Kastorsky V.I., (1871-1948), singer

Categories / Art/Music, Theatre/Personalia
KASTORSKY Vladimir Ivanovich (1871 - 1948, Leningrad), opera singer (bass), chamber signer, and teacher, awarded an honoured artist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1934 and honoured art worker of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic in 1939. A church choir singer from his childhood, he graduated from the Kostroma Theological Seminary. He then moved to St. Petersburg in 1892 to study under I. Melnikov in the Free Chorus Class and under S. I. Gabel in the Conservatory in 1893. He made his debut in N. Champanier's opera company in Pskov in 1894, went on tour. He was a soloist of Mariinsky Theatre (Opera and Ballet Theatre) in 1898-1918 and 1923-30, making his debut as the High Priest in A. N. Serov's Rogneda. He rehearsed his parts under the direction of I. V. Tartakov, M. Battistini, and A. Masini. He kept improving his vocal technique and working on his style, makeup, and costume in order to achieve an expressive stage character. His performances were notable for the high level of music and drama and he became famous for his parts in R. Wagner's works, such as Hagen in Twilight of the Gods, Wotan in Rhinegold, King Marc in Tristan and Isolde. His best roles also include Susanin and Ruslan in M. I.l Glinka's Life for the Tsar, and Ruslan and Lyudmila, Miller in A. S. Dargomyzhsky's The Mermaid, Pimen and Dosifey in M. P. Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov and Khovanschina, Gremin in P. I. Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin, etc., the latter part played over 500 times. He toured a lot, participating in S. P. Diaghilev's Russian Seasons in Paris and London in 1907-09, and singing in Paris, Berlin, Rome, Milan, Munich, Harbin, as well as in Moscow's Bolshoy Theatre in 1918-24, and in other Russian cities. He also organised and participated in a vocal quartet. He was buried at the Volkovskoe Lutheran Cemetery.

Reference: Старк Э. А. Петербургская опера и ее мастера, 1890-1910. Л.; М., 1940. С. 128-131; Левик С. Ю. Записки оперного певца. 2-е изд., перераб. и доп. М., 1962.

E. V. Tretyakova. Battistini Mattia
Champanier N.
Dargomyzhsky Alexander Sergeevich
Dyagilev Sergey Pavlovich
Gabel Stanislav Ivanovich
Glinka Mikhail Ivanovich
Kastorsky Vladimir Ivanovich
Masini Angelo
Melnikov Ivan Alexandrovich
Mussorgsky Modest Petrovich
Serov Alexander Nikolaevich
Tartakov Ioakim Viktorovich
Tchaikovsky Peter Ilyich
Старк Э. А. Петербургская опера и ее мастера, 1890–1910. Л.; М., 1940
Левик С. Ю. Записки оперного певца. 2-е изд., перераб. и доп. М., 1962 Rimsky-Korsakov Conservatory
Mariinsky Theatre