Chaliapin, Feodor Ivanovich
(1873–1938)> BASS
Chaliapin, Feodor Ivanovich (13 February 1873, Kazan; 12 April 1938, Paris) was doubtlessly the most colorful bass of his generation because of his preoccupation with makeup and costume as well as with his voice. He was of peasant stock and had little academic or musical education before he joined a provincial opera company in 1890 and received some training from Oussatoff in Tiflis in 1892. He was invited to St. Petersburg in 1894, but he did not have an opportunity to sing leading bass parts…