Wiesław Ochman
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Wiesław Ochman (; born 6 February 1937) is a Polish
tenor A tenor is a type of male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the countertenor and baritone voice types. It is the highest male chest voice type. Composers typically write music for this voice in the range from the second B below m ...
.


Life and career

In 1960, he graduated from the AGH University of Science and Technology in
Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...
,
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...
. Ochman began learning voice under the direction of Gustaw Serafin in Kraków (1955–1959) and Maria Szłapak in
Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital. It is one ...
(1960–1963). In 1960, he joined the
Silesian Opera Silesian Opera in Bytom () is an opera company in Bytom, Silesia, Poland, that was founded in 1945. Its home is the former City Theatre, designed by architect Albert Bohm, that was built in Neoclassical style Neoclassicism, also spelled Neo- ...
in
Bytom Bytom (Polish pronunciation: ; Silesian language, Silesian: ''Bytōm, Bytōń'', ) is a city in Upper Silesia, in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Voivodeship, the city is 7 km northwest of Katowice, the regional capital. It is one ...
, where he sang for three seasons, in 1963 and 1964; and then, at the Opera Krakowska. He performed at the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw from 1964 till 1970. In 1965 he sang the tenor lead Jontek in the "national Polish opera" '' Halka'' by Stanisław Moniuszko in the opening performance in the reconstructed Teatr Wielki. He recorded that role and it is now available on compact disc. Wiesław Ochman began his international career in 1967 with the
Berlin State Opera The Staatsoper Unter den Linden ( State Opera under the Lime Trees), also known as the Berlin State Opera (), is a listed building on Unter den Linden boulevard in the historic center of Berlin, Germany. The opera house was built by order of P ...
. He sang in Munich and Hamburg. He achieved his first successes in competition at festivals in Glyndebourne and
Salzburg Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
. In 1972, he was engaged by the
Paris Opera The Paris Opera ( ) is the primary opera and ballet company of France. It was founded in 1669 by Louis XIV as the , and shortly thereafter was placed under the leadership of Jean-Baptiste Lully and officially renamed the , but continued to be kn ...
, and consecutively by operas in Chicago and San Francisco. He also performed in Milan's ''
La Scala La Scala (, , ; officially , ) is a historic opera house in Milan, Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as (, which previously was Santa Maria della Scala, Milan, a church). The premiere performa ...
'', Buenos Aires, Madrid, Moscow and Vienna. In 1975 with the role of Arrigo in the opera '' The Sicilian Vespers'' by
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...
, Ochman made his debut at New York's
Metropolitan Opera The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
. Wiesław Ochman recorded 31 vinyl records, most of them in Poland. In 1980, he was awarded the City of Kraków Award and in 1996 he received the Order of the Smile. In 2001, he was awarded by then President of Poland
Aleksander Kwaśniewski Aleksander Kwaśniewski (; born 15 November 1954) is a Polish politician and journalist. He served the maximum two terms as the president of Poland from 1995 to 2005. His tenure as President was marked by modernization of Poland, rapid economi ...
the Commander's Cross with Star of the Order of Polonia Restituta for his outstanding achievements in the field of culture. In 2005, he became a recipient of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis.


Personal life

He married his wife, Krystyna, in 1963. He is the grandfather of singer Krystian Ochman, the winner of the eleventh season of '' The Voice of Poland'' and the winner of Poland's national selection to represent the country at the Eurovision Song Contest 2022.


Discography

*SX 0465 Wiesław Ochman Best Loved Operatic Arias **
Giacomo Puccini Giacomo Puccini (22 December 1858 29 November 1924) was an Italian composer known primarily for List of compositions by Giacomo Puccini#Operas, his operas. Regarded as the greatest and most successful proponent of Italian opera after Verdi, he ...
: ''
La bohème ''La bohème'' ( , ) is an opera in four acts,Puccini called the divisions '':wikt:quadro, quadri'', ''wikt:tableau, tableaux'' or "images", rather than ''atti'' (acts). composed by Giacomo Puccini between 1893 and 1895 to an Italian libretto b ...
'', Rodolfo's aria from Act I ''Che gelida manina'' **Giacomo Puccini: ''
Tosca ''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
'', Cavaradossi's aria from Act III ''E lucevan le stelle'' **
Giuseppe Verdi Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...
: '' Aida'', Radames's aria from Act I ''Se quel guerrier io fossi!... Celeste Aida'' **
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer during the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music made a lasting impression internationally. Tchaikovsky wrote some of the most popula ...
: ''
Eugene Onegin ''Eugene Onegin, A Novel in Verse'' (, Reforms of Russian orthography, pre-reform Russian: Евгеній Онѣгинъ, романъ въ стихахъ, ) is a novel in verse written by Alexander Pushkin. ''Onegin'' is considered a classic of ...
'', Lensky's aria from Act II ''Kuda, kuda'' **Giacomo Puccini: ''
Turandot ''Turandot'' ( ; see #Origin and pronunciation of the name, below) is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to a libretto in Italian by Giuseppe Adami and Renato Simoni. Puccini left the opera unfinished at the time of his death in 1924; it ...
'', Calaf's aria from Act III ''Nessun dorma'' ** Władysław Żeleński: ''Janek'', Janek's aria ''Gdy ślub weźmiesz z twoim Stachem'' ** Friedrich von Flotow: ''
Martha Martha (Aramaic language, Aramaic: מָרְתָא‎) is a Bible, biblical figure described in the Gospels of Gospel of Luke, Luke and Gospel of John, John. Together with her siblings Lazarus of Bethany, Lazarus and Mary of Bethany, she is descr ...
'', Lyonel's aria from Act III ''M’appari'' **
Georges Bizet Georges Bizet (; 25 October 18383 June 1875) was a French composer of the Romantic music, Romantic era. Best known for his operas in a career cut short by his early death, Bizet achieved few successes before his final work, ''Carmen'', w ...
: ''
Les pêcheurs de perles ' (, ''The Pearl Fishers'') is an opera in three acts by the French composer Georges Bizet, to a libretto by Eugène Cormon and Michel Carré. It was premiered on 30 September 1863 at the Théâtre Lyrique in Paris, and was given 18 performan ...
'', Nadir's aria from Act I ''Je crois entendre encore'' **Georges Bizet: ''
Carmen ''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the O ...
'', Don Jose's aria from Act II ''La fleur que tu m’avais jeteee'' **Giuseppe Verdi: ''
Rigoletto ''Rigoletto'' is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the 1832 play '' Le roi s'amuse'' by Victor Hugo. Despite serious initial problems with the Austrian censors who had c ...
'', Duke's aria from Act III ''La donna è mobile'' *SX 0972 Wiesław Ochman Polskie Arie Operowe ** Stanisław Moniuszko: '' Halka'', Dumka Jontka from Act IV ''Szumią Jodły'' **Stanisław Moniuszko: '' The Haunted Manor'', Stefan's aria from Act III ''Cisza dokoła'' **Stanisław Moniuszko: ''Flis'', Franek's aria ''Płyną tratwy po Wiśle'' ** Feliks Nowowiejski: '' Legenda Bałtyku'', Doman's aria from Act II ''Więc ty mnie nie kochasz'' **
Ignacy Jan Paderewski Ignacy Jan Paderewski (;   r 1859– 29 June 1941) was a Polish pianist, composer and statesman who was a spokesman for Polish independence. In 1919, he was the nation's Prime Minister of Poland, prime minister and foreign minister durin ...
: '' Manru'', Manru's aria from Act II ''Jako gdy wśród skwaru'' ** Roman Statkowski: ''Maria'', Wacław's aria from Act I ''Och jak ciąży ta wesołość'' **Władysław Żeleński: '' Goplana'', Kirkor's aria from Act I ''Za jaskółeczką ciągną moje oczy'' **Władysław Żeleński: ''Janek'', Janek's aria ''Gdy ślub weźmiesz z twoim Stachem'' *SX 1281 Wiesław Ochman Słynne arie operetkowe *SX 1371 Wiesław Ochman Sławni polscy śpiewacy vol. 7 **
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...
: ''
Don Giovanni ''Don Giovanni'' (; K. 527; full title: , literally ''The Rake Punished, or Don Giovanni'') is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. Its subject is a centuries-old Spanish legen ...
'', Don Ottavio's aria from Act II ''Il mio tesoro'' **Giacomo Puccini: Tosca, Cavaradossi's aria from Act I ''Recondita armonia'' **
Amilcare Ponchielli Amilcare Ponchielli (, ; 31 August 1834 – 16 January 1886) was an Italian opera composer, best known for his opera La Gioconda (opera), ''La Gioconda''. He was married to the soprano Teresina Brambilla. Life and work Born in Paderno Fasolaro ( ...
: '' La Gioconda'', Enzo's aria from Act II ''Cielo e mar!'' **
Pietro Mascagni Pietro Mascagni (7 December 1863 – 2 August 1945) was an Italian composer primarily known for his operas. His 1890 masterpiece '' Cavalleria rusticana'' caused one of the greatest sensations in opera history and single-handedly ushered in the ...
: ''
Cavalleria rusticana ''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; ) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of the same name and subsequent ...
'', Turiddu's aria ''Mamma, quel vino e generoso'' **Giacomo Puccini: ''Manon Lescaut'', Des Grieux's aria from Act I ''Donna non vidi mai'' **
Umberto Giordano Umberto Menotti Maria Giordano (28 August 186712 November 1948) was an Italian composer, mainly of operas. His best-known work in that genre was Andrea Chénier (1896). He was born in Foggia in Apulia, southern Italy, and studied under Paolo Se ...
: '' Fedora'', Loris's aria from Act II ''Amor ti vieta'' **Giacomo Puccini: La boheme, Rodolfo's aria from Act I ''Che gelida manina'' **Umberto Giordano: '' Andrea Chénier'', Chenier's improvisation from Act I ''Un di all’azzurro spazio'' ** Ruggero Leoncavallo: ''
Pagliacci ''Pagliacci'' (; literal translation, 'Clowns') is an Italian opera in a prologue and two acts, with music and libretto by Ruggero Leoncavallo. The opera tells the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who mu ...
'', Canio's aria from Act I ''Vesti la giubba'' **Giacomo Puccini: ''
Madama Butterfly ''Madama Butterfly'' (; ''Madame Butterfly'') is an opera in three acts (originally two) by Giacomo Puccini, with an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It is based on the short story " Madame Butterfly" (1898) by John Lu ...
'', Pinkerton's aria from Act III ''Addio, fiorito asil'' **
Gaetano Donizetti Domenico Gaetano Maria Donizetti (29 November 1797 – 8 April 1848) was an Italian Romantic music, Romantic composer, best known for his almost 70 operas. Along with Gioachino Rossini and Vincenzo Bellini, he was a leading composer of the ''be ...
: ''
L'elisir d'amore ''L'elisir d'amore'' (; ''The Elixir of Love'') is a (comic melodrama, opera buffa) in two acts by the Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto, after Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's (1831). ...
'', Nemorino's aria from Act II ''Una furtiva lagrima''


See also

* Music of Poland


References


External links


Interview with Wiesław Ochman
by Bruce Duffie, October 10, 1980 {{DEFAULTSORT:Ochman, Wieslaw 1937 births Living people Musicians from Warsaw Polish operatic tenors AGH University of Science and Technology alumni Recipients of the Order of Polonia Restituta Recipients of the Gold Medal for Merit to Culture – Gloria Artis 20th-century Polish male opera singers