Vertinsky, Aleksandr Nikolayevich

Vertinsky [Virtéensky], Aleksandr Nikolayevich (3–9/21–1889, Kiev; 5–21–1957, L.). Poet, singer, and comp. Vertinsky began his musical career in 1915 with performances of his own songs on stage dressed in a Pierrot costume and makeup, although in 1913–14 he already had written and published poetry and prose in Kiev. His popular performances were characterized by an elegant intimacy of style and a unique manner of singing marked by richly nuanced intonation and gestures to intensify the pathos…