Born September 27, 1904 in Saint Petersburg, Russia Sofia Preobrazhenskaya had one of the most marvelous titanic mezzo-soprano instruments known to man.
Her entire family was quite musical, her father having received musical education at the Petersburg conservatory and her mother being a choir singer for the choir of A. A. Arkhangelski. Her paternal uncle was a tenor soloist for the Bolshoi Theater. Sofia Preobrazhenskaya herself first went to a religious musical school after which she attended the conservatory of Petrograd.
She actually had her professional debut 2 years prior to finishing her education - at the Mariinsky Theater, after which she even got to perform at the Salzburg festival. She worked at the Mariinsky Theater for another 33 years after her debut! Her career was never halted even during the Siege of Leningrad! She was a chamber and opera singer for most of her career, but later became a professor at the renowned Leningrad Conservatory. Her repertoire was never ending, as was the list of honors and accolades she received throughout her career.
Her voice is wonderfully developed all throughout, from top to bottom, and unlike many heavy/dramatic Russian mezzo-sopranos never really developed a prominent wobble.
She was also a fantastic vocal/physical actress and interprets arias with great sensitivity and care.
Here are a couple of performances by Sofia Preobrazhenskaya, but apparently they do no justice to how gigantic her voice was live!
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Софья Преображенская - ария Далилы "Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix" Sofia Preobrazhenskaya as Dalila
The Old Husband (Remastered)
Her entire family was quite musical, her father having received musical education at the Petersburg conservatory and her mother being a choir singer for the choir of A. A. Arkhangelski. Her paternal uncle was a tenor soloist for the Bolshoi Theater. Sofia Preobrazhenskaya herself first went to a religious musical school after which she attended the conservatory of Petrograd.
She actually had her professional debut 2 years prior to finishing her education - at the Mariinsky Theater, after which she even got to perform at the Salzburg festival. She worked at the Mariinsky Theater for another 33 years after her debut! Her career was never halted even during the Siege of Leningrad! She was a chamber and opera singer for most of her career, but later became a professor at the renowned Leningrad Conservatory. Her repertoire was never ending, as was the list of honors and accolades she received throughout her career.
Her voice is wonderfully developed all throughout, from top to bottom, and unlike many heavy/dramatic Russian mezzo-sopranos never really developed a prominent wobble.
She was also a fantastic vocal/physical actress and interprets arias with great sensitivity and care.
Here are a couple of performances by Sofia Preobrazhenskaya, but apparently they do no justice to how gigantic her voice was live!
Софья Преображенская - ария Далилы "Mon coeur s’ouvre à ta voix" Sofia Preobrazhenskaya as Dalila
The Old Husband (Remastered)
