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Zoja IsgaryshevaDoctor-phoniologist
Country:
 Russia |
Content:
- Zoya Izgarysheva: The Legendary Voice Doctor
- A Passionate Doctor
- A Chance Encounter
- The Demanding Life of Singers
- The Effects of Professional Singing
- The Role of Teachers
- Healthy Singing and Sample Singers
- Challenges Faced by Singers
- The Importance of Rest
- The Challenges of Being a Voice Doctor
- The Use of Medications
- A Family Devoted to Medicine
Zoya Izgarysheva: The Legendary Voice Doctor
A Renowned PhysicianAmong singers, Zoya Andreevna Izgarysheva is a famous and even legendary figure. She is a phoniatrician, a doctor who specializes in treating the voice. Her patients include both tattoo artists and opera stars. Dr. Izgarysheva has saved many great voices, and many singers consider her their talisman. Finding her office at the Polyclinic of the Bolshoi Theatre is easy - just look for the longest line, as everyone wants to see her.
A Passionate Doctor
Dr. Izgarysheva, at the age of 79, has been working at the Polyclinic of the Bolshoi Theatre for 34 years. Although she had wanted to retire from the theatre and the clinic, the management refused to let her go. She has grown so attached to the Bolshoi Theatre and its artists that she always gives in when asked to stay. However, the workload is exhausting, with up to forty patients per day. Everyone not only needs medical assistance, but also attention, understanding, and support. It is incredibly draining, especially at her age. Moreover, the doctors at the clinic are underpaid, experiencing what she calls "budget medicine." However, her love for her work and her dedication to it overshadow any concerns about money. After all, she can earn money elsewhere. Her reputation precedes her, and she is in high demand. The Polyclinic of the Bolshoi Theatre is a convenient place for her to work since all the necessary specialists are nearby. She knows that for singing, the entire body needs to be healthy, not just the vocal apparatus.
A Chance Encounter
As a young girl, Zoya never imagined a future without music. However, she only completed six years of study at the Central Music School before the war interrupted her education. She was devastated and believed she would never be able to study at the conservatory. After the war, her older sister went to Moscow, and Zoya entrusted her with her high school diploma, telling her to enroll her in any school where she could continue her studies. Her sister sent a telegram saying that her documents were at the First Medical Institute. This is how Zoya accidentally became a doctor. She worked as an otolaryngologist at the Polyclinic on Pirogovka Street, which was close to the Pedagogical Institute and the dormitory for the Friday Choir artists. Many of them came to her with voice problems, and she became very interested in phoniatrics. In the end, Professor Usoltsev, who consulted at the Bolshoi Theatre, recommended her. The first performance she watched from behind the scenes, trembling with excitement, was "Tosca" with Galina Vishnevskaya.
The Demanding Life of Singers
Dr. Izgarysheva is often asked if singers have difficult and terrible personalities, as is commonly believed. She believes that people who have been gifted with a voice cannot resist singing. They fight for their right to be on stage. The singing career is short, and there is fierce competition in the theatre, hence the intrigues. However, not all singers have difficult personalities; there are hysterical and uncontrollable people among them, just like in any profession. Having a bad character is a personal trait.
The Effects of Professional Singing
According to Dr. Izgarysheva, if a singer sings correctly, it does not harm the vocal apparatus; on the contrary, it keeps it in a good, trained condition. However, singing is physically and psychologically demanding work, and singers, like any other person, need rest. Many singers compare their work to that of a loader. All singers are acutely aware of their voices. They wake up and immediately start testing their voices, trying different sounds. Everyone has their own way of doing it - some are very cautious, while others roar like a bull. If a singer thinks something is wrong, even if it's just a dream or an illusion, they immediately come to us - the doctors. Unfortunately, there has been an increase in vocal students who often come for treatment. They either misunderstood their teacher or the teacher demands something they cannot achieve. As a result, these young singers have edema and "calluses" on their vocal folds.
The Role of Teachers
Dr. Izgarysheva firmly believes that if a person sings correctly, they can teach others to sing correctly. However, many vocal teachers are not capable of this. They often teach because their own singing careers did not pan out. This leads to numerous vocal troubles and ruined careers.
Healthy Singing and Sample Singers
When asked about examples of correct singing, Dr. Izgarysheva mentions Irina Arkhipova as the foremost example. She followed a strict regime throughout her life and knew how to take care of herself, what to eat and drink. Arkhipova was an ideal singer, and despite occasional illnesses, her vocal apparatus was never affected. Galina Vishnevskaya, Yevgeny Nesterenko, and Vladimir Atlantov were also examples of healthy singers. Every one of their performances was a masterpiece. However, the current level of the Bolshoi Theatre has significantly declined. This is evident not only in the audience but also in the phoniatrics department. Many people have good voices but lack the intelligence to truly realize their potential. Only those who are intelligent enough to understand how to use their voices become true artists and stars. Furthermore, as soon as the "Iron Curtain" fell, all the best singers left. They made the right decision. Great singers gather where they find creative fulfillment and ample pay.
Challenges Faced by Singers
Dr. Izgarysheva explains that some singers were forced to leave the stage at the peak of their careers, during the "golden years" of the theatre. She mentions one singer who left because he could not quit smoking, resulting in the development of a nodular swelling on his vocal folds that was impossible to overcome. Another singer became immensely popular after joining the Bolshoi Theatre and participated in every concert possible. This depleted him to such an extent that he developed voice fatigue. This condition disrupts the connections between the brain and the vocal apparatus. Although the singer blamed it on pneumonia contracted during tours, Dr. Izgarysheva knows this is not true.
The Importance of Rest
Dr. Izgarysheva emphasizes that before an important performance, a singer should not exhaust themselves on a personal level. Singers need to rest. There is a special regimen for vocalists, and following it increases their vocal career. She states that this is why she introduced the system of doctors being present during performances. Singers know that there is always a doctor available during a performance, which makes them feel more confident and at ease. She has implemented this system in the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre as well. Now, opera houses across the country try to follow this system.
The Challenges of Being a Voice Doctor
During performances, Dr. Izgarysheva experiences various challenging situations. For example, there was a case where Elena Obraztsova experienced a vocal fold hemorrhage during "Boris Godunov." She understood the severity of the situation, although Dr. Izgarysheva did not fully disclose the truth to her initially. After all, if the truth were revealed before or during the performance, it could result in the cancellation of the show at the Bolshoi Theatre. Obraztsova, a remarkable woman, went on stage with no change in her expression, and her performance was outstanding. In extreme situations, artists become extremely focused, giving 150-200% of their abilities, relying on their intellect rather than just their vocal folds. The vocal folds vibrate and produce sound, while the resonators create the rest of the sound. Singers need to use their resonators cautiously and sound like an organ. Singing with just the vocal folds and shouting is not desirable. A true master can sing even in a compromised state. However, there are tragic situations where doctors have to strictly forbid singing. In the history of opera, many new stars have emerged when they replaced an ill singer.
The Use of Medications
Dr. Izgarysheva dismisses the belief that Caruso and Lanza were destroyed by the excessive use of drugs to enable them to sing in any condition. In those times, there were barely any drugs available, and singers only received adrenaline injections. The medications used today have been tested and proven over the years to be safe. Dr. Izgarysheva emphasizes that they help and support singers without causing any harm.
A Family Devoted to Medicine
None of Dr. Izgarysheva's children followed in her footsteps. She believes that her dedication to work, even at the expense of her own family, might be the reason. She has a husband, two daughters, two sons-in-law (whom she considers as sons), three grandsons, two granddaughters, and three great-grandsons. However, none of them pursued a career in medicine. Perhaps it is because she could never answer their question of when she would return home after work, as her schedule was unpredictable.
