The fate of the singer Yulia Feodorovna Platonova (1841-1892) is an example of the struggle for ideals and devotion to art. This woman was a soloist of the Mariinsky Theater and a comrade-in-arms of the composers of the Mighty Handful, stood at the origins of the national Russian opera. Platonova was not afraid to defend the values of Russian culture in an era when Western plots and performances reigned on the stage. The life and work of Yulia Feodorovna is an important episode in the history of Russian art.
Childhood and education
Yulia Fedorovna Garder (stage name - Platonova) - opera and chamber singer, teacher, popularizer of Russian opera art. She was born in Riga in 1841.
Since childhood, the singer has shown an aptitude for music. At the gymnasium, Julia studied piano and established herself as a talented pianist. After graduating from school, the girl for 2 years she studied at the Mitavsky Musical Society under the direction of Director Postel. With the suggestion of her mentor, Julia began to pay more attention to the development of her voice.
Platonova moved from the western provinces to St. Petersburg to continue her studies and become a professional opera singer. The conductor, composer and music teacher N. F. Vitaro. Julia successfully completed the course.
Opera singer career
The debut on the stage took place in August 1863. Platonova performed the role of Antonida from the opera "A Life for the Tsar" by M. I. Glinka and was a great success with the public. After the premiere performance, Yulia Fyodorovna joined the troupe of the Mariinsky Theater.
The singer's voice sounded soft, had a wide range, but did not differ in strength. The merits of Yulia Fyodorovna were manifested in parts that required a strong acting game.
The Platonov opera singer was formed under the influence of A. Dargomyzhsky. In 1865 the composer helped her prepare the part of Natasha from the opera Rusalka. Dargomyzhsky called Yulia Fedorovna the best performer of this part, noting not only her voice, but also the dramatic talent of the artist.
At the beginning of her career, Yulia Feodorovna's problem was the German accent, which betrayed the origin of Platonova from the western provinces of the Russian Empire. The aspiring singer quickly got rid of the shortage, and her repertoire was replenished with the heroines of Russian operas. Many productions were written at the same time, in the 1860s-70s, the era of the rise of national music. Yulia Fyodorovna was the first to perform the part of Katerina in the opera "The Thunderstorm", Olga in "Pskovityanka".
Platonova's repertoire exceeded 50 roles in the works of Russian and European composers. As a soloist at the Mariinsky Theater, Yulia Fyodorovna often performed up to 3-4 times a week in difficult roles such as Olga Tokmakova or Antonida. The star parts of the singer were Donna Anna in The Stone Guest, Lyudmila in Ruslan and Lyudmila, Elizabeth in Tannhäuser.
Defender of "Boris Godunov"
"Boris Godunov" M. P. Mussorgsky is an opera with a difficult fate. The work was rewritten several times, the theatrical leadership refused to stage the composer. Thanks to Yu. F. For the first time, the Platonic public was able to see and hear the work of Mussorgsky.
In 1874 Platonova was at the height of her fame. Being a big fan of M. P. Mussorgsky, she risked the position of a star and secured the showing of Boris Godunov at the theater administration. Yulia Fyodorovna herself performed in the role of Marina Mnishek. For the singer, the evening was a triumph; The audience liked Boris Godunov and began a long road to world recognition.
Concert activities
In 1876 Yulia Fyodorovna left the opera stage. She continued to perform as a chamber singer, participated in free publicly available productions of works by Beethoven, F. Liszt, R. Schumann.
In 1877, Platonova went on tour in Dresden. In Europe, Yulia Fedorovna sang romances by Russian composers from the Mighty Handful circle, and also studied approaches to teaching vocal skills.
In the same year, Platonova's last chamber concert took place. MP Mussorgsky was present at the singer's farewell party.
Pedagogical activity
After leaving the stage, Yulia Fedorovna began teaching vocal skills and popularizing opera music. Platonova established a private singing school, from the walls of which outstanding performers came out.
One of Yulia Fyodorovna's students is Maria Olenina-d'Algeim, the author of a book about M. P. Mussorgsky and the founder of the Russian school of chamber music.
Since 1881, Platonova taught at public music classes organized by the Pedagogical Museum in St. Petersburg. Yulia Fyodorovna, together with her students, staged free opera performances.
The singer died in 1892 and was buried at the Smolensk cemetery in St. Petersburg.
Personal life
The singer's husband was the Russian captain Tvanev. In the life of Platonov, she bore the surname of her husband. After Tvanev's death in 1876, Yulia Fedorovna decided to end her career as an opera singer.
Platonova was on friendly terms with the composers of The Mighty Heap and A. N. Serov. The authors of the romances M. P. Mussorgsky and N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov often accompanied Platonova at chamber concerts.
The image in the cinema
In the Soviet film "Mussorgsky" (1950) the role of Yu. F. Platonova was played by Lyubov Orlova.
The historical drama tells the story of the creation and production of the opera Boris Godunov. Composers led by Mussorgsky are struggling with the dominance of foreign music on the national stage, coming into conflict with the leadership of the Imperial Theater.
The film was shown at the Cannes Film Festival in 1951, where it won the prize for the best scenery.
Orlova, the famous actress of the Stalinist era, has a small but important role in Musorgskoye. According to the script, Platonova prepares a benefit performance and achieves the production of Boris Godunov at her evening. The further fate of the opera is inscribed in the history of Russian and world opera music.
