An article about a Russian singer who has made an invaluable contribution to the musical heritage.
Antonina Vasilievna was born on June 16, one thousand eight hundred and seventy-three, in the village of Krivaya Balka, near Odessa, in a family of rural teachers. The Soviet opera singer, who became great, had numerous state awards, and had the honorary title of "Tsarina of the Russian Scene". So she was called until she was awarded the title of "People's Artist of the USSR" in one thousand nine hundred and thirty-six.
The creative path of this woman is a brilliant example of unusual talent from nature, mixed with tremendous dedication, and an example of true patriotism. For Nezhdanova, the stage was not more important and desirable than the stage of the Bolshoi Theater. The viewer was always in undeniable authority for her. She defended Soviet art persistently, not allowing new currents to touch it and those wishing to introduce innovations. More than one generation was lucky to enjoy Antonina's genius creativity. In other words, her time was considered legendary. The magic voice of Antonina Nezhdanova has securely secured a well-deserved niche in the gold fund of world opera performers.
Biography and family
The whole family of the girl was engaged in music and singing, getting together in the evenings. Antonina began to develop her innate gift as a child, at the age of seven, when she sang in the choir of a local church, attended theaters and sang various songs with friends. Most of the audience wanted to listen to the divine voice of the young talent, who soon called the little singer "canary".
Having entered the Odessa gymnasium, Tonya Nezhdanova began to appear on stage solo, being a fifth grade student. The father of the children did not become quite early, and the girl had to earn extra money on her own in order to find money for her studies, while helping her mother to support the other children. The teachers of the school helped Tonya get a job as a junior teacher. She could have worked at this school all her life, if not for a sudden trip to St. Petersburg.
Antonina dreamed of mastering the art of singing, having received a higher education, and performing on the big stage.
When she was twenty-six years old, the girl entered the Moscow Conservatory, where three years later she graduated with a gold medal. The girl was lucky that her beautiful voice was decided to be cut by the magnificent master and professor Masetti. He was very careful about Nezhdanova's talent, and she, in turn, responded to him with loyalty as to her teacher. Despite her tremendous success, Antonina took vocal lessons with Masetti for almost twenty years, until he was in 1919.
Favorite work
After graduating from the conservatory, Nezhdanova declined an invitation to the famous Mariinsky Theater, remaining in the Bolshoi, because singing on that stage was her cherished dream. One day, luck smiled and helped her get her debut. The singer performed with the difficult part of Antonida. This moment in life became the starting point for Antonina Nezhdanova. And in just one performance, opera fans proudly stated that a new distinctive star had risen in the creative skies. The audience received the young performer very well, and she was invited to join the theater troupe, after which she got the role of Gilda.
There is an interesting fact that Nezhdanova did not change her preferences and did not perform what did not fit her voice, only to get some kind of role. She did not undertake such as the part of Venus in the opera "Tannhäuser" and Dasha in "The Power of the Enemy." The singer's contribution to the operatic heritage was colored by refined taste and restraint.
Two years before her death, Antonina Vasilievna first experienced the indescribable sensations of flying on an airplane. When the aircraft climbed to an altitude of four thousand meters, she was left with only delight. All the emotions experienced by the singer helped to saturate her art with ideological content. She spoke about this in her notes.
Musical and social activities of Antonina Nezhdanova gained wide popularity after the October Revolution. Nezhdanova was one of the first who began performing in various concerts, meetings, in patronage concerts for workers and peasants, as well as soldiers of the Red Army. Since one thousand nine hundred and twenty-four, she regularly took part in concerts of Soviet music broadcasting.
Throughout her creative life, Nezhdanova performed a total of about seven hundred compositions by Russian and foreign authors. Her stage partners were popular and world-famous singers. The singer's performances were held in collaboration with outstanding composers. The natural uniqueness of Nezhdanova's vocal abilities was adorned not only with carefully perfected technique, but also with timbre charm, simple spirituality and ease of performance. Composers of those years highly appreciated her for her complete and clear understanding of the meaning in works, the ability to feel it not only morally, but also spiritually.
Unforgettable meetings
In the personal archives of the singer's life, the moment was highlighted when Sergei Rachmaninov, who was very restrained in his feelings, during the performance of Antonina Nezhdanova began to improvise to accompany her on stage. Bernard Shaw was so shocked that even after the performance of the Russian diva, he wrote to her in his address that her talent was the best he had ever heard.
Foreign fans nicknamed Antonina "the Russian nightingale". She began to receive invitations to foreign tours. But alas, Nezhdanova has always been loyal to her native country and only to the Soviet public. The heart and unsurpassed talent of a woman forever belonged only to her homeland. The era of the great opera singer ended with her death on June 26, one thousand nine hundred and fifty.
To date, the name of the great singer has been immortalized in the Odessa State Music Academy and on one of the streets of Antonina's hometown. A memorial plaque in honor of Nezhdanova was installed on Lev Tolstoy Street, on the very building of the school where Antonina Vasilievna herself studied.
