Vera Davydova - Soviet opera singer: biography, interesting facts, creativity

The singer Vera Davydova lived a very long life. Unfortunately, the story almost did not preserve her voice, but the impressions of listeners who were once fascinated by him were impressed. Her name today is most often remembered near by the mention of Stalin, although this is completely unfair. Vera Alexandrovna Davydova was a great singer, worthy of remaining in the history of art.

Childhood

The future opera star Vera Davydova was born on September 17, 1906 in Nizhny Novgorod in a noble family. Her line on the maternal line went back to the Pozharsky, also merchants, but no one had anything to do with art. The family had five children. His father often disappeared at the Nizhny Novgorod fair, and all the worries about the children lay on the shoulders of his mother. In the end, Vera's mother could not stand it, she gathered her children and went to the Far East, where she married for the second time. It was the stepfather who noticed the unusual musicality of the girl and insisted that she start studying music.

In 1912, Vera entered the school and simultaneously took lessons in piano and vocals. At school she first came on the scene. When the Far East embraced the Civil War, the Faith family moved to Blagoveshchensk. There the future opera diva continued to study music with the pianist L. Kuksinskaya. She also arranged for Vera to become a soloist in the choir of the cathedral of the city.

Years of study

The girl's success in music was great, once she heard the famous opera singer A. Labinsky, who was in the city with tours, and urged her to continue her studies. And in 1924 Vera Davydova goes to Leningrad to get an education. A. Glazunov, who auditioned at the Leningrad Conservatory, was struck by the power and beauty of Vera's voice, and later he repeatedly supported her. And already in the autumn of 1924, Davydova saw her name on the lists of students of the Conservatory. ON. Rimsky-Korsakov. She studied in the class of E.V. DeVos-Soboleva, attended classes at the opera studio of I. Ershov. From the first year she was immediately transferred to the third because of special success in mastering the curriculum.

The beginning of the way

Even in college, Vera Davydova made her debut on the stage of the famous Kirov Theater. She sang the part of Urban's page in the opera The Huguenots. After graduating from the Conservatoire in 1930, Vera worked episodically for two years in the Kirov Theater, where she sang the roles of Martha in Khovanshchina and Amneris in Aida, and sang many classical opera parts in various prefabricated programs.

Opera career

In 1932, Vera Davydova, an opera singer with a unique mezzo-soprano, was invited to the Bolshoi Theater. The debut part of the singer on the main stage of the country was Amneris in the opera Aida. Then, one after another, all the best parts of the world opera repertoire followed: Lubava in Sadko, Lubasha in The Tsar's Bride, Martha in Khovanshchina, Aksinya in The Quiet Don, Marina Mnishek in Boris Godunov. But her main and unsurpassed party was Carmen. Critics and connoisseurs of the opera recognized that Davydova was the best Carmen on the Soviet stage.

During the war, the singer was evacuated to Tbilisi, where she sang in the opera house, and in those years toured in Azerbaijan, in hospitals on the Black Sea, in Armenia. Her career in the theater was very successful, she had no competitors. Davydov worked in the Bolshoi until 1956.

She repeatedly toured abroad, her name was well known in Finland, Norway, Hungary, Sweden.

For Davydova's performance, there was an amazing combination of singing and acting expressiveness. Critics wrote that Vera Alexandrovna was not only distinguished by her excellent technique, but also by outstanding acting data. Her characters were struck by the depth of emotions and incredible content.

Chamber Creativity

In addition to the opera, Davydova devoted much time to performing chamber works. In 1944, she performed the cycle "Russian romance from the source to our days", which included 200 works, beginning with the chants of the 17th century and ending with the works of Gliere, Myaskovsky and Shaporin that were little known to the general public. The program also included compositions by N. Rimsky-Korsakov and S. Rachmaninov.

Critics noted that Vera Alexandrovna's performance was distinguished by the subtlest capture of the character and spirit of this complex music. Each romance performed by Davydova was a carefully crafted mini-story in which the singer's magnificent voice emphasized the meaning of the work. The program of Vera Aleksandrovna, which includes works by Grieg, Sinding, Sibelius and other composers from Scandinavia, was very popular among listeners.

Life in Georgia

After leaving the Bolshoi Theater in 1956, Vera Alexandrovna moved with her husband to Tbilisi. Here she has been working at the Tbilisi State Conservatory since 1959. Over the years of teaching, Davydova released a whole galaxy of wonderful performers, including Maklava Kasrashvili, a soloist of the Bolshoi Theater, People's Artist of the USSR. In 1964, Davydova was awarded the title of professor of the Conservatory. She worked a lot with Chinese students who specially came to the USSR to master the skill in the Soviet opera school. In Tbilisi, Vera Alexandrovna lived until the end of her days.

Heritage and Memory

Unfortunately, up to now, quite a few records of the voice of Vera Davydova have been received. Today you can listen to the record of 1937 of Bizet's opera Carmen, the opera by P. Tchaikovsky Mazepa (recorded in 1948), Verdi Aida (1952), N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov's "Sadko" (1952).

The singer was not forgotten in her small homeland. In honor of 105 birthday in Nizhny Novgorod, an evening of memory of Vera Davydova was held, in 2012 a concert was performed in her honor, in which her favorite operatic parts and romances were performed.

Awards and titles

Vera Davydova was repeatedly awarded for her outstanding talent. She was awarded the Stalin Prize three times. In 1937 she received the title of "Honored Artist of the RSFSR", in 1951 she was awarded the title of "People's Artist of the RSFSR." In the times of her life in Tbilisi, she became the owner of the title "People's Artist of the Georgian SSR". Vera Alexandrovna was awarded several medals, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and the Badge of Honor.

Personal life

Vera Alexandrovna got married when she studied at the Leningrad Conservatory, for the talented singer from Georgia Dmitry Mchelidze. Together, the couple lived almost 60 years. Dmitry Semenovich was an outstanding bass player, he sang at the Mariinsky Theater, then the couple together came to the Bolshoi Theater. In 1950, he became the head of the troupe of this theater. In 1951 Dmitry was transferred to work in Tbilisi, Vera Aleksandrovna also followed him. The couple together taught at the Tbilisi Conservatory. When her husband died in 1983, relatives suggested that Vera Alexandrovna return to Moscow, but she still did not dare to leave her husband's grave.

Vera Davidova and Stalin: truth and speculation

Today the name of Vera Davydova is most often recalled not only because of her creativity, but in connection with the persona of Stalin. Even during the time of the singer's work at the Bolshoi Theater, the ill-wishers whispered behind her that all her successes were connected with high protection.

In 1993, L. Gendlin's book Confession of Stalin's mistress was published in London, written on behalf of the singer. When Vera Alexandrovna found out about this publication, she categorically refuted all the facts that were outlined there. Her granddaughter Olga Mchelidze says that it was this book that caused the death of her grandmother, who could not stand such an insult. Olga, according to the singer, claims that there was no connection between Stalin and Davydova. That once she was brought to his dacha where there was a short talk, and this relationship ended forever. People who lived in those times say that it is unlikely that the singer would survive if she refused the leader. But there is no documentary evidence and evidence of a real connection between the singer and Stalin.

Interesting Facts

Vera Davydova was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the second and third convocation of the RSFSR. During the Second World War, the singer gave several concerts, the fees from which were sent to the Defense Fund. Davydova never received the title of "People's Artist of the USSR," they say that Stalin was the one to strike her name out of the lists for the award.