33:
587:
373:(the form of her name used in most Western reference books) or simply Medea Figner. Furthermore, she was given the patronymic of Ivanovna, and is sometimes designated as Medea (or Medeya) Ivanovna (Mei-)Figner. She eventually mastered Russian to such an extent that native speakers could not tell she had learned it only from the age of 30.
345:
569:. Oddly, they never appeared in works written by Rimsky-Korsakov, who was the most prolific operatic composer in Tsarist Russia. It has been suggested that the reason for this gap in their repertoire was personal: they had asked Rimsky-Korsakov to write an opera for them, or to make some changes to his existing work
63:) but she became completely Russianized after marrying Nikolay. They had separate careers before their wedding, and again after their divorce in 1904, but during the 15 years of their marriage they almost always sang in the same performances. They created the main tenor and soprano roles in two operas by
700:
The Danish journalist Knut de
Hageman-Lindenkrone conducted a long recorded interview with Medea Mei at her Parisian apartment in 1949, when the singer was 90 years old. The interview is in French, although Medea Mei may be heard to speak as well in Italian and Russian with her daughter, who was
708:
This fascinating hour-long interview, with unique memories of
Tchaikovsky and other fabled events of Mme Mei's Saint-Petersburg career, was included in a Rubini Records set of two long-playing records, c. 1975, that also featured Medea Mei-Figner's complete commercially recorded output from the
604:
424:
for them. They created the roles in the world premiere of this opera, on 19 December 1890, after rehearsing under
Tchaikovsky's personal supervision. Medea was in the early stages of pregnancy at the time. In 1891, when she was unable to continue to appear in
689:. Her voice was considered by contemporary critics to be more beautiful and more impressive than that of her husband. He was already past his vocal prime when he and his wife cut their first series of 78-rpm records in St Petersburg in 1901–02 for
596:
628:
The
Figners divorced in 1904. Medea made a tour of South America and returned to continue a solo career at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg. From 1910 to 1915 Nikolay directed and sang with the
605:
1112:
903:
660:, while a comprehensive selection of their recordings was released on compact disc by the Symposium label in 2000. This double set of CDs bears the catalogue numbers 1255/1256.
701:
also present. She even sings a few bars of music here and there, including both the first phrase and the last from Liza's aria, 'Midnight is
Approaching', from Tchaikovsky's
651:
of 1917, and died in poverty in Kiev on 13 December 1918, aged 61. Medea left Soviet Russia in 1930 and settled in Paris, where she died on 8 July 1952, at the age of 93.
102:(1852–1942). He joined the Russian Navy as a midshipman, and rose to the rank of lieutenant, retiring in 1881 to study voice with Vassily Samus, I. P. Pryanishnikova and
438:
in 1892. Tchaikovsky dedicated his Six
Romances, Op. 73 (1893) to Nikolay Figner. Nikolay spent time with Tchaikovsky in the days following the premiere of his
456:
By no means, however, did the
Figners confine their joint operatic activities to the compositions of Tchaikovsky. For example, they created the main roles in
352:
Medea went to Russia with
Nikolay Figner in 1887, making her debut there on 8 May at the St Petersburg Imperial Opera (the Mariinsky Theatre) as Valentine in
1157:
203:; they formed a liaison, and he brought her back to Russia in 1887. Two years later, they wed. Figner soon established himself as the leading tenor at the
429:
due to her condition, Nikolay refused to sing with a substitute soprano, and so the opera was removed from the program until Medea was able to return.
279:. She became well known throughout Italy, and also toured Spain, South America and Russia and visited London. Her repertoire then included Ulrica in
1132:
362:. The soprano knew no Russian at that time, and sang in Italian during the first two St Petersburg seasons. Subsequently, she was received into the
131:
and appeared at other
Italian venues for a number of years. While in Italy, Figner took the opportunity to study with the prominent singing teacher
1152:
1147:
167:'s first appearance as a conductor in Italy after his initial triumph in South America. During his travels, he sang roles such as Arnold in
915:
366:, and married Figner on 20 February 1889. Thereafter, Nikolay made it his practice to sing only in operas in which Medea was also singing.
1092:
59:, were a husband-and-wife team of opera singers active in Russia between 1889 and 1904. Medea was Italian-born (her original surname was
1137:
1127:
694:
1071:
785:
1122:
1084:
1021:
985:
107:
439:
748:
665:
420:
69:
468:
432:
The
Figners also created the title soprano role and that of the tenor part of Count Vaudémont in Tchaikovsky's opera
1036:
449:'s apartment during the composer's final illness. He returned there immediately after Tchaikovsky's death, helping
892:
648:
446:
1142:
1117:
871:
415:
64:
867:
450:
363:
226:
221:
457:
656:
487:
477:
411:, as Carmen and Don José, produced an ovation said to be unprecedented in the history of Russian opera.
669:
with the alternative low ending sanctioned by the composer. She also made discs of "Vissi d'arte" from
123:
545:
525:
281:
173:
1010:
919:
240:). A good-looking man, he projected a memorable stage presence and sang with sensitivity and style.
32:
560:
535:
193:
132:
953:
1089:
973:
1067:
630:
462:
401:
Both the Figners were considered to be outstanding actors: their first appearance together in
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302:
236:
211:
204:
188:
168:
144:
128:
256:
231:
164:
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103:
1096:
731:
550:
540:
377:
292:
265:
95:
633:
opera company in Saint Petersburg. Medea's farewell performance was in the title role in
575:, but the composer apparently refused to oblige and this may have offended the Figners.
514:
492:
482:
390:
322:
297:
260:
178:
118:
789:
1106:
519:
402:
358:
312:
148:
52:
197:. He also happened to appear on stage with Medea Mei in a production of Donizetti's
151:). He travelled to South America as well during this period. On 4 November 1886, in
530:
332:
271:
269:
at the young age of 16, and made her operatic debut soon afterwards, as Azucena in
155:, he sang the principal tenor role in the world premiere of the revised version of
989:
382:
603:
686:
503:
337:
307:
216:
199:
99:
620:
475:
Other operas in which the Figners performed as a team included: Tchaikovsky's
255:, Italy, on 4 March 1859. She studied there with Bianchi, Carozzi-Zucchi and
571:
565:
276:
183:
140:
17:
752:
344:
611:
Performed by Medea Figner in 1910. Run time is two minutes and one second
135:
and also received instruction from E. de Roxas. Figner performed, too, in
252:
79:– and appeared in a number of other important Russian musical premieres.
677:
640:
434:
389:
Medea Mei-Figner is the great-great-grandmother of the Italian soprano
327:
75:
56:
635:
509:
407:
317:
136:
114:
671:
555:
343:
152:
91:
44:
31:
644:
497:
287:
685:, as well as recording a number of songs, including "Penso" by
690:
585:
376:
Notably, Medea appeared as Mimi in the first performance of
113:
Figner then travelled to Italy, where he made his debut at
1039:
The Literary Lorgnette: Attending Opera in Imperial Russia
663:
Importantly, Medea Mei-Figner recorded "Lisa's aria" from
481:(Nikolay's Lensky was said to have been surpassed only by
647:
Conservatory. He lost most of his possessions during the
1052:
Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, 5th ed, 1954.
94:, on 9/21 February 1857. He was a brother of the famous
321:. She latter added soprano roles such as Charlotte in
654:
Both of their voices can be heard on the LP anthology
513:(singing in the latter work's 1889 Russian premiere);
1113:19th-century opera singers from the Russian Empire
210:Other Russian composers whose operas he sang were
1047:Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers
828:Greene's Biographical Encyclopedia of Composers
386:in Russia; she was coached by Puccini himself.
29:Russian husband-and-wife team of opera singers
418:, who wrote the roles of Hermann and Liza in
369:She was referred to after marriage as either
8:
597:Gypsy Song from Georges Bizet's opera Carmen
780:
778:
776:
774:
772:
770:
36:Tchaikovsky (centre) and the Figners, 1890s
705:, which she had created 59 years before.
1064:Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man
942:Tchaikovsky: The Quest for the Inner Man
853:
851:
849:
809:
807:
743:
741:
739:
579:Divorce, later lives and recorded legacy
717:
1079:The Record of Singing: Vol. 1, To 1914
639:in 1912. In 1917 Nikolay moved to the
618:
259:. She sang the mezzo-soprano role in
727:
725:
723:
721:
7:
207:, retaining this status until 1903.
695:Gramophone & Typewriter Company
1158:19th-century Italian opera singers
1066:. New York: Schirmer Books, 1991.
1041:. Stanford University Press, 2000.
25:
619:Problems playing this file? See
601:
163:; this was also the occasion of
1133:Italian operatic mezzo-sopranos
1057:Arturo Toscanini: The NBC Years
841:Arturo Toscanini: The NBC Years
709:beginning of the 20th century.
539:; and the Russian premieres of
815:The Record of Singing: To 1914
90:was born in Nikiforovka, near
1:
1153:Converts to Eastern Orthodoxy
1148:Russian expatriates in France
414:They were highly regarded by
397:The Figners perform as a team
108:Saint Petersburg Conservatory
88:Nikolay Nikolayevich Figner
1174:
1090:Recordings by Medea Figner
1138:Italian operatic sopranos
1128:Russian operatic sopranos
1085:Medea Figner's Recordings
1081:. Gerald Duckworth, 1977.
643:, where he taught at the
986:"Russia's Golden Tenors"
416:Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
311:, and the title role in
127:in 1882. He sang at the
65:Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
485:'s interpretation) and
451:Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
364:Russian Orthodox Church
1123:Russian mezzo-sopranos
1095:18 August 2018 at the
1062:Poznansky, Alexander.
1059:. Amadeus Press, 2003.
749:"History of the Tenor"
590:
349:
222:Alexander Dargomyzhsky
37:
1045:Greene, David Mason.
940:Alexander Poznansky,
868:"The Voice of Russia"
857:Michael Scott: p. 143
657:The Record of Singing
589:
453:to lay out the body.
347:
35:
954:Tchaikovsky Research
826:David Mason Greene.
792:on 13 September 2009
732:Tchaikovsky Research
693:'s predecessor, the
546:Cavalleria rusticana
445:. Later, he visited
331:, and Margherita in
282:Un ballo in maschera
1055:Mortimer, Frank H.
839:Mortimer H. Frank.
703:The Queen of Spades
666:The Queen of Spades
469:Francesca da Rimini
427:The Queen of Spades
421:The Queen of Spades
143:and London (at the
70:The Queen of Spades
1049:. Doubleday, 1985.
1037:Buckler, Julie A.
992:on 15 January 2008
874:on 2 November 2009
649:Russian Revolution
591:
447:Modest Tchaikovsky
350:
194:Linda di Chamounix
133:Francesco Lamperti
124:Philémon et Baucis
38:
964:Poznansky, p. 578
755:on 17 August 2011
606:
526:Roméo et Juliette
212:Alexander Borodin
205:Mariinsky Theatre
145:Royal Opera House
129:San Carlo Theatre
16:(Redirected from
1165:
1077:Scott, Michael.
1024:
1022:Cantabile-subito
1019:
1013:
1008:
1002:
1001:
999:
997:
988:. Archived from
982:
976:
971:
965:
962:
956:
951:
945:
938:
932:
931:
929:
927:
922:on 17 March 2009
918:. Archived from
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870:. Archived from
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858:
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844:
837:
831:
824:
818:
811:
802:
801:
799:
797:
788:. Archived from
786:"Historic Opera"
782:
765:
764:
762:
760:
751:. Archived from
745:
734:
729:
608:
607:
588:
458:Eduard NápravnĂk
371:Medea Mei-Figner
348:Medea Mei-Figner
244:Medea Mei-Figner
232:Anton Rubinstein
165:Arturo Toscanini
157:Alfredo Catalani
104:Camille Everardi
21:
1173:
1172:
1168:
1167:
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1143:Married couples
1118:Operatic tenors
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1097:Wayback Machine
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813:Michael Scott.
812:
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795:
793:
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783:
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747:
746:
737:
730:
719:
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675:and arias from
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609:
602:
599:
592:
586:
581:
440:Symphony No. 6
399:
378:Giacomo Puccini
293:Ambroise Thomas
246:
224:(the Prince in
187:, and Carlo in
98:revolutionary,
96:"People's Will"
85:
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23:
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817:. 1977: p. 215
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483:Leonid Sobinov
398:
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391:Amarilli Nizza
291:, Gertrude in
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177:, the Duke in
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83:Nikolay Figner
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41:Nikolay Figner
28:
24:
14:
13:
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1072:0-02-871885-2
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478:Eugene Onegin
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359:Les Huguenots
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301:, Leonora in
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214:(Vladimir in
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149:Covent Garden
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72:
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66:
62:
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53:mezzo-soprano
51:(1859–1952),
50:
46:
43:(1857–1918),
42:
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27:
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1063:
1056:
1046:
1038:
1017:
1011:Tick now.com
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990:the original
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872:the original
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306:
296:
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280:
272:Il trovatore
270:
264:
251:was born in
248:
247:
235:
234:(Sinodal in
225:
215:
209:
198:
192:
182:
174:William Tell
172:
160:
122:
112:
87:
86:
74:
68:
60:
49:Medea Figner
48:
40:
39:
26:
18:Medea Figner
974:Opera Today
687:Paolo Tosti
631:Narodny Dom
561:Leoncavallo
536:Fra Diavolo
504:La traviata
338:Mefistofele
308:La favorite
217:Prince Igor
200:La favorite
100:Vera Figner
45:lyric tenor
1107:Categories
893:MTG Lirica
713:References
621:media help
442:Pathetique
996:23 August
926:23 August
878:23 August
796:23 August
759:23 August
572:May Night
566:Pagliacci
463:Dubrovsky
383:La bohème
354:Meyerbeer
303:Donizetti
277:Sinalunga
249:Medea Mei
237:The Demon
189:Donizetti
184:Rigoletto
141:Bucharest
1093:Archived
944:, p. 524
843:: p. 149
830:: p. 819
541:Mascagni
323:Massenet
253:Florence
55:, later
904:L'UnitĂ
678:Werther
641:Ukraine
551:Puccini
435:Iolanta
328:Werther
266:Requiem
257:Panofka
230:), and
227:Rusalka
169:Rossini
106:at the
76:Iolanta
57:soprano
1070:
683:Carmen
636:Carmen
515:Gounod
510:Otello
408:Carmen
318:Carmen
298:Hamlet
137:Madrid
119:Gounod
115:Naples
47:, and
672:Tosca
556:Tosca
531:Auber
520:Faust
493:Verdi
403:Bizet
333:Boito
313:Bizet
275:, at
261:Verdi
179:Verdi
161:Edmea
153:Turin
92:Kazan
1068:ISBN
998:2009
928:2009
880:2009
798:2009
761:2009
681:and
645:Kiev
559:and
523:and
507:and
498:Aida
466:and
288:Aida
73:and
691:EMI
563:'s
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543:'s
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171:'s
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121:'s
117:in
61:Mei
1109::
848:^
806:^
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720:^
697:.
549:,
529:;
501:,
491:;
472:.
393:.
341:.
147:,
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67:–
1074:.
1000:.
930:.
882:.
800:.
763:.
623:.
20:)
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