Leonid Mikhailovich Kharitonov
Encyclopedia
Leonid Mikhailovich Kharitonov is a Russian bass-baritone
(баритональный бас) singer, born 18 September 1933 in the village of Golumet, Irkutsk Oblast
. He has been honoured with: People's Artist of Russia
and Honoured Artist of Russia. In the West he is noted for his 1965 video of the Song of the Volga Boatmen.
, in 1933. When his father went missing in World War II, his mother brought him up. Between 1934 and 1942 he was at Cheremkhovo
, and attended school number 25 from 1941 to 1942. Back at Golumet he attended school from 1942 to 1945, and stayed at Golumet until 1947. For a year from the age of 14 (from 1947 to 1948) he studied to be a welder in F.Z.O. and worked at a plant in Kuibysheva in the Irkutsk Oblast
as a moulder and caster. From 1948 to 1950 back in Golumet again, he worked in M.T.S. as an electric welder, meanwhile beginning to perform as a singer.The original 3rd party source for the biography of L.M. Kharitonov, used by the narod.ru site and by L.M.Kharitonov's official site scan of biographical information on vinyl record cover of Русские народные песни и романсы (translation: "Russian Folk Songs and Ballads") in Russian
From 17 years old (1950 1952) he was a soloist at Irkutsk Philharmonic
and finally was accepted by Moscow Conservatory
from 1952 to 1955. This was very difficult because as a Siberia
n he did not have even a matriculation certificate, but his strong singing voice spoke for him.
and the choir. From 1956 to 1959, while still with the choir, he studied at Gnessin State Musical College
. His first unofficial public performance as soloist was in the State Kremlin Palace
on 18 March 1965. On that day two good friends of his, cosmonauts Pavel Belyaev
and Alexey Leonov, were blasted into space on the Voskhod 2
. During this mission, Leonov became the first human to walk in space
. Kharitonov's first official public performance as a soloist was on 22 April 1965. In 1967 he was awarded Honoured Artist of Russia. He continued with the Ensemble until 1972 - so he was with them for nearly 20 years. B.A. Alexandrov
was proud of his soloist, and would often shake his hand or hug him publicly onstage after a performance. Kharitonov sometimes sang duets, but only with Ivan Bukreev
. Kharitonov had one singing teacher only in his life: Evgeny Avgustovich Kanger, who taught no-one in the Ensemble but the leading soloists, including Evgeny Belyaev
.
. Being a soloist for the Moscow Philharmonic meant that tours were arranged; he was given bookings by them; an accompanist was provided; but he could arrange his own bookings and pay for a different accompanist outside Moscow, and could accept tours offered by his own clients. During this time, he performed frequently on radio and television. On tour, he visited the entire country and appeared several times at the State Kremlin Palace
concert hall. He was considered the pride of Russia, and sang at concerts for the government and for foreign delegations. During the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, Kharitonov went on tour abroad to many different countries, including Czechoslovakia, England, Scotland, the United States, China and Australia. From 1998 to 2006 he performed at various venues on a contract basis, giving concerts in Siberia
, the German Embassy and Ilya Glazunov Gallery. He was a friend of Anatoly Solovyanenko
but they never sang a duet together. Kharitonov never performed in theatrical opera, but sang operatic arias in concert performances.
and who sings fully in the tradition of Chaliapin
is largely unknown in the West. This is because his career was overshadowed by the Cold War
. However his recordings continue to be re-released worldwide, and this may eventually serve to redress the balance, along with the recent increased exposure of Kharitonov on YouTube.
: Утёс)
One of Kharitonov's first solo performances, at age 32 after twelve years in the choir of the Ensemble, was a concert at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses
attended by top government officials. As a chorister he was aware of the primary function of the bass part. Whether the part actually does so or not, its effect is to appear to provide a rhythmic and tonal foundation for the musical piece. In other words, particularly when the choir sings a cappella
, or when there are no drums, the bass part appears to set both the rhythm and pitch, by virtue of having the heaviest sound. This understanding, and the understanding within Boris Alexandrov's
arrangement, is what makes Kharitonov's performance commanding. There is no destabilising ego here. When he sings he sets the melody and dynamic, and establishes all that is to come; the choir appears to settle comfortably above his voice; the choir repeats and follows his lead. This roars to a climax, with the soloist's voice appearing to carry the weight of all Russia's revolutionary optimism. After all, this is a song about Stenka Razin
: the first revolutionary; a cross between Attila the Hun
and Robin Hood
- and this performance made Leonid Brezhnev
cry. The screenshot, left, from a concert given at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow during the same time period, is an indication of the stage presence which takes on the persona of Razin
himself. Ultimately, this is a recording that demonstrates what a bass soloist really is: the musical foundation of a performance. The sound recording of Cliff can be heard in the 2006 BBC
documentary series Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: Surviving Disaster while brave men swim to their deaths, opening sluice gates below the reactor in the hope of preventing a nuclear explosion.
. The lyrics were written in 1864 by novelist Alexander Alexandrovich Navrotsky who was also a member of Narodnaya Volya (Russian: Народная Воля), a secret revolutionary organization perhaps best known for assassinating Tsar Alexander II on March 13, 1881. The song was an anthem for revolutionaries of the late 19th and early 20th century in Russia
; Lenin
often sang it with his comrades-in-arms. The song is still culturally central to Russia. Kharitonov remembers:
: Эй, ухнем!)
In the West Kharitonov is known for his 1965 video of The Song of the Volga Boatmen, which resembles Chaliapin's
1922 recording, especially in the upper-register roar which in the song represents the hauliers making superhuman effort. He demonstrates the clean Russian bass-baritone sound: a fusion of various influences. There is the Eastern Orthodox Church singing style, inherited from Byzantine music
, without vibrato and demanding a clear and sonorous resonance at all times: preferably utilising the soundbox of a building space. There is also the influence of the Italian opera
tic singing style with its emphasis on the resonance in the nasal cavity and the power of the diaphragm: both of which permit control of the loudest and softest vocal sounds without compromising tonal quality. The tendency of Russian language speakers
to create some vowels by expanding the soft palate is a great advantage for Russian basses, as it encourages their unique type of richly open resonance. This effect tells to advantage in both the upper and lower registers of this bass-baritone singer.
The hard labor of the burlaks is portrayed by the seriousness of his expression throughout the performance, with the exception of a momentary lightening—even the shadow of a smile—when he sings: “We are singing our song to the Sun," arguably the most hopeful phrase in the entire song (see screenshot).
Many Russian songs are serious or sad, but Kharitonov is also known for singing comic songs or arias. The composer Matvey Blanter
wrote Dark-Eyed Cossack Girl especially for him in 1966. Kharitonov's definitive performance was recorded in 1969. Again he is celebrating Chaliapin's
legacy as the first modern bass to successfully fuse drama — and humour — with pure musical technique, as in Chaliapin's performance of Dark Eyes
. Moreover this performance of Kharitonov's demonstrates the Ensemble's style, which in the era of A.V. and B.A. Alexandrov encouraged soloists to stay in tune in spite of any vibrato, any emotional acting, or any humour. Therefore, although the song involves laughter, he laughs elegantly in tune. All the while he is making faces and humorous gestures, his vocal tone and pitch remain spot-on. That is the achievement of this kind of performance: while the audience and the other musicians laugh so much at Kharitonov's clowning (see image, left), at the same time they are aware of highly disciplined singing, and the performance remains perfectly musical.
This performance demonstrates that discipline is fundamental to musical elegance.
:
Гори, гори, моя звезда)
In this song, the singer speaks to a star, asking it to have compassion on him. Kharitonov sings it as if it were a prayer, and the close-up of his face emphasises the spirituality of the performance. In an interview about this, the interviewer asked Kharitonov about his faith; whether as a child he believed. Leonid remembered that in his early years, he did not go to church, but the boy always felt a connection with the sky; with the cosmos. His star, with whom he communicated, spoke to him.
"The more I live . . . the more I believe that God exists. Lord God was preparing me to be clean, kept me through homelessness, hunger, poverty. I never hurt anyone, did not deceive, did not have debts. On stage, the artist reveals himself to the spectator-listener. If a person is mean, with a dirty soul, the listener sees and feels this. I'm on stage not just performing my part. On stage, I live every romance, folk song, or aria from the opera. This brought me to the Lord God. He established everything in Man so that he learned to understand and distinguish the good from the bad." Tatiana Kovalska, 2004
This folk song, about a jolly, tipsy troika
-driver indiscreetly courting the ladies, belongs to a tradition in which it was previously popularised by Feodor Chaliapin
and Alexei Sergeev
who each made the song their own. Sergeev's version was hilariously rumbustuous but possibly overwhelming at close quarters for the ladies. Kharitonov's inebriate is the huge and clumsy but genial Russian Bear
: the symbol of Russia
beloved of Leo Tolstoy
. The tonality is kept warm and elegant, while the vocal slide from one note to the next — and on one occasion a whole glissando
- help to create an illusion of musical drunkenness. This is a musical joke, as previously Georgi Vinogradov had taken the vocal slide from drunks and tuneless club singers, and utilised it to showcase his own disciplined vocal skill and consistent vocal quality as he slid from one register to the next. Kharitonov, in his prime, still has a consistent vocal quality across the registers at the age of 50 years, and can surprise the audience by taking a technique which had come to represent sobriety, and hand it back to the music-hall toper.
So this performance demonstrates the artistry behind the charm of a comedic bass solo performance.
during his long career. In recent years he has been involved in returning an icon of Saint Nicholas
to the Church of Saint Nicholas in his home town of Golumet.
,
Death of Varyag.
Red Army webpage: biography and songlist of L.M. Kharitonov in Japanese He possibly sang Spring of 1945 (by Mrs.Pakhmutova) as a duet with I. Bukreev, but this was unrecorded.
; King Rene from Iolanta by Tchaikovsky
; Song of the Varangian Guest from Sadko by Rimsky-Korsakov
; King Philip from Don Carlos by Verdi
; Konchak from Prince Igor by Borodin
; The Old-Man’s Tale from Aleko by Rachmaninov
; Kutuzov from War and Peace by Prokofiev
; Serenade of Mefistofeles from Faust by Gounod
, Song of the Flea by Mussorgsky
.
Bass-baritone
A bass-baritone is a high-lying bass or low-lying "classical" baritone voice type which shares certain qualities with the true baritone voice. The term arose in the late 19th century to describe the particular type of voice required to sing three Wagnerian roles: the Dutchman in Der fliegende...
(баритональный бас) singer, born 18 September 1933 in the village of Golumet, Irkutsk Oblast
Irkutsk Oblast
Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:...
. He has been honoured with: People's Artist of Russia
People's Artist of Russia
People's Artist of Russia, also sometimes translated as National Artist of Russia, is an honorary title granted to citizens of Russia.It succeeded both the all-Soviet union award People's Artist of the USSR , and more directly the local republic award, People's Artist of the RSFSR , after the...
and Honoured Artist of Russia. In the West he is noted for his 1965 video of the Song of the Volga Boatmen.
Early life
He was born in Golumet, Irkutsk OblastIrkutsk Oblast
Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:...
, in 1933. When his father went missing in World War II, his mother brought him up. Between 1934 and 1942 he was at Cheremkhovo
Cheremkhovo
Cheremkhovo is a town in Irkutsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Trans-Siberian Railway. Population: It was founded in 1772. It is one of the coal-mining towns in the Irkutsk coal basin.-References:*Transsib.ru....
, and attended school number 25 from 1941 to 1942. Back at Golumet he attended school from 1942 to 1945, and stayed at Golumet until 1947. For a year from the age of 14 (from 1947 to 1948) he studied to be a welder in F.Z.O. and worked at a plant in Kuibysheva in the Irkutsk Oblast
Irkutsk Oblast
Irkutsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia , located in southeastern Siberia in the basins of Angara River, Lena, and Nizhnyaya Tunguska Rivers. The administrative center is the city of Irkutsk. Population: -History:...
as a moulder and caster. From 1948 to 1950 back in Golumet again, he worked in M.T.S. as an electric welder, meanwhile beginning to perform as a singer.The original 3rd party source for the biography of L.M. Kharitonov, used by the narod.ru site and by L.M.Kharitonov's official site scan of biographical information on vinyl record cover of Русские народные песни и романсы (translation: "Russian Folk Songs and Ballads") in Russian
From 17 years old (1950 1952) he was a soloist at Irkutsk Philharmonic
Music of Irkutsk
The city of Irkutsk is the administrative center of Irkutsk Oblast, both of which produced several famous popular musicians and have a number of styles of folk music. Musicians from Irkutsk include the rock bands Bely Ostrog, Printsip Neopredelyonnosti, and Chyorno-Belye Snimki...
and finally was accepted by Moscow Conservatory
Moscow Conservatory
The Moscow Conservatory is a higher musical education institution in Moscow, and the second oldest conservatory in Russia after St. Petersburg Conservatory. Along with the St...
from 1952 to 1955. This was very difficult because as a Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
n he did not have even a matriculation certificate, but his strong singing voice spoke for him.
Career
With the Alexandrov Ensemble 1953 to 1972
From 9 November 1953 to March 1965 he was a member of the choir in the Red Song and Dance Ensemble of the Soviet Army (later the Alexandrov Ensemble). His place in the choir was always third from the right in the top row. From 1953 to 1955 he served in both the armyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
and the choir. From 1956 to 1959, while still with the choir, he studied at Gnessin State Musical College
Gnessin State Musical College
The Gnessin State Musical College and Gnessin Russian Academy of Music is a prominent music school in Moscow, Russia...
. His first unofficial public performance as soloist was in the State Kremlin Palace
State Kremlin Palace
The State Kremlin Palace , formerly and unofficially still better known as the Kremlin Palace of Congresses , is a large modern building inside the Moscow Kremlin....
on 18 March 1965. On that day two good friends of his, cosmonauts Pavel Belyaev
Pavel Belyayev
Pavel Ivanovich Belyayev , , was a Soviet fighter pilot with extensive experience in piloting different types of aircraft...
and Alexey Leonov, were blasted into space on the Voskhod 2
Voskhod 2
Voskhod 2 was a Soviet manned space mission in March 1965. Vostok-based Voskhod 3KD spacecraft with two crew members on board, Pavel Belyaev and Alexei Leonov, was equipped with an inflatable airlock...
. During this mission, Leonov became the first human to walk in space
Extra-vehicular activity
Extra-vehicular activity is work done by an astronaut away from the Earth, and outside of a spacecraft. The term most commonly applies to an EVA made outside a craft orbiting Earth , but also applies to an EVA made on the surface of the Moon...
. Kharitonov's first official public performance as a soloist was on 22 April 1965. In 1967 he was awarded Honoured Artist of Russia. He continued with the Ensemble until 1972 - so he was with them for nearly 20 years. B.A. Alexandrov
Boris Alexandrovich Alexandrov
Major General Boris Alexandrovich Alexandrov was a Soviet Russian composer, and, from 1946 to 1986, the second head of the Alexandrov Ensemble which was founded by his father, Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov...
was proud of his soloist, and would often shake his hand or hug him publicly onstage after a performance. Kharitonov sometimes sang duets, but only with Ivan Bukreev
Alexandrov Ensemble soloists
This is an alphabetical list of the basso profondo, bass, bass-baritone and tenor soloists who have performed with the Alexandrov Ensemble since its establishment in 1928. It is difficult to differentiate between regular and guest soloists, since many have alternated between the one category and...
. Kharitonov had one singing teacher only in his life: Evgeny Avgustovich Kanger, who taught no-one in the Ensemble but the leading soloists, including Evgeny Belyaev
Evgeny Belyaev
Evgeny Mikhailovich Belyaev, also written as Yevgeny Belyayev , was a Russian tenor soloist of the Alexandrov Ensemble under Boris Alexandrov...
.
Independent career from 1972 to present
From 1972 to 1998 he was a soloist with the Moscow Philharmonic Society, and in 1986 was awarded People's Artist of RussiaPeople's Artist of Russia
People's Artist of Russia, also sometimes translated as National Artist of Russia, is an honorary title granted to citizens of Russia.It succeeded both the all-Soviet union award People's Artist of the USSR , and more directly the local republic award, People's Artist of the RSFSR , after the...
. Being a soloist for the Moscow Philharmonic meant that tours were arranged; he was given bookings by them; an accompanist was provided; but he could arrange his own bookings and pay for a different accompanist outside Moscow, and could accept tours offered by his own clients. During this time, he performed frequently on radio and television. On tour, he visited the entire country and appeared several times at the State Kremlin Palace
State Kremlin Palace
The State Kremlin Palace , formerly and unofficially still better known as the Kremlin Palace of Congresses , is a large modern building inside the Moscow Kremlin....
concert hall. He was considered the pride of Russia, and sang at concerts for the government and for foreign delegations. During the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s, Kharitonov went on tour abroad to many different countries, including Czechoslovakia, England, Scotland, the United States, China and Australia. From 1998 to 2006 he performed at various venues on a contract basis, giving concerts in Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
, the German Embassy and Ilya Glazunov Gallery. He was a friend of Anatoly Solovyanenko
Alexandrov Ensemble soloists
This is an alphabetical list of the basso profondo, bass, bass-baritone and tenor soloists who have performed with the Alexandrov Ensemble since its establishment in 1928. It is difficult to differentiate between regular and guest soloists, since many have alternated between the one category and...
but they never sang a duet together. Kharitonov never performed in theatrical opera, but sang operatic arias in concert performances.
Worldwide recognition
Like many of the great Russian operatic singers of the Soviet era, this bass-baritone singer who is respected in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and who sings fully in the tradition of Chaliapin
Feodor Chaliapin
Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin was a Russian opera singer. The possessor of a large and expressive bass voice, he enjoyed an important international career at major opera houses and is often credited with establishing the tradition of naturalistic acting in his chosen art form.During the first phase...
is largely unknown in the West. This is because his career was overshadowed by the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
. However his recordings continue to be re-released worldwide, and this may eventually serve to redress the balance, along with the recent increased exposure of Kharitonov on YouTube.
1965 video of Cliff
Utyos (RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Утёс)
One of Kharitonov's first solo performances, at age 32 after twelve years in the choir of the Ensemble, was a concert at the Kremlin Palace of Congresses
State Kremlin Palace
The State Kremlin Palace , formerly and unofficially still better known as the Kremlin Palace of Congresses , is a large modern building inside the Moscow Kremlin....
attended by top government officials. As a chorister he was aware of the primary function of the bass part. Whether the part actually does so or not, its effect is to appear to provide a rhythmic and tonal foundation for the musical piece. In other words, particularly when the choir sings a cappella
A cappella
A cappella music is specifically solo or group singing without instrumental sound, or a piece intended to be performed in this way. It is the opposite of cantata, which is accompanied singing. A cappella was originally intended to differentiate between Renaissance polyphony and Baroque concertato...
, or when there are no drums, the bass part appears to set both the rhythm and pitch, by virtue of having the heaviest sound. This understanding, and the understanding within Boris Alexandrov's
Boris Alexandrovich Alexandrov
Major General Boris Alexandrovich Alexandrov was a Soviet Russian composer, and, from 1946 to 1986, the second head of the Alexandrov Ensemble which was founded by his father, Alexander Vasilyevich Alexandrov...
arrangement, is what makes Kharitonov's performance commanding. There is no destabilising ego here. When he sings he sets the melody and dynamic, and establishes all that is to come; the choir appears to settle comfortably above his voice; the choir repeats and follows his lead. This roars to a climax, with the soloist's voice appearing to carry the weight of all Russia's revolutionary optimism. After all, this is a song about Stenka Razin
Stenka Razin
Stepan Timofeyevich Razin Тимофеевич Разин, ; 1630 – ) was a Cossack leader who led a major uprising against the nobility and Tsar's bureaucracy in South Russia.-Early life:...
: the first revolutionary; a cross between Attila the Hun
Attila the Hun
Attila , more frequently referred to as Attila the Hun, was the ruler of the Huns from 434 until his death in 453. He was leader of the Hunnic Empire, which stretched from the Ural River to the Rhine River and from the Danube River to the Baltic Sea. During his reign he was one of the most feared...
and Robin Hood
Robin Hood
Robin Hood was a heroic outlaw in English folklore. A highly skilled archer and swordsman, he is known for "robbing from the rich and giving to the poor", assisted by a group of fellow outlaws known as his "Merry Men". Traditionally, Robin Hood and his men are depicted wearing Lincoln green clothes....
- and this performance made Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Brezhnev
Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
cry. The screenshot, left, from a concert given at Tchaikovsky Hall in Moscow during the same time period, is an indication of the stage presence which takes on the persona of Razin
Stenka Razin
Stepan Timofeyevich Razin Тимофеевич Разин, ; 1630 – ) was a Cossack leader who led a major uprising against the nobility and Tsar's bureaucracy in South Russia.-Early life:...
himself. Ultimately, this is a recording that demonstrates what a bass soloist really is: the musical foundation of a performance. The sound recording of Cliff can be heard in the 2006 BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
documentary series Chernobyl Nuclear Disaster: Surviving Disaster while brave men swim to their deaths, opening sluice gates below the reactor in the hope of preventing a nuclear explosion.
Historical commentary on 1965 performance of Cliff
This song is about the fate of the 17th century Russian rebel, Stepan RazinStenka Razin
Stepan Timofeyevich Razin Тимофеевич Разин, ; 1630 – ) was a Cossack leader who led a major uprising against the nobility and Tsar's bureaucracy in South Russia.-Early life:...
. The lyrics were written in 1864 by novelist Alexander Alexandrovich Navrotsky who was also a member of Narodnaya Volya (Russian: Народная Воля), a secret revolutionary organization perhaps best known for assassinating Tsar Alexander II on March 13, 1881. The song was an anthem for revolutionaries of the late 19th and early 20th century in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
; Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
often sang it with his comrades-in-arms. The song is still culturally central to Russia. Kharitonov remembers:
"My solo career truly began with a concert in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses
State Kremlin PalaceThe State Kremlin Palace , formerly and unofficially still better known as the Kremlin Palace of Congresses , is a large modern building inside the Moscow Kremlin....
on April 22, 1965, dedicated to the 95th anniversary of LeninVladimir LeninVladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
, when I sang "There is a cliff on the Volga." This was my first solo performance. BrezhnevLeonid BrezhnevLeonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
wept. He got up from his seat and wiped away the tears with his hands then applauded, and then everyone in the room stood up as well and applauded too. I do not know what my performance stirred in the hearts of Leonid IlyichLeonid BrezhnevLeonid Ilyich Brezhnev – 10 November 1982) was the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union , presiding over the country from 1964 until his death in 1982. His eighteen-year term as General Secretary was second only to that of Joseph Stalin in...
and the other listeners, but I would like this song to be considered a monument to the Russian victorious spirit. After that performance, I continued to be a soloist with the Ensemble for seven years, and, from then on, I was regarded as a serious professional singer among the musical and political elite".
-
- "I remember how after the concert Marshal VoroshilovKliment VoroshilovKliment Yefremovich Voroshilov , popularly known as Klim Voroshilov was a Soviet military officer, politician, and statesman...
came to see me backstage. After expressions of gratitude he hugged me as a father would and told me that StalinJoseph StalinJoseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
also considered this song to be his favorite, and often played a record of it being performed by A. Pirogov, whenever he was sad at heart. "If Stalin was alive, then you would be leaving this room as a People's Artist of the USSRPeople's Artist of the USSRPeople's Artist of the USSR, also sometimes translated as National Artist of the USSR, was an honorary title granted to citizens of the Soviet Union.- Nomenclature and significance :...
- because you sing it better than Pirogov," Voroshilov told me.”
- "I remember how after the concert Marshal Voroshilov
1965 video of Song of the Volga Boatmen
Properly titled Yo, Heave, Ho! (or Ej, uhnem!), (RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Эй, ухнем!)
In the West Kharitonov is known for his 1965 video of The Song of the Volga Boatmen, which resembles Chaliapin's
Feodor Chaliapin
Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin was a Russian opera singer. The possessor of a large and expressive bass voice, he enjoyed an important international career at major opera houses and is often credited with establishing the tradition of naturalistic acting in his chosen art form.During the first phase...
1922 recording, especially in the upper-register roar which in the song represents the hauliers making superhuman effort. He demonstrates the clean Russian bass-baritone sound: a fusion of various influences. There is the Eastern Orthodox Church singing style, inherited from Byzantine music
Byzantine music
Byzantine music is the music of the Byzantine Empire composed to Greek texts as ceremonial, festival, or church music. Greek and foreign historians agree that the ecclesiastical tones and in general the whole system of Byzantine music is closely related to the ancient Greek system...
, without vibrato and demanding a clear and sonorous resonance at all times: preferably utilising the soundbox of a building space. There is also the influence of the Italian opera
Italian opera
Italian opera is both the art of opera in Italy and opera in the Italian language. Opera was born in Italy around the year 1600 and Italian opera has continued to play a dominant role in the history of the form until the present day. Many famous operas in Italian were written by foreign composers,...
tic singing style with its emphasis on the resonance in the nasal cavity and the power of the diaphragm: both of which permit control of the loudest and softest vocal sounds without compromising tonal quality. The tendency of Russian language speakers
Russian phonology
This article discusses the phonological system of standard Russian based on the Moscow dialect . For discussion of other dialects, see Russian dialects...
to create some vowels by expanding the soft palate is a great advantage for Russian basses, as it encourages their unique type of richly open resonance. This effect tells to advantage in both the upper and lower registers of this bass-baritone singer.
The hard labor of the burlaks is portrayed by the seriousness of his expression throughout the performance, with the exception of a momentary lightening—even the shadow of a smile—when he sings: “We are singing our song to the Sun," arguably the most hopeful phrase in the entire song (see screenshot).
1969 video of Dark-Eyed Cossack Girl
Chernoglazaya KazachkaMany Russian songs are serious or sad, but Kharitonov is also known for singing comic songs or arias. The composer Matvey Blanter
Matvey Blanter
Matvei Isaakovich Blanter was one of the most prominent composers of popular songs and film music in the Soviet Union. Among many other works, he wrote the internationally famous "Katyusha" , performed to this day in countries around the world...
wrote Dark-Eyed Cossack Girl especially for him in 1966. Kharitonov's definitive performance was recorded in 1969. Again he is celebrating Chaliapin's
Feodor Chaliapin
Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin was a Russian opera singer. The possessor of a large and expressive bass voice, he enjoyed an important international career at major opera houses and is often credited with establishing the tradition of naturalistic acting in his chosen art form.During the first phase...
legacy as the first modern bass to successfully fuse drama — and humour — with pure musical technique, as in Chaliapin's performance of Dark Eyes
Dark Eyes (song)
Dark Eyes is a Russian song.The lyrics of the song were written by a Ukrainian poet and writer Yevhen Hrebinka. The first publication of the poem was in Literaturnaya gazeta on 17 January 1843....
. Moreover this performance of Kharitonov's demonstrates the Ensemble's style, which in the era of A.V. and B.A. Alexandrov encouraged soloists to stay in tune in spite of any vibrato, any emotional acting, or any humour. Therefore, although the song involves laughter, he laughs elegantly in tune. All the while he is making faces and humorous gestures, his vocal tone and pitch remain spot-on. That is the achievement of this kind of performance: while the audience and the other musicians laugh so much at Kharitonov's clowning (see image, left), at the same time they are aware of highly disciplined singing, and the performance remains perfectly musical.
This performance demonstrates that discipline is fundamental to musical elegance.
1974 video of Shine, Shine My Star
Gori, Gori, Moya Zvezda (RussianRussian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
:
Гори, гори, моя звезда)
In this song, the singer speaks to a star, asking it to have compassion on him. Kharitonov sings it as if it were a prayer, and the close-up of his face emphasises the spirituality of the performance. In an interview about this, the interviewer asked Kharitonov about his faith; whether as a child he believed. Leonid remembered that in his early years, he did not go to church, but the boy always felt a connection with the sky; with the cosmos. His star, with whom he communicated, spoke to him.
"The more I live . . . the more I believe that God exists. Lord God was preparing me to be clean, kept me through homelessness, hunger, poverty. I never hurt anyone, did not deceive, did not have debts. On stage, the artist reveals himself to the spectator-listener. If a person is mean, with a dirty soul, the listener sees and feels this. I'm on stage not just performing my part. On stage, I live every romance, folk song, or aria from the opera. This brought me to the Lord God. He established everything in Man so that he learned to understand and distinguish the good from the bad." Tatiana Kovalska, 2004
1983 video of Along the Peterskaya (Street)
Vdol po PiterskoyThis folk song, about a jolly, tipsy troika
Troika
The general meaning of the Russian and Bulgarian word troika is three of a kind, a collection of three or simply the number three. It may also mean:-Politics:* Troika of judges or political leaders...
-driver indiscreetly courting the ladies, belongs to a tradition in which it was previously popularised by Feodor Chaliapin
Feodor Chaliapin
Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin was a Russian opera singer. The possessor of a large and expressive bass voice, he enjoyed an important international career at major opera houses and is often credited with establishing the tradition of naturalistic acting in his chosen art form.During the first phase...
and Alexei Sergeev
Alexandrov Ensemble soloists
This is an alphabetical list of the basso profondo, bass, bass-baritone and tenor soloists who have performed with the Alexandrov Ensemble since its establishment in 1928. It is difficult to differentiate between regular and guest soloists, since many have alternated between the one category and...
who each made the song their own. Sergeev's version was hilariously rumbustuous but possibly overwhelming at close quarters for the ladies. Kharitonov's inebriate is the huge and clumsy but genial Russian Bear
Russian Bear
The Russian Bear is a national personification for Russia, used in cartoons, articles and dramatic plays at least since the 17th century, and relating alike to Tsarist Russia, the Soviet Union and the present-day Russian Federation....
: the symbol of Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
beloved of Leo Tolstoy
Leo Tolstoy
Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a Russian writer who primarily wrote novels and short stories. Later in life, he also wrote plays and essays. His two most famous works, the novels War and Peace and Anna Karenina, are acknowledged as two of the greatest novels of all time and a pinnacle of realist...
. The tonality is kept warm and elegant, while the vocal slide from one note to the next — and on one occasion a whole glissando
Glissando
In music, a glissando is a glide from one pitch to another. It is an Italianized musical term derived from the French glisser, to glide. In some contexts it is distinguished from the continuous portamento...
- help to create an illusion of musical drunkenness. This is a musical joke, as previously Georgi Vinogradov had taken the vocal slide from drunks and tuneless club singers, and utilised it to showcase his own disciplined vocal skill and consistent vocal quality as he slid from one register to the next. Kharitonov, in his prime, still has a consistent vocal quality across the registers at the age of 50 years, and can surprise the audience by taking a technique which had come to represent sobriety, and hand it back to the music-hall toper.
So this performance demonstrates the artistry behind the charm of a comedic bass solo performance.
Reviews
"There are eight solo singers whose range of songs is as wide as the convention allows — Leonid Kharitonov chose Di quella pira as an encore and sang it magnificently — who sing well and dispense encores lavishly, dropping charmingly into English now and again." - The Times review of the Ensemble's 1967 UK tour
"Newly promoted from the ranks of the choir to that of soloist, Leonid Kharitonov sternly leads his voice into chasms of dizzying depth, displaying an impressively full sonorousness." - L’Aurore review of the Ensemble's 1967 French tour
"Leonid Kharitonov was a great success on his visit to Britain in 1967 with his rendition of the Volga Boat Song. Siberian born Kharitonov is now a soloist with the Moscow State Philharmonic Society specializing in traditional Russian songs." - Soviet Weekly review of UK tour, 1977
"...They were rehearsing in every corner of Hamilton Town Hall. Leonid Kharitonov is the group’s bass soloist. Built like the side of a house, with a voice to match. Like the rest of the troupe he’s a Burns fanatic. They can put most Scots to shame with Rabbie’s songs and poems – in Russian. During his first performance at the Usher Hall , Leonid astonished the audience by sweeping the microphone aside and filling the hall to the echo with his naked voice." - Sunday Post review of his Scottish tour, 1977
"The Russian opera singer Leonid Kharitonov, accompanied by the rhythm sections, sang songs such as I’m looking at the sky, Along Peterskaya Street and Pies with cheese. His last song had the crowd laughing, as he staggered out onto the stage as if he was drunk, making faces and losing his balance as he sang to the audience.... The audience rose to its feet to honor Kharitonov with a rousing ovation in tribute to his art." - Yorkton this week, tour review, 1979
"...The same can be said about the presentation of another remarkable singer — People's Artist of Russia Leonid Kharitonov. An enchanting bass and an amazing dramatic actor in one person, he led his audience to a magical space of Russian and world musical classics...." - Moscow Magazine , performance review, 2001
"Performances by Kharitonov at the most prestigious venues in dozens of countries around the world raised a new wave of interest in the culture of Russian songs. In France, he performed at the invitation of President Charles de Gaulle, at a charity concert of stars of the world, held to benefit less developed countries (December 1967.) Competing with such world celebrities as Franco Corelli, Fernandel, Nicolai Ghiaurov, and the Beatles, Kharitonov received the title of Best Singer of the Year." - Russian Messenger , interview and review, 2003
"When we were at his concert at the Irkutsk Philharmonic Organ Hall, we just sat there with opened mouths — so beautifully he sings. And what a powerful voice! Leonid sang without a microphone, but even those who sat in the back rows could hear every word so clearly as if he were not on stage, but standing right next to them." - Kopeck , performance review, 2006
"I am very grateful to Leonid Kharitonov, a remarkable bass, soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, with whom I first went on tour. He asked me to tell the audience a short informational story about him in the beginning of the performance. He was not just a singer, but also a wonderful actor. And naturally so. After our first concert he said to me: "I watched the hall when you were speaking. The man in the front row looked at his watch three times. Evidently, he was not interested." This was the main lesson: I must speak in a way that the audience was so interested that they were afraid to miss something from my story. Hence, it is not only the information itself that's important, but also how you impart it." - Moscow Truth , interview, 2006
Private life
Leonid Kharitonov has a wife and two sons, and has been based in MoscowMoscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
during his long career. In recent years he has been involved in returning an icon of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
to the Church of Saint Nicholas in his home town of Golumet.
With the Alexandrov Ensemble
With the Alexandrov Ensemble he recorded The Ballad about Russian Boys (music: Novikov; lyrics: Oshanin L.), John Reed Walks Around Petrograd (music: Novikov; lyrics: M. Vershinin), War isn't Over Yet (music: B. Muradeli; lyrics: M. Andronov), Here Lenin Lived (music: B. Terentiev; lyrics: A. Fatyanov), Lenin's Guard (music: B Aleksandrov; lyrics: M Khotimsk), My Fatherland (music: O. Feltsman; lyrics: Oshanin L.), Veterans don't Grow Old in their Souls (music: Tulika S.; lyrics: Y. Belinsky), Song of Peace (music: B. Muradeli; lyrics: V. Kharitonov), Gray Hair (music: A. Ekimyan; lyrics: F. Laube), Son of the Fatherland (music: S. Tulika; lyrics: V. Lazarev), Son of Russia (music: St. Tulika; lyrics: V. Kharitonov), Vasya-Vasilyok duet with I.S. Bukreev (ca.1965), Song of the Volga Boatmen,
Death of Varyag.
Red Army webpage: biography and songlist of L.M. Kharitonov in Japanese He possibly sang Spring of 1945 (by Mrs.Pakhmutova) as a duet with I. Bukreev, but this was unrecorded.
1965-present
There is a full discography on Leonid Kharitonov's official website. All his 1965-1972 records are included in the Alexandrov Ensemble discography section of the Japanese Red Army website. This Japanese site also lists individual tracks by Kharitonov, linked to full album details.Operatic arias
Ivan Susanin from Life for the Tsar 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...
; King Rene from Iolanta by Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
; Song of the Varangian Guest from Sadko by Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Nikolai Andreyevich Rimsky-Korsakov was a Russian composer, and a member of the group of composers known as The Five.The Five, also known as The Mighty Handful or The Mighty Coterie, refers to a circle of composers who met in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in the years 1856–1870: Mily Balakirev , César...
; King Philip from Don Carlos by Verdi
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi was an Italian Romantic composer, mainly of opera. He was one of the most influential composers of the 19th century...
; Konchak from Prince Igor by Borodin
Alexander Borodin
Alexander Porfiryevich Borodin was a Russian Romantic composer and chemist of Georgian–Russian parentage. He was a member of the group of composers called The Five , who were dedicated to producing a specifically Russian kind of art music...
; The Old-Man’s Tale from Aleko by Rachmaninov
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Sergei Vasilievich Rachmaninoff was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor. Rachmaninoff is widely considered one of the finest pianists of his day and, as a composer, one of the last great representatives of Romanticism in Russian classical music...
; Kutuzov from War and Peace by Prokofiev
Sergei Prokofiev
Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev was a Russian composer, pianist and conductor who mastered numerous musical genres and is regarded as one of the major composers of the 20th century...
; Serenade of Mefistofeles from Faust by Gounod
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod was a French composer, known for his Ave Maria as well as his operas Faust and Roméo et Juliette.-Biography:...
, Song of the Flea by Mussorgsky
Modest Mussorgsky
Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky was a Russian composer, one of the group known as 'The Five'. He was an innovator of Russian music in the romantic period...
.
See also
- Alexandrov Ensemble
- Alexandrov Ensemble soloistsAlexandrov Ensemble soloistsThis is an alphabetical list of the basso profondo, bass, bass-baritone and tenor soloists who have performed with the Alexandrov Ensemble since its establishment in 1928. It is difficult to differentiate between regular and guest soloists, since many have alternated between the one category and...
- Alexandrov Ensemble choirAlexandrov Ensemble choirThe Alexandrov Ensemble choir is the choir of the Alexandrov Ensemble.It has for most of its history been a male-voice choir of tenors and basses, based in Moscow and directed and conducted by Alexander V. Alexandrov from 1926 to 1946, by his son Boris A. Alexandrov from 1946 to 1987, and by...
- Alexandrov Ensemble discographyAlexandrov Ensemble discographyThis is a list of recordings made by the Alexandrov Ensemble since 1928. Within each section they are in alphabetical order of record labels.- Facets: Leningrad Cowboys - Total Balalaika Show :...
External links
- Official English language website of Leonid Kharitonov
- Official website of Leonid Kharitonov in Russian
- Narod.ru biography and songlist of Leonid Kharitonov in Russian
- Biography of L.M. Kharitonov in Russian
- Red Army webpage: Biography of Leonid Kharitonov, with discography and videos of performances in Japanese
- List of Leonid Kharitonov's tours 1972-2005
- Wordpress: Alexandrov Ensemble blog