His real name was Tadeusz Kopystcynski. He studied at first medicine at the university of Kiev, then law at the university of Warsaw. He received at the same time singing lessons from Mrs. Massini, later from A. W. Aleksandrowicz, also he studied with Jean de Reszke in Paris and with A. Brogi in Italy. In 1901 he made his opera debut at Saratov, afterwards he sang in the opera house of Kiev. The violinist Stanislaw Barcewicz helped him to appear at the Opera Theatre of Warsaw in which he debuted in 1902 as Radames in ‘’Aida’’ and remained till 1904. He appeared here among other things as Duke in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’, Enzo in ‘’La Gioconda’’ of Ponchielli, Fernando in ‘’La Favorita’’ of Donizetti, Hermann in Tchaikovsky’s ‘’Pique dame’’ and in the title roles of the operas ‘’Mazeppa’’ of A. Münchheimer and ‘’Chopin’’ of Orefice. During his engagement in Warsaw he guested in the opera houses of Lvov (Lwów) and Vilnius. By the invitation of the composer R. Leoncavallo who had heard him in Warsaw he went in 1904 to Italy where he sang as Milio in Leoncavallo’s opera ‘’Zazà’’ first at the Teatro Regio in Turin. In 1905 he guested at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples as Henning in the Italian première of Leoncavallo’s ‘’Roland von Berlin’’, afterwards in Turin, Palermo and at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. In 1905 he sang at the Teatro Lirico in Milan as Jontek in the Italian première of the Polish national opera ‘’Halka’’ of Moniuszko. He guested during his stay in Italy further in Poland and also in 1906 in the opera houses of St. Petersburg and Kiev. In 1907 he sang at La Scala as Radames in ‘’Aida’’ and guested in the same year in Mexico City. In 1908 he appeared in the opera houses of Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon, then also at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In 1909 he appeared in Covent Garden as Pinkerton in ‘’Madame Butterfly’’ and as Canio in ‘’Pagliacci’’ together with the famous soprano Emmy Destinn. In 1909 he sang for the first time in the USA, namely in the opera house of Boston (among other things as Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’ and as ‘ Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’), then also in Chicago and New York. From 1910 to 12 he was to be heard, primarily, in his Polish native country and in Russia. Then he went in 1913 again to Italy (Teatro Comunale Bologna, Teatro Carlo Felice Genua), however, came back with outbreak of the First World War in 1914 to Poland and sang here in Warsaw, later in Kiev primarily in concerts. In 1919 he finished his career in Kiev appearing last time in ‘’Halka’’of Moniuszko. Since 1922 he worked as a teacher in Warsaw, one of his pupils was the famous tenor Jan Kiepura. He sang abroad, above all in Italy, under the name Enzo Leliva.
Chronology of some appearances
1904 Milano Teatro Lirico Zaza (Millo)
1906 San Pietroburgo Teatro Aquarium Ugonotti (Raoul)
1906 Brescia Teatro Grande Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)
1906 Torino Teatro Regio Loreley (Walter)
1906 Torino Teatro Regio Dannazione di Faust (Faust)
1906 Palermo Teatro Massimo Loreley (Walter)
1907 Cittа del Messico Teatro Arbeu Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1907 Cittа del Messico Teatro Arbeu Tannhauser (Tannhauser)
1907 Cittа del Messico Teatro Arbeu Ugonotti (Raoul)
1908 Genova Politeama Genovese Pagliacci (Canio)
1909 Boston Opera House Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)
1909 Boston Opera House Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1909 Boston Opera House Pagliacci (Canio)
1910 Chicago Auditorium Carmen (Don Jose)
1910 Chicago Auditorium Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1910 Chicago Auditorium Pagliacci (Canio)
1910 Pittsburgh Teatro Nixon Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1910 St. Louis Teatro Odeon Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1910 St. Louis Teatro Odeon Pagliacci (Canio)
RECORDINGS FOR SALE
Rigoletto (Verdi): La donna e mobile 85244
Halka (Moniuszko): Dumka 35248
Fonotipia, Milano 1904-11
Chopin (Orefice): Si,
date fiori 39033 XPh 76
Chopin (Orefice): Tak, gloscie chwale 39034 XPh
77
Chopin (Orefice): Kolysanka with Vera De Lutze 39118
XPh 79
Fonotipia, Milano 1904-12
Chopin (Orefice): Io sono un fior esala 39073 XPh 104
Chopin (Orefice): Sera ineffabile with Irene De
Bohus 39119 XPh 105
Roland von Berlin (Leoncavallo): Io son il re
della ballata 39061 XPh 107
Fonotipia, Milano 1905-02
Krakowiak (Moniuszko) 39133 XPh 142
Fiori di campo (de Leva) 39132 XPh 146
Stelle cadenti (de Leva) 39126 XPh 148-2
Fonotipia, Milano 1906-12-11
Manru (Pederewski): Come al sol cocente 39034
XPh 77
Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky): Perdona a me 39928
XPh 2275
Fonotipia, Milano 1906-12-12
Figlia di Jorio (Franchetti): Rinverdisca per
noi 39927 XPh 2277
Ugonotti (Meyerbeer): Bianca al par 39926 Ph 2278
Odeon, Warszawa 1906?
Don't tempt me (Glinka) with Hanna Skwarecka 97628
Halka (Moniuszko): Szumia jodly 304173
Gramophone, Warszawa 1908
Chopin
(Orefice): Duet with Korolewicz-Wajdowa 2-24031 7082L
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-11-07
Ebrea (Halevy): Rachele, allor che Iddio 92410
XPh 3609
Lohengrin (Wagner): Di non t'incantan 92412 XPh
3612
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-11-25
Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky): Perdona a me 92417 XPh 3676
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-11-30
Aida (Verdi): Gia I sacerdoti adunansi with
Elisa Petri Unpubl. XPh 3700
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-12-01
Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Dall'alba
tinto 92413 XPh 3707
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-12-03
Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky): Ma se il tuo cuore 92416
XPh 3724
Ballo in maschera (Verdi): Ma se m'è forza
perderti 92411 XPh 3727
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-12-04
Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky): Mistero 92414 XPh
3738
Fonotipia, Milano 1908-12-05
Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky): Cos 'è
la vita? 92415 XPh 3743
Odeon
Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 12002a
MOLTO BELLO!!! Thank you for sharing this valuable biographical information.
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