Boris Gmyrya
Encyclopedia
Boris Romanovich Gmyrya ' onMouseout='HidePop("7202")' href="/topics/Lebedyn">Lebedyn
—died 1969 in Kiev
) was a Soviet
basso cantante
singer of opera
and art song
.
During World War II, he stayed in Nazi-occupied Poltava
where he performed for the Germans. This kind of behavior was considered to be collaboration with enemy by the Soviet authorities, and Gmyrya would be imprisoned and exiled were it not for Nikita Khrushchev
's intervention. Gmyrya's partner, Valentina Ishchenko, was not so lucky and was exiled to Vorkuta
.
A friend of Dmitry Shostakovich, Gmyrya was pressured to withdraw from the premiere of his Thirteenth Symphony
. When Shostakovich approached Gmyrya with a request to be a lead soloist, Gmyrya refused for the fear of repercussions.
Lebedyn
Lebedyn is a city in Sumy Oblast, Ukraine. Population is 28,948 . An air base is located nearby.In 1708 the city was a site of ethnic cleansing against Ukrainians during the Executions of Cossacks in Lebedin by the Russian Empire.-See also:...
—died 1969 in Kiev
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
) was a Soviet
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
basso cantante
Bass (voice type)
A bass is a type of male singing voice and possesses the lowest vocal range of all voice types. According to The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, a bass is typically classified as having a range extending from around the second E below middle C to the E above middle C...
singer of opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
and art song
Art song
An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for one voice with piano or orchestral accompaniment. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the genre of such songs....
.
During World War II, he stayed in Nazi-occupied Poltava
Poltava
Poltava is a city in located on the Vorskla River in central Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Poltava Oblast , as well as the surrounding Poltava Raion of the oblast. Poltava's estimated population is 298,652 ....
where he performed for the Germans. This kind of behavior was considered to be collaboration with enemy by the Soviet authorities, and Gmyrya would be imprisoned and exiled were it not for Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Sergeyevich Khrushchev led the Soviet Union during part of the Cold War. He served as First Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1953 to 1964, and as Chairman of the Council of Ministers, or Premier, from 1958 to 1964...
's intervention. Gmyrya's partner, Valentina Ishchenko, was not so lucky and was exiled to Vorkuta
Vorkuta
Vorkuta is a coal-mining town in the Komi Republic, Russia, situated just north of the Arctic Circle in the Pechora coal basin at the Usa River. Population: - Labor camp origins :...
.
A friend of Dmitry Shostakovich, Gmyrya was pressured to withdraw from the premiere of his Thirteenth Symphony
Symphony No. 13 (Shostakovich)
The Symphony No. 13 in B flat minor by Dmitri Shostakovich was first performed in Moscow on 18 December, 1962 by the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra and the basses of the Republican State and Gnessin Institute Choirs, under Kirill Kondrashin . The soloist was Vitali Gromadsky...
. When Shostakovich approached Gmyrya with a request to be a lead soloist, Gmyrya refused for the fear of repercussions.
External links
- Biography and sound clips on cantabile-subito.de