Maxim Dormidontovich Mikhailov (russian: Максим Дормидонтович Михайлов; –

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

30 March 1971) was a Russian bass. His son, Igor Mikhailov (1920-1983) was the bass of the Bolshoi for several decades. His grandson Maxim Mikhailov (1962–2018) was also a bass singer.Maxim Mikhailov (grandson) at the Metropolitan Opera, New York
/ref> Mikhailov was born in Koltsovka,

Kazan Governorate The Kazan Governorate (russian: Каза́нская губе́рния; tt-Cyrl, Казан губернасы; cv, Хусан кӗперниӗ; mhr, Озаҥ губерний), or the Government of Kazan, was a governorate (a ''guberniya'') o ...

. He had no musical training beyond that as an archdeacon in the Russian Orthodox Church, but was a physical phenomenon with enormous depth and volume. He was directly recruited as a singer by the Soviet authorities, his beard was shaved but he did not abdicate his

curacy A curate () is a person who is invested with the ''care'' or ''cure'' (''cura'') ''of souls'' of a parish. In this sense, "curate" means a parish priest; but in English-speaking countries the term ''curate'' is commonly used to describe clergy w ...

, and sent to study in preparation for the

Bolshoi Theatre The Bolshoi Theatre ( rus, Большо́й теа́тр, r=Bol'shoy teatr, literally "Big Theater", p=bɐlʲˈʂoj tʲɪˈatər) is a historic theatre in Moscow, Russia, originally designed by architect Joseph Bové, which holds ballet and ope ...

. He became

Joseph Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...

's favorite singer and most famous interpreter of the role of

Ivan Susanin Ivan Susanin ( rus, Иван Сусанин, p=ɪˈvan sʊˈsanʲɪn; died 1613) was a Russian national hero and martyr of the early-17th-century Time of Troubles. According to the popular legend, Polish troops seeking to kill Tsar Mikhail hire ...

in the reworked "patriotic" Soviet version of the opera of that name, formerly and since better known as

Mikhail Glinka Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka ( rus, link=no, Михаил Иванович Глинка, Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka., mʲɪxɐˈil ɪˈvanəvʲɪdʑ ˈɡlʲinkə, Ru-Mikhail-Ivanovich-Glinka.ogg; ) was the first Russian composer to gain wide recogni ...

's ''

A Life for the Tsar ''A Life for the Tsar'' ( rus, "Жизнь за царя", italic=yes, Zhizn za tsarya ) is a "patriotic-heroic tragic opera" in four acts with an epilogue by Mikhail Glinka. During the Soviet era the opera was known under the name ''Ivan Susanin' ...

''. Mikhailov sang Susanin nearly 400 times from his first performance of the role in 1939 to his last stage appearance in 1957. He also was frequently invited by Stalin to sing and drink with him late at night in Moscow Kremlin. In addition to Susanin, Mikhailov was a renowned interpreter of other bass and

basso profondo Basso profondo (Italian: "deep bass"), sometimes basso profundo, contrabass or oktavist, is the lowest bass voice type. While ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera'' defines a typical bass as having a range that is limited to the second E below ...

roles in Russian opera: Pimen in ''

Boris Godunov Borís Fyodorovich Godunóv (; russian: Борис Фёдорович Годунов; 1552 ) ruled the Tsardom of Russia as ''de facto'' regent from c. 1585 to 1598 and then as the first non-Rurikid tsar from 1598 to 1605. After the end of his ...

'', the miller in

Dargomyzhsky Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky ( rus, link=no, Александр Сергеевич Даргомыжский, Aleksandr Sergeyevich Dargomyzhskiy., ɐlʲɪkˈsandr sʲɪrˈɡʲe(j)ɪvʲɪdʑ dərɡɐˈmɨʂskʲɪj, Ru-Aleksandr-Sergeevich- ...

's '' Rusalka'', Khan Konchak in ''

Prince Igor ''Prince Igor'' ( rus, Князь Игорь, Knyáz Ígor ) is an opera in four acts with a prologue, written and composed by Alexander Borodin. The composer adapted the libretto from the Ancient Russian epic '' The Lay of Igor's Host'', which re ...

'', the Viking merchant in ''

Sadko Sadko (russian: Садко) is the principal character in a Russian medieval epic '' bylina''. He was an adventurer, merchant, and '' gusli'' musician from Novgorod. Textual notes "Sadko" is a version of the tale translated by Arthur Ransome ...

'', Gremin in ''

Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' ( pre-reform Russian: ; post-reform rus, Евгений Оне́гин, ромáн в стихáх, p=jɪvˈɡʲenʲɪj ɐˈnʲeɡʲɪn, r=Yevgeniy Onegin, roman v stikhakh) is a novel in verse written by Ale ...

''. Mikhailov recorded many of his trademark arias under the conductors

Nikolai Golovanov Nikolai Semyonovich Golovanov (russian: Никола́й Семёнович Голова́нов, Nikoláy Semyónovich Golovánov) ( Adoption_of_the_Gregorian_calendar#Adoption_in_Eastern_Europe.html" ;"title="/nowiki> o.s._9.html" ;"title="Adop ...

Alexander Melik-Pashaev Alexander Shamil'evich Melik-Pashayev (russian: Александр Шамильевич Мелик-Пашаев; hy, Ալեքսանդր Մելիք-Փաշայան, Alek’sandr Melik’-P’ashayan; 23 October 1905, in Tbilisi – 18 June 1964), P ...

, Alexander Orlov, and

Samuil Samosud Samuil Abramovich Samosud (russian: Самуи́л Абра́мович Самосу́д) (Tbilisi, Georgia, — Moscow, 6 November 1964), PAU, was a Soviet and Russian conductor. He started his musical career as a cellist, before becomin ...

. Among his recordings of songs, particularly well known with the pianists Nikolai Korolykov and Naum Walter are "O gentle autumn night" by Glinka, argomyzhsky's_"The_Civil_Servant",_Viktor_Kalinnikov's_"On_the_Old_Burial_Mound",_"The_Blacksmith"_by_ argomyzhsky's_"The_Civil_Servant",_Viktor_Kalinnikov's_"On_the_Old_Burial_Mound",_"The_Blacksmith"_by_Yuri_Sakhnovsky">Yuri_S._Sakhnovsky_(1866–1930)_and_"The_Seafarers"_by_Konstantin_Vilboa.html" ;"title="Yuri_Sakhnovsky.html" ;"title="Viktor_Kalinnikov.html" ;"title="argomyzhsky's "The Civil Servant", Viktor Kalinnikov">argomyzhsky's "The Civil Servant", Viktor Kalinnikov's "On the Old Burial Mound", "The Blacksmith" by Yuri Sakhnovsky">Yuri S. Sakhnovsky (1866–1930) and "The Seafarers" by Konstantin Vilboa">Konstantin P. Vilboa (1817–1882). Mikhailov also performed and recorded famous folk songs, such as "Song of the Volga Boatmen", in Rachmaninov's arrangement for solo singer and piano, and "The sun rises and the sun sets" and "Through the wild mysterious Taiga" with the Russian Folk Orchestra conducted by D. Ospioc.

Filmography

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mikhailov, Maxim 1893 births 1971 deaths People from Chuvashia People from Yadrinsky Uyezd Russian Orthodox clergy Operatic basses Soviet male opera singers Russian basses 20th-century Russian male opera singers People's Artists of the USSR Stalin Prize winners Recipients of the Order of Lenin Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour