June 7: The birthday of Leonid Sobinov, the "Orpheus" of Russian opera, who started out as a lawyer
On June 7, 1872, Leonid Sobinov, an opera singer, soloist for His Imperial Majesty, and People's Artist of the RSFSR, was born in Yaroslavl to a bourgeois family. This "Orpheus" of the Russian and Soviet stage of the early 20th century could have become a lawyer, but he chose music—and performed 623 times at the Bolshoi Theatre during his career.
A genius is someone who has brought joy to humanity.
Guitar under lock and key
Sobinov grew up in a merchant's mansion and was raised according to patriarchal traditions: his father locked up the guitar he bought with his pocket money during Lent.
He sang in the high school choir and enjoyed success. But his dream wasn't music—he dreamed of becoming a lawyer. At 18, he enrolled in the law faculty of Moscow University, but continued singing in the student choir. He also studied at the Musical and Drama School (the future GITIS) and performed with an Italian opera company.
The backstage is a sacred place for me, I breathe a special air there that the university doesn’t give me
The best singer among lawyers
After graduating from university, he served for a year as a cadet at the Moscow Infantry School. He then worked as an assistant to the renowned lawyer Fyodor Plevako.
At the age of 25, Sobinov was noticed by Bolshoi Theater conductor Ippolit Altani during his music school exams and invited to audition. That same year, the singer made his debut in Anton Rubinstein's opera "The Demon." He spoke of himself with irony:
The best singer among lawyers or the best lawyer among singers
At 27, Sobinov left his law practice and devoted himself entirely to music. According to one theory, this was inspired by the court chairman's joke during a hearing: "Well, nightingale, let's see what you'll sing for us."
Pearls on a silver platter
Sobinov toured extensively. He traveled throughout Russia, performing in Milan, Monte Carlo, Madrid, London, Berlin, and Paris. He managed to combine different schools of singing—the Italian with the traditions of Russian realistic art.
Like scattering pearls on a silver plate
Sobinov sings, and the audience is insatiable. The applause only dies down when the lights go out. (from reviews in the French press)
In 1910, he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Imperial Theatres. From 1913, he became a soloist of His Imperial Majesty's Theatre. During his service at the Bolshoi Theatre, he performed 35 roles.
Kind and selfless
Sobinov had a reputation as a kind and selfless man. He was an honorary member of the Society for Assistance to Needy Students and gave charity concerts, the proceeds of which helped hundreds of talented young people from poor families obtain higher education. At the outbreak of World War I, he opened a hospital in his home, and during his tour, he raised and donated over 200 rubles to help the wounded.
Between revolution and family tragedy
After the 1917 Revolution, Sobinov collaborated with the Bolsheviks and became commissar of the Mossovet Theater. He served as director of the Bolshoi Theater twice. He toured extensively in Russia and Europe, including with his eldest son, Boris, a White Army officer who emigrated with Wrangel's army (he was later kidnapped by NKVD agents, spent 10 years in prison camps, and died in 1955, almost immediately after his release). Sobinov's youngest son died in 1920 fighting in the Volunteer Army.
In 1923, at 51, Sobinov Sr. received the title of People's Artist of the RSFSR. He retired from the stage at 60.
Poet on napkins
Sobinov wrote about 500 poems, of which about 30 have survived—he often wrote them on napkins. These poems inspired romances by various composers.
He was married twice. The first time, to a fellow music school student (they had two sons). The second time, to a cousin of the sculptor Vera Mukhina, who gave birth to a daughter.
Mysterious death in Riga
Sobinov died in 1934, at the age of 62. According to the official version, he suffered a heart attack in his sleep at the St. Petersburg Hotel in Riga, where he was staying with his family on his way back from vacation.
Sobinov's death is also linked to the brutal murder two days earlier of Archbishop John Pommer, head of the Orthodox Church in Latvia and a member of the local Saeima, known for his intolerance of communists. According to this theory, Sobinov may have been killed by NKVD agents for transmitting information about mass repressions in the USSR to the anti-Soviet Riga center.
According to another version, Pommer was killed by local Social Democrats, whom he harshly criticized, and the death of Sobinov, who suffered from chronic illnesses, was nothing more than a coincidence.
