Nadezhda Obukhova
Encyclopedia
Nadezhda Andreevna Obukhova (1886 - 1961) was a Russian mezzo-soprano
. She was awarded the title People’s Artist of the USSR in 1937. Pianist Heinrich Neuhaus
said that "he who even once hears her voice, will never forget it...". Asteroid
9914 Obukhova
is named for her.
. Her grandfather Adrian Mazaraki was a noted pianist
, and her great-grandfather Yevgeny Baratynsky was a poet of Pushkin circle.
Her family had some wealth, and would often spend summers in Nice
, France, where Obukhova received her first singing lessons from Eleanora Lipman. In 1907, she was enrolled at the Moscow Conservatory
, where she was instructed by Umberto Masetti
.
, but she did not make her opera
tic debut until 1916. Her operatic debut was in the role of Pauline in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades
at the Bolshoi. She quickly became a popular singer, appearing in a number of other productions including Carmen
, Dalila
, The Tsar's Bride
(as Marfa and as Lyubasha), The Snow Maiden
, Der Ring des Nibelungen
(as Fricka), Marina
, Love for Three Oranges and Sadko
.
She was a performer in the first radio concert in the Soviet Union, which took place in 1922. She sang Pauline's aria from The Queen of Spades
. She gave other radio concerts, including the first broadcast from the Bolshoi Theatre, a production of The Tsar's Bride with Antonina Nezhdanova
, Leonid Speransky and Vasily Petrov
. Increasingly through the 1920s and 1930s, she began to incorporate popular songs
into her concert repertoire. In 1937 she made her first studio recording
, of pieces from The Queen of Spades.
Obukhova retired in 1943. After her retirement, she continued to give occasional concerts and radio performances. She died in the Crimea
in August 1961, two months after giving her last concert.
Mezzo-soprano
A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above...
. She was awarded the title People’s Artist of the USSR in 1937. Pianist Heinrich Neuhaus
Heinrich Neuhaus
Heinrich Gustavovich Neuhaus was a Soviet pianist and pedagogue of German extraction. He taught at the Moscow Conservatory from 1922 to 1964. He was made a People's Artist of the RSFSR in 1956...
said that "he who even once hears her voice, will never forget it...". Asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
9914 Obukhova
9914 Obukhova
9914 Obukhova is a C-type main belt asteroid. It orbits the Sun once every 4.37 years.Discovered on October 28, 1976 by Lyudmila Zhuravleva at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, it was given the provisional designation "". It was later renamed "Obukhova" after Russian opera singer Nadezhda...
is named for her.
Childhood
Obukhova came from an artistic family. Two of her uncles were professional singers, one of whom was the opera director of the Bolshoi TheatreBolshoi Theatre
The Bolshoi Theatre is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds performances of ballet and opera. The Bolshoi Ballet and Bolshoi Opera are amongst the oldest and most renowned ballet and opera companies in the world...
. Her grandfather Adrian Mazaraki was a noted pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
, and her great-grandfather Yevgeny Baratynsky was a poet of Pushkin circle.
Her family had some wealth, and would often spend summers in Nice
Nice
Nice is the fifth most populous city in France, after Paris, Marseille, Lyon and Toulouse, with a population of 348,721 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Nice extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of more than 955,000 on an area of...
, France, where Obukhova received her first singing lessons from Eleanora Lipman. In 1907, she was enrolled at the Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
, where she was instructed by Umberto Masetti
Umberto Masetti
Umberto Masetti was an Italian two-time World Champion Grand Prix motorcycle road racer. In 1950, he became the first Italian to win the 500cc World Championship.-Career:...
.
Career
After her graduation, she found work singing in various concerts around RussiaRussian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
, but she did not make her opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
tic debut until 1916. Her operatic debut was in the role of Pauline in Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades
The Queen of Spades (opera)
The Queen of Spades, Op. 68 is an opera in 3 acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a Russian libretto by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, based on a short story of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. The premiere took place in 1890 in St...
at the Bolshoi. She quickly became a popular singer, appearing in a number of other productions including Carmen
Carmen
Carmen is a French opéra comique by Georges Bizet. The libretto is by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée, first published in 1845, itself possibly influenced by the narrative poem The Gypsies by Alexander Pushkin...
, Dalila
Samson and Delilah (opera)
Samson and Delilah , Op. 47, is a grand opera in three acts and four scenes by Camille Saint-Saëns to a French libretto by Ferdinand Lemaire...
, The Tsar's Bride
The Tsar's Bride (opera)
The Tsar's Bride is an opera in four acts by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, the composer's tenth opera. The libretto, by Il’ya Tyumenev, is based on the drama of the same name by Lev Mey. Mey's play was first suggested to the composer as an opera subject in 1868 by Mily Balakirev...
(as Marfa and as Lyubasha), The Snow Maiden
The Snow Maiden
The Snow Maiden: A Spring Fairy Tale is an opera in four acts with a prologue by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, composed during 1880–1881. The Russian libretto, by the composer, is based on the like-named play by Alexander Ostrovsky .The first performance of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera took place at the...
, Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen
Der Ring des Nibelungen is a cycle of four epic operas by the German composer Richard Wagner . The works are based loosely on characters from the Norse sagas and the Nibelungenlied...
(as Fricka), Marina
Marina
A marina is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats.A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo from freighters....
, Love for Three Oranges and Sadko
Sadko (opera)
Sadko is an opera in seven scenes by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov. The libretto was written by the composer, with assistance from Vladimir Belsky, Vladimir Stasov, and others. Rimsky-Korsakov was first inspired by the bylina of Sadko in 1867, when he completed a tone poem on the subject, his Op. 5...
.
She was a performer in the first radio concert in the Soviet Union, which took place in 1922. She sang Pauline's aria from The Queen of Spades
The Queen of Spades (opera)
The Queen of Spades, Op. 68 is an opera in 3 acts by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to a Russian libretto by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, based on a short story of the same name by Alexander Pushkin. The premiere took place in 1890 in St...
. She gave other radio concerts, including the first broadcast from the Bolshoi Theatre, a production of The Tsar's Bride with Antonina Nezhdanova
Antonina Nezhdanova
Antonina Vasilievna Nezhdanova was a Russian lyric-coloratura soprano. An outstanding opera singer, she represented the Russian vocal school at its best....
, Leonid Speransky and Vasily Petrov
Vasily Petrov
Vasily Ivanovich Petrov , in Stavropol Krai. He completed high school in 1935 and studied for two years at a teacher training institute until 1937. Petrov joined the army in 1939 and completed the lieutenant's course in 1941....
. Increasingly through the 1920s and 1930s, she began to incorporate popular songs
Popular music
Popular music belongs to any of a number of musical genres "having wide appeal" and is typically distributed to large audiences through the music industry. It stands in contrast to both art music and traditional music, which are typically disseminated academically or orally to smaller, local...
into her concert repertoire. In 1937 she made her first studio recording
Studio recording
The term studio recording means any recording made in a studio, as opposed to a live recording, which is usually made in a concert venue or a theatre, with an audience attending the performance.-Studio cast recordings:...
, of pieces from The Queen of Spades.
Obukhova retired in 1943. After her retirement, she continued to give occasional concerts and radio performances. She died in the Crimea
Crimea
Crimea , or the Autonomous Republic of Crimea , is a sub-national unit, an autonomous republic, of Ukraine. It is located on the northern coast of the Black Sea, occupying a peninsula of the same name...
in August 1961, two months after giving her last concert.