Categories: Arts & Culture

Galina Vishnevskaya dies aged 86

Russian opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya, who performed soprano roles in opera classics, has died aged 86.

In a career spanning 40 years, Galina Vishnevskaya joined Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre in 1953.

She made her Metropolitan Opera debut as Aida in 1961 and first sang Liu in Turandot in La Scala in 1964.

Moscow’s Opera Centre, which Galina Vishnevskaya created, said the singer died on Tuesday in the Russian capital.

Spokeswoman Yulia Ivanova said she had been treated in Germany and was surrounded by her loved ones at her country house when she died.

Known for her full-on style, Galina Vishnevskaya was not always to everyone’s taste, but her emotional involvement in the music left a big impact on audiences.

Her dramatic interpretations of soprano roles in the likes of Lady Macbeth by Soviet composer Dmitry Shostakovich and the War Requiem of British composer Benjamin Britten led some music critics to call her the Russian Maria Callas.

Russian opera singer Galina Vishnevskaya, who performed soprano roles in opera classics, has died aged 86

Soviet audiences also loved her for her great interpretations of the standard repertoire including the great heroines of Puccini and Verdi.

Galina Vishnevskaya was born in what was then Leningrad and survived the city’s blockade by Nazi Germany during World War II, serving in missile defense troops when she was a teenager.

She studied in Leningrad, after which she was accepted into Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre.

Galina Vishnevskaya married the cellist Mstislav Rostropovich in 1955 and the couple performed together frequently until his death in 2007.

The couple left the Soviet Union with their two daughters in 1974 and lived in Paris and then Washington, before returning to Russia after the Soviet collapse.

RGrbaxJRGXo
Sonia Pantiss

Sonia is the heart and the artist of the team. She loves art and all that it implies. As Sonia says, good music, a well directed movie, or attending a music or film festival melts people’s heart and make them better. She is great at painting and photography. Working on scrapbooks is her favorite activity.

Share
Published by
Sonia Pantiss

Recent Posts

Donald Trump and Elon Musk Celebrate Election Victory at UFC 309

Image source: Wikimedia Commons President-elect Donald Trump celebrated his election victory at the Ultimate Fighting…

5 days ago

White House 2024: Donald Trump Wins, Kamala Harris Calls Him to Concede Election

Millions of voters across the US chose to return Donald Trump to the White House…

2 weeks ago

Who Won? Donald Trump Declares Victory as He Addresses Jubilant Supporters in Florida

Donald Trump declares victory in the US election as he addresses jubilant supporters in Florida.…

2 weeks ago

Stocks Soaring as Donald Trump Closes in on US Victory

Stocks around the world are rising as Donald Trump appears to be on the cusp…

2 weeks ago

Who Won? Kamala Harris Cancels Election Night Party as Path to Victory Narrows

Donald Trump has won Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Georgia and taken a lead over Kamala…

2 weeks ago

Quincy Jones Dead at 91

Quincy Jones, the celebrated musician and producer who worked with Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra, Ray…

2 weeks ago