Description

DMITRI SMIRNOV (MOSCOW, RUSSIA, 19 NOVEMBER, 1882 – RIGA, LATVIA, 27 APRIL, 1944)

 

 

 

 

Smirnov sang in his youth in church choirs. As a young law student, he sang with an untrained voice in a semi-professional group that actually produced operas from time to time. This led him to undertake serious vocal studies with Madame Pavlovskaja, and to take part in a competition at the Bolshoi in 1904, as a result of which he was given a two-year contract. He made his debut as Bayan, the Bard, in Glinka’s Ruslan and Ljudmila and continued his career singing Jontek in Halka, the Duke, Alfredo, Faust, Prince Sinodal (The Demon) Lensky in Eugene Onegin and, on 11 January 1906, created the role of Dante in Rachmaninov’s Francesca da Rimini, with Nezhdanova and Baklanov and with the composer conducting. He made his first appearance at the Mariinsky in a guest performance as the Duke in Rigoletto, and in the autumn of the same year joined a group of Russian conductor-composers: Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninov and Glazounov, the pianist, Josef Hoffmann, and singers like Felia Litvinne and Chaliapin, who gave concerts in Paris, organized by Serge Diaghilev, presenting Russian Music “through the ages”. The following year, he again joined the Diaghilev company in Paris, and sang the false Dmitry in Boris Godunov at the Opera on 19 May 1908, with Chaliapin, Alchevsky, who sang Shuisky, Kastorsky (Pimen), Sharonov (Varlaam), Mme Ermolenko-Juzhina (Marina) and others. He made his debut at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, on 30 December 1910, as the Duke in Rigoletto, but his success there was limited and he remained for little more than a month. He was a member of the Mariinsky troupe from 1910 to 1917, with guest appearances in three continents, including a series of performances of Rimsky-Korsakov’s May Night organized by Sir Thomas Beecham in the summer of 1914 at the Drury Lane Theatre, London. After 1919 he sang widely in Europe and, between 1926 and 1930, his concert tours took him on several occasions into the Soviet Union. His last years were spent chiefly in teaching.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1910  Montevideo  Teatro Solis Rigoletto (Duca)

1910 Montevideo  Teatro Solis Boheme (Rodolfo)

1910  Montevideo  Teatro Solis Mefistofele (Faust)

1910 Buenos Ayres  Teatro dell’Opera Mefistofele (Faust)

1910 New York  Teatro Metropolitan Rigoletto (Duca)

1910  New York  Teatro Metropolitan Boheme (Rodolfo)

1911  New York  Teatro Metropolitan Boheme (Rodolfo)

1912  Madrid  Teatro Reale Mefistofele (Faust)

1912 New York  Teatro Metropolitan Rigoletto (Duca)

1912 New York  Teatro Metropolitan Boheme (Rodolfo)

1914 San Pietroburgo  Narowni Doma Boheme (Rodolfo)

1920 Montecarlo  Grand Theatre Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1921  Montecarlo  Grand Theatre Boheme (Rodolfo)

1922  Roma  Teatro Costanzi Boheme (Rodolfo)

1926 Parigi  Champs Elysees Rigoletto (Duca)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Aleko (Rachmaninoff) Romance of the young gipsy 022219 2476c Gramophone, 9-10-11

Aleko (Rachmaninoff) Young Gypsy’s romance – Look under the devious vault of heaven 022248 2645c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1912

At my window (Rachmaninoff) 4-22400 17233 u Gramophone, 28. 5. 1912

At my window (Rachmaninoff) B. 23400-II 37956 Parlophon Berlin, 15-10-1929

Ay, ay, ay (Freire) P 53400 2-21609 Parlophon Berlin, 1929

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini) Se il mio nome 052410 2846c Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-08-21

Bohème (Puccini) Che gelida manina  052409 2843c Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-08-21

Boheme (Puccini) Che gelida manina 022296  2679c Gramophone, 19-10-12

Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky) Fountain duet – Oh, Tzarevich, I implore you (w. M. Davidov) 2-024000 Cc3335 HMV, London 21-08-1923

Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky) Yet one more tale, the last… Same dream (part 1) (w. Kaidanov) 2-024001 CP260 Gramophone, 24-06-1924

Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky) Yet one more tale, the last… Same dream (part 2) (w. Kaidanov) 2-024002 CP261 Gramophone, 24-06-1924

Captivated by the rose, the nightingale, Oriental romance (Rimsky-Korsakov) 4-22670 17972 b Gramophone, 20. 10. 1913

Carmen (Bizet) La fleur 022312 2689c Gramophone, 21-10-12

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Viva il vino spumeggiante 2-52850 17823b Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-08-19

Cradle song Op. 1 No. 5 (Grechaninov) 4-22401 17234u Gramophone, Paris 28-5-1912

Demon (Rubinstein) On desire’s soft fleeting wing 022218  2475c Gramophone, 9-10-11

Dobrinya Nikitich (Grechaninov) Flowers are blooming 7-22008 Bb 88-1 unpub. Gramophone, 04. 7. 1923

Dobrynya Nikitich (Grechaninov) The first song of Alyosha Popovich – Don’t grieve, beauty 4-22868 18810b Gramophone, St. Petersburg 03-12-1914

Dubrovskiy (Napravnik) O give me oblivion 022306 2680 ½c Gramophone, 19-10-12

Elisir d’amore (Donizetti) Una furtiva lagrima 052373 02451½v Gramophone, Paris 1912-05-29

Eugen Onegin (Tchaikovsky) How far, how far 2-022004x Cc305-2 HMV, London 1921-06-23

Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) I love you Olga 022329 2855c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1914-10-13

Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Lensky’s aria – In Your House 022299 2686c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 21-10-1912

Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Whither, whither have you gone 022154 430s Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1909

Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Whither, whither have you gone P 53401 2-21608 Parlophon Berlin, 1929

Ey, ukhnem! (Song of the Volga Boatmen) E. 17048-B 2-21611 Parlophon, Berlin 13-11-1929

Faust (Gounod) Salut demeure 022160 2060c Gramophone, St Petersburg 12-10-10

Favorita (Donizetti) Spirto gentil 052296 149af Gramophone, St Petersburg 1910-11-23

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Plus blanche que la blanche ermine 022338 2857c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1915-10-13

I longed to be with you (Grechaninov) 4-22822 17970 1-2 b Gramophone, 20. 10. 1913

Il Tabarro (Puccini) Hai ben raggione 7-52179 Bb304-1 HMV, London 1921-06-23

Iris (Mascagni) Serenata – Apri la tua finestra 2-52854 17827 12 b Gramophone, St. Petersburg 21-08-1913

Lilla (Rachmaninoff) DA 752e Bb 6597 HMV, London 1925

Lohengrin (Wagner) Da voi lontan 022214 2471c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1909-10-11

Manon (Massenet) Ah dispar, vision 052300 141af Gramophone, St Petersburg 1910-11-23

Manon (Massenet) Ah dispar, vision P 53400 2-21606 Parlophon, Berlin 1929

Manon (Massenet) O dolce incanto 2-052192 Cc99-1 HMV, London 1921-04-26

Manon (Massenet) O dolce incanto 2-52853 7826b Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-08-21

Manon Lescaut (Puccini) Donna non vidi mai 2-52851 17824b Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-08-19

Maria Mari (di Capua) 7-52174 Bb89-1 HMV, London 1921-04-22

Mattinata (Leoncavallo) 2-52826 17236u Gramophone, Paris 1912-05-28

May Night (Rimsky-Korsakov) Levko’s Song – The sun is low 022302 2687c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 21-10-1912

May Night (Rimsky-Korsakov) Sleep, my beauty 022155 435s Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1909

Mefistofele (Boito) Giunto sul passo estremo 2-052193 Cc111-1 HMV, London 1921-04-29

Mefistofele (Boito) Giunto sul passo estremo 052293 2058c Gramophone, St Petersburg 1910-10-12

Nizhegorodtzy (Napravnik) Ariozo Neuzgoda-Kuratova – Zdravstvuy Kreml 022359 2972c Gramophone, 1-12-14

O God, how beautiful a cool summer evening (Amani) 4-22770 17973 b Gramophone, St. Petersburg 20-10-1913

Otday mne etu noch, romans Bagrinovsky [Give me back that night, Romance] 4-22397 17230u Gramophone, 28-5-12

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Mi par d’udir 2-052194 Cc112-2 HMV, London 1921-04-29

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Mi par d’udir ancora 052417 2856c Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-10-14

Pescatori di perle (Bizet) Mi par d’udire ancora 022143x 434s Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1909-11

Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky) What is our life DA569 Bb 3336 HMV, London 1923-08-21

Prince Igor (Borodin) Cavatina of Vladimir Igorevich – Daylight slowly fades 2-022025 Cc 3212-2 Gramophone, 04 7 1923

Prince Igor (Borodin) Daylight is fading away 022216 2473c Gramophone, 9-10-11

Prince Igor (Borodin) Daylight is fading away 022271 2543c Gramophone 1920-10-11

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile 4-22402 17235u Gramophone, Paris 28-05-1912

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile 4-22861 18813b Gramophone, Petrograd 03-12-1914

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile 7-52175 Bb100-2 HMV, London 1921-04-29

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile 022132 431s Gramophone, St. Petersburg 11-1909

Rigoletto (Verdi) Questa o quella 2-52852 17825b Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-08-19

Roméo et Juliette (Gounod) L’amour, l’amour… Ah, lève-toi, soleil 2-032065 Cc110-1 HMV, London 1921-04-29

Romeo et Juliette (Massenet) Ah! leve-toi, soleil 022133 428s Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1909-11

Rusalka (Dargomizhsky) Unwillingly to these sad shores 022357 2854c Gramophone, 14-10-13

Ruslan and Ljudmila (Glinka) There is a desert country 022334 2853c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1914-10-13

Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Hindu song 2-022003 Cc87-2 HMV, London 1921-04-22

Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Song of the Indian guest 2-21610 Parlophon, Berlin 1929

Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov) Song of the Indian guest 022215 2472c Gramophone, 9-10-11

She was thine (Grechaninov) 4-22399 17232u Gramophone, Paris 28-05-1912

Snow Maiden (Rimsky-Korsakov) Mighty Nature, full of wonders 7-22019 DA617 Gramophone, St Petersburg 1912-6-24

The Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky) Herman‘s aria, A3 – What is our life 7-22014 Bb 3336-1 Gramophone, 21. 8. 1923

The Queen of Spades (Tchaikovsky) Herman’s aria, A1 – Forgive me, Divinity 7-22015 Bb 3337-2 Gramophone, 21. 8. 1923

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle 052269 429½s Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1909-11

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan le stelle 052372 02450v Gramophone, Paris 1912-05-29

Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia RA 207700 Ro 1185 Odeon, Berlin 1930

Tranquillity (The leaves on the trees do not move) (Kashevarov) 022241 2546c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 20-11-1911

Traviata (Verdi) De’ miei bollenti spiriti 022158  2062c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 1913-08-19

Werther (Massenet) Pourquoi me réveiller 7-32047 Bb98-2 HMV, London 1921-04-26

Werther (Massenet) Pourquoi me réveiller 022190 2057c Gramophone, St. Petersburg 12-10-1910

Why is my heart (Mussorgsky) 2-032081 Cc4720 HMV, London 12-06-1924

You don’t love me anymore (Tosti) B. 23400-I 37955 Parlophon, Berlin 15-10-1929

Zabava Putyatishna (Ivanov) Solovay Budimirovich’s serenade – All is silent in your garden 4-22619 17971b Gramophone, St. Petersburg 20-10-1913