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Revision as of 20:32, 13 July 2009 by Henckel (talk | contribs)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Elena Vasiliyevna Obraztsova (Template:Lang-ru) (b. in Leningrad, now St Petersburg Russia, on July 7, 1939) is a Russian mezzo-soprano.
As a child Obraztsova lived in Leningrad through the long siege (August 1941-January 1943) during World War II. She was a student at the Leningrad Conservatoire when she was invited to perform in a Bolshoi Theater production of Boris Gudonov in Moscow. Her introduction to the opera houses of Europe and the world was a recital in the Salle Pleyel in Paris.
She has played many roles throughout her career, including performances under the baton of such leading conductors as Claudio Abbado and Herbert von Karajan. In December 1977 she opened the 200th opera season in La Scala (Milan) singing Don Carlo's Eboli with Abbado as conductor. In 1978 she played the title role of Carmen opposite Placido Domingo in Franco Zeferelli's television production of the opera. She also appeared as Lola in Zeferelli's film version of Cavalleria Rusticana in 1982.
In June 2007 Obraztsova was appointed artistic director for opera at the Mikhailovsky Theater in St. Petersburg. She also trains young soloists in her own cultural center in St. Petersburg. Obraztsova still appears regularly on stage at the Mikhailovsky in the role of the Countess in Tchaikovsky's Queen of Spades.
On July 7, 2009, Obraztsova's 70th birthday was marked with a special program at the Mikhailovsky Theater that included ballet performances, opera arias, excerpts from films, and jazz and piano recitals.
Notes
- Larisa Doctorow, "Home-grown diva", The St. Petersburg Times, July 10, 2009.