Leonid Kharitonov (singer)

Leonid Mikhailovich Kharitonov (Russian: Леонид Михайлович Харитонов; 18 September 1933 – 19 September 2017) was a Soviet and Russian bass-baritone (баритональный бас) singer. He was honored with People's Artist of the RSFSR and Honored Artist of RSFSR. In the West he was noted for his 1965 video of The Song of the Volga Boatmen.

Early life

He was born in Golumet, Irkutsk Oblast, in 1933. When his father went missing in World War II, his mother brought him up. Between 1934 and 1942 he was at Cheremkhovo, and attended school number 25 from 1941 to 1942. Back at Golumet he attended school from 1942 to 1945, and stayed at Golumet until 1947. For a year from the age of 14 (from 1947 to 1948) he studied to be a welder in F.Z.O. and worked at a plant in Kuibysheva in the Irkutsk Oblast as a moulder and caster. From 1948 to 1950 back in Golumet again, he worked in M.T.S. as an electric welder, meanwhile beginning to perform as a singer.^[1][2][3]

From 17 years old (1950/1951) he was a soloist at Irkutsk Philharmonic and finally was accepted by Moscow Conservatory from 1952 to 1955. This was very difficult because as a Siberian he did not even have a matriculation certificate, but his strong singing voice spoke for him.^[2][3]

Career

With the Alexandrov Ensemble 1953 to 1972

From 9 November 1953 to March 1965 he was a member of the choir in the Red Song and Dance Ensemble of the Soviet Army (later the

Like many of the great Russian operatic singers of the Soviet era, this bass-baritone singer who was respected in Russia and who sang fully in the tradition of Chaliapin was largely unknown in the West. This is because his career was overshadowed by the Cold War. However his recordings continue to be re-released worldwide, and this may eventually serve to redress the balance, along with the recent increased exposure of Kharitonov on YouTube.^[6]

Critical commentaries on performances 1965 to 1972

1965 video of Cliff

Utyos (

One of Kharitonov's first solo performances, at age 32 after twelve years in the choir of the

This song is about the fate of the 17th-century Russian rebel, Stepan Razin, its lyrics and music written in 1864 by poet, playwright and novelist Alexander Navrotsky.^[12] The song was an anthem for revolutionaries of the late 19th and early 20th century in Russia; Lenin often sang it with his comrades-in-arms. The song is still culturally central to Russia.^[13] Kharitonov remembered:

"My solo career truly began with a concert in the Kremlin Palace of Congresses on April 22, 1965, dedicated to the 95th anniversary of Lenin,^[14] when I sang "There is a cliff on the Volga."^[15] This was my first solo performance. Brezhnev wept. He got up from his seat and wiped away the tears with his hands then applauded, and then everyone in the room stood up as well and applauded too. I do not know what my performance stirred in the hearts of Leonid Ilyich and the other listeners, but I would like this song to be considered a monument to the Russian victorious spirit. After that performance, I continued to be a soloist with the Ensemble for seven years, and, from then on, I was regarded as a serious professional singer among the musical and political elite".

"I remember how after the concert Marshal Voroshilov came to see me backstage. After expressions of gratitude he hugged me as a father would and told me that Stalin also considered this song to be his favorite, and often played a record of it being performed by A. Pirogov,^[16] whenever he was sad at heart. "If Stalin were alive, then you would be leaving this room as a People's Artist of the USSR - because you sing it better than Pirogov," Voroshilov told me."^[13]

1965 video of Song of the Volga Boatmen

Properly titled Yo, Heave, Ho! (or Ej, uhnem!), (

In the West Kharitonov is recognised for his 1965 video of The Song of the Volga Boatmen,^[17] which resembles Chaliapin's 1922 recording, especially in the upper-register roar which in the song represents the hauliers making superhuman effort.^[18] He demonstrates the clean Russian bass-baritone sound: a fusion of various influences. There is the Eastern Orthodox Church singing style, inherited from Byzantine music, without vibrato and demanding a clear and sonorous resonance at all times: preferably utilising the soundbox of a building space. There is also the influence of the Italian operatic singing style with its emphasis on forward placement and the power of the diaphragm: both of which permit control of the loudest and softest vocal sounds without compromising tonal quality. The tendency of Russian language speakers to create some vowels by expanding the soft palate is a great advantage for Russian basses, as it encourages their unique type of richly open resonance. This effect tells to advantage in both the upper and lower registers of this bass-baritone singer.^[10]

The hard labor of the burlaks is portrayed by the seriousness of his expression throughout the performance, with the exception of a momentary lightening—even the shadow of a smile—when he sings: "We are singing our song to the Sun," arguably the most hopeful phrase in the entire song (see screenshot).^[19]

1969 video of Dark-Eyed Cossack Girl

Chernoglazaya Kazachka (Russian: Черноглазая казачка)

Many Russian songs are serious or sad, but Kharitonov also performed comic songs or arias. The composer Matvey Blanter wrote Dark-Eyed Cossack Girl (Russian: Черноглазая казачка) especially for him in 1966. Kharitonov's definitive performance was recorded in 1969.^[20] Again he is celebrating Chaliapin's legacy as the first modern bass to successfully fuse drama — and humour — with pure musical technique, as in Chaliapin's performance of Dark Eyes.^[21] Moreover, this performance of Kharitonov's demonstrates the Ensemble's style, which in the era of A.V. and B.A. Alexandrov encouraged soloists to stay in tune in spite of any vibrato, any emotional acting, or any humour. Therefore, although the song involves laughter, he laughs elegantly in tune. All the while he is making faces and humorous gestures, his vocal tone and pitch remain spot-on. That is the achievement of this kind of performance: while the audience and the other musicians laugh so much at Kharitonov's clowning (see image, left), at the same time they are aware of highly disciplined singing, and the performance remains perfectly musical.

This performance demonstrates that discipline is fundamental to musical elegance.^[10]

Critical commentaries on performances after 1972

1974 video of Shine, Shine My Star

Gori, Gori, Moya Zvezda (Russian: Гори, гори, моя звезда)

In this song, the singer speaks to a star, asking it to have compassion on him. Kharitonov sings it as if it were a prayer, and the close-up of his face emphasises the spirituality of the performance. In an interview about this, the interviewer asked Kharitonov about his faith; whether as a child he believed. Leonid remembered that in his early years, he did not go to church, but the boy always felt a connection with the sky; with the cosmos. His star, with whom he communicated, spoke to him.

"The more I live . . . the more I believe that God exists. Lord God was preparing me to be clean, kept me through homelessness, hunger, poverty. I never hurt anyone, did not deceive, did not have debts. On stage, the artist reveals himself to the spectator-listener. If a person is mean, with a dirty soul, the listener sees and feels this. I'm on stage not just performing my part. On stage, I live every romance, folk song, or aria from the opera. This brought me to the Lord God. He established everything in Man so that he learned to understand and distinguish the good from the bad." Tatiana Kovalska, 2004^[22]

1983 video of Along the Peterskaya (Street)

Vdol po Piterskoy (Russian: Вдоль по Питерской)

This folk song, about a jolly, tipsy

So this performance demonstrates the artistry behind the charm of a comedic bass solo performance.^[10]

Reviews

• "There are eight solo singers whose range of songs is as wide as the convention allows — Leonid Kharitonov chose Di quella pira as an encore and sang it magnificently — who sing well and dispense encores lavishly, dropping charmingly into English now and again." - The Times review of the Ensemble's 1967 UK tour^[27]

• "Newly promoted from the ranks of the choir to that of soloist, Leonid Kharitonov sternly leads his voice into chasms of dizzying depth, displaying an impressively full sonorousness." - L’Aurore review of the Ensemble's 1967 French tour^[28]

• "Leonid Kharitonov was a great success on his visit to Britain in 1967 with his rendition of the Volga Boat Song. Siberian born Kharitonov is now a soloist with the Moscow State Philharmonic Society specializing in traditional Russian songs." - Soviet Weekly review of UK tour, 1977^[29]

• "...They were rehearsing in every corner of Hamilton Town Hall. Leonid Kharitonov is the group’s bass soloist. Built like the side of a house, with a voice to match. Like the rest of the troupe he’s a Burns fanatic. They can put most Scots to shame with Rabbie’s songs and poems – in Russian. During his first performance at the Usher Hall, Leonid astonished the audience by sweeping the microphone aside and filling the hall to the echo with his naked voice." - Sunday Post review of his Scottish tour, 1977^[30]

• "The Russian opera singer Leonid Kharitonov, accompanied by the rhythm sections, sang songs such as I’m looking at the sky, Along Peterskaya Street and Pies with cheese. His last song had the crowd laughing, as he staggered out onto the stage as if he was drunk, making faces and losing his balance as he sang to the audience.... The audience rose to its feet to honor Kharitonov with a rousing ovation in tribute to his art." - Yorkton this week, tour review, 1979^[31]

• "...The same can be said about the presentation of another remarkable singer — People's Artist of Russia Leonid Kharitonov. An enchanting bass and an amazing dramatic actor in one person, he led his audience to a magical space of Russian and world musical classics...." - Moscow Magazine (Russian: Журнал "Москва"), performance review, 2001 ^[32]

• "Performances by Kharitonov at the most prestigious venues in dozens of countries around the world raised a new wave of interest in the culture of Russian songs. In France, he performed at the invitation of President Charles de Gaulle, at a charity concert of stars of the world, held to benefit less developed countries (December 1967.) Competing with such world celebrities as Franco Corelli, Fernandel, Nicolai Ghiaurov, and the Beatles, Kharitonov received the title of Best Singer of the Year." - Russian Messenger (Russian: Русский Вестник), interview and review, 2003 ^[33]

• "When we were at his concert at the Irkutsk Philharmonic Organ Hall, we just sat there with opened mouths — so beautifully he sings. And what a powerful voice! Leonid sang without a microphone, but even those who sat in the back rows could hear every word so clearly as if he were not on stage, but standing right next to them." - Kopeck (Russian: Копейка), performance review, 2006 ^[34]

• "I am very grateful to Leonid Kharitonov, a remarkable bass, soloist of the Moscow Philharmonic Society, with whom I first went on tour. He asked me to tell the audience a short informational story about him in the beginning of the performance. He was not just a singer, but also a wonderful actor. And naturally so. After our first concert he said to me: "I watched the hall when you were speaking. The man in the front row looked at his watch three times. Evidently, he was not interested." This was the main lesson: I must speak in a way that the audience was so interested that they were afraid to miss something from my story. Hence, it is not only the information itself that's important, but also how you impart it." - Moscow Truth (Russian: Московская Правда), interview, 2006 ^[35]

Private life

Leonid Kharitonov had two sons, and was based in Moscow during his long career. In 2008 he was involved in returning an icon of Saint Nicholas to the Church of Saint Nicholas in his home town of Golumet.^[36]

On 25 September 2017 his son, Mikhail Kharitonov, posted the following upon the website that Leonid Kharitonov managed with him:^[37]

I have a very sad news for all the admirers of the famous Russian operatic singer. Leonid Mikhailovich Kharitonov died on 19 September 2017,^[38] after suffering his 5th heart attack. This happened the next day after his 84th birthday.^[37]

Following the post was what was described as one of Leonid Kharitonov's favourite songs, Shine, Shine my Star, with a farewell to him as a father and as a singer.^[37]

Recorded music

With the Alexandrov Ensemble

With the

Discography

From 1972

See discography navbox at bottom of page.

From 1965

There is a full discography on Leonid Kharitonov's official website.^[42] All his 1965-1972 records are included in the Alexandrov Ensemble discography section of the Japanese Red Army website.^[43] This Japanese site also lists individual tracks by Kharitonov, linked to full album details.^[41]

Concert repertoire

The following is a small selection:

Operatic arias

Ivan Susanin from Life for the Tsar by Glinka; King Rene from Iolanta by Tchaikovsky; Song of the Varangian Guest from Sadko by Rimsky-Korsakov; King Philip from Don Carlos by Verdi; Konchak from Prince Igor by Borodin; The Old-Man's Tale from Aleko by Rachmaninov; Kutuzov from War and Peace by Prokofiev; Serenade of Mefistofeles from Faust by Gounod, Song of the Flea by Mussorgsky.^[44]

See also

• Alexandrov Ensemble soloists
• Alexandrov Ensemble choir
• Alexandrov Ensemble discography

Notes