Mikhail Zlatopolsky

Mikhail Zlatopolsky

Mikhail (Motja Moiseevich) Zlatoposlky (Russian: Михаил Златопольский) was a Russian folk, and church singer possessing an extremely rare low-ranging basso profondo (oktavist) voice. Zlatopolsky was listed as the lowest bass in the world with a documented low note of Eb1. He died in 2003.

Biography

Zlatoposlky was born to a family of Don Cossacks in the province of Rostov. Although his family was ethnically Jewish, they converted to the Russian Orthodox Church. After the Revolution, when Orthodox singing moved into the category of marginal employment, the number of basso profondos sharply declined. Soviet oktavists enjoyed intense demand: during the Brezhnev era, Moscow choirs outbid each other for Zlatopolsky as the star player. Zlatoposlky's place of employment was considered the Union Radio Choir, but he also performed with a number of Orthodox, Catholic, and Lutheran churches even at times in a synagogue. Zlatopolsky recorded with the Don Cossacks Choir Russia, conducted by Marcel Verhoeff—not to be confused with the more famous Don Cossack Choir under Serge Jaroff. He also can be heard singing Sviridov's Songs of Kursk with the Moscow State Chamber Choir under Vladimir Minin.

Besides his musical career, Zlatopolsky also worked as an actor on several Russian films and TV shows, often playing the part of a Russian Orthodox priest. Although these parts were mostly small, his most prominent roles were in Yemelyan Pugachev (1978), Three Years (1980), We are Not Crowned in the Church (1982), and Storm over Russia (1992). Other video footage of Zlatopolsky may be seen on the DVD Great Singers of Russia, Vol 1 - Chaliapin, et. al (2003). ^[1]

Voice range

Zlatopolky's range extends from a C1 to C3. Even in the world of basso profundos and oktavists, Zlatopolsky's range is exceptional for its depth. Chesnokov differentiates between a basso profondo whose range ends around C2, and strong oktavists, whose range may extend as low as G1 or F1. Zlatopolsky's range extended half an octave below this lowest classification. Before the Guinness Book of World Records began considering amplified vocal fry as a valid part of the vocal range, Zlatopolsky was listed as the lowest bass in the world with a documented low note of Eb1. He can be heard singing down to C1 in the Don Cossack's Choir performance of "Prayer for the Dead". His upper register is featured prominently in Yemelyan Pugachev (1978), where he chants up to C3.

Zlatopolsky was not only known for the sheer depth of his range, but also his resonance and power. One Moscow chorister describes the experience of singing with Zlatopolsky thus: "At one concert on a small stage, we stood in close alignment. I was next to Mikhail. We were performing Kedrov's 'Our Father,' and Zlatopolsky went into the contra octave. His voice began to shake the bodies of us who were standing near to him. I was not up to singing--stood there in a kind of trance, trying to comprehend the experience." Another remembers seeing Zlatopolsky perform a choral cycle by Gavrilina. He noted that generally oktavists, along with the rest of the choir, need to be precisely on pitch in order for such notes in the contra-octave to be clearly audible--otherwise the sonority is ruined. During the performance, however, he recounts that the rest of the choir sounded like "nothing more than a squeak" above the sound of Zlatopolsky's voice. Despite his enormous voice, Zlatopolsky was a relatively small man, an exception in the world of basses.

See also

• Oktavist
• Basso profondo
• Russian Orthodox chant

Sources

• (M. Zlatopolsky, bass section) Ivan Kozlovsky - Evening Bells You Tube
• Choir of the Don Cossacks of Russia

References