Background
SHALYAPIN, Fyodor was born on February 13, 1873 in Kazan’. Son of an office worker
SHALYAPIN, Fyodor was born on February 13, 1873 in Kazan’. Son of an office worker
High-school graduate. 1892-1893 studied singing with Usatov in Tiflis.
At age ten became a shoemaker’s apprentice, then worked for a turner. Also worked as clerk and longshoreman. Learned to read music while singing with a church choir.
1890 joined South. Ya. Semyonov-Samarskiy’s choir in Ufa. 1891-1892 toured Russia with G. O. Lyubimov—Derkach's Ukraine operetta ensemble. Also sang in choir of a French operetta company performing in Baku and with the Klyucharyov ensemble in Batumi and Kutaisi.
1893-1894 sang 14 operatic roles in Tiflis under contract to V. L. Forcatti. Summer 1894 signed contract with M. V. Lentovskiy to sing at “Arcadia” Theater, Saint St. Petersburg. Fall 1894 performed for Saint St. Petersburg Opera Social at Panaycvskiy Theater.
1894 joined Mariinskiy Theater, where he sang nine roles. 1896 made guest appearance at Mamontov’s private Russian Opera Theater, Moscow, whose ensemble he joined that fall. While here he improved his musical and general educational and kept company with such artists as V. M. Basnetsov, M. A. Vrubel’, K. A. Korovin and V. A. Serov.
Also befriended by historian V. O. Klyuchevskiy and the Malyy Theater artistes O. O. and M. P. Sadovskiy and G. North. Fedotova. Had an especially valuable relationship with South. V. Rachmaninoff, who conducted at Mamontov’s theater in the 1897-1898 season. 1898 acquired greater fame after a highlysuccessful guest performance in Saint St. Petersburg and was patronized by V. V. Stasov, who introduced him to I. Ye.
Repin, M. M. Antokol’skiy, North. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, A. K. Glazunov and A. K. Lyadov. 1899 joined Bolshoy Theater but also sang at Mariinskiy Theater and made guest appearances in provinces. 1901 made triumphal guest appearance at Louisiana Scala, after which he undertook numerous for tours.
In same year befriended Maxim Gorky, who had a strong influence on his artistic views and gained his sympathies for the Social-Democratic movement. 1905 contributed earnings from a folksong concert to political funds. 1907-1909 and 1913 toured with Diaghilev’s “Russian Season Abroad”.
From 1914 performed in Moscow and Saint St. Petersburg under contract to South. 1. Zimin and A. R. Aksarin. After 1917 October Revol helped to reorganize musical and theatrical performances.
1918 offered artistic directorship of Mariinskiy Theater. 1918 — 19 sang in some 80 operas and concerts. 1919 appointed director, Mariinskiy Theater.
1922 refused to return to Russia after a tour abroad. 1928 deprived of title of People's Artiste of Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic by Soviet authorities. Apart from singing also produced a number of operas.
Roles: Stol’nik in Moniuszko’s “Halka” (1890). Fernando in “The Troubadour” (1891). The Stranger in Verstovskiy’s Askol’dova mogila (Askold's Grave) (1891).
Pyotr in “Natalka-Poltavka” (1892). Orovezo in “Norma” (1892). The Cardianl in Halevy’s “The Cardinal’s Daughter” (1892).
Valentin and Mephcstopheles in “Faust” (1893). Ramses in “Aida” (1893). Monterone in “Rigoletto” (1893).
Gremin in “Eugene Onegin” (1893). Lord Cockburg in Ober’s “Fra Diavolo” (1894). The Miller in “Rusalka” (1894).
Title role in “Ruslan” (1895). Title role in Napravnik's “Dubrovskiy” (1896). Prince Vladimir in Serov’s “Rogneda" (1896).
The Old Jew in Saint-Saëns’ “Samson and Delilah” (1896). Dosifey in “Khovanshchina” (1897). Holoferncs in Serov’s “Judith” (1898).
Title role in “Boris Godunov” (1898). Yeryomka in Serov’s Vrazh’ya sila (Hostile Force) (1902). Philipp II in Verdi’s “Don Carlos” (1907).
Title role in “Don Quixote” (1910). Title role in Ivan Groznyy (Ivan the Terrible) (1911). Konchak in Knyaz' Igor”’ (Prince Igor) (1914), et cetera