Ippolit Karlovich Al'tani (Russian:Ипполит Карлович Альтани;Ukrainian:Альтані Іполит Карлович,Altani Ipolit Karlovich; 27 May[OS 15 May] 1846 – 17 February 1919) was aRussianconductor,choirmaster andviolinist.
Al'tani was born in the south ofRussian Empire. In 1866 he graduated fromSaint Petersburg conservatory asa violinist (studied underHenryk Wieniawski) and composer (studied withNikolai Zaremba, andAnton Rubinstein). In 1867-82 he worked as a conductor and choirmaster at the Russian opera inKiev. Al'tani's activity contributed to the development of musical stage skill in Ukraine. In 1882-1906 Al'tani was chief conductor of theBolshoi Theatre inMoscow.
Al'tani had a significant association withTchaikovsky. He conducted the first performance of the1812 Overture (1882) and the first performances at the Bolshoi Theatre of his operasMazeppa (1884),The Enchantress (1890),The Queen of Spades (1891) andIolanta (1893).[1]
Al'tani also conducted the 1888 Moscow premiere of the revised 1872 version ofMussorgsky'sBoris Godunov, and the world premiere ofRachmaninoff'sAleko (1893).
He died inMoscow.
