Ivan Kozlovsky Sings "Ah, Leve-toi Soleil," From Gounod's Roméo et Juliette

Ukrainian tenor Ivan Kozlovsky (1900-1993) was an important singer during the Soviet era, and carried on a career-long rivalry (largely friendly) with the other great tenor of the era, Sergei Lemeshev. They managed to divide large flocks of admirers (usually female:) into "Kozlovskiites" and "Lemeshevists." Without stirring all that up again, let us just say they were both important, talented, extremely popular opera singers. Here, Kozlovsky sings (in Russian) the famous air of the love-struck Roméo.

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• Ivan
• Kozlovsky
• tenor
• opera
• Russia
• Soviet
• Union
• Ukraine

[MrSkylark1]

Thrilling in its spontaneity, the mark of great singing. Mr StAustell provides

an auditorium that offers the best that nature provides from an era that knew

the Art of Singing.

[EdmundStAustell]

@MrSkylark1 Thank you very much indeed! I appreciate that!

[RoyKa2010]

Spectacular performance! Thank you for sharing it.

Mr Kozlovsky sure does not hesitate to show off his vocal prowess here and there, which tends to distract me sometimes ... which is why I usually prefer his 'rival', whose interpretations are IMHO more balanced. But they are of course both great vocalists and ravishing to listen to (I won't restart the crusade! :)

[EdmundStAustell]

@RoyKa2010 Yes, he certainly felt free to take liberties. Being a close friend of Stalin's, perhaps he felt he could do whatever he wanted to:) I will say, however, that the floated head voice on the last Bb was exactly what Gounod wrote, although audiences hate it, and most tenors won't do it...like the last Bb of "Celeste Aida." Verdi wanted a piano high note, but audiences would boo if anybody did it. They want the big, loud, high note. What else are tenors for, right? :) :)

[hiyadroogs]

Stunning! My favourite in this beautiful aria was Bjorling, but both Piccaver & Kozlovsky are now both in my favourites. Although Ivan & Alfred were both true tenor voices, with none of the heavy artificial weight of tone we now endure, their voices had a lot of 'bite'. I love how he pulls back the high notes into mezza voce. Thank you very much Edmund! 

[EdmundStAustell]

@hiyadroogs You are most welcome, my friend! Nice to hear from you again. Your comment is much appreciated!

[RoyKa2010]

@EdmundStAustell Of course, or that high C by the end of Faust's aria. Obviously failed to explain myself. Tenors who brave the public taste, singing pianissimo at climatic moments in favor of a more faithful, more meaningful interpretation, are actually my heroes :) & no one would want to listen to void singing automatons, we are all on the same page there.

Thank you very much for the interesting piece of information on Koslovsky. His free floating voice is truly wonderful.

[MrSkylark1]

@EdmundStAustell

You are very welcome. Always look forward to your uploads.

[baltoman24]

this is wonderful, whether Gounod would approve or not! I do wish we would move out of the shadow of come scritto to embrace giving the artists the room to show off the ART of singing- I think we have many singers capable of this, but the critics, directors and the public do not seem to permit it. The lyric French school was probably the end of this grand bel canto tradition. how I love the liberties he takes!