Sobinov Leonid Vitalevich
Leonid Vitalievich Sobinov was a Russian and Soviet opera singer (lyric tenor), People's Artist of the Republic (1923).
Childhood and youth
He was born on May 26 [June 7], 1872 in Yaroslavl in a semi-Rural, semi-merchant family. Singing abilities were hereditary: Sobinov's grandfather, father, mother and both brothers possessed a beautiful voice.
In 1881, he entered the Yaroslavl Men's Gymnasium, and graduated in 1890 with a silver medal.
Even in his youth, his voice was admired by listeners.
Education and the beginning of a creative career
In 1890 he entered the Faculty of Law of Moscow University, participated in the university choir.
In 1891, he performed as a chorister in the Zankovetskaya Ukrainian troupe in Moscow, participated in the production of Mascagni's opera Rural Honor.
In the autumn of 1892, while continuing his studies at the university, he entered the Music and Drama College of the Moscow Philharmonic Society. He studied with teachers A.M. Dodonov and A. A. Santagano.‑Gorchakova Street.
He graduated from Moscow University in 1894, and worked as an assistant attorney for lawyer F. N. Plevako.
Until 1899, he combined legal activities with singing practice.
Career in opera
1897 — debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in the role of the Synodal, success brought him the status of a leading soloist.
He performed key parts for the lyrical tenor:
Lensky (Tchaikovsky's "Eugene Onegin") became a classic model for subsequent generations of singers.;
Lohengrin (Wagner's Lohengrin) — proposed a new interpretation, highlighting the spiritual principle and humanism of the hero.;
Faust (Gounod's Faust);
The Prince ("Rusalka" by Dargomyzhsky);
Berendey (Rimsky's "The Snow Maiden"‑Korsakov);
The Impostor (Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov);
Romeo ("Romeo and Juliet" by Gounod);
Werther (Massenet's Werther);
Vladimir Igorevich ("Prince Igor" Borodin).
Touring and world fame
1904-1906 — triumphant tours in Milan (La Scala), Monte‑Carlo, Madrid.
1909 — performances in London, Berlin, Paris.
He sang in the language of the country in which he performed: he was fluent in Italian, performed flawlessly in German, and in recent years mastered Ukrainian.
Chamber music
Sobinov was an outstanding master of the chamber genre and a propagandist of Russian vocal lyrics.:
He performed romances by Glinka, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov, Cui, Mussorgsky, Balakirev.;
his interpretation of romances created performance traditions (for example, "In the Midst of a noisy Ball", "Wait" by Tchaikovsky; "The Night is sad", "How it Hurts Me" by Rachmaninov);
Rachmaninoff dedicated 5 romances to Sobinov (Op. 34, 1912).
Public and administrative activities
Since 1903, he has organized annual concerts for the benefit of the Society for Assistance to Needy Students of Moscow University — major events in the musical life of Moscow.
1917-1918 — the first elected director of the Bolshoi Theatre, contributed to the preservation of the collective after the revolution.
1921 — he became head of the Bolshoi Theatre again, conducted a number of productions of Russian opera and ballet classics.
1934 — Deputy head of the artistic department of the Stanislavsky Opera Studio, advised productions of Don Pasquale and Carmen.
Features of creativity
The voice is a lyrical tenor with a soft, light, "radiant" timbre.
Excellent mastery of vocal technique: he could reach the finest piano or fill a large hall with sound.
An in-depth study of primary sources, historical epoch and literary prototype.
He freed the tenor repertoire from the cliches of the "hero‑lover", offering fresh interpretations.
A combination of acting talent, plastic freedom and the art of bel canto.
Last years and death
In 1933, Sobinov was honored at the Bolshoi Theater in connection with the 35th anniversary of his stage career.
In 1934, he returned from Italy, where he was undergoing medical treatment. He stayed in Riga, where he died of a heart attack on October 14, 1934.
He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. A monument by sculptor V. I. Mukhina depicting a snow—white swan, a symbol of the singer's bright appearance, is installed on the grave.
Memory and legacy
Named after Sobinov:
Saratov Conservatory;
Yaroslavl Music College;
Yaroslavl Regional Philharmonic Concert Hall;
Yaroslavl street (the former Log cabin where the Sobinovs lived);
House Museum in Yaroslavl;
one of the Volga motor ships.
A monument to Sobinov has been erected in Yaroslavl at the entrance to the Philharmonic Concert Hall (sculptor Elena Paskhina).