The photo was taken in 1995 in the Column Hall of the House of Unions in Moscow. The author captured the composer Tikhon Khrennikov (right) and the musician Nikolay Ghiaurov (left).
Ghiaurov was born in the small Bulgarian town of Velingrad in 1929. He loved music from childhood, and at an early age he played the violin, clarinet and trombone. At the age of 18, he volunteered to serve in the army, and his colleagues noticed his musical talent. The officer who auditioned the future musician advised him to contact a vocal teacher — Hristo Brambarov, a rather famous baritone from Sofia.
When Ghiaurov returned from the army to Velingrad, he followed the advice of his officer and in 1949 began taking lessons from Brambarov at the Bulgarian State Conservatory. His teacher studied in Italy, so he imparted to the young bass the characteristics and vocal style specific for Italian opera. These lessons helped Ghiaurov to enter the Moscow Conservatory in 1950, which he successfully graduated five years later.
In the same year, he won the Grand Prix at the International Vocal Competition in Paris, and also became the main winner and gold medal winner at the Fifth International Youth Festival in Prague. From that moment on, the career of the then unknown young opera bass began. In 1957, Ghiaurov made his debut on the Moscow stage — he played Pimen in the opera ‘Boris Godunov’. At the Bolshoi Theater, and eight years later he got the main role in this opera. In 1960, the singer performed the role of the vagabond Varlaam in this opera at La Scala in Milan — this was Ghiaurov’s international debut.
Ghiaurov had tours all over the world — he sang in “The Force of Destiny” opera at London’s Covent Garden, in Verdi’s Requiem in Salzburg under the baton of German conductor Herbert von Karajan, as well as in “Mephistopheles” at the Chicago Lyric Opera and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Ghiaurov and Khrennikov met in the early 50s, when the Bulgarian singer was studying at the Moscow Conservatory. Over the years, there was great friendship between the musicians. “The Song of the Drunken” from the play “Much Ado About Nothing”, written by Khrennikov, has become the singer’s calling card. He performed it in his concerts, along with other songs of the composer.
Ghiaurov was born in the small Bulgarian town of Velingrad in 1929. He loved music from childhood, and at an early age he played the violin, clarinet and trombone. At the age of 18, he volunteered to serve in the army, and his colleagues noticed his musical talent. The officer who auditioned the future musician advised him to contact a vocal teacher — Hristo Brambarov, a rather famous baritone from Sofia.
When Ghiaurov returned from the army to Velingrad, he followed the advice of his officer and in 1949 began taking lessons from Brambarov at the Bulgarian State Conservatory. His teacher studied in Italy, so he imparted to the young bass the characteristics and vocal style specific for Italian opera. These lessons helped Ghiaurov to enter the Moscow Conservatory in 1950, which he successfully graduated five years later.
In the same year, he won the Grand Prix at the International Vocal Competition in Paris, and also became the main winner and gold medal winner at the Fifth International Youth Festival in Prague. From that moment on, the career of the then unknown young opera bass began. In 1957, Ghiaurov made his debut on the Moscow stage — he played Pimen in the opera ‘Boris Godunov’. At the Bolshoi Theater, and eight years later he got the main role in this opera. In 1960, the singer performed the role of the vagabond Varlaam in this opera at La Scala in Milan — this was Ghiaurov’s international debut.
Ghiaurov had tours all over the world — he sang in “The Force of Destiny” opera at London’s Covent Garden, in Verdi’s Requiem in Salzburg under the baton of German conductor Herbert von Karajan, as well as in “Mephistopheles” at the Chicago Lyric Opera and at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.
Ghiaurov and Khrennikov met in the early 50s, when the Bulgarian singer was studying at the Moscow Conservatory. Over the years, there was great friendship between the musicians. “The Song of the Drunken” from the play “Much Ado About Nothing”, written by Khrennikov, has become the singer’s calling card. He performed it in his concerts, along with other songs of the composer.
