Description

NIKOLAI SHEVELEV (POLTAVA, 18 DECEMBER, 1874 – TURINSK, 12 DECEMBER, 1929)

 

 

 

 

His real surname was Shevelyukhin, and he was born into a family of tailors. After completing his education at the Kiev Actual School, Shevelev developed a passion for the theater, performing secretly from his parents in a Ukrainian troupe starting in 1881. In this troupe, he performed in vaudevilles and divertissements. While touring provincial cities and St. Petersburg with the troupe, Italian singer Zanetti heard him sing and began offering Shevelev free vocal lessons.

By the late 1880s, Shevelev sang in a chorus and continued his vocal studies with baritone Antonio Cotogni and, from 1889 to 1896, with tenor Leopoldo Signoretti. In 1901, he took lessons from Pauline Viardot-García and later studied with Eugene Ryadnov in Tbilisi.

Shevelev made his operatic debut in 1896 at the Moscow Private Opera Theatre of S. Mamontov in Rimsky-Korsakov’s Snow Maiden. He performed regularly at this theater until 1901 and again from 1903 to 1905. He sang in various opera houses, including in Perm (1897-1900 and 1902), Kiev (1901-1902), Nizhny Novgorod (1905), and St. Petersburg (1902, 1906-1908). From 1908 to 1913 and again from 1922 to 1924, he performed at S. Zimin’s Opera Theatre.

During his career, from 1913 to 1919, Shevelev also sang in Moscow and St. Petersburg, appearing in provincial theaters across Russia, including Irkutsk, Tomsk, Tyumen, Taganrog, Sukhumi, Orenburg, Chita, Tbilisi, and Odessa. He was a soloist with the Tbilisi Opera Theatre from 1919 to 1922.

In addition to his performances in Russia, Shevelev sang internationally in Italy, Germany, Japan, China, Austria, and North and South America.

 

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

1. A tear trembles, op 6 n° 4 (Tchaikovsky) 22648 1647B Berliner 1901
2. Askoldova Mogila (Verstovsky) Ariya Neizvestnogo – V starinu zhivali dedy G&T 22563 384h
3. Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Alla vita chet’arride G&T 2-22247 2171K
4. Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Eri tu Gramophone 022356 2954c
5. Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky) I have attained the highest power Gramophone 022270 2617c
6. Carmen (Bizet) Votre toast Favorite 1-75215 8308-0
7. Demon (Rubinstein)  I am he whose voice you heard Gramophone 3-22857 7752L
8. Demon (Rubinstein)  On the ocean of the air 22561  382x G&T 1901
9. Demon (Rubinstein)  On the ocean of the air Gramophone 22119 395m
10. Demon (Rubinstein) Accursed world Favorite 1-75207 8301-0
11. Demon (Rubinstein) Accursed world! Gramophone 3-22809 7749L
12. Demon (Rubinstein) Do not weep, child Favorite 1-75210
13. Demon (Rubinstein) Do not weep, child Gramophone 3-22810 7750L
14. Demon (Rubinstein) I am he whose voice you heard Favorite 1-75208 8302-0
15. Demon (Rubinstein) Romans Demona, A2 – Ne plach, ditya G&T 22566 399h
16. Enchantress (Tchaikovsky) Ah, the image of that enchantress! 22647  1646B Berliner 1901
17. Enchantress (Tchaikovsky) Ah, the image of that enchantress! Gramophone 022269 2611c
18. Eolian harps (Cui) 22643  1642B Berliner 1901
19. Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Alas! there is no doubt Sirena 10153
20. Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Kavatina Onegina, A1 – Kogda-by zhizn domashnim krugom G&T 22565 387h