Maria Sergeevna Titarenko (27 March 1917 – 26 September 2002) was an Azerbaijani Soviet opera singer of Ukrainian origin. She was awarded the title

Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR Honored Artist of the Azerbaijan SSR (; ) was an honorary title awarded by the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic (Azerbaijan SSR) and was one of the forms of recognition by the state and society of the mer ...

(1961). She is best known for voicing Gulchohra in the film " Arshin Mal Alan" (1945).

Life

Maria Titarenko was born on 27 March 1917 in

Sevastopol Sevastopol (; uk, Севасто́поль, Sevastópolʹ, ; gkm, Σεβαστούπολις, Sevastoúpolis, ; crh, Акъя́р, Aqyár, ), sometimes written Sebastopol, is the largest city in Crimea, and a major port on the Black Sea ...

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...

. At the age of 3, she became an orphan after her father died and her mother remarried living her and five other children. At the age of 14, Titarenko graduated from the seven-year school, where she studied the language of the

Crimean Tatars , flag = Flag of the Crimean Tatar people.svg , flag_caption = Flag of Crimean Tatars , image = Love, Peace, Traditions.jpg , caption = Crimean Tatars in traditional clothing in front of the Khan's Palace ...

. After that, she graduated from a factory school and began to work at the factory. Working at the factory Titarenko fulfilled 300% of the norm and nobody could break her record. In 1936, Titarenko married the head of one of the factory shops, Nikolai Naida who was soon recruited to the Baku Shipyard. Together with her husband, Titarenko came to Azerbaijan in 1937. In February 1938, Titarenko was admitted to the Baku Musical College without exams. During her study at the college, she separated with her first husband Nikolai Naida, who was recruited to work in Murmansk, and met a military pilot Vasily Koretsky, who soon went to the war and died.

Singing career

While working at the factory Titarenko participated in amateur performances, singing Oksana in the opera by the Ukrainian composer

Semen Hulak-Artemovsky Semen Stepanovych Hulak-Artemovsky ( uk, Семен Степанович Гулак-Артемовський, also referred to as Semyon Gulak-Artemovsky and Artemovs’kyj) ( – ), was a Ukrainians, Ukrainian opera composer, singer (baritone), ...

“ Zaporozhets beyond the Danube”. She won three times in city amateur competitions in Sevastopol and in the All-Crimean Amateur Olympiad in Simferopol. After graduating from Baku Musical College in 1942, Titarenko was transferred to study at the conservatory. In 1943, Titarenko became a soloist of the Baku Opera House. She appeared on the stage of the Baku Opera House in the role of Nigar. In 1945, Titarenko voiced Gulchohra performed by

Leyla Badirbeyli Leyla Aghalar gizi Badirbeyli and Leyla Badirbeyova – (after marriage – Javanshirova; az, Leyla Ağalar qızı Bədirbəyli (Cavanşirova)); (1920–1999), Soviet and Azerbaijani actress of theatre and cinema, People's Artist of the Azerbai ...

in the film "Arshin Mal Alan". In the 1950s and 1960s Titarenko became the prima of the Baku opera scene. During 25 years of stage work she sang 36 leading roles, including Nigar, Tatiana,

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 ...

, Mikaela and

Snegurochka Snegurochka (diminutive) or Snegurka ( rus, Снегу́рочка (diminutive), Снегу́рка, p=sʲnʲɪˈgurətɕkə, snʲɪˈgurkə), or The Snow Maiden, is a character in Russian fairy tales. This character has no apparent roots in ...

. She performed six roles in Azerbaijani language. In 1961, Titarenko was awarded a title of an Honored Astist of Azerbaijan SSR. She left the stage in 1969, but her voice of the prima remained until the age of 84 when she still performed a part in the opera ''Vagif''. Maria Titarenko died on 26 September at the age of 85 in Baku, and was buried in Baku.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Titarenko, Maria 1917 births 2002 deaths 20th-century Azerbaijani women opera singers People from Sevastopol Azerbaijani sopranos Soviet singers Honored Artists of the Azerbaijan SSR Ukrainian emigrants to Azerbaijan