Tamara Milashkina | |
|---|---|
Тамара Милашкина | |
.jpg) Milashkina in Verdi'sFalstaff, 1962 | |
| Born | Tamara Andreyevna Mirnenko (1934-09-13)13 September 1934 Astrakhan,Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Died | 10 January 2024(2024-01-10) (aged 89) Vienna, Austria |
| Education | Moscow Conservatory |
| Occupation | Operaticsoprano |
| Organization | |
| Spouse | Vladimir Atlantov |
| Awards | |
Tamara Andreyevna Milashkina (néeMirnenko; Russian:Тамара Андреевна Милашкина [Мирненко]; 13 September 1934 – 10 January 2024) was a Russian lyric and dramaticsoprano. A member of theBolshoi Theatre from 1958 to 1989, she also appeared atLa Scala in Milan, throughout Europe and at theMetropolitan Opera. She focused onroles by Tchaikovsky such as Lisa inPique Dame and Tatyana inEugene Onegin. She was the first Soviet soprano to be trained at the studio of La Scala in Milan, and her Italian repertoire included Verdi's Leonora inIl trovatore, Elisabetta inDon Carlo andAida, and Puccini'sTosca.
She often appeared alongside her husband, the tenorVladimir Atlantov, on stage and in recordings. She made many recordings, including less frequently performed Russian operas such as Tchaikovsky'sThe Oprichnik and Rimsky-Korsakov'sThe Noblewoman Vera Sheloga, and videos of Dargomyzhsky'sThe Stone Guest, Rimsky-Korsakov'sSadko, andPique Dame.
Tamara Andreyevna Mirnenko was born inAstrakhan on 13 September 1934.[1][2][3][4] After secondary school she entered the Astrakhan library technical school.[1] During this time, Milashkina belonged to a choir.[1] She began voice studies at the Astrakhan Music College in 1953.Maria Maksakova Sr., a famous singer who had studied at the college, noticed her in a performance, and recommended studies at theMoscow Conservatory.[1] She applied and was accepted due to the natural quality of her colourful voice.[5] Milashkina studied there withElena Katulskaya [Wikidata].[1] In 1957 she received the Gold medal of the International Youth Festival.[1][6] She graduated in 1959.[1]
In her final year of studies, Milashkina became a member of theBolshoi Opera in 1958,[1] making her official debut as Tatyana in Tchaikovsky'sEugene Onegin;[2][7] she remained one of the leading sopranos until 1989.[7] Her roles included Lisa in Tchaikovsky'sPique Dame, Katharina in Shebalin'sThe Taming of the Shrew, Liubka in Prokofiev'sSemyon Kotko, Fevroniya in Rimsky-Korsakov'sThe Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya, Verdi's Leonora inIl trovatore andAida, and Puccini'sTosca.[4] Her Russian repertoire also included Yaroslavna in Borodin'sPrince Igor, the Tsarina in Rimsky-Korsakov'sThe Tale of Tsar Saltan, Natasha in Prokofief'sWar and Peace, and Maria in Tchaikovsky'sMazeppa. Other Verdi roles ware Elisabetta inDon Carlos,[2][7] Amelia inUn ballo in maschera and Desdemona inOtello.[3]
She studied further at the opera studio ofLa Scala in Milan from 1961–62, where she appeared as the first Soviet soprano in 1962 as Lidia in Verdi'sLa battaglia di Legnano,[2][3][7] conducted byGianandrea Gavazzeni.[8] In Bolshoi productions, she performed there also in 1964 as both Lisa inPique Dame and Natasha inWar and Peace, alongside Juri Mazurok as Prince Bolkonsky, andAlexander Vedernikov as General Kutusov.[9]
Milashkina appeared at theVienna State Opera from 1971 first as Lisa, with great success,[2] later also as Leonora, Tosca, Aida and Elisabetta.[10] She performed as Tosca at theOpéra de Paris in 1969, and both Tosca[2] and Tatyana at theDeutsche Oper Berlin in 1974,[8] as Tosca also at the Opéra de Paris.[2] Milashkina appeared as a guest at other leading opera houses of Europe, such as theOslo Opera House, theFinnish National Opera in Helsinki, and at theHungarian State Opera House in Budapest in 1974.[2] She performed at theGreek National Opera as Leonora inIl trovatore and Lisa in 1974 and as Tatyana inEugene Onegin in 1976.[7] She toured extensively with the Bolshoi, including to New York'sMetropolitan Opera in 1975[8] forEugene Onegin andPique Dame; she performed alongside her husband, tenorVladimir Atlantov, inOnegin conducted byFuat Mansurov[11] and inPique Dame conducted byYuri Simonov.[12]The New York Times music criticHarold C. Schonberg summarised the effect of this performance ofOnegin, writing that "[there] was the special kind of authenticity that only Russians can supply in this singularly beautiful opera".[11]
In 1973, she received the titlePeople's Artist of the USSR,[1][2][4][7] and theGlinka State Prize in 1982.[1][7]
After leaving the Bolshoi Theatre in 1989, she performed internationally in France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Japan and the U.S., among others.[1]
The New Grove Dictionary of Opera described Milashkina's voice in 1992: "She has a voice of distinctive timbre and unusual warmth and beauty; reserve and emotional depth combine to lend her stage portrayals particular sensitivity."[13] In a 1983 portrait for the Bolshoi Theatre, E. Grosheva wrote:
Milashkina's voice is unique; nature and intelligent labour generously endowed it with freedom and richness of colours, fullness and roundness of sound – ringing, flying in the upper notes, substantial, chesty in the lows, equally collected and expressive in the whole range, covering about two and a half octaves.[6]
A reviewer from the French newspaperAurore noted in 1978, when the Bolshoi Theatre toured to Paris: "She slightly resemblesVictoria de Los Angeles, but her voice is much more luxurious, warmer, more reverent".[6]
Russian sopranoMarina Mescheriakova [de] spoke about Milashkina's early influence on her in a 2002 interview: "When I was a child studying piano, maybe five years old, I heard a recording of Milashkina. It made a big impression. Beautiful sounds, beautiful meanings. I liked it because she was a singer with a dark color. When I began to sing, I did not imitate her, but I thought her voice was very close to mine."[14]
Milashkina was married to the tenor Vladimir Atlantov;[2] they had a daughter, Lara, born in 1963.[15] After Milashkina's retirement from the Bolshoi, they lived in Vienna.[1][16]
Tamara Milashkina died in Vienna on 10 January 2024, at the age of 89.[16][17][3]
In 1966, a documentaryВолшебница из града Китежа (The Enchantress From the City of Kitezh) was devoted to her art.[1]
Milashkina recorded extensively forMelodiya.[7] She recorded Tchaikovsky's early opera fragmentUndina in 1963, with tenor Yevgeny Raykov and the Moscow Radio Opera Orchestra and Chorus, conducted byYevgeny Akulov.[18] In 1974 she recorded her most famous role, Lisa inThe Queen of Spades (Pique Dame), opposite Atlantov, with Bolshoi forces conducted byMark Ermler.[3][19][20] She recordedTosca the same year, again with Atlantov and conducted by Ermler; a reviewer noted that she was a "thrilling if unsubtle singer" who lived the role, summarising: "hers is a Tosca to rank with some of the finest".[21] In 1979 she recordedEugene Onegin, withYuri Mazurok in the title role and again Atlantov and Ermler; a reviewer wrote that she was "clearly an intelligent artist and compensates for her occasional lack of vocal allure by her identification with a role which suits her voice type".[22] In 1980 she recorded the role of Natalya in Tchaikovsky'sThe Oprichnik, conducted byGennady Provatorov.[23] She recorded the title role of Rimsky-Korsakov'sThe Noblewoman Vera Sheloga in 1985 in another Bolshoi production conducted by Ermler.[24] She also recordedMazeppa, and the soprano solo in Shostakovitch's14th Symphony.[20]
Milashkina took part in a 1979 Bolshoi DVD production of Dargomyzhsky'sThe Stone Guest conducted by Ermler, as Donna Anna alongside Atlantov as Don Juan andAlexander Vedernikov as Leporello.[25] In 1980, a Bolshoi production of Rimsky-Korsakov'sSadko was released as a DVD, with Atlantov, Milashkina andIrina Arkhipova, conducted byYuri Simonov.[26] She appeared as Lisa again in a 1983 DVD recording ofPique Dame from the Bolshoi, conducted by Simonov, with Mazurok, Atlantov andElena Obraztsova as the Old Countess.[27][28]
Milashkina's awards included:
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