Vasili Damaev (Tenor) (village Otradnaya, Krasnodar 1878 – Moscow 1932)

 

                                                               Canio

                                                                  Canio

Born in 1878, he sang in a church choir as a boy. From 1903 to 1905 he studied at the Moscow school for music and drama. In 1906 he joined the Zimin Opera, where he prepared his roles with P. Olenin and Emil Cooper. He made his debut as the False Dmitry in Boris Godunov, and he remained with the company until 1920, with a repertory of more than 50 roles. On the invitation of Serge Diaghilev, he sang the False Dmitry, Andrej Khovansky (Khovanshchina), and Mikhail Tucha (Ivan the Terrible) in the 1909, 1911 and 1913 seasons of Russian music in Paris and London. After singing with several Moscow opera companies, including the Bolshoi opera, (in December, 1919, at the Zimin Opera, he sang the False Dmitry in casts headed by Fedor Chaliapin), he became the director of the Aquarium Theatre. He died in 1932. He was called the Russian Tamagno, because of the power of his voice.

Cronology of some appearances

1906-1920 Moscow S. Zimin's Opera House
1909, 1911 and 1913 London

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

Gramophone, Moskva 1910-01-24

May night (Rimsky-Korsakov): Sleep, My Beauty 022142 1920c

Gramophone, Moskva 1910-01-25

May night (Rimsky-Korsakov): Is she asleep? with V. Petrova-Zvantseva   024038 1922½c

Gramophone, Moskva 1910-02-04

Dobrynya Nikitich (Grechaninov): Flowers were blooming 4-22087 37501

Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov): O you dark oak-grove 4-22088 37502

Gramophone, Moskva 1911-02-01

Meistersinger von Nürnberg (Wagner): Preislied 022133 2177c

Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov): Ho, faithful friends 022194 2178c

Gramophone, Moskva 1911-02-06

Pique dame (Tchaikovsky): What is our life 4-22248 15333b

Boheme (Puccini): Che gelida manina 022196 2181c

Gramophone, Moskva 1911-10-25

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba 022325 248af

Gramophone, Moskva 1911-10-26

Oprichnik (Tchaikovsky): I swear before God G 4-22284 16111

Gramophone, Moskva 1911-10-26

Oprichnik (Tchaikovsky): As before God 4-22284 16111b

Gramophone, Moskva 12-11-19

Sadko (Rimsky-Korsakov): As If I had a chest of gold 022298 247af

Gramophone, Moskva 12-11-20

Pique dame (Tchaikovsky): Forgive me 022300 249af

Gramophone, Moskva 12-11-21

Boris Godunov (Mussorgsky): Fountain Duet with S. Druzyakina 024068 251af

Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle 4-22476 4033ae

Gramophone, Moskva 1913-12-07

Fanciulla del West (Puccini): Ch'ella mi creda M 022348 2944c

Neron (Rubinstein): Invan, invan 022354 2948c

Gramophone, Moskva 1913-12-09

May night (Rimsky-Korsakov): Duet with E. Katulskaya 024092 2952c

Gramophone, Moskva 1913-12-15

The Maid of Pskov  (Rimsky-Korsakov): Raskukuy ty, kukushechka 4-22656 18652