Description

XENIA BELMAS (TSCHERNIGOW, UKRAINE 23 JANUARY, 1890 – DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA 2 FEBRUARY, 1981)

he trained at the Conservatory of Kiev under Päts and made her debut in 1913 at the Odessa Opera, where she first gained recognition as a Wagnerian singer and for her portrayal of Tatiana in Tchaikovsky’s Eugene Onegin. She remained a leading singer at this opera house until 1921. In 1921, she left Russia with her husband, conductor Alexander Kitschin, and settled in Wiesbaden. After further studies in Italy, she gave a series of brilliant concerts in Paris in 1925 and continued to guest at the Grand Opéra in Paris until 1927, notably as Aida.

In 1928, she was celebrated at concerts in Berlin, where she also made recordings. In 1929, she toured Australia with an Italian opera troupe. In 1931, she performed in concerts in Monte Carlo. In 1932, she made guest appearances in the Baltic States. She and her husband toured South Africa in 1934, where she also taught singing in Durban.

TRACKLIST

1. Aida (Verdi) Ciel! mio padre! (w. Domgraf-Fassbaender) 66849 (J25034) Grammophon, Berlin 1929
2. Aida (Verdi) I sacri nomi 66857 (J24140) Grammophon, Berlin 1929
3. Aida (Verdi) Ritorna vincitor 66857 (J24139) Grammophon, Berlin 1929
4. Aida (Verdi) Su dunque! (w. Domgraf-Fassbaender) 66849 (J25035) Grammophon, Berlin 1929
5. Bohème (Puccini) Donde lieta usci 66631 (J24123) Grammophon, Berlin 1927
6. Bohème (Puccini) Quando me’n vo B413 10808 Ultraphon, Berlin 1930-03
7. Bohème (Puccini) Sì, mi chiamano Mimì 66631 (J24122) Grammophon, Berlin 1927
8. Coq d’Or (Rimsky-Korsakov) Hymne au soleil (Ru) FP110 30433 Ultraphon, Berlin 1930-03
9. If I knew it (Si je le savais) (Tchaikovsky) 66999 R24007 Polydor, Berlin 1929
10. Manon Lescaut (Puccini) In quelle trine morbide B413 10809 Ultraphon, Berlin 1930-03
11. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Nedda! Silvio!… Decidi il mio destin (w, Domgraf-Fassbaender) 66847 (J25030) Grammophon, Berlin 1929
12. Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) No, più non m’ami (w. Domgraf-Fassbaender) 66847 (J25031) Grammophon, Berlin 1929
13. Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Chant hindou F395 30434 Ultraphon, Berlin 1930-03
14. Sorochintsy Fair (Moussorgsky) Parassia’s song 66748 (R24003) Polydor, Berlin 1928
15. The rose and the nightingale (Rimsky-Korsakov) 66748 (R24002) Polydor, Berlin 1928
16. Tosca (Puccini) Non la sospiri 66747 (J24135) Grammophon, Berlin 1928
17. Tosca (Puccini) Vissi d’arte 66747 (J24134) Grammophon, Berlin 1928
18. Trovatore (Verdi) Di tale amor 66635 (J24124) Grammophon, Berlin 1927
19. Trovatore (Verdi) Tacea la notte 66635 (J24125) Grammophon, Berlin 1927
20. Was I not a little blade of brass (La nouvelle mariée) (Tchaikovsky) 66999 R24008 Polydor, Berlin 1929