Bolshoi staged “Boris Godunov”, “The Woman of Pskov”, “Mozart and Salieri” - all those things that had previously been arrogantly rejected by the official stage. After Chaliapin shone in them, they already seemed like recognized classics, in no way inferior to European operatic masterpieces.
By then he was already a megastar. Once Chaliapin was riding in a cab, which was drunk and bawled songs all the way. “Why are you singing this?” – Chaliapin asked. “And I always sing when I’m drunk,” answered the cabman. “Look,” said Chaliapin, “but when I’m drunk, Vlasov sings for me.” Stepan Grigorievich Vlasov was a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater and often doubled for Chaliapin...
Since 1899, he again served in the Imperial Russian Opera in Moscow (Bolshoi Theater), where he enjoyed enormous success. He was highly acclaimed in Milan, where he performed at the La Scala theater for leading role Mephistopheles.
During the revolution of 1905, he joined progressive circles and donated proceeds from his speeches to revolutionaries.
Since 1914 he has performed in the private opera companies of S. I. Zimin (Moscow) and A. R. Aksarin (Petrograd).
Since 1918 - artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater. Received the title People's Artist Republic.
In 1927, Chaliapin donated the proceeds from one of his concerts to the children of emigrants, which was interpreted and presented as support for the White Guards. In 1928, by a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, he was deprived of the title of People's Artist and the right to return to the USSR.
At the end of the summer of 1932, he played the main role in the film “Don Quixote” by the Austrian film director Georg Pabst.
In the spring of 1937, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and on April 12, 1938, he died in the arms of his wife. He was buried in the Batignolles cemetery in Paris.
In 1956, the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Supreme Council of the RSFSR considered “proposals to posthumously restore the title of People’s Artist of the Republic to F. I. Chaliapin,” but they were not accepted. The 1928 resolution was repealed by the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR only on June 10, 1991.
Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin was born on February 1 (13), 1873, in Kazan. As a child, Fyodor sang in the church choir. Before entering school, he studied shoemaking with N.A. Tonkov and V.A. Andreev. Elementary education he received at Vedernikova’s private school. Then he entered the Kazan parish school.
His studies at the school ended in 1885. In the autumn of the same year, he entered the vocational school in Arsk.
The beginning of a creative journey
In 1889, Chaliapin became a member of the drama troupe of V. B. Serebryakov. In the spring of 1890, the artist's first solo performance took place. Chaliapin performed the part of Zaretsky in P. I. Tchaikovsky’s opera, “Eugene Onegin”.
In the autumn of the same year, Fyodor Ivanovich moved to Ufa and joined the choir of the operetta troupe of S. Ya. Semenov-Samarsky. In S. Monyushko’s opera “Pebble,” 17-year-old Chaliapin replaced the ill artist. This debut brought him fame in a narrow circle.
In 1893, Chaliapin became a member of G. I. Derkach’s troupe and moved to Tiflis. There he met opera singer D. Usatov. On the advice of an older comrade, Chaliapin took his voice seriously. It was in Tiflis that Chaliapin performed his first bass parts.
In 1893, Chaliapin moved to Moscow. A year later he moved to St. Petersburg and joined the opera troupe of M. V. Lentovsky. In the winter of 1894-1895. joined the troupe of I.P. Zazulin.
In 1895, Chaliapin was invited to join the St. Petersburg opera troupe. On the stage of the Mariinsky Theater, Chaliapin performed in the roles of Mephistopheles and Ruslan.
Creative takeoff
Studying short biography Shalyapin Fyodor Ivanovich, you should know that in 1899 he first appeared on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. In 1901, the artist performed the role of Mephistopheles at the La Scala theater in Milan. His performance was very popular with European viewers and critics.
During the revolution, the artist performed with folk songs, and donated the fees to the workers. In 1907-1908 His tour began in the United States of America and Argentina.
In 1915, Chaliapin made his film debut, playing the title role in the film “Tsar Ivan Vasilyevich the Terrible.”
In 1918, Chaliapin took charge of the former Mariinsky Theater. In the same year he was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Republic.
Abroad
In July 1922, Chaliapin went on tour to the USA. This fact in itself deeply worried the new government. And when in 1927 the artist donated his fee to the children of political emigrants, this was regarded as a betrayal of Soviet ideals.
Against this background, in 1927, Fyodor Ivanovich was deprived of the title of People's Artist and forbidden to return to his homeland. All charges against the great artist were dropped only in 1991.
In 1932, the artist played the title role in the film “The Adventures of Don Quixote.”
last years of life
In 1937, F.I. Chaliapin was diagnosed with leukemia. The great artist passed away a year later, on April 12, 1938. In 1984, thanks to Baron E. A. von Falz-Fein, Chaliapin’s ashes were delivered to Russia.
The reburial ceremony of the outstanding singer took place on October 29, 1984, at Novodevichy Cemetery.
Other biography options
- There were many interesting and funny facts in the life of F.I. Chaliapin. In his youth, he auditioned for the same choir together with M. Gorky. The choir directors “rejected” Chaliapin due to a mutation in his voice, preferring him to an arrogant competitor. Chaliapin retained his resentment for his much less talented competitor for the rest of his life.
- Having met M. Gorky, he told him this story. The surprised writer, laughing cheerfully, admitted that it was he who was a competitor in the choir, who was soon kicked out due to lack of a voice.
- The stage debut of young Chaliapin was quite original. At that time he was the main extra, and at the premiere of the play he performed in the silent role of the cardinal. The whole role consisted of a majestic procession across the stage. The cardinal's retinue was played by junior extras who were very worried. While rehearsing, Chaliapin ordered them to do everything on stage exactly as he did.
- Entering the stage, Fyodor Ivanovich became entangled in his robe and fell. Thinking that this was the way it should be, the retinue did the same. This “heap of small things” crawled across the stage, making the tragic scene incredibly funny. For this, the enraged director lowered Chaliapin down the stairs.
Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin (b. 1873 - d. 1938) - great Russian opera singer (bass).
Fyodor Chaliapin was born on February 1 (13), 1873 in Kazan. The son of the peasant of the Vyatka province Ivan Yakovlevich Chaliapin (1837-1901), a representative of the ancient Vyatka family of the Shalyapins (Shelepins). As a child, Chaliapin was a singer. Received an elementary education.
Chaliapin himself considered 1889 to be the beginning of his artistic career, when he entered the drama troupe V. B. Serebryakova. Initially, as a statistician.
On March 29, 1890, Chaliapin's first solo performance took place - the role of Zaretsky in the opera "Eugene Onegin", staged by the Kazan Society of Performing Art Lovers. Throughout May and the beginning of June 1890, Chaliapin was a chorus member of V. B. Serebryakov’s operetta company.
In September 1890, Chaliapin arrived from Kazan to Ufa and began working in the choir of an operetta troupe under the direction of S. Ya. Semenov-Samarsky.
Quite by accident, I had to transform from a chorister into a soloist, replacing a sick artist in Moniuszko’s opera “Pebble.” This debut brought out the 17-year-old Chaliapin, who was occasionally assigned small opera roles, for example Fernando in Il Trovatore. The following year, Chaliapin performed as the Unknown in Verstovsky's Askold's Grave. He was offered a place in the Ufa zemstvo, but the Little Russian troupe of Dergach came to Ufa, which Chaliapin joined. Traveling with her brought him to Tiflis, where for the first time he managed to seriously practice his voice, thanks to the singer D. A. Usatov. Usatov not only approved of Chaliapin’s voice, but, due to the latter’s lack of material resources, began to give him singing lessons for free and generally took a great part in it. He also arranged for Chaliapin to join the Tiflis opera of Forcatti and Lyubimov. Chaliapin lived in Tiflis for a whole year, performing the first bass parts in the opera.
In 1893 he moved to Moscow, and in 1894 to St. Petersburg, where he sang in Arcadia in opera troupe Lentovsky, and in the winter of 1894/5 - in an opera partnership at the Panaevsky Theater, in Zazulin's troupe. Beautiful voice aspiring artist and especially his expressive musical recitation in connection with his truthful playing attracted the attention of critics and the public. In 1895, Chaliapin was accepted by the directorate of the St. Petersburg Imperial Theaters into the opera troupe: he entered the stage of the Mariinsky Theater and sang with success the roles of Mephistopheles (Faust) and Ruslan (Ruslan and Lyudmila). Chaliapin's diverse talent was expressed in comic opera « Secret marriage» D. Cimarosa, but still did not receive proper assessment. It is reported that during the 1895-1896 season. he “appeared quite rarely and, moreover, in parties that were not very suitable for him.” Famous philanthropist S.I. Mamontov, who at that time held Opera theatre in Moscow, the first to notice Chaliapin's extraordinary talent, he persuaded him to join his private troupe. Here in 1896-1899. Chaliapin developed into artistic sense and developed his stage talent, performing in a number of roles. Thanks to his subtle understanding of Russian music in general and modern music in particular, he created a completely individual, but at the same time deeply truthful whole line types in Russian operas. At the same time, he worked hard on roles in foreign operas; for example, the role of Mephistopheles in Gounod’s Faust in his broadcast received amazingly bright, strong and original coverage. Over the years, Chaliapin gained great fame.
Since 1899, he again served in the Imperial Russian Opera in Moscow (Bolshoi Theater), where he enjoyed enormous success. He was highly appreciated in Milan, where he performed at the La Scala theater in the title role of Mephistopheles A. Boito (1901, 10 performances). Chaliapin's tours in St. Petersburg on the Mariinsky stage constituted a kind of event in the St. Petersburg musical world.
During the revolution of 1905, he joined progressive circles and donated proceeds from his speeches to revolutionaries. His performances with folk songs (“Dubinushka” and others) sometimes turned into political demonstrations.
Since 1914 he has performed in the private opera companies of S. I. Zimin (Moscow) and A. R. Aksarin (Petrograd).
Since 1918 - artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater. Received the title of People's Artist of the Republic.
Chaliapin's long absence aroused suspicion and negative attitude in Soviet Russia; Thus, in 1926, Mayakovsky wrote in his “Letter to Gorky”: “Or should you live, / as Chaliapin lives, / with scented applause / daubed? / Come back / now / such an artist / back / to Russian rubles - / I will be the first to shout: / - Roll back, / People’s Artist of the Republic!” In 1927, Chaliapin donated the proceeds from one of his concerts to the children of emigrants, which was interpreted and presented as support for the White Guards. In 1928, by a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars of the RSFSR, he was deprived of the title of People's Artist and the right to return to the USSR; this was justified by the fact that he did not want to “return to Russia and serve the people whose title of artist was awarded to him” or, according to other sources, by the fact that he allegedly donated money to monarchist emigrants.
In the spring of 1937, he was diagnosed with leukemia, and on April 12, 1938, he died in the arms of his wife. He was buried in the Batignolles cemetery in Paris.
On October 29, 1984, a ceremony for the reburial of the ashes of F.I. Chaliapin took place at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
The opening took place on October 31, 1986 tombstone the great Russian singer F. I. Chaliapin (sculptor A. Eletsky, architect Yu. Voskresensky).
“By this time, thanks to the success in different countries Europe, and mainly in America, my financial affairs were in excellent condition. Having left Russia a few years ago as a beggar, I can now arrange for myself good house, furnished according to my own taste." (Fedor Ivanovich Chaliapin)
How sad it is that many brilliant people left our country and became the property of foreign lands. And how we would like for ourselves and our state to learn to appreciate talents and create favorable conditions for their creativity in Russia.
Fyodor Ivanovich was born on February 13, 1873 in Kazan into the family of a poor Vyatka peasant Ivan Yakovlevich Chaliapin and his wife Evdokia Mikhailovna, née Prozorova. Father and mother were both from the Vyatka province, only from different villages.
Chaliapin's father served as an archivist in the district zemstvo government, and his mother was a day laborer and took on any hard work. But, nevertheless, the Chaliapin family lived very poorly. The parents did not even think about giving their son a good education. Fedor studied at the local 6th city four-year school, from which he graduated with a diploma of commendation. It was at the school that Chaliapin met teacher N.V. Bashmakov, who himself loved to sing and encouraged his student to sing.
The boy was sent to learn the craft from a shoemaker, and then from a turner; he also tried the craft of a carpenter, bookbinder, and copyist.
Chaliapin's beautiful voice appeared in childhood, and he sang along with his mother. And from the age of nine he sang in church choirs, dreamed of learning to play the violin, his father even bought him a violin for two rubles at a flea market, and Fyodor independently learned to pull the bow, trying to master the basics of musical literacy.
Chaliapin read a lot, although he had almost no free time.
At the age of twelve, Fyodor participated as an extra in the performances of a troupe touring in Kazan.
One day, Chaliapin’s neighbor, regent Shcherbitsky in Sukonnaya Sloboda, where the family then lived, heard Fyodor singing and brought him to the Church of Barbara the Great Martyr, where the two of them sang the all-night vigil in bass and treble, then mass. After this incident, Chaliapin began to sing in the church choir constantly. He earned money by singing not only at prayer services, but also at weddings and funerals.
In 1883, F.I. Chaliapin first came to the theater.
He sat in the gallery and watched with bated breath what was happening on stage. They showed “Russian Wedding” by P. P. Sukhonin.
And here is what Chaliapin himself later wrote about this in his memoirs: “And so, I was in the gallery of the theater: Suddenly the curtain trembled, rose, and I was immediately stunned, enchanted. Some kind of vaguely familiar fairy tale came to life in front of me. Superbly dressed people walked around the room, wonderfully decorated, talking to each other in a particularly beautiful way. I didn't understand what they were saying. I was shocked to the depths of my soul by the spectacle and, without blinking, without thinking about anything, I looked at these miracles.”
After this first visit to the theater, Fedor tried to get to almost every performance. Moreover, in the 80s of the 19th century, wonderful actors played on the stage of the Kazan theater - Svobodina-Barysheva, Pisarev, Andreev-Burlak, Ivanov-Kazelsky and others.
In 1886, Medvedev's opera troupe appeared in Kazan. Chaliapin was especially impressed by M. I. Glinka’s opera “Ivan Susanin”.
It was probably after listening to this opera that Chaliapin decided to become an artist.
But for now, Chaliapin had to care for his sick mother and work as a scribe in the district zemstvo government, then with a moneylender and in the court chamber. But the young man did not like any of these works.
He sang in the bishop's choir at the Spassky Monastery, but when his voice began to break, Chaliapin got a job as a scribe in the consistory.
Interesting historical fact– Chaliapin came through an advertisement to audition for the choir of the Kazan Opera House. Among those who came for the test was the future writer A.M. Gorky - 20-year-old Alexey Peshkov. So he was enrolled in the choir as the 2nd tenor, and the commission rejected Chaliapin “due to lack of voice”...
But nevertheless, the singer Chaliapin’s debut took place on the Kazan stage; in 1889, he sang the solo part for the first time in an amateur production of “ Queen of Spades" Then, with acting troupes, he wandered around the cities of the Volga region, the Caucasus, and Central Asia, and had to work as both a loader and a hookman at the pier. Often there was no money even for bread, and they had to spend the night on benches.
Chaliapin would meet Maxim Gorky again in 1900 in Nizhny Novgorod, and they would become friends.
In 1890, Fedor entered the Ufa opera troupe of Semenov-Samarinsky. By this time, Chaliapin's voice had recovered, and he could sing in treble and baritone.
Chaliapin sang his solo part for the first time in Ufa on December 18, 1890. Chance helped - on the eve of the performance, one of the baritones of the troupe suddenly refused the role of Stolnik in Moniuszko’s opera “Pebble” and the entrepreneur Semyonov-Samarsky offered to sing this part for Chaliapin. The young man quickly learned the part and performed. He even got a salary increase for his efforts. In the same season he sang Fernando in Troubadour and Neizvestny in Askold’s Grave.
After the end of the season, Chaliapin joined the Little Russian traveling troupe of Derkach, with whom he toured the cities of the Urals and the Volga region, the troupe went to Central Asia Finally, he ended up in Baku, where in 1892 he joined the French opera and operetta troupe of Lassalle.
However, the troupe soon disbanded and, finding himself without a livelihood, Chaliapin reached Tiflis, where he got a job as a scribe in the administration of the Transcaucasian Railway.
Chaliapin was noticed by the famous Tiflis singing teacher Professor Dmitry Usatov, who himself was formerly a famous opera singer. Recognizing great talent in the young Chaliapin, Usatov began to study with him for free, obtained a small scholarship for him and fed him free lunches.
Chaliapin subsequently called Usatov his only teacher and kept fond memories of him all his life.
After a few months of studying with Usatov, Chaliapin began performing publicly at concerts organized by the Tiflis Musical Circle. Later he received an invitation to the Tiflis Opera House. And in 1893, Chaliapin first appeared on the professional stage.
The Tiflis Theater had a very large repertoire, and Chaliapin had to learn twelve parts from different operas in one season. The young singer coped with this and was highly appreciated by the public.
They say that Chaliapin was especially good in the role of the Miller from “The Mermaid” and Tonio from “Pagliacci.”
However, in 1894, having saved up some money, Chaliapin went to Moscow. He failed to get into the Bolshoi Theater, but he was accepted into Petrosyan’s opera troupe, which was recruited for the St. Petersburg Arcadia Theater. Thus, Chaliapin came to the capital.
But, alas, two months later Petrosyan’s theater went bankrupt, and Chaliapin entered into a partnership opera singers Panaevsky Theater. At the beginning of 1895, he was invited to auditions at the Mariinsky Theater and a contract was signed with him for three years. This is how Chaliapin found himself on the imperial stage.
At first he played a supporting role, but at the end of the season, replacing the sick bass, Chaliapin had enormous success in the role of the Miller in “Rusalka”.
In the summer he received an invitation to go to Nizhny Novgorod for performances during the Nizhny Novgorod Fair in the private opera troupe of the famous Savva Mamontov. In the fall, Chaliapin accepts Mamontov’s offer to leave Marinka and perform only for him.
Mamontov told him: “Fedenka, you can do whatever you want in this theater! If you need costumes, tell me and there will be costumes. If you need to put new opera, let’s stage an opera!”
Chaliapin's debut in Moscow took place at the end of September 1896. He performed the role of Susanin in Glinka's opera. And a few days later in Faust the role of Mephistopheles. The success was colossal! They only talked about Chaliapin. A full recognition Chaliapin’s genius occurred when Mamontov staged “The Woman of Pskov” by Rimsky-Korsakov, in which Chaliapin performed as Ivan the Terrible.
The 1897/98 season brought new successes to Fyodor Chaliapin.
These are the roles of Dosifai in Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina and the Varangian guest in Rimsky-Korsakov's Sadko. The next season was followed by the roles of Holofernes in “Judith” and Salieri in “Mozart and Salieri”, Boris Godunov in Mussorgsky’s opera of the same name. The management of the imperial theaters now spared no money just to get Chaliapin on their stage again. And in the fall of 1899. Chaliapin signed a three-year contract with the Bolshoi Theater.
In 1898, Chaliapin married an artist of the Mamontov theater, Italian dancer Iola Tarnaghi. By this time, Chaliapin had also gained European popularity.
In 1900, he was invited to the Milan Theater to play the role of Mephistopheles in Boyoto's opera of the same name. The Milanese audience greeted him with delight and a standing ovation at the end of the performance.
After his first performance on the stage of the Milan Theater, Fyodor Chaliapin became a world celebrity. For 10 performances, Fyodor Chaliapin received a huge sum at that time - 15,000 francs. After this, foreign tours became annual and were always a triumph.
In 1907, Diaghilev organized the “Russian Seasons Abroad” in Paris for the first time, during which Parisians were able to get acquainted with the Russian musical culture. The French press covered "Russian Seasons" enthusiastically, but Chaliapin's performance was recognized as especially striking.
The following year, Diaghilev brought the opera performance “Boris Godunov” to Paris with Chaliapin in the title role. The success was stunning.
In 1908, Chaliapin performed in Milan in the opera Boris Godunov in Italian.
For the first time this year he performed in Berlin, New York and Buenos Aires.
Italian conductor and composer D. Gavadzeni: said: “Chaliapin’s innovation in the field of dramatic truth opera art turned out to be strong impact to the Italian theater... The dramatic art of the great Russian artist left a deep and lasting mark not only in the field of performing Russian operas Italian singers, but also in general on the entire style of their vocal and stage interpretation, including the works of Verdi..."
Despite the fact that Chaliapin earned a lot of money by singing, he often gave charity concerts; posters of his charity performances in Kyiv, Kharkov, and Petrograd have been preserved.
With the outbreak of World War I, Chaliapin stopped touring abroad and did not leave Russia until 1920. He opened two hospitals for wounded soldiers at his own expense, and did not refuse help to those who were in need.
After October revolution 1917, which the artist accepted favorably, Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin became a member of the directors of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theaters, he was engaged in the creative reconstruction of the former imperial theaters and in 1918 directed the artistic part of the Mariinsky Theater. In the same year, in November, by a resolution of the Council of People's Commissars, he was one of the first artists to be awarded the title of People's Artist of the Republic.
But Chaliapin was not interested in politics, and he wanted to remain only a singer and actor. In addition, attacks began on Chaliapin and his family, they doubted his trustworthiness, and demanded that his talent be used to serve the socialist society. And Chaliapin decided to leave Russia.
But leaving, especially with my family, was not so easy. Therefore, Chaliapin began to convince the authorities that his performances abroad not only brought income to the treasury, but also improved the image of the young Republic. He was allowed to travel abroad with his family.
True, Chaliapin was very worried that he eldest daughter Irina from her first marriage remained to live in Moscow with her husband and mother, Pola Ignatievna Tornagi-Chalyapina. He managed to take the other children from his first marriage - Lydia, Boris, Fyodor, Tatyana - with him, as well as the children from his second marriage - Marina, Marfa, Dassya. The children of Maria Valentinovna, Chaliapin’s second wife from her first marriage, Edward and Stela, lived with them in Paris.
Having left in April 1922, Chaliapin settled in France. In Paris, he had a large apartment that occupied an entire floor of the house. However, the singer spent most of his time on tour.
In 1927, the Soviet government stripped him of the title of People's Artist.
Chaliapin was very proud of his son Boris, who became a portrait and landscape painter. N. Benois spoke well of his talent, and Fyodor Ivanovich willingly posed for his son. Portraits and sketches of his father made by Boris have been preserved.
No matter how well Chaliapin lived abroad, he often thought about returning to his homeland. And the USSR authorities sought to return the singer.
Maxim Gorky wrote to Fyodor Ivanovich from Sorrento in 1928: “They say – will you sing in Rome? I'll come to listen. They really want to listen to you in Moscow. Stalin, Voroshilov and others told me this. Even the “rock” in Crimea and some other treasures would be returned to you.”
In April 1929, Chaliapin and Gorky met in Rome.
After the performance, Gorky told Chaliapin a lot about the Soviet Union and in conclusion said: “Go to your homeland, look at the construction of a new life, at new people, their interest in you is enormous, when they see you, you will want to stay there, I’m sure.” But Chaliapin’s wife interrupted Gorky’s persuasion, telling her husband: “In Soviet Union you will only go over my corpse.”
It was last meeting Gorky and Chaliapin.
Meanwhile, mass repressions began in the USSR, rumors about which increasingly reached the West.
In exile, Chaliapin was friends with Rachmaninov, Korovin, and Anna Pavlova. He knew Charlie Chaplin and H.G. Wells.
In 1932, Chaliapin starred in the sound film Don Quixote by German director Georg Pabst. The film was popular in many countries and became a notable phenomenon in cinema.
Chaliapin continued to give annually great amount concerts.
But his health, starting in 1936, began to deteriorate. In the summer of 1937, doctors found he had heart disease and pulmonary emphysema. Chaliapin began to rapidly decline and in just a few months turned into an old man. At the beginning of 1938, he was diagnosed with leukemia. And in April the great singer passed away. He died in Paris, but never accepted French citizenship, dreaming of being buried in his homeland.
Chaliapin's will was carried out only 46 years after his death.
Personally, I and probably many would like for Chaliapin’s voice to be heard more often on radio and television. We cannot throw away such brilliant voices and allow them to sink into oblivion.
After all, it is precisely such nuggets of the Russian land as Chaliapin that can make not only voices more beautiful and purer modern singers, but also throughout our lives.
Understanding Russian history musical theater impossible without considering the question of in which operas Chaliapin performed the main roles. This outstanding singer had a huge influence on the development of not only domestic but also world culture. It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the development of national opera art. His phenomenal success abroad contributed to the spread and popularization of not only Russian classical music, but also folk, folk song creativity.
Some biographical facts
Chaliapin was born in Kazan in 1873. The future singer came from a simple peasant family. He graduated from the local parish school and sang in the church choir since childhood. However, due to his difficult financial situation, he studied handicraft for some time. After some time, the young man entered the Arsk school. The beginning of it creative career associated with joining Serebryakov’s troupe, where he initially performed small parts, participating in choral singing.
In 1890, Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin left for Ufa, where he joined the operetta troupe. Here he began performing solo parts. Four years later he moved to Moscow, and then to the capital of the empire, where he was accepted into main theater. Here he performed roles from both foreign and domestic repertoire. Talent young singer immediately attracted the attention of not only the general public, but also critics. However, despite the growth of popularity, Chaliapin felt somewhat constrained: he lacked freedom and personal initiative.
Carier start
A turning point in the singer’s life occurred after he met the famous Russian millionaire and philanthropist S. Mamontov. He first met him while looking for talent and recruiting him for his troupe. best singers, musicians and artists. In this city, Chaliapin’s performances began with his performance of the title role of Ivan Susanin in M. Glinka’s opera “A Life for the Tsar.” The performance was a great success and played a fateful role in the artist’s career, since it was in this production that his enormous talent was revealed as a performer of Russian classical music, which he perfectly felt and understood.
Then Savva Ivanovich invited the singer to his private troupe. He wanted to create a Russian national musical theater, and therefore took special care to attract the most talented artists.
Creativity flourishes
Mamontov's opera played an outstanding role in Russian culture. The fact is that on this private stage those operas were staged that were not shown in state theaters. For example, it was here that the premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov’s new work “Mozart and Salieri” took place. The role of the latter was brilliantly played by Chaliapin. Actually this new theater was intended to popularize the music of the representatives of the “Big Handful”. And it was in this repertoire that the singer’s talent was revealed to the maximum.
In order to understand how much the roles of this outstanding performer have changed, it is enough to simply list in which operas Chaliapin performed the main roles. He began to sing great Russian opera: he was attracted by the strong, powerful and dramatic music of composers who wrote their works on historical, epic and fairy tale themes. The singer especially liked traditional folk motifs, and paintings from ancient Russian history attracted by its picturesqueness and depth. It was during this period of his work (1896-1899) that he embodied a number of outstanding images on stage. One of his most significant works of this stage was the role of Ivan the Terrible in the work of Rimsky-Korsakov.
Historical themes in creativity
The opera “The Woman of Pskov” is based on a historical episode and is distinguished by a sharp and dynamic plot and, at the same time, the psychological depth of the image of the king and the inhabitants of the city. The music of this work was ideally suited to the vocal and artistic capabilities of the singer. In the role of this ruler, he was very convincing and expressive, so this work became one of the most significant in his career. Subsequently, he even starred in a film based on this work. However, since the singer did not perceive the independent value of cinema, he almost did not act in films, and his first film did not deserve critical recognition.
Features of execution
For an objective assessment of the singer’s creativity, it is necessary to indicate in which operas Chaliapin performed the main roles. It is worth noting that there are many of them. The opera “The Pskov Woman” became one of the most significant in his career. However, he became famous in a number of other outstanding productions. During this period, he considered Russian opera to be his main repertoire, which he especially valued, and gave it great importance in the development of world musical theater. Contemporaries noted that the singer’s popularity was explained not only by his amazing vocal abilities, but also by his artistry, ability to get used to the role and convey all the smallest shades of intonation with his voice.
Critics noted that he felt great musical language performed works. In addition, Chaliapin was an excellent theater artist, that is, with the help of facial expressions and gestures, he conveyed all the psychological traits of the character he portrayed. The singer had the talent of transformation. For example, he could play several roles in one performance. Fyodor Chaliapin became especially famous for this skill.
“Boris Godunov” is an opera in which he sang the roles of the Tsar and the monk Pimen. His performance was particularly expressive, since he knew how to find a new musical language for each role. Mussorgsky was his favorite composer.
Episodes
Chaliapin's voice is a high bass. And although he became famous for performing primarily dramatic roles, he nevertheless had a good sense of humor, and as a great artist he perfectly played comedic roles, for example the part of Don Basilio in the opera “The Barber of Seville.”
His talent was multifaceted: he sang superbly in episodic roles, as, for example, in Glinka’s opera. In addition to playing the main role in the play “A Life for the Tsar,” he played the role of one of the knights in his other work. This small mise-en-scène was positively noted by critics, who said that the artist managed to surprisingly accurately convey the image of a boastful warrior.
Another small but significant role is the part of the Varangian guest, which became business card singer, and the image of a miller from another fairy-tale opera. Nevertheless, serious dramatic roles continued to be the basis of his repertoire. Here the work in the opera “Mozart and Salieri” should be highlighted separately. This work is chamber and differs from those performances in which he previously participated. Nevertheless, Chaliapin showed himself as a great artist here too, performing the bass part superbly.
In the first decades of the 20th century
On the eve of the first Russian revolution, the singer was already very popular. At this time, he sings songs from folk songs, which received a special sound in his performance. The song “Dubinushka” became especially famous, to which the workers gave a revolutionary sound. After the Bolsheviks came to power in 1917, Chaliapin became the de facto leader of the Mariinsky Theater and was awarded the title of People's Artist of the Republic. However, due to his frequent tours abroad and donations to the children of emigrants, he was suspected of sympathy for the monarchy. Since 1922, the singer lived and toured abroad, for which he was deprived of the title of People's Artist.
Emigration
In the 1920-1930s, the singer actively toured, performing not only with domestic but also with foreign repertoire. When characterizing this period of his work, it is necessary to indicate in which operas Chaliapin performed the main roles. Thus, J. Massenet wrote the opera “Don Quixote” especially for him. The singer played this role and starred in the film of the same name.
Chaliapin died in 1938 from a serious illness, was buried in France, but then his ashes were transported to our country. In 1991, he was posthumously returned the title of People's Artist.