Sergei Lemeshev facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Sergei Lemeshev
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Lemeshev as Lensky in Eugene Onegin
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Sergei Yakovlevich Lemeshev
10 July 1902 Staroe Knyazevo, Tverskoy Uyezd, Tver Governorate, Russian Empire
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| Died | 27 June 1977 (aged 74) |
| Occupation | Operatic singer |
| Years active | 1926–1975 |
Sergei Yakovlevich Lemeshev (Russian: Серге́й Я́ковлевич Ле́мешев; 10 July 1902 – 27 June 1977) was a famous opera singer and director from the Soviet Union and Russia. He was known for his beautiful voice and became a People's Artist of the USSR in 1950, which is a very high honor for artists.
Contents
About Sergei Lemeshev
Early Life and Training
Sergei Lemeshev was born into a farming family. His father wanted him to become a shoemaker. In 1914, he went to Saint Petersburg to learn how to make shoes. Later, in 1917, he finished school in Tver and started taking singing lessons. He first sang at a local club for workers and then moved to Moscow to continue his studies.
From 1921 to 1925, he studied at the Moscow Conservatory, a famous music school. In 1924, he sang in an opera studio led by Konstantin Stanislavski, a very important theater director. Between 1926 and 1931, he performed in theaters in cities like Yekaterinburg, Harbin, and Tbilisi.
Becoming an Opera Star
In 1931, Sergei Lemeshev was invited to join the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, one of the world's most famous opera and ballet theaters. He quickly became a main singer there. His voice was a "lyrical tenor," which means it was light, soft, and very beautiful. This voice made him very popular with opera fans.
Lemeshev worked very hard on every role he played. People noticed his beautiful voice, his musicality, and how easily he sang. He also had clear diction (how clearly he spoke the words) and could sing incredibly softly, a technique called pianissimo. His best years as an opera singer were from 1931 to 1942.
He was also a great concert singer and loved to perform traditional Russian folk songs. In 1938, he was the first artist to sing all 100 Tchaikovsky romances (short songs) in five different concerts. His folk songs, often played on the radio, made him a beloved singer across the country.
Singing Through Challenges
During World War II, Sergei Lemeshev faced a big challenge. He caught a severe cold that led to two attacks of pneumonia, a lung infection. This was made worse by pleurisy (inflammation around the lungs) and tuberculosis in his right lung. Doctors treated him by temporarily collapsing one of his lungs to help it heal.
Even though he was told not to sing, he found a way to continue. He became very careful and skilled with his singing technique. He sang with only one working lung from 1942 to 1948. During this time, he still recorded parts from famous operas like Lakmé, The Snow Maiden, and The Barber of Seville. In 1947, he even toured and performed at the Berlin State Opera. He and his friendly rival, tenor Ivan Kozlovsky, were the top tenors at the Bolshoi Theatre until 1956.
Opera Roles and Performances
Sergei Lemeshev's opera roles were mostly from Russian operas. He also sang many French operas and a few Italian and German ones. Most of his performances were in the Russian language. He played many famous characters, including the Duke in Rigoletto and Almaviva in The Barber of Seville.
Some of his important roles included:
- Rodolfo in La Bohème by Giacomo Puccini
- Duke in Rigoletto by Giuseppe Verdi
- Romeo in Roméo et Juliette by Charles Gounod
- Almaviva in The Barber of Seville by Gioachino Rossini
- Levko in May Night by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
- Alfredo in La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi
- Nadir in Les pêcheurs de perles by Georges Bizet
- Doctor Faust in Faust by Charles Gounod
- Tsar Berendei in The Snow Maiden by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
- Gérald in Lakmé by Léo Delibes
- Werther in Werther by Jules Massenet
His Most Famous Role: Lensky
Sergei Lemeshev's most famous role was Lensky in Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. He performed this role more than 500 times, starting in 1927. He sang it for the very last time on his 70th birthday, even after having several heart attacks and one of his lungs removed. This shows how dedicated he was to this role.
Later Career and Legacy
In 1953, Lemeshev received the prestigious title of People's Artist of the USSR. He also worked as an assistant manager at the Bolshoi Theatre from 1957 to 1959. He started directing operas in 1951, with a production of La traviata in Leningrad. Later, he directed Massenet's Werther at the Bolshoi in 1957.
Towards the end of his career, he mostly gave concerts of classic Russian songs and folk songs, which were often broadcast on the radio. He also taught as a professor at the Moscow Conservatory, sharing his knowledge with new singers.
Sergei Lemeshev passed away in 1977 and was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow.
Personal Life
Sergei Lemeshev found his life partner in the singer Vera Kudryavtseva. Their marriage lasted for over 20 years, until his death in 1977. He also had a daughter named Maria with his fourth wife, soprano Irina Maslennikova.
Lasting Impact
Sergei Lemeshev wrote a book called "The Way to Art," which was published in 1968. His impact on music was so great that in 1978, a year after he died, an asteroid was named after him: 4561 Lemeshev.
Recordings
You can find recordings of Sergei Lemeshev's performances, including:
- Eugene Onegin by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, recorded live in 1954 and in the studio in 1956.
- May Night by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, recorded around 1948.
- Collections of scenes and arias from various operas.
See also
In Spanish: Serguéi Lémeshev para niños
