Legendary tenor Leonid Sobinov was born on June 7, 140 years ago. He was born in 1872 in Yaroslavl into a merchants’ family. The Sobinovs had enough money to... 07.06.2012, Sputnik International
Legendary tenor Leonid Sobinov was born on June 7, 140 years ago. He was born in 1872 in Yaroslavl into a merchants’ family. The Sobinovs had enough money to pay for the boy’s education at a high school, by the end of which the future soloist of imperial theaters already knew he liked singing. In 1890, Sobinov sang in a choir, but was still not interested in singing as a profession. He decided to enter Moscow University’s Faculty of Law instead.
Legendary tenor Leonid Sobinov was born on June 7, 140 years ago. He was born in 1872 in Yaroslavl into a merchants’ family. The Sobinovs had enough money to pay for the boy’s education at a high school, by the end of which the future soloist of imperial theaters already knew he liked singing. In 1890, Sobinov sang in a choir, but was still not interested in singing as a profession. He decided to enter Moscow University’s Faculty of Law instead.
After that, Sobinov’s “double” life started. He attended university lectures, and vocal classes at college. Photo: Leonid Sobinov as Werther in a production of the St. Petersburg Conservatory.
After his graduation, Sobinov worked as an assistant for famous lawyer Fyodor Plevako. For a couple of years, he combined law practice and singing, which was not easy. He finally made his choice after the successful debut in the Bolshoi Theater. In 1897, he appeared in the opera The Demon by Anton Rubinstein, and later in a production of Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin.
After his success in Moscow and St. Petersburg, Leonid Sobinov performed in Milan at La Scala Opera House. Strict Italian critics said: “Sobinov cannot be Russian. He is an Italian who was accidentally born in Russia.” Photo: Leonid Sobinov as Vladimir Igorevich in Alexander Borodin’s opera Prince Igor.
In 1908, Sobinov decided to try himself as a director. For his Madrid debut the singer chose three operas – Manon by Jules Massenet, The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet, and Mefistofele by Arrigo Boito. Photo: Leonid Sobinov performs in the opera Faust by Charles Gounod.
When the revolution broke out, Sobinov was in Moscow. The singer rejected all the numerous proposals from his foreign colleagues. Under the Provisional Government, he first served as the commissar, and later as first elected director of the Bolshoi Theater. Photo: Leonid Sobinov performs as Lensky in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin in the Bolshoi Theater.
Sobinov has performed most of the tenor parts from the world opera repertoire, many of which have set a precedent, including that of Lensky in Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s opera Eugene Onegin, Lohengrin from Wagner’s opera of the same name, Nadir from The Pearl Fishers by Georges Bizet, and Sinodal from The Demon by Anton Rubinstein. Photo: Leonid Sobinov as Lohengrin.
In 1934, Sobinov went abroad to improve his health. He never returned to Russia. On the night of October 14, he died in Hotel Saint Petersburg in Riga from a heart attack. Photo, from left: singers Leonid Sobinov, Antonina Nezhdanova, and director Konstantin Stanislavsky.
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