UDC 78.071.2
DOI: 10.36871/hon.202501204
Authors
Мargarita О. Lelyanova,
Elena Yu. Sharma,
Institute of Contemporary Art, Mosсow, Russian Federation
Abstract
The article highlights the creative work of Lyubov Alexandrovna Andreeva-Delmas (1884– 1969), one of the leading opera mezzo-sopranos of her time. She is known as the addressee of the poetic cycle Carmen, inspired by the poet A. A. Blok’s romantic attachment to the singer. This is the reason why her name is mentioned in most scientific publications. Although, in terms of the history of vocal art, her work is certainly noteworthy, since she graduated from the Saint Petersburg Conservatory from the class of one of the best teachers, N. A. Iretskaya, improved under the famous prima donna of the Mariinsky Theatre, M. A. Slavina, and was a leading soloist of the Musical Drama Theatre, which revolutionised the Russian opera art. Among the stage partners of L. A. Andreeva-Delmas were M. Battistini, E. Caruso, T. Ruffo, L. V. Sobinov, F. I. Shalyapin and others, so her work arouses a certain research interest in the context of the history of Russian vocal art. The appeal to the singer’s work shows that she was a famous and sought-after artist of her time, and her connection with A. A. Blok played an important role in popularising her name. However, it would be an exaggeration to consider her an outstanding figure of the era, as the analysis of the currently available documents does not confirm this fact. L. A. Andreeva-Delmas has left a noticeable mark on the history of the Russian performing arts, so studying her heritage allows us to observe and comprehend the heyday of Russian opera in greater detail.
Keywords
L. A. Andreeva-Delmas, A. A. Blok, mezzo-soprano, Carmen, Musical Drama Theatre, Bolshoi Opera House, N. A. Iretskaya
