Vera Davydova Russian singer (mezzo-soprano) and teacher Country: Russia

1. Biography of Vera Davidova
2. Early Life and Education
3. Teaching and Later Years

Biography of Vera Davidova

Vera Aleksandrovna Davidova (1906-1993) was a Russian mezzo-soprano singer and educator. She was awarded the title of People's Artist of Russia in 1951 and People's Artist of Georgia in 1981. Davidova was also a professor and a laureate of the State Prize of the USSR in 1946, 1950, and 1951.

Early Life and Education

Vera Aleksandrovna Davidova was born in Nizhny Novgorod. Her father was a land surveyor, and her mother was a school teacher. When she was not yet two years old, her family moved to the Russian Far East, to Nikolaevsk-on-Amur. In school, Vera sang in the choir and soon started receiving solo parts due to her exceptional voice and musicality. She developed a deep love for nature, especially the mighty Amur River. However, she was particularly drawn to the singing of the local fishermen, which she could listen to for hours.

During the Japanese occupation of the Russian Far East in 1920, Davidova's family had to flee to Blagoveshchensk. There, she continued her education and began teaching choral singing at an elementary school. By this time, she already had a strong singing voice, played the piano, and had knowledge of music theory. Two years later, a professional opera singer named Akhmatov came to Blagoveshchensk and organized a amateur ensemble, where Davidova started singing opera parts for the first time. Professional opera singers who came to perform noticed her talent and strongly recommended that she pursue vocal studies.

In June 1924, Davidova traveled to St. Petersburg and entered the Leningrad Conservatory, where she studied with E. V. Devos-Soboleva. A. K. Glazunov, who heard Davidova sing during her entrance exams, approved of her talent and continued to support her throughout her career. She was immediately advanced to the third year of study and began participating in the opera studio at the conservatory. After performing the role of Carmen in the studio in 1929, she was invited to the Mariinsky Theatre. Her debut role at the Mariinsky was the page Urbain in the opera "Les Huguenots", and soon after, she performed challenging roles such as Amneris in "Aida" and Marfa in "Khovanshchina". Her success and rapid advancement in the theater were the result of her hard work in the studio and at the conservatory. Three years of work at the Mariinsky Theatre marked a period of artistic growth for Davidova, largely influenced by her participation in productions led by V. Dranishnikov, a talented and sensitive conductor.

In 1932, Davidova was accepted into the Bolshoi Theatre, where she debuted as Amneris. Over the years of her work at the Bolshoi, she performed almost the entire mezzo-soprano repertoire. Some of her standout roles include Amneris, Lyubava in "Sadko", Lyubov in "Mazepa", Lyubasha in "The Tsar's Bride", Marfa, Marina Mnishek in "Boris Godunov", Carmen, and Aksinya in Dzerzhinsky's "Quiet Flows the Don" (the first performer of the role). She was praised for her dramatic talent and expressive acting.

Teaching and Later Years

After retiring from performing in 1956, Davidova dedicated herself to teaching. She worked for many years at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire and nurtured numerous talented singers. One of her notable students is Makvala Kasrashvili, a soloist at the Bolshoi Theatre and People's Artist of the Soviet Union, who has been performing in Bolshoi productions for almost forty years.

Davidova's artistry was also recognized internationally. She successfully performed in Finland (1937), Norway, Denmark, and Sweden (1946), Hungary (1948), and Iran. She was warmly received everywhere she performed. During her performances in Norway in 1946, composer Klaus Egge wrote: "...Davidova's singing was a magnificent musical evening. Form, sound, interpretation - she combined everything in such perfect unity that each song had its own completeness. Her performance exuded great culture and style."

Davidova's recordings are still highly regarded. Some of her notable recordings include the opera "Carmen" by Georges Bizet (1937), "Mazepa" by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (1948), "Aida" by Giuseppe Verdi (1952), and "Sadko" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (1952). She also excelled in chamber music performances. In 1944/45, she performed a cycle of Russian romances ranging from the 18th century to contemporary composers. Her interpretations of composers such as Grieg, Sibelius, and Sinding were highly praised for their expressive and nuanced performances.

Vera Aleksandrovna Davidova passed away, leaving behind a legacy of exceptional vocal talent and dedication to teaching. Her contributions to the world of opera and her impact as an educator continue to be celebrated.