Description

VLADIMIR KASTORSKY (BOLSHIE SOLI, KOSTROMA PROVINCE, 14 MARCH, 1870 – ST. PETERSBURG, 2 JULY, 1948)

As a child he sang in a church choir. Then he studied with his cousin A. Kastorsky and took some lessons from an Italian singer Antonio Cotogni. In 1892 he moved to St. Petersburg where he learned his vocal art at the “Free choir class,” the charity project of Melnikov. In 1893 he entered the St. Petersburg Conservatory, the course of C. Gabel, who a year later expelled the student for “voiceless and incompetence”. Later C. Gabel admitted his error. In 1894 he made his debut at the Opera House of Pskov. Vladimir surved for the operatic stage about 45 years, his repertoire included 35 roles. In 1898—1918 and 1923—1930 he was a soloist of Mariinsky Theatre, and in 1918—1923 of Bolshoi Theatre, performing Ruslan and Susanin (“Ruslan and Ludmila” and ” Life for the Tsar” by M.Glinka), Pimen (“Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky), Gremin and Kotchubey (“Eugene Onegin” and “Mazepa” by Tchaikovsky),Miller (“Rusalka” by Dargomyzhsky), Count Almaviva and Leporello (“The Marriage of Figaro” and “Don Giovanni” by Mozart), Vladimir Galitsky (“Prince Igor” by Borodin),Nilakanta (“Lakme” by Delibes). Vladimir Kastorsky was extremely successful in R.Wagner’s operas: Wotan (“The Ring of the Nibelung”) and Wolfram (“Tannhauser”), among others. In 1907 he organized a vocal quartet to promote Russian folk songs and toured with it in Russiaand Europe. In 1907-1908 he participated in Sergei Diaghilev’s Russian Seasons. The singer was the first performer of parties in Paris: Ruslan (“Ruslan and Ludmila” by Glinka, 1907), Pimen (“Boris Godunov” by Mussorgsky, 1908), Prince Yuri Tokmakov (“The Maid of Pskov” and Rimsky-Korsakov, 1909). He also was heard at La Scala (1908), as well as in in Prague, Berlin, Rome, Munich, London, Harbin, Japan, Moscow (Theater Aquarium, Zimin’s private Opera), Kiev, Odessa,Tiflis, and many other cities. He taught at Mariinsky Theatre, Leningrad’s Art Studio and at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory. Until the end of life he performed as a chamber singer, performing Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, Mozart, Schubert, Borodin, Mussorgsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven and Schumann.

Chronology of some appearances

1894 Pskov Opera House

1898-1918 St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre

1918-1923 Moscow Bolshoi Theatre

1923-1930 St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre

TRACKLIST

1. A Life for the Tzar (Glinka) My dawn will come 3-22565 4959L Gramophone 1906
2. A Life for the Tzar (Glinka) They guess the truth 022121 397m Gramophone 1908
3. Before the Voyevoda (Rubinstein) 4-22036 6949r Gramophone 1909
4. Die beiden Grenadiere (Schumann) 022134 424s Gramophone 1909
5. Die Walküre (Wagner) Leb’wohl 3-22871 7844l Gramophone 1908
6. Do not cry over dead bodies (Tcherapnin) 24453 4927L Gramophone 1906
7. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Deh, vieni alla finestra 3-22875 7917l Gramophone 1909
8. Don Giovanni (Mozart) Madamina 3-22828 7778L Gramophone 1908
9. Eugene Onegin (Tchaikovsky) Love reigns over all ages 3-22873 7872L Gramophone 1908
10. Faust (Gounod) Vous qui faites l’endormie (Gounod) 3-22575 4990L Gramophone 1906
11. Hullo Don (Napravnik) 2-24047 7793l Gramophone 1909
12. In the Wild North (Dargomyzhsky) with Maria Michailova and Vladimir Kastorsky 024031 419s Gramophone 1909
13. Lakmé (Delibes) Stances de Nilakantha – Lakmé, ton doux regard 022127 402m Gramophone 1909
14. Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Bénédiction des poignards, Air de St Bris – Carl has enemies 3-22564 4958L Gramophone 1906
15. Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Chorale – (I beg You to keep us) 3-22860 7775L Gramophone 1908
16. Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Conspiracy scene of St Bris – You all swore before God 3-22872 7871L Gramophone 1908
17. Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer) Pif, paf! (I’ll sing you a song of the Huguenots) 3-22826 7776L Gramophone 1908
18. Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer) You all swore before God 3-22872 7871L Gramophone, 1908
19. Mazeppa (Tchaikovsky) Three treasures 3-22831 7843L Gramophone 1908
20. O child, beneath your window, Op 63 No 6 (Romanov) 3-22549 4960L Gramophone 1906