Alexandrina Pendatchanska
Encyclopedia
Alexandrina Pendatchanska (sometimes written as Alexandrina Pendachanska) (born September 24th, 1970) is a Bulgarian soprano.
, Bulgaria into a family of renowned Bulgarian musicians. Her grandfather Sasha Popov was a violinist and conductor and the founder of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. Her mother Valerie Popova was an internationally acclaimed soprano who sung regularly at La Scala
in Milan from 1983 to 1986.
Pendatchanska studied piano from early childhood and graduated from Bulgaria's National School of Music, where she studied piano and singing. Her vocal teacher was her mother, Valerie Popova.
Pendatchanska made her stage debut at age 17 in the role of Violetta in La traviata
. Soon after, she won the Antonín Dvořák
Competition in Karlovy Vary
, placed second in the International Vocal Competition in Bilbao
in 1988 and won UNISA singing competition in Pretoria (1989)
Pendatchanska's debut outside Bulgaria took place in Bilbao, where she sang the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor
. Since 1989 she has sung in many of the most prestigious opera houses around the world, including Vienna, Paris, Berlin, New York (the New York City Opera
), Rome, Brussels, Washington, Hamburg, Moscow, Turin, Naples, Santa Fe, Bregenz
, Monte Carlo, and Tel Aviv.
Pendatchanska performed the title role of Esclarmonde
at Teatro Regio in Turin
in November 1992. Pendatchanska's performance in this role at age 22 was even younger than that of Sybil Sanderson, who created the infamously difficult role at age 24.
During the 1997–2001 operatic seasons Pendatchanska sang the role of Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux
(Turin and Naples), Adina in Adina (Pesaro
), Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica
(Lucca
), Luisa in Luisa Miller
(Naples and Berlin), and in Ermione
(Santa Fe and New York).
Her other operatic roles include:
Her current repertoire includes:
Besides being active on the stage, she also sings concert programs around the world including music festivals. Her concert repertoire includes Requiem
by Verdi, Stabat Mater by Rossini, La Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini, Le Roi David by Honegger.
, Donizetti, Verdi and Mozart. With René Jacobs she recorded for Harmonia Mundi
the role of Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito
(which garnered two Grammy Award nominations for Best Classical recording and Best Opera recording), as well as her signature roles Donna Elvira and Elettra.
She has also recorded two operatic recitals albums, Alexandrina Pendatchanska (Capriccio) and Genuine - Dramatic Coloratura Album (Spotlight). Apart from audio recordings she has also appeared in a few operatic DVDs, including:
Career
Pendatchanska was born in SofiaSofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
, Bulgaria into a family of renowned Bulgarian musicians. Her grandfather Sasha Popov was a violinist and conductor and the founder of the Sofia Philharmonic Orchestra. Her mother Valerie Popova was an internationally acclaimed soprano who sung regularly at La Scala
La Scala
La Scala , is a world renowned opera house in Milan, Italy. The theatre was inaugurated on 3 August 1778 and was originally known as the New Royal-Ducal Theatre at La Scala...
in Milan from 1983 to 1986.
Pendatchanska studied piano from early childhood and graduated from Bulgaria's National School of Music, where she studied piano and singing. Her vocal teacher was her mother, Valerie Popova.
Pendatchanska made her stage debut at age 17 in the role of Violetta in La traviata
La traviata
La traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
. Soon after, she won the Antonín Dvořák
Antonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
Competition in Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary
Karlovy Vary is a spa city situated in western Bohemia, Czech Republic, on the confluence of the rivers Ohře and Teplá, approximately west of Prague . It is named after King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV, who founded the city in 1370...
, placed second in the International Vocal Competition in Bilbao
Bilbao
Bilbao ) is a Spanish municipality, capital of the province of Biscay, in the autonomous community of the Basque Country. With a population of 353,187 , it is the largest city of its autonomous community and the tenth largest in Spain...
in 1988 and won UNISA singing competition in Pretoria (1989)
Pendatchanska's debut outside Bulgaria took place in Bilbao, where she sang the title role in Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor
Lucia di Lammermoor is a dramma tragico in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian language libretto loosely based upon Sir Walter Scott's historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor....
. Since 1989 she has sung in many of the most prestigious opera houses around the world, including Vienna, Paris, Berlin, New York (the New York City Opera
New York City Opera
The New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
), Rome, Brussels, Washington, Hamburg, Moscow, Turin, Naples, Santa Fe, Bregenz
Bregenz
-Culture:The annual summer music festival Bregenzer Festspiele is a world-famous festival which takes place on and around a stage on Lake Constance, where a different opera is performed every second year.-Sport:* A1 Bregenz HB is a handball team....
, Monte Carlo, and Tel Aviv.
Pendatchanska performed the title role of Esclarmonde
Esclarmonde
Esclarmonde is an opéra in four acts and eight tableaux, with prologue and epilogue, by Jules Massenet, to a French libretto by Alfred Blau and Louis Ferdinand de Gramont....
at Teatro Regio in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
in November 1992. Pendatchanska's performance in this role at age 22 was even younger than that of Sybil Sanderson, who created the infamously difficult role at age 24.
During the 1997–2001 operatic seasons Pendatchanska sang the role of Elisabetta in Roberto Devereux
Roberto Devereux
Roberto Devereux is a tragedia lirica, or tragic opera, by Gaetano Donizetti...
(Turin and Naples), Adina in Adina (Pesaro
Pesaro
Pesaro is a town and comune in the Italian region of the Marche, capital of the Pesaro e Urbino province, on the Adriatic. According to the 2007 census, its population was 92,206....
), Suor Angelica in Suor Angelica
Suor Angelica
Suor Angelica is an opera in one act by Giacomo Puccini to an original Italian libretto by Giovacchino Forzano. It is the second opera of the trio of operas known as Il trittico...
(Lucca
Lucca
Lucca is a city and comune in Tuscany, central Italy, situated on the river Serchio in a fertile plainnear the Tyrrhenian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Lucca...
), Luisa in Luisa Miller
Luisa Miller
Luisa Miller is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play Kabale und Liebe by Friedrich von Schiller. The first performance was given at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples on December 8, 1849...
(Naples and Berlin), and in Ermione
Ermione
Ermione is a tragic opera in two acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, based on the play Andromaque by Jean Racine.- Performance history :...
(Santa Fe and New York).
Her other operatic roles include:
- The Queen of the Night in The Magic FluteThe Magic FluteThe Magic Flute is an opera in two acts composed in 1791 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to a German libretto by Emanuel Schikaneder. The work is in the form of a Singspiel, a popular form that included both singing and spoken dialogue....
by Mozart (Cape Town) - Ophelia in HamletHamlet (opera)Hamlet is an opéra in five acts by the French composer Ambroise Thomas, with a libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier based on a French adaptation by Alexandre Dumas, père and Paul Meurice of Shakespeare's play Hamlet.- Ophelia mania in Paris:...
(Monte Carlo, Vienna) - Lucia (Turin, Trieste)
- Gilda in RigolettoRigolettoRigoletto is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The Italian libretto was written by Francesco Maria Piave based on the play Le roi s'amuse by Victor Hugo. It was first performed at La Fenice in Venice on March 11, 1851...
(Welsh National OperaWelsh National OperaWelsh National Opera is an opera company founded in Cardiff, Wales in 1943. The WNO tours Wales, the United Kingdom and the rest of the world extensively. Annually, it gives more than 120 performances of eight main stage operas to a combined audience of around 150,000 people...
, Monte Carlo) - Violetta in La TraviataLa traviataLa traviata is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi set to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave. It is based on La dame aux Camélias , a play adapted from the novel by Alexandre Dumas, fils. The title La traviata means literally The Fallen Woman, or perhaps more figuratively, The Woman...
(Trieste, Hamburg, Frankfurt) - Adalgisa in NormaNorma (opera)Norma is a tragedia lirica or opera in two acts by Vincenzo Bellini with libretto by Felice Romani after Norma, ossia L'infanticidio by Alexandre Soumet. First produced at La Scala on December 26, 1831, it is generally regarded as an example of the supreme height of the bel canto tradition...
(Teatro dell'Opera di RomaTeatro dell'Opera di RomaThe Teatro dell'Opera di Roma is an opera house in Rome, Italy. Originally opened in November 1880 as the 2,212 seat Costanzi Theatre, it has undergone several changes of name as well modifications and improvements...
) - Parisina in ParisinaParisina (opera)Parisina is an opera , in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti. Felice Romani wrote the Italian libretto after Byron's 1816 poem Parisina...
(Wexford Festival OperaWexford Festival OperaThe Wexford Festival Opera is an opera festival that takes place in the town of Wexford in South-Eastern Ireland during the months of October and November.-Festival origins under Tom Walsh, 1951 to 1966:...
, Lugano) - Elena in La Donna del LagoLa donna del lagoLa donna del lago is an opera by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, based on The Lady of the Lake, a poem by Sir Walter Scott.This opera was the first to be based on Scott's romantic works...
(New York City OperaNew York City OperaThe New York City Opera is an American opera company located in New York City.The company, called "the people's opera" by New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia, was founded in 1943 with the aim of making opera financially accessible to a wide audience, producing an innovative choice of repertory, and...
)
Her current repertoire includes:
- Donna Anna and Donna Elvira from Don GiovanniDon GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
(Paris, Lausanne, Houston, Lisbon, Prague, Baden-Baden, Innsbruck) - Vitellia in La Clemenza di TitoLa clemenza di TitoLa clemenza di Tito , K. 621, is an opera seria in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Metastasio...
(Santa Fe, Lyon, Madrid) - Elettra in IdomeneoIdomeneoIdomeneo, re di Creta ossia Ilia e Idamante is an Italian language opera by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The libretto was adapted by Giambattista Varesco from a French text by Antoine Danchet, which had been set to music by André Campra as Idoménée in 1712...
(Brussels) - Elisabetta in Maria StuardaMaria StuardaMaria Stuarda is a tragic opera, , in two acts, by Gaetano Donizetti, to a libretto by Giuseppe Bardari, based on Friedrich Schiller's 1800 play Maria Stuart....
- Semiramide Paris TCE
- Agrippina in AgrippinaAgrippina (opera)Agrippina is an opera seria in three acts by George Frideric Handel, from a libretto by Cardinal Vincenzo Grimani. Composed for the Venice Carnevale season, the opera tells the story of Agrippina, the mother of Nero, as she plots the downfall of the Roman Emperor Claudius and the installation of...
Critical reception
On the stage Alexandrina is particularly praised for her Mozart and bel canto roles, specializing in passionate ladies such as the three Mozart queens, Vitellia, Donna Elvira and Elettra, the last which had often been cited as the definitive interpretation.Besides being active on the stage, she also sings concert programs around the world including music festivals. Her concert repertoire includes Requiem
Requiem
A Requiem or Requiem Mass, also known as Mass for the dead or Mass of the dead , is a Mass celebrated for the repose of the soul or souls of one or more deceased persons, using a particular form of the Roman Missal...
by Verdi, Stabat Mater by Rossini, La Petite Messe Solennelle by Rossini, Le Roi David by Honegger.
Recordings
Alexandrina Pendatchanska also has a varied discography. She has recorded operas by GlinkaMikhail Glinka
Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka , was the first Russian composer to gain wide recognition within his own country, and is often regarded as the father of Russian classical music...
, Donizetti, Verdi and Mozart. With René Jacobs she recorded for Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi
Harmonia Mundi is an independent music record label founded in 1958 by Bernard Coutaz in Arles . The Latin phrase means "world harmony"....
the role of Vitellia in La Clemenza di Tito
La clemenza di Tito
La clemenza di Tito , K. 621, is an opera seria in two acts composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to an Italian libretto by Caterino Mazzolà, after Metastasio...
(which garnered two Grammy Award nominations for Best Classical recording and Best Opera recording), as well as her signature roles Donna Elvira and Elettra.
She has also recorded two operatic recitals albums, Alexandrina Pendatchanska (Capriccio) and Genuine - Dramatic Coloratura Album (Spotlight). Apart from audio recordings she has also appeared in a few operatic DVDs, including:
- Don GiovanniDon GiovanniDon Giovanni is an opera in two acts with music by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and with an Italian libretto by Lorenzo Da Ponte. It was premiered by the Prague Italian opera at the Teatro di Praga on October 29, 1787...
, with René Jacobs - Roberto DevereuxRoberto DevereuxRoberto Devereux is a tragedia lirica, or tragic opera, by Gaetano Donizetti...
, with Alain Guingal - I due FoscariI due FoscariI due Foscari is an opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on a historical play, The Two Foscari by Lord Byron....
, with Nello SantiNello SantiNello Santi is an Italian conductor. He is often called "Papa Santi" by his fellow musicians to show their high respect for his work.-Biography:... - Orlando PaladinoOrlando paladinoOrlando paladino , Hob. 28/11, is an opera in three acts by Joseph Haydn which was first performed at Eszterháza on 6 December 1782. The libretto by Nunziano Porta is based on another libretto, Le pazzie d'Orlando, by Carlo Francesco Badini , itself inspired by Ariosto's epic poem Orlando furioso...
, with René Jacobs - Petite messe solennellePetite Messe SolennelleGioachino Rossini's Petite Messe Solennelle was written in 1863, "the last", the composer called it, "of my péchés de vieillesse" .....
, with Riccardo ChaillyRiccardo ChaillyRiccardo Chailly, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI is an Italian conductor. He started his career as an opera conductor and gradually extended his repertoire to encompass symphonic music.-Biography:...