Pavel Lisitsian- Song of the Venetian Guest from Sadko

Pavel Lisitsian (1911-2004)

I suppose it was only a matter of time before my trajectory of uploads brought me to Pavel Gerasimovich Listisian who, along with the Estonian Georg Ots, was among the most accomplished of baritones in the post-WWII era Soviet Union. Born in Vladikavkaz (near Grozny) to a family of Armenian descent, he originally seemed an unlikely candidate for a professional career in music. Unlike his younger colleague Ots, whose father Karl was a well-respected tenor, Lisitsian did not come from a musical family. He was the son of a mineworker and apprenticed in his teenage years as a driller and welder, until his remarkable potential was noted at workers' concerts. With the assistance of a local workers' cooperative, Lisitsian began professional studies in 1932, at the Leningrad Conservatory. After graduation, there were brief stints at the city's Maly Theater (1935-36), as well as Yerevan's Opera Theater (1937-39), before joining the Bolshoi in 1940 (he bowed as Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's "Pikovaya Dama"). Lisitsian remained a beloved member of the theater for the next 26 years- a fruitful tenure that included the creation of such roles as Napoleon in Prokofiev's "War and Peace", and Arshak II in Choukhadjian's opera of the same name. Lisitsian was also one of few Soviet-era singers that were allowed to tour abroad extensively. 1960 marked his debuts in San Francisco and at the MET, where he appeared as Amonasro. His characterization there met with critical approval, but it seems the voice was judged a mite undersized for the theater.

Indeed, like Georg Ots, Lisitsian was essentially a lyric baritone with a voice that was of medium amplitude at best. Both, however, shared the estimable virtues of superior breath control and crystal-clear diction, as well as very individual, instantly recognizable timbres. But there the similarities end. In contrast to Ots' sound, which often seems to be pure velvet, Lisitsian's instrument is tempered with a slightly gritty texture, not to mention a highly distinctive (and attractive, to my ears) plaintive quality. The latter, which became more evident as the singer aged, is at times so pronounced that it almost seems as if he is "weeping" (Lisitsian's recording of Yeletsky's aria provides a good example of this). Curiously enough, however, at other times the tight vibrato gives the opposite impression- that is, of a voice trembling with joy.

Such is the case here, in the 'Song of the Venetian Guest', from the 4th kartina (tableau) of Rimsky-Korsakoff's 1897 opera "Sadko". The people of Novgorod gather at a pier on Lake Ilmen, thronging around the overseas traders (Varangian, Indian, and Venetian, among others) and inspecting their merchandise. After a stately introduction, the Venetian's aria gives way to a colorful, rollicking depiction of the splendors of his native city. Lisitsian's account is most enthusiastic in this, probably the least-known of the opera's three "guest" arias. The recording was made in 1948.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Pavel
• Lisitsian
• Павел
• Лисициан
• Russian
• opera
• bylina
• aria
• Song
• of
• the
• Venetian
• Guest
• Sadko
• Rimsky-Korsakoff
• Korsakov

[vpo2g2]

One of the greatest baritones ever! Not just the voice and immaculate technique, but listen to the elegant phrasing. It just pours out.

[Herur22]

One of the most beautiful baritone voices.

[lamsalgado]

Genius!

[konotoso]

This is one of my favorite Lisitsian arias, showcasing this flowing, virile voice. Thanks for posting it.

[796824]

@meltzerboy

You are absolutely correct. The problem is that the TEACHERS and IMPRESSARIOS, being accoustically challenged, are at fault, not the students who are uninformed.

[796824]

@meltzerboy

[ditogam]

GREAT, REALLY GREAT!!!

[urmorph]

Rimsky-Korsakov must have had great confidence in his theater's hiring ability to write three such arias for minor roles. Almost all of his music is way too seldom heard in Western Europe and the Americas. Many thanks for your posts, O great Khan!

[paulostroff99]

Beautifully sung! Bravo! TY.

[branko1b]

AfroPoli - i can't agree more with you! since Donizetti nobody wrote with bel canto in mind as a way of singing (btw it was a torturous technique invented by one who could not sing) plenty of confusions about the use of the word nowadays ... and some ridiculous statements under some pages here - like: "she [Callas] singlehandedly revived belcanto repertoire" (?! lol) or "excessive singing from the mask" [about Kraus] even if wrong at places, wikipedia should be enough to clarify these concepts