IVAN MELNIKOV Opera Baritone CDV photograph, created title role of BORIS GODUNOV

Description

Rare, L. Wolff of St. Petersburg youthful; carte de visite photograph of the Russian baritone and creator of Boris Godunov among other roles.
Ivan Melnikov (1832-1906) Russian opera baritone
While he sung in a church choir as a boy, he did not study voice until 1861.  His professor was the cholral conductor Gavriil Lomakin.  From 1862 to 1866 he sung in the Free Music School concerts.  He then studied with the Italian Pietro Repetto in St. Petersburg and then went to study in Milan with Repetto's brother Ernesto.
His Imperial Opera debut was at the Mariinsky Theatre in 1867 as Riccardo in "I Puritani".  He quickly rose to become the leading baritone of the theatre and sung there until 1890. From 1877-1878 he was a voice Professor at the St. Petersburg Conservatory.  He then directed opera for two years and then went into choral conducting for the rest of his life.
He created a number of very important roles in World Premieres of Russian opera including: the title role of Mussorgsky's "Boris Godunov", the title role of Rubinstein's "The Demon", Prince Yurly Tomakov in Rimsky's "Maid of Pskov", Kalenik in Rimsky's "May Night", the title role of Borodin's "Prince Igor", Tomsky in Tchaikovsky's "Pikova Dama", Prince Vyazminsky in Tchaikovsky's "Oprichnik" and Prince Kurlyatev in Tchaikovsky's "The Enchantress.  He also sung Western European roles; Mephistopheles in "Faust",  Amonasro in "Aida", Wolfram in "Tannhauser" and the title role of William Ratcliff.  He also created for the Mariinsky Theatre, the title role of Tchaikovsky's "Mazeppa" and the Devil in Tchaikovsky's "Cherevichki".   His greatest role after Boris was Ruslan in "Ruslan and Lyudmila" where he was considered the greatest singer to ever sing the role.
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