Arnold Grigorevich Azrikan (russian: Арнольд Григорьевич Азрикан; uk, Арнольд Григорович Азрікан; February 23, 1906 – July 19, 1976) was a Soviet operatic

dramatic tenor A tenor is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. The tenor's vocal range extends up to C5. The low extreme for tenors is wid ...

Biography and career

He began to sing at the age of twelve in a chorus of the city church in Odessa. Between 1926-1929, he studied at the Odessa Conservatory where he was coached by the singers Menner-Kanevskaya and Julia Reider. Later, in

Kharkov Kharkiv ( uk, Ха́рків, ), also known as Kharkov (russian: Харькoв, ), is the second-largest city and municipality in Ukraine.

, he had further studies the Italian tenor and voice teacher with Carlo Barrero. He began first as a chorister at the Odessa Opera theater in 1926, and in 1928 he made his debut there as Nathanael in Offenbach's ''

The Tales of Hoffmann ''The Tales of Hoffmann'' (French: ) is an by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died i ...

''. In 1930, he was invited to the opera theater in Kharkov (the capital of Ukraine at that time) where he sang in the Ukrainian, Russian and Italian repertoires. In 1934 both the capital and the opera theatre's leading soloists, including Azrikan, moved to

Kyiv Kyiv, also spelled Kiev, is the capital and most populous city of Ukraine. It is in north-central Ukraine along the Dnieper River. As of 1 January 2021, its population was 2,962,180, making Kyiv the seventh-most populous city in Europe. Kyi ...

. In 1939, Azrikan first sang the title role in Giuseppe Verdi's '' Otello'' which later became his signature role. He was awarded the title of

Honored Artist of Ukraine Merited (Performing) Artist of Ukraine (also translated as Honored (Performing) Artist of Ukraine, uk, Заслужений артист України) is a state honorary title of decoration awarded by the Ukrainian SSR and later Ukraine for o ...

in 1940, and along with his friendly rival Yuri Kiporenko-Domansky, Azrikan was the leading tenor at the Kyiv Opera and Ballet Theatre until 1943. The same year he joined the

Yekaterinburg Yekaterinburg ( ; rus, Екатеринбург, p=jɪkətʲɪrʲɪnˈburk), alternatively romanized as Ekaterinburg and formerly known as Sverdlovsk ( rus, Свердло́вск, , svʲɪrˈdlofsk, 1924–1991), is a city and the administra ...

(then called Sverdlovsk) Opera Theatre where he achieved his greatest recognition as a dramatic tenor in ''Otello''. For this performance he was awarded the

Stalin Prize Stalin Prize may refer to: * The State Stalin Prize in science and engineering and in arts, awarded 1941 to 1954, later known as the USSR State Prize The USSR State Prize (russian: links=no, Государственная премия СССР, ...

in 1946.Matafonova, Y. (April 27, 2007). "Vertinskii pisal o nem tak…" ertinsky wrote about him these words… ''Uralskii rabochii'' he Urals Worker He remained with this theatre until 1951. Later, he toured extensively all over the Soviet Union while having long time engagements with the Odessa Opera and Ballet theater and the Baku Opera and Ballet Theatre. He retired from stage in 1964 during his engagement with the Moldova Opera Theater but returned to the same theater for his farewell performance in ''Otello'' in 1968. Azrikan was also the stage director of several opera productions in which he also sang the leading roles. After his retirement from stage, he taught singing at the Chișinău Conservatory. He died in 1976 in Moscow.

Repertoire

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'' by

Borodin Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin ( rus, link=no, Александр Порфирьевич Бородин, Aleksandr Porfir’yevich Borodin , p=ɐlʲɪkˈsandr pɐrˈfʲi rʲjɪvʲɪtɕ bərɐˈdʲin, a=RU-Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin.ogg, ...

) *Vladimir ('' Dubrovsky'' by Nápravník) *Sobinin ('' A Life for the Tsar'' by Glinka) *Pretender ('' Boris Godunov'' by

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) *Andrei ('' Mazeppa'' by

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'' by

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) *Hermann ('' The Queen of Spades'' by Tchaikovsky) *Lyonka (''Into the storm'' by

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) *Godun (''Razlom'' by Vladimir Femelidi) *Grigory (''Quiet Flows the Don'' by Dzerzhinsky) *Andrei (''

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'' by Lysenko) *Andrei (''

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'' by Hulak-Artemovsky) *Petro ('' Natalka Poltavka'' by Lysenko) *Iontek (''

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'' by Moniuszko) *Nathanael (''

'' by Offenbach) *Raul (''

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'' by

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) *Faust (''

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'' by

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) *Calaf (''

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'' by

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) *Manrico (''

Il trovatore ''Il trovatore'' ('The Troubadour') is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play ''El trovador'' (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was García Gutiérrez's mos ...

'' by Verdi) *Canio ('' Pagliacci'' by

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) *Arrigo (''

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'' by Verdi) *Cavaradossi (''

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'' by Puccini) *Don Jose ('' Carmen'' by

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'' by Puccini) *Turiddu (''

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'' by Mascagni) *Des Grieux (''

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'' by Puccini) *Otello ('' Otello'' by Verdi)

Stage director

*''Otello'' by Verdi (Kuibyshev Opera and Ballet Theater, 1950; Saratov Opera and Ballet Theater, 1951; Baku Opera and Ballet Theater, 1952; Chisinau Opera and Ballet Theater, 1964) *''

Iolanta ''Iolanta'', Op. 69, (russian: Иоланта, links=no ) is a lyric opera in one act by Pyotr Tchaikovsky. It was the last opera he composed. The libretto was written by the composer's brother Modest Tchaikovsky, and is based on the Danish play ...

'' by Tchaikovsky (Baku Opera and Ballet Theater, 1953) *''Manon Lescaut'' by Puccini (Baku Opera and Ballet Theater, 1956)

Discography

''Two Ukrainian romances - Arnold Azrikan'' - Gramplast, No.5230/5232, 1937.

Awards

* Deserved Artist of the Ukraine, 1940 *

, 1946 (renamed as the USSR State Prize in 1954)

References

Sources

English *Azrikan, Dina and Dmitry. ''Arnold Azrikan: Romance for a Dramatic Tenor''. Highland Park, Illinois: Azrikan. 2006. 256. (also in Russian) *Azrikan, Dina. ''Arnold Azrikan, part II: Curtain Call''. Highland Park, Illinois: Azrikan. 2012. 110. (also in Russian) Russian *Agin, M.S. ''Vokalno-entsiklopedichskii slovar'' ncyclopedic Dictionary of Vocalists Moscow, 1991. 15 *Azrikan, Dina and Azrikan, Dmitry. ''Arnold Azrikan: romans dlia dramaticheskogo tenora''. Highland Park, Illinois. 2006. 256. (also in English). *Azrikan, Dina. ''Arnold Azrikan, chast II: vozvrashchenie na avanstsenu''. Highland Park, Illinois. 2012. 110. (also in English). *Belza, I. (April 17, 1946)."Otello" v Sverdlovskom opernom teatre Otello" at the Sverdlovsk Opera Theater ''Izvestia''. *Demianenko, S. (July 31, 1946). "Glazami rezhissera" y the director's eye ''Teatr i zritel''. *Ebergardt, S., Porska V. ''Nash opernyi'' ur opera theater Yekaterinburg: Uralskoe literaturnoe agentstvo, 1998. 73-75, 128. *Maksimenko, V.S.'' Dva veka odesskogo Gorodskogo teatra'' wo Centuries of the Odessa Civic Theater Odessa: Astroprint, 2005. 248. *Maksimenko, V.S.''Gorodskoi teatr Odessy: 1809-2009'' he Odessa Civic Theater: 1809-2009 Odessa: Astroprint, 2010. 177-179. *Matafonova, Y. (April 27, 2007). "Vertinskii pisal o nem tak…" ertinsky wrote about him these words… ''Uralskii rabochii'' he Urals Worker *Pozhar, S. "Luchshii Otello" (Best Otello), "Moldova" 5-6 (2007): 19-21. *Vertinskaia, Lidiia. ''Siniaia ptitsa liubvi'' lue bird of love Moskva: Vagrius, 2004. 168. *Deviatova, O.L. ''Zhivaia zhizn teatra'' ive life of the theater Ekaterinburg: Avtograf, 2012. 193-196. *Matafonova, Y. ''Golosa iz XX veka'' (Voices from the XX century), Ekaterinburg: Sokrat, 2014. 83-87. Ukrainian *''Entsyklopediia sychasnoi Ukrainy'' ontemporary Ukrainian encyclopedia Kiev: NAU, 2001. T.1. 229. *Lysenko, Ivan. Slovnyk spivakiv Ukrainy ictionary of the Ukrainian singers Kiev: Rada, 1997. 10. *Lysenko, Ivan. ''Ukrainski spivaky u spohadakh suchasnykiv'' krainian singers in the memoirs of their contemporaries Kiev: Rada, 2003, 531. *''Myttsi Ukrainy: entsyklopedychnyi dovidnyk'' uses of Ukraine: encyclopedia Kiev: Ukrainska entsyklopediia, 1992. 16. Czech * Petišková, Dagmar. Návrat "zapomenutého" jména: příběh Arnolda Azrikana. Knihovna nline 2013, roč. 24, č. 1, s. 79-88 it. 2013-10-17

Romanian * Eskenasy, Victor (21—27 April 2007). «Arnold Azrikan — Tenorul de neuitat»
''Suplimentul de Cultura''
124, p. 12 * Eskenasy, Victor (18—24 Feb. 2012).

("Arnold Azrikan - Curtain Call).

Radio Free Europe Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) is a United States government funded organization that broadcasts and reports news, information, and analysis to countries in Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Caucasus, and the Middle East where it says tha ...

External links

* (from the soundtrack of the film ''Vozdushnyy izvozchik'' (''Taxi to Heaven''), Lenfilm, 1943. {{DEFAULTSORT:Azrikan, Arnold 1906 births 1976 deaths Russian operatic tenors Soviet male opera singers Odesa Jews Soviet tenors Stalin Prize winners Musicians from Odesa Singers from Moscow Recipients of the title of Merited Artist of Ukraine