Nadezhda Obukhova is a Russian and Soviet opera singer, mezzo-soprano. Laureate of the Stalin Prize of the first degree and People's and Honored Artist of the RSFSR and the USSR was awarded the Orders of Lenin, the Red Banner of Labor, medals "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945." and "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow".
The representative of the Russian vocal school had a voice of rare beauty and timbre. She equally brilliantly succeeded in parts from contralto to mezzo-soprano. Combined with the amazing perfection of the vocals, the artistic appearance was distinguished by a unique charm and nobility.
Formation time
In Russian history, Nadezhda Andreevna Obukhova has a special place. She became famous not only for her vocal art, but also for her unique creative longevity. For almost six decades, she performed on stage. The singer gave concerts, recorded songs in studios.
The biography of the future singer began on February 22 (March 6). She was born in Moscow in 1886. Obukhova's great-grandfather was the famous poet Yevgeny Baratynsky. Most of the childhood of the girl and her sister was spent outside the city. Her uncle raised her. Nadia's grandfather, Adrian Mazaraki, was friends with Rubinstein. The music fan spotted the granddaughter's talent in time.
Thanks to her grandfather, Nadezhda received an excellent education, she got acquainted with European music as a child. Mazaraki took both granddaughters to Italy. There Nadya learned Italian, French, and began to study with professional teachers. Her first mentor was Eleanor Lipman, a student of Pauline Viardot. She convinced Nadia of the need to improve her gift, the virtuosity of her voice.
The girl realized that she would become a real singer only with serious and long training. However, his stay in Italy was interrupted by the death of his grandfather in 1906. The sisters returned to Moscow. Vocal classes in Russia Nadezhda continued. In 1907 she entered the Moscow Conservatory in the class of Umberto Masetti, the most famous teacher of that time. Due to illness, studies had to be abandoned in 1908.
The treatment took place in Sorrento. Obukhova was able to return only a year later. From 1910 she again came to Professor Masetti. The voice grew stronger, the range expanded. Nadezhda successfully coped with the parts of both mezzo and lyric soprano.
Confession
The student, under a pseudonym, took part in a competition held by the Imperial Mariinsky Theater. She graduated from the Conservatory in 1912. The graduation ceremony was marked by the performance of the most difficult parts from Tchaikovsky's The Queen of Spades and The Maid of Orleans. The brilliant performance became a pass to the Bolshoi Theater for the first roles.
The improvement of skills did not stop there either. In the development of Obukhova, Nezhdanova helped, who became the singer's friend for life. Nadezhda Andreevna worked at the Bolshoi Theater for almost half a century. She sang in more than twenty opera performances, performed almost all the parts of the classical repertoire.
Her favorite composer was Rimsky-Korsakov. The closeness of the parties to folk melodies, the luxurious orchestration of operas, and psychologism impressed the singer very much. In November 1916 she sang the part. Lyubasha in The Tsar's Bride. This role has become one of the most beloved. The opera is built on a real historical plot. It required not only a virtuoso mastery of the voice, but also a dramatic talent, a deep and convincing artistic performance. In the performance of Obukhova, Lyubasha won the audience.
Another favorite role was Martha from Mussorgsky's Khovanshchina. The game is incredibly difficult. However, the most difficult role was a triumph for the singer. Nadezhda Andreevna became for her contemporaries the personification of Martha. In this image, the vocalist became the heroine of Nesterov's watercolors. The party has also been perfected more than once. The magnificent performance also aroused the admiration of radio listeners, as the opera was broadcast on the radio directly from the Bolshoi Theater.
Dramatic talent
The image of Carmen was brilliantly played. By that time, Nadezhda Andreevna did not at all resemble a young gypsy woman, either in appearance or in age. But the singer managed to find her own version. Her freedom-loving and strong Carmen has become a classic of the Soviet scene. The great singer turned all the parts into unique ones.
So, for the previously performed Maksakova Carmen, the concept was again developed. The stage director, amazed at the persuasiveness of the interpretation, changed the main mise-en-scenes especially for Obukhova. For several years, the actress studied dancing in a ballet class. As a result, the heroine was called by the critics the most dancing of all Carmen.
In any part, the singer showed her real personality. This was strikingly consistent with the style of the era and the self-affirmation of its heroism. All of Obukhova's performances were distinguished by their amazing sincerity.
Concert activities
The artist parted with the stage only during the First World War. By that time, personal life was established. Together with her husband, an artillery officer, the singer went to the front. Nadezhda Andreevna did not marry again after the death of her husband.
The singer left the stage in 1943, at the peak of her talent. After that, she completely switched to concert activities. She performed until the last days. Having first appeared on the stage in 1912, Nadezhda Andreevna almost did not interrupt her performances. The concert programs have never been repeated.
In the repertoire of Obukhova, one of the first in the Union, songs by Soviet composers appeared. The singer preferred to work on new compositions together with the author of the music. Her collaboration with Shostakovich became especially interesting. The composer changed his creations in accordance with Obukhova's voice. The last concert was performed by her in honor of Nezhdanova.
The outstanding singer passed away on August 14, 1961. In memory of her, a memorial plaque was erected on the house in Bryusov Lane, where Obukhova lived in Moscow.
Since 2004, the Obukhova All-Russian Competition-Festival has been held in Lipetsk. An asteroid and a crater on Venus are named after the performer. Since 2011, Feodosia has held the annual First Open "Festival-Competition" of vocal art dedicated to the life and work of N. A. Obukhova, designed to popularize the Russian vocal school.
