Petar Raitscheff (Pietro Raiceff) (Tenor) (Varna 1887 – Sofia 1960)

                                                                Faust

He began his education in St. Petersburg under Umberto Mazetti. In 1912 he went to Italy where he completed his studies with Fernando de Lucia in Naples. In 1913 he debuted in St. Petersburg. Till 1920 he sang in Russia, above all in St. Petersburg, parts like Lenski in ‘’Eugene Onegin’’, Hermann in the ‘’Queen of Spades’’, Canio in ‘’Pagliacci’’ and Rodolfo in ‘’La Bohème’’'. In 1920 he came again to Italy and guested during the following 15 years in the big European opera houses, above all in Germany. Thus he sang in the State Opera of Vienna and Berlin (1924), in Leipzig, Dresden and Hamburg and belonged in the 1924-25 season to the ensemble of the urban opera of Berlin. From 1931-33 he was a member of the Russian Opéra in Paris with which he undertook big tours in Europe and in South America. In  the 1933-35 seasons he was engaged by the Croatian National Opera, Zagreb. In 1936 he guested in the opera house of Hannover, in 1942 in the Wiener Volksoper. After the second world war he came back again in his Bulgarian native country. In 1947 he founded the opera ensemble of the town Varna. This opera society guested later among other things in the house of the National Opera in Sofia. In 1950 he retired from the stage. From 1950-58 he was a pedagogue of the Sofia Conservatory. In 1951 he published in Sofia his autobiography.

Chronology of some appearances

1921 La Valletta/Malta  Teatro Reale Werther (Werther)

1921 Padova Teatro Garibaldi Traviata (Alfredo)

1921 Padova  Teatro Garibaldi Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1922 Ferrara  Teatro Comunale  Traviata (Alfredo)

1922 Ferrara Teatro Comunale Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1922 Palermo  Teatro Massimo Rigoletto (Duca)

1922  Catania  Teatro Bellini Traviata (Alfredo)

1922  Catania  Teatro Bellini Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1922  Venezia  Teatro La Fenice Traviata (Alfredo)

1922  Venezia Teatro La Fenice Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1925 Milano  Teatro Carcano Traviata (Alfredo)

1925 Milano  Teatro Carcano Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1925 Genova  Teatro Carlo Felice Traviata (Alfredo)

1925 Genova  Teatro Carlo Felice Tosca (Cavaradossi)

1926 Parigi Champs Elysees Rigoletto (Duca)

1927 Brescia Teatro Grande Lohengrin (Lohengrin)

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

Parlophon

Werther (Massenet): Ah! non mi ridestar P-57019 2-20851

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo): Vesti la giubba  P-57019  2-20950

Homokord

Turandot (Puccini): Non piangere Liu 4-8858 M 52365 

Turandot (Puccini): Nessun Dorma 4-8858 52366 

E canto il grillo (Billi-Bicci) 4-8869

Vox
Pescatori di Perle (Bizet): Mi par d'udire ancora 2088½A *03513
Tosca (Puccini): E lucevan le stelle 1375A *03513
Manon (Massenet): Ah! dispar vision 1981A *03485
Werther (Massenet): Ah non mi ridestar 1983A  *03485
Fedora (Giordano): Amor ti vieta 3592 3001B
Rigoletto (Verdi): Questa o quella 3592 3003B

O! don’t t intertwine fragrant flower (R. Glier)

Mignon (Thomas): Elle ne croyais pas

Pescatori di perle (Bizet): Mi par d'udire ancora

Serenata (Toselli)

Luisa Miller (Verdi): Quando le sere al placido 

Pescatori di perle (Bizet): Della mia vita

Manon (Massenet): Ah! dispar vision

Siren, op. 21 no. 5  (Rachmaninov)

Boheme (Puccini): Che gelida manina