This is one of the best vocal performances on CZcams! It's very unusual to see a 1940s operatic movie that isn't dubbed (cf. Gigli's). (It's also unusual to hear this aria raised a semitone. I imagine it's to make the dexterous lower passages easier.)
Ivan Kozlovsky (born 24 March 1900 in Maryanovka village near Kiev, Russian Empire) was a Soviet opera singer of Ukrainian origin, the possessor of the rare voice covering the ranges of lyric tenor and tenor altino. Kozlovsky began to sing at the age of 7 in the choir of the St. Michael's monastery in Kiev. In 1917-1920, he studied vocal, drama and the piano at the N. Lysenko School of Music and Drama, however, he didn't finish his education due to the outbreak of the Civil War, as he was conscripted to the Red Army. During his service Kozlovsky was a soloist in a military music and drama ensemble. In 1924-1925, he performed at the Kharkiv Opera and the Sverdlovsk Opera. In 1926, Kozlovsky got an invitation to the Bolshoi Theatre to debut in the role of Alfred in G. Verdi's "La traviata". He quickly became one of the leading tenors of the Bolshoi, with a large army of devoted fans that included J. Stalin. His unique, perfectly controlled voice wasn't considered "big" by standards of the time, but Kozlovsky could easily reach the highest notes possible of the tenor register without going into falsetto and firmly hang onto them. Poignant and witty on stage, a virtuoso artist with belcanto technique, he would successfully sing opposite most powerful bass and baritone voices of the era (M. Reizen, A. Pirogov, P. Lisitsian, A. Ivanov, M. Mikhailov, etc.) and had about 50 critically acclaimed roles, including Lensky in P. Tchaikovsky's "Eugeny Onegin", Faust in Ch. Gounod's "Faust", Berendey in N. Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Snow Maiden", Vladimir in E. Napravnik's "Dubrovsky", Duke of Mantua in G. Verdi's "Rigoletto", the Indian guest in N. Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko", Mozart in "Mozart and Salieri", Werther in J. Massenet's "Werther", Count Almaviva in G. Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", Yurodivy in M. Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov", Orfeo in Ch. Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice" and many more. In 1938, Kozlovsky organized and directed a concert ensemble of opera singers, VTO Soviet Opera Ensemble, during WWII he would make trips to the frontline to sing for Red Army soldiers. After the war he was very active touring throughout the USSR with the repertoire of Russian and Ukrainian folk songs and romances and selected classics of foreign composers. In 1954, Kozlovsky retired from the Bolshoi, but remained a public figure, giving solo concerts until 1989. From 1956 to 1980, he taught singing at the Moscow Conservatory and was also an author of several books, including his autobiography and biographies of best Ukrainian singers (he was keen on the Ukrainian music heritage and collected and popularised many barely known folklore songs and spirituals). Kozlovsky was the holder of numerous state awards, including prestigious titles of People's Artist of the USSR (1940) and the Hero of Socialist Labour (1980) and four Orders of Lenin. In the video, a clip from the film "The Concert for the Army" (1942), Kozlovsky is performing "Serenade of Harlequin" from the opera "Pagliacci" by R. Leoncavallo.
What an incredible vocal production.
That's affecting, truly affecting ! It touches my heart ! Thanks for sharing & best wishes.
This is one of the best vocal performances on CZcams!
It's very unusual to see a 1940s operatic movie that isn't dubbed (cf. Gigli's). (It's also unusual to hear this aria raised a semitone. I imagine it's to make the dexterous lower passages easier.)
Superbissimus!
Un lirismo cristalino, resonante, brillante...Un tenor lírico ligero de muchos quilates.
Tenor ligero. Su voz es más pequeña que la del tenor lírico ligero
A gift from God ! -- - wonderful video ! - the sound is excellent too - at age 79 he imo was better than anyone "young"
Mister perfect
Qualcuno può farlo resuscitare così non sentiamo più gli urli sul palcoscenico? Grazie
Un branetto ? In bocca a Koslowski ( e a Schipa) diventa un opera d'arte.
Ivan Kozlovsky (born 24 March 1900 in Maryanovka village near Kiev, Russian Empire) was a Soviet opera singer of Ukrainian origin, the possessor of the rare voice covering the ranges of lyric tenor and tenor altino. Kozlovsky began to sing at the age of 7 in the choir of the St. Michael's monastery in Kiev. In 1917-1920, he studied vocal, drama and the piano at the N. Lysenko School of Music and Drama, however, he didn't finish his education due to the outbreak of the Civil War, as he was conscripted to the Red Army. During his service Kozlovsky was a soloist in a military music and drama ensemble. In 1924-1925, he performed at the Kharkiv Opera and the Sverdlovsk Opera. In 1926, Kozlovsky got an invitation to the Bolshoi Theatre to debut in the role of Alfred in G. Verdi's "La traviata". He quickly became one of the leading tenors of the Bolshoi, with a large army of devoted fans that included J. Stalin. His unique, perfectly controlled voice wasn't considered "big" by standards of the time, but Kozlovsky could easily reach the highest notes possible of the tenor register without going into falsetto and firmly hang onto them. Poignant and witty on stage, a virtuoso artist with belcanto technique, he would successfully sing opposite most powerful bass and baritone voices of the era (M. Reizen, A. Pirogov, P. Lisitsian, A. Ivanov, M. Mikhailov, etc.) and had about 50 critically acclaimed roles, including Lensky in P. Tchaikovsky's "Eugeny Onegin", Faust in Ch. Gounod's "Faust", Berendey in N. Rimsky-Korsakov's "The Snow Maiden", Vladimir in E. Napravnik's "Dubrovsky", Duke of Mantua in G. Verdi's "Rigoletto", the Indian guest in N. Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko", Mozart in "Mozart and Salieri", Werther in J. Massenet's "Werther", Count Almaviva in G. Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", Yurodivy in M. Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov", Orfeo in Ch. Gluck's "Orfeo ed Euridice" and many more. In 1938, Kozlovsky organized and directed a concert ensemble of opera singers, VTO Soviet Opera Ensemble, during WWII he would make trips to the frontline to sing for Red Army soldiers. After the war he was very active touring throughout the USSR with the repertoire of Russian and Ukrainian folk songs and romances and selected classics of foreign composers. In 1954, Kozlovsky retired from the Bolshoi, but remained a public figure, giving solo concerts until 1989. From 1956 to 1980, he taught singing at the Moscow Conservatory and was also an author of several books, including his autobiography and biographies of best Ukrainian singers (he was keen on the Ukrainian music heritage and collected and popularised many barely known folklore songs and spirituals). Kozlovsky was the holder of numerous state awards, including prestigious titles of People's Artist of the USSR (1940) and the Hero of Socialist Labour (1980) and four Orders of Lenin. In the video, a clip from the film "The Concert for the Army" (1942), Kozlovsky is performing "Serenade of Harlequin" from the opera "Pagliacci" by R. Leoncavallo.