Lidya Lipkovskaya (Lydia Lipkovska) (Soprano) (village Babino, Bessarabian region of the Russian Empire 1884 – Beirut, Lebanon 1958)

                                                                   Juliet

                                                                 Violetta

                                                                  Mimi

Since 1903 she studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory with Natalya Iretskaya. In 1907, 1909 and 1914 she perfected her vocal art under Vittorio Vanza at Milan. She made her debut in 1904 at the St. Petersburg Russian-Italian Private Opera House singing the role of Gilda in ‘’Verdi’s ‘’Rigoletto’’ opposite Nikolai Figner, who appeared in that performance as Duke. From 1906 to 1909, 1911 to 1913 and in the 1916-1917 season Lipkovskaya performed at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre. In 1908,  1911 and in 1929 she made guest appearances at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre. She also sang in  Kiev, Odessa, Baku, Tbilisi, at the St. Petersburg National House and from 1913 to 1916 at the S. Zimin’s Private Opera House. From 1914 to 1915 she was a sololist of the Petrograd's Theatre of Musical Drama. In the 1915-1916 season she appeared in Kiev. In 1909 she sang with great success at La Scala, Milan where she appeared in ‘’Lakme’’, ‘’La Traviata’’ and ‘’I Puritani’’. The same year she also performed in Paris (Grand Opera), London (Covent Garden) and Boston, where she sang in ‘’Lucia di Lammermoor’’ opposite her husband, the great russian baritone Georgy Baklanov. From 1908 to 1912 she sang at the MET, New York, wher she made her debut as Gilda in ‘’Rigoletto’’. There, in 1909, she sang in ‘’Rigoletto’’ as a partner of Enrico Caruso and Mario Sammarco. In the 1910-1911 season she made guest appearance at the Chicago Opera House. In 1910 she also sang in Montreal. In the same period (1910-1911) she appeared at the Théâtre National de l'Opéra Comique, Paris. Here she performed in ‘’La Traviata’’, ‘’Lakme’’ and ‘’Thais’’. In 1910 she sang at the Opera House of Rome and then at La Scala, Milan in ‘’La Sonnambula’’ and in other operas under Arturo Toscanini.  Lipkovskaya retired from the stage in 1941. She sang for the last time at Odessa in Verdi’s ‘’La Traviata’’ She had a beautiful silvery, but warm voice and an amazing vocal range (she could easily sing F in the 3rd octave). Her technical ability was perfect and allowed her to perform even the most difficult passaggi with ease. She was also an eccentric woman, a great actress, and had an amazing natural feeling.

Chronology of some appearances

1909 Boston  Opera House Carmen (Micaela)

1909 Boston  Opera House Rigoletto (Gilda)

1909 New York  Teatro Metropolitan Rigoletto (Gilda)

1909 New York  Teatro Metropolitan Traviata (Violetta)

1909 Boston  Opera House Boheme (Mimi)

1909  Boston  Opera House Traviata (Violetta)

1910 Boston  Opera House Rigoletto (Gilda)

1910 Boston  Opera House Boheme (Mimi)

1910  Chicago  Auditorium Traviata (Violetta)

1910 New York  Teatro Metropolitan Traviata (Violetta)

1911 Philadelphia  Teatro Metropolitan Rigoletto (Gilda)

1911 Baltimora  Opera House  Boheme (Mimi)

1911 Londra  Covent Garden Boheme (Mimi)

1911 Boston  Opera House Traviata (Violetta)

1911 Philadelphia  Teatro Metropolitan Traviata (Violetta)

1914 Montecarlo  Grand Theatre Boheme (Mimi)
1920 Montreal  His Majestic's Rigoletto (Gilda)
1920 Montreal  His Majestic Boheme (Mimi)
1920 New York  Manhattan Theater Rigoletto (Gilda)
1920 New York Manhattan Theater Traviata (Violetta) 

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Columbia, New York 1911-04-05

Don Giovanni (Mozart):  Là ci darem la mano with Ramon Blanchart A5297

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Dunque io son with Ramon Blanchart A5297 80720

Gramophone, St Petersburg 1912-12-19

Snow Maiden (Rimsky-Korsakov): How painful here 023114 2724c

Snow Maiden (Rimsky-Korsakov): With friends to gather berries 023115 2725c

Semiramide (Rossini): Bel raggio pt 1, pt 2 053307 2726c

Semiramide (Rossini): Bel raggiopt pt 2 053308 2726½c

Gramophone, St Petersburg 1912-12-21

Iolanta (Tchaikovsky): Iolanta's arioso 2-23698 17157b

Tosca (Puccini): Vissi d'arte 2-23699  17158b

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Una voce poco fa 023116 2728c

Barbiere di Siviglia (Rossini): Io sono docile 023117 27281/2C

Gramophone, St Petersburg 1913-11-27

Boheme (Puccini): Si, mi chiamano Mimi 023131 2941c

Gramophone, Wien 1914-01-08

Hamlet (Thomas): Nega se puoi la luce with Georgy Baklanov 054476 736m

Gramophone, St Petersburg 1914-01-17

Rigoletto (Verdi): Caro nome  023137 281af

Romeo et Juliette (Gounod): Je veux vivre 023138 282af

Gramophone, St Petersburg 1914-01-20

The Tsar's Bride (Rimsky-Korsakov): All the livelong day 4 2-23827 5335ae

Coppelia (Delibes) Valse 023135 286af

Sylvia (Delibes): Pizzicato 0231402 87af

Gramophone, St Petersburg 1914-01-21

Sixteen years (Dargomyzhsky) 2-23815 5346ae

Frühlingsnacht (Schumann); Dichterliebe: Die Rose, die Lillie (Schumann) 2-23816 5347ae