Mikhail Shuisky (baritone)

Mikhail Grigorievich Shuisky
Native name	Михаил Григорьевич Шуйский
Born	(1883-11-13)13 November 1883 Novogeorgievsk, Russia
Died	11 September 1953(1953-09-11) (aged 69) Perm, Russia
Occupation	Opera singer (baritone) Singing teacher
Years active	1910–1949
Awards	Honored Artist of Russia Order of the Red Banner of Labour

Mikhail Grigorievich Shuisky (Russian: Михаил Григорьевич Шуйский), (13 November [O.S. 1 November] 1883 – 11 September 1953) was a Russian opera and concert singer who sang leading baritone roles in Austria, Germany and Russia in a career spanning 40 years. After his retirement from the stage, he taught singing. He was born in Novogeorgievsk, and studied first at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, then at the Vienna Conservatory from 1905 to 1909. He sang leading roles at the Vienna Volksoper and the Landestheater Linz (where he was known as Michael Shuisky) and had signed long-term contracts to sing in Salzburg and Hamburg before the outbreak of the First World War. When war broke out, he returned to Russia where he spent the remainder of his career. He was a leading baritone in the Theatre of Opera and Drama in Saint Petersburg; Kiev Opera and Ballet Theatre; Odessa Opera and Ballet Theatre; and the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre. Shuisky was made an Honored Artist of Russia in 1945 and received the Order of the Red Banner of Labour in 1946. He died in Perm shortly before his 70th birthday. A bust of Shuisky was displayed at an art exhibition in 1951 and is kept in the museum of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre.^[1][2]

Biography

Shuisky was born on November 13, 1883, in Novogeorgievsk province of Kherson (now Kirovohrad region) in Ukraine.^[3] Shortly after his birth the family moved to Kremenchuk, Poltava province. As a child, he sang in the family circle, and he appeared in the children's choir at the main Cathedral in Kremenchuk. In 1904, Shuisky graduated from the Kharkov Commercial College^[3] of Emperor Alexander III – one of the largest educational institutions in the sphere of business education in the Russian Empire. The school prepared highly qualified specialists for commercial and industrial enterprises. He was a daily soloist with the choir boys for ten years at the school Temple, which was called Holy Face of the Lord.

In 1905, Shuisky entered the Saint Petersburg Conservatory in the class for solo singing.^[3] It was the time of the first Russian revolution, so in response to political events classes at the Conservatory stopped. He went to Vienna and was a student of Professor Habeck at the Imperial Academy of Music and the Performing Arts, until 1909.

Shuisky in 1910

In 1910, the Russian member of parliament in Vienna invited Shuisky to participate in a concert in honor of Nikolai Gogol in Lviv. A review of this concert in the newspaper Prikarpatskaya Rus' (April 1910) said, "... Mr. Shuisky has a beautiful voice of extremely strong timbre and wide range, and may be considered the successor of the glorious Chaliapin." After a concert in Vienna, where he sang an aria as Petruchio in The Taming of the Shrew, critics wrote "...Mr. Mikhail Shuisky played Petruchio in 'The Taming of the Shrew' with amazing skill." In the newspaper Novoye Vremya of May 1910, critics wrote "Mikhail Shuisky has unique qualities as an opera singer. His baritone voice has a wonderful soft timbre and a wide range. Today, he can be compared only with Mattia Battistini. From everything we've heard at concerts, it can be assumed that M. Shuisky will take a place in the ranks of the finest singers of the world, maybe even the very finest." By virtue of many successful concert performances Shuisky was invited to sing at the Vienna Volksoper.

In September 1911, Shuisky debuted as "Priest" in The Magic Flute. On October 21, 1911, he debuted as Biterolf in Tannhäuser. On November 18, 1911, he debuted as Escamillo in Carmen.

In 1912, to supplement his repertoire, Shuisky signed a contract for the season 1912/1913, as the only dramatic baritone with the Landestheater in Linz and in the summer in Salzburg. Linz was in at that time considered the third largest city in the Austrian Empire. During the two years of fruitful work in the opera house in Linz Shuisky improved and entrenched his talent as a young singer. A review in the newspaper Die Wahrheit April 1912, said, "M. Shuisky, as a leading actor in G. Verdi's opera Rigoletto, did something unique. His singing was great and wonderful in every way, with amazing purity of sound. Mr. Shuisky again proved his artistic skill brilliantly."

On March 25, 1912, an anniversary concert for Anatoly Arkhangelsky was held at the Regent Russian Embassy Church in Vienna. He had had a famous and honourable reputation in Vienna as a great conductor and a distinguished connoisseur of music. The concert consisted entirely of works by Russian composers: Turchaninov, Berezovsky, Gretchaninov, Mandyczewski, Scriabin, Bortkiewicz, Mussorgsky, Arensky, Rubinstein and Anatoly Arkhangelsky. Shuisky was listed as singer-baritone soloist of the Opera Volksoper, along with Professor Paul de Conne on piano.

Shuisky received several proposals for contracts with the theaters Breslau, Linz, Leipzig, Munich, and Hamburg.

On October 1, 1912, an agreement was signed with the Imperial Theatre in Munich for two years. On October 12, 1912, a contract was signed for a period of five years (until 31 August 1917) with the Hamburger und Altonaer Stadt-Theater in Hamburg. However, due to political events, staying any longer in Austria became impossible. In 1913, Shuisky terminated all contracts and returned home to Saint Petersburg. On March 30, 1913, at 3:00 pm, in the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersberg, Shuisky successfully auditioned for voice. Among the many who auditioned only two were enrolled in the Mariinsky Theater – the tenor Malyshev and baritone Shuisky. He had two years of experience on stage in Vienna, Linz, Salzburg, and therefore did not accept the proposal of the director of the theater Telyakovsky as it was for beginners. Shuisky, auditioned for I.M. Lapitsky. Iosif Lapitsky was known in Saint Petersburg as a talented director and innovator of opera productions. In 1912, he created the Musical Theater in Saint Petersburg.

On March 10, 1914, a contract with the Musical Theater was signed. The Agreement was for the period from August 1914 to January 1915. Shuisky acted the part of Escamillo in the opera "Carmen" by Georges Bizet at the Musical Theater. From the beginning of World War I Shuisky was actively involved in a series of patriotic charity concerts, which were organized by the famous singer of His Majesty MI Gorlenko-Dolina in the auditorium of Circus Ciniselli, which had a capacity of 5,000 spectators. Following this he received letters of appreciation from the Grand Duchess Xenia Alexandrovna and from Marie Pavlovna."To His Excellency Mr Michael Grigorevich Shuisky: Your gracious participation in the Patriotic Supper, on September 11 this year, in the auditorium of the Ciniselli Circus, contributed to the remarkable success of that night, all the proceeds from which went toward medical supplies for the sick and wounded. By order of the Grand Duchess, I have the honor to thank you from Her Imperial Highness for your kind assistance in helping the sick and wounded soldiers. General-Adjutant Prince M. Tashunin. 22 September 1914" (translated from Russian).^[3]

In 1916, Shuisky moved to the Ukraine. During the occupation by German troops and the Civil War in the Ukraine, Shuisky was a teacher, soloist in concert performances, and played Eugene Onegin in the opera "Eugene Onegin" by Tchaikovsky.

From 1923 to 1932 Shuisky was an Artist of the Ukrainian State Opera – he worked at the Opera and Ballet Theater in Kiev and Opera and Ballet Theater in Odessa. Shuisky was soloist at the opera theater. He taught at the conservatory and sang in concerts on the stage and on the radio.

In 1932, being a part of the Odessa Opera House committee, Shuisky went to Moscow, to the Ministry of Culture with his suggestions about how to stop conflicts between the creative team and the communist’s administration of the theater. As a result of discussion, Shuisky was exiled to the Perm in the Ural region.

From 1932 to 1949 Shuisky continued his creative work at the Theatre of Opera and Ballet of Perm.

On January 18, 1936, the Perm newspaper Zvezda published an article, "The 25th anniversary of the opera singer Shuisky." It recorded that the Perm City Council supported the application for Shuisky to be given the title of Honored Artist of the Republic, which had been made by music and opera lovers and groups of actors from Perm to the People's Commissariat of Russia.

In 1945, after more than a decade of waiting for a response to the many requests from the public, Shuisky was awarded the title of Honored Artist of Russia. The title "Honored Artist of the Russian Federation" is assigned to highly professional actors, who have received high recognition from the public.

In 1946, Shuisky was awarded the Order of the Red Banner. The Order of the Red Banner is an established award for great services to the Soviet state and society in the fields of science, culture, literature, the arts, public education and other spheres of creative activity. In 1949, May 13 the 40th anniversary of Shuisky's time on stage was celebrated. He gave a farewell performance. The program included performances of scenes from Tosca (Shuisky as Baron Scarpia), Dubrovsky (Shuisky as Troekurov), and Prince Igor (Shuisky as Prince Igor).

In 1949, Shuisky began teaching, attempting to pass on the knowledge and secrets he had received in his time with his teachers in Vienna.^[4]

Between 1951 and 1952 he wrote his memoirs, My theatrical memories, which are stored in the archives of the Museum of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Perm.^[5]

In 1951, a regional art exhibition displayed a bust of "M.G. Shuisky, Honored Artist of the RSFSR." The Sculpture is kept in the museum of the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Perm.^[6]

September 11, 1953, Shuisky died of a brain haemorrhage at age 69. According to directions in his will, he was buried in the Yegoshikha Cemetery (Quarter X, Grave number 50) in the same grave as his wife Yanina Shuisky, who died in 1940.

The tenor Ivan Kozlovsky had been one of Shuisky's students in Kiev. They maintained a lifelong friendship, and Kozlovsky took an active role in Shuisky's funeral.^[7]

As Rigoletto, Linz, 1912

Opera roles

As Gryaznoy in The Tsar's Bride, Kiev

As Scarpia in Tosca, Odessa

As Boris Godunov, Perm

Family

In 1905, Shuisky met his future wife, Yanina Pavlovska, in Vienna where she had come from Warsaw to study singing at the Academy of Art of the Song. They married in 1906 in St. Nicholas Orthodox Cathedral in Vienna.

In 1910 and in 1912, the couple participated together in concerts in Vienna and Yanina played as Aida in the opera "Aida" by Verdi. Critics wrote "Sir Michael Shuisky of the Municipal Theatre in Linz, in the role of Amonasro in "Aida", with his wife Yanina Shuisky performing as Aida, gave an outstanding vocal performance." The newspaper "New Viennese scene", 23 September 1912.

In 1917, in Kremenchug, Yanina played the role of Tatiana in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. A review of this performance in the newspaper Union Leaders of the Stage critics wrote: "Mrs. Shuisky gave a superb performance as a Tatiana. Mr. Shuisky was an excellent Onegin, with a big, beautiful, smooth voice in all registers. Appearance, manner, performance, all were immaculate. It was a great delight to listen to and watch M. Shuisky and Y. Shuisky as Onegin and Tatiana... " article "Eugene Onegin", 3 October 1917. (translated from Russian). During the Civil War, Yanina Shuisky lost her voice and in the future could only sing in the choir.

From 1923 to 1932, Yanina Shuisky worked as a costume art designer and as a photographer as well at the Kiev Opera and Ballet Theatre and the Odessa Opera and Ballet Theatre, and from 1933 to 1939, she also worked as a costume designer and photographer at the Perm Opera and Ballet Theatre. Their marriage lasted 34 years. Yanina Shuisky died in 1940 in Perm. She was buried in the Yegoshikha Cemetery in the same grave as her husband.

Their son Eugene M. Shuisky was born in 1908 in Vienna, Austria. In 1931 he graduated from the painting department of the arts at the Ukrainian Academy of Arts in Kiev. In 1929, Eugene Shuisky was involved with his artwork in the second All-Ukrainian art exhibition of USSR People's Commissariat, which displayed in Odessa, Donetsk and Kharkov.

Eugene M. Shuisky worked as chief designer at the opera theater in Perm, Gorky and Saratov. Eugene was a member of United Russian artists. Eugene M. Shuisky died in 1975 in Saratov.

Their daughter Marina M. Shuisky was born in 1915 in Kremenchug. She graduated from medical school in Moscow. She worked as a pediatrician in the cities of Moscow, Perm, Ufa, Gorky, and Novosibirsk. In Novosibirsk, she worked as a pediatrician at a Children's Hospital and as a lecturer at the Medical Institute at the Department of Pediatrics. Marina M. Shuisky died in Novosibirsk in 1975.

References

External links

Media related to Mikhail Shuisky (baritone) at Wikimedia Commons