Famous opera singers of the world are the basis of all classical vocal art. Successful performance of arias depends on the level of skill that has been formed over the years. As a rule, famous opera singers began to make music in their childhood, were trained at the music school, and then at the conservatory. Particularly gifted went on an internship at La Scala - the Milan Opera House, which is a kind of “mecca” of vocal art. The works of great composers such as Donizetti, Giuseppe Verdi, Bellini, Giacomo Puccini were performed on the legendary stage. The most famous opera singers performed on stage "La Scala" arias from "Madame Butterfly", "Turandot" and other masterpieces of opera art. The Milan Theater was founded in 1778 and has since been an excellent school for beginner performers.
Public recognition
Famous opera singers contribute to world culture make, speaking at the most prestigious stages with crowded rooms. Opera art is becoming more and more popular every day, interest in it is growing all over the world. The audience is trying not to miss a single performance in which famous opera singers and singers participate. And after the performance, grateful spectators present the performers with bouquets of flowers, thereby expressing their admiration.
The artist’s popularity opens his doors to the most prestigious theaters in the world, such as the Metropolitan Opera in New York, the Vienna Opera House or the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. In this case, contracts are usually concluded for several seasons at once.
Performances with the participation of recognized performers are often scheduled a year in advance, viewers can familiarize themselves with the repertoire in advance, in January buy a ticket for a performance that is planned, for example, in August and, thus, meet with a favorite singer or singer. Connoisseurs of opera know all the world’s masterpieces at random and can choose an artist to their taste.
The most famous opera singers of the world
Talented performers recognized as masters of vocal make up a specific creative group. Famous opera singers are, first of all, soloists who carry high art to the masses. Vitruous performance of arias is their "calling card", the public goes to Placido Domingo, Maria Biesha or Dmitry Hvorostovsky.
There are times when high art brings together talented performers from the category of “famous opera singers”. So it was when a magnificent trio was formed - Pavarotti Luciano, Jose Carreras and Placido Domingo. The most unsurpassed, famous opera singers, three tenors, began to perform together, which made a real success in the world of music. The audience enthusiastically and gratefully accepted the joint work of the masters.
Luciano Pavarotti
An opera singer of Italian descent, possessing a lyrical tenor, was one of the most famous performers of the 20th century. Thanks to his vocal skills, extraordinary ease of sound production, cheerful character, Pavarotti became a stage star at the age of 24. Popularity contributed to the frequent appearance in television programs, as well as publications in the press.
Luciano was one of the few opera singers who participated in events dedicated to pop music. He sang chanson with pleasure, the hits of fashionable composers - and all this accompanied by humorous reprise and humoresque. Pavarotti had many friends in the world of rock music, he repeatedly held joint concerts, called "Pavarotti and Friends." However, at the same time, the singer always remained in his main status - an academic performer.
Luciano Pavarotti was actively involved in charity work and was even repeatedly awarded by the Italian government for participating in fundraising projects for political refugees and the Red Cross. For more than forty years, the singer managed to do a lot in opera, his name is forever inscribed in the Golden Fund of World Culture.
Jose Carreras
Carreras José, an opera singer of Spanish descent (tenor), was born in Barcelona in 1946. It has a unique voice timbre. His interpretations of the works of Giacomo Puccini and Giuseppe Verdi are widely known. In 1972, he first appeared on the American stage in Puccini's opera "Cio-Cio-san", in the role of the main character, Lieutenant Pinkerton.
Two years later, Carreras played the role of the Duke of Mantua in Giuseppe Verdi's opera Rigoletto.
By the age of 28, the singer performed more than two dozen roles of the classical opera repertoire. And in 1987, José Carreras faced a terrible misfortune: doctors diagnosed him with blood cancer. Acute leukemia interrupted the singer's career for more than a year. In the end, the disease receded, and Carreras set up a foundation to promote research on cancer therapies.
After recovering, Jose went to Moscow, where he took part in a charity concert dedicated to the earthquake in Armenia, together with Montserrat Caballe. Subsequently, the tenor more than once came to Russia on tour. José Carreras finished his performances on the opera stage in 2009.
Placido Domingo
The famous lyric-dramatic tenor, opera singer of Spanish descent. Born in 1941. He is the conductor of the Los Angeles Opera and the Washington Opera. It is one of the three most famous tenors in the world, along with Jose Carreras and Luciano Pavarotti.
Over his more than half-century career, Placido Domingo has performed 140 opera parts, which determines his unconditional superiority. In addition, the singer often participates in performances, being at the conductor's console. He recorded more than 100 opera performances with his participation, where Domingo performs as a soloist, as well as a duet. 21 times the great tenor opened the season at the Metropolitan Opera, ahead of that of Enrique Caruso.
World famous performers
The heyday of opera came in the 20th century. All the most significant works were performed in the 30s of the last century. Almost all the popular opera singers of the world participated in musical performances of the 20th century. Their success was determined by public recognition. However, in the second half of the 19th century there were also famous opera singers. Many of them lived a long, fruitful life.
19th Century Classical Artists
The list contains the names of famous opera singers of the century before last:
- Irena Abendrot (1872-1932), soprano. She performed at the Vienna Opera.
- Pasquale Amato (1878-1942), baritone. He performed at the La Scala opera in Milan and at the New York Metropolitan Opera.
- Karel Burian (1870-1924), tenor. He performed at the Vienna Opera.
- Eugenio Bourzio (1872-1922), soprano. She was the soloist of La Scala.
- Davydov Alexander (1872-1944), Russian tenor. He has performed at many opera houses.
- Maria Valley (1868-1919), contralto. Soloist of the Mariinsky Theater.
20th century performers
The following list contains the names of famous 20th century opera singers:
- Elizabeth Shumskaya (1905-1987), soprano. Bolshoi Theater, Moscow.
- Gotlob Frick (1906-1994), bass. Dresden Opera, Covent Garden.
- Tatyana Troyanos (1938-1993), mezzo-soprano. Metropolitan Opera.
- Ivan Petrov (1920-2003), bass. The Bolshoi Theatre.
- Jesse Norman 1945, soprano. "La Scala".
- Jose Carreras, genus 1946, tenor. All world opera houses.
- Maria Callas (1923-1977), soprano. Metropolitan Opera.
- Montserrat Caballe, genus 1933, soprano. Covent Garden.
- Mario del Monaco (1915-1982), tenor. World opera houses.
Famous Russian opera singers
Throughout the 20th century, several generations of talented performers have changed in Russia.
Today, famous opera singers of Russia make up a significant part of the Golden Fund of Russian musical culture.
The legendary bass of Russia
Chaliapin Fedor Ivanovich (1873-1938) - Russian opera singer, who had an unusually strong bass, soloist of the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow and the New York Metropolitan Opera. People's Artist, was the artistic director of the Mariinsky Theater in Leningrad. Comprehensively gifted, he was engaged in graphics, sculpture and painting. He had a huge impact on the development of world opera.
Soprano
Vishnevskaya Galina Pavlovna (1926-2012) is an opera singer of Russia with a unique purity soprano, actress, theater director and teacher. She was awarded the Order of Merit to the Fatherland. Throughout her long life she has been engaged in fruitful activities, since 2006 she has been the chairman of the jury of the International Opera Competitions. Then Galina Vishnevskaya played in Sokurov's film "Alexandra", proving herself to be a talented dramatic actress.
Kazarnovskaya Lyubov Yurievna was born in 1956. Opera singer of Russia, soprano. She graduated from the Moscow Conservatory and the Gnesins Institute. Professor, Doctor of Science. She made her debut as Tatyana Larina in "Eugene Onegin" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. She performed leading parts in The Pagliacci, Iolanta, Bohemia and many other operas. She was a soloist with the Mariinsky Theater from 1986 to 1989.
Netrebko Anna Yuryevna - opera singer of Russia, soprano. In 1993, she was invited to work by Valery Gergiev, chief conductor of the Mariinsky Theater. In 2002, Anna Netrebko first performed in New York at the Metropolitan Opera. Currently, Netrebko performs in the performances of leading opera houses in Europe and the USA.
Mezzo soprano
Elena Vasilievna Obraztsova was born in 1939. The owner of the voice mezzo-soprano, opera singer of the Russian Federation. People's Artist of the Soviet Union, vocal teacher. Laureate of the Lenin Prize in 1976. In 1990, she was awarded the title Hero of Social Labor. A year earlier, during a tour of American cities, the singer made a splash, acting as Marina Mnishek in the opera Boris Godunov, after which she became the star of the opera scene.
Arkhipova Irina Konstantinovna (1939-2010) - opera singer, winner of the voice mezzo-soprano, actress and teacher, People's Artist of the Soviet Union, Hero of Socialist Labor, Lenaret Prize Loire. Irina Arkhipova received world fame for her brilliant interpretation of the Carmen party thanks to her gift of stage reincarnation. From 1956 to 1988 she was a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater.
Famous tenors of the first half of the 20th century
Ivan Kozlovsky (1900-1993) - opera singer with a lyrical tenor, stage director. Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the Soviet Union. Best works: the duke in the opera Rigoletto, the Indian guest in the opera Sadko, Lensky in Eugene Onegin, the holy fool in the opera Boris Godunov (this role is considered the best role of Ivan Semenovich).
Sergey Lemeshev (1902-1977) is a Russian opera singer with a lyrical tenor. Laureate of the Stalin Prize, People's Artist of the Soviet Union, director and teacher. Since 1931, the soloist of the Bolshoi Theater. He performed the aria of Count Almaviva in the opera The Barber of Seville, the Duke in Rigoletto, the starship in The Golden Cockerel, the Indian guest in Sadko. In 1951, Sergei Lemeshev acted as director of the opera La Traviata at the Leningrad Opera House. Then, in 1957, Lemeshev became the director of the opera "Werther" by Massenet and played the main role in it.
Siberian Nugget
Hvorostovsky Dmitry Alexandrovich - opera singer, baritone. Born in 1962 in Krasnoyarsk. He is the People's Artist of Russia. Participates in numerous music projects around the world, including the Don Juan opera, staged in Geneva, and Donizetti's Love Drink performance at the Metropolitan Opera.
Dmitry Hvorostovsky does not stop at what has been achieved in the field of opera, he actively collaborates with composers who write modern music, waltzes, patriotic songs, and lyric works. The singer has a cycle of songs of the war years, which were created at different times. Among them "A grove under the mountain was smoking" (composer V. Basner, words by M. Matusovsky), "Oh, roads!" (music by A. Novikov, verses by L. Oshanin), "Dark Night" (music by N. Bogoslovsky, verses by V. Agatov), "Russian Field" (music by J. Frenkel, lyrics by I. Goff) and many others.
Vocal Mastery Today
Famous Russian opera singers are welcome guests at art festivals. Over the long history of opera in the Russian state, several generations of talented performers have already been replaced. The current generation continues to delight the public. Opera art is still in demand all over the world.