STEFAN BELINA-SKUPIEWSKI (KIEV, UKRAINE, 23 JULY, 1885 – GDANSK, POLAND, 2 AUGUST, 1962)
He studied singing under Jacques Stückgold in Berlin and Felix Mottl in Munich. He began his career as a baritone at the Municipal Theatre of St. Gallen, debuting as Tonio in Pagliacci (1908). In 1910, he transitioned to tenor and was engaged by the Munich Court Opera for the 1911–1912 season. From 1912 to 1915, he performed at the German Theatre in Prague. In 1914, he toured Odessa, Kiev, Kharkiv, and St. Petersburg.
On June 2, 1922, he sang at the Grand Opéra in Paris in the premiere of Stravinsky’s Mavra in the role of the Hussar. In 1923, Arturo Toscanini invited him to the Teatro alla Scala, where he performed under the name Stefano Bielena, singing roles such as Tristan in Tristan und Isolde and Don José in Carmen. In 1924, he toured South America, giving guest performances in Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Montevideo.
He appeared at the Teatro Real in Madrid in 1925 and 1928, at the opera houses of Belgrade and Zagreb in 1927, at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste in 1926, and at the Teatro Liceo in Barcelona in 1928. In 1923 and 1924, he also performed at the Grand Theatre of Warsaw, and in 1925 at the Opera House of Lwów (Lvov). In 1927, he created the title role in Stravinsky’s Oedipus Rex for its Paris premiere.
Among his notable roles were Tamino in The Magic Flute, Faust in Gounod’s Faust, Hoffmann in Les contes d’Hoffmann, Eleazar in Halévy’s La Juive, Julien in Charpentier’s Louise, Alfredo in La Traviata, Radames in Aida, Turiddu in Cavalleria Rusticana, Canio in Pagliacci, Rodolfo in La Bohème, and Cavaradossi in Tosca.
After World War II, in 1946, he became the director of the Silesian Opera in Bytom, a position he held until 1953. From 1953 onward, he managed the Baltic Opera in Gdańsk and served as a professor at the Gdańsk Music Academy. He was married to the singer Helene Ivoni.
Chronology of some appearances
1908 St. Gallen Municipal Theatre
1911-1912 Munich Court Opera
1912-1915 Prague German Theatre
1922 Paris Grand Opéra
1923 Milan Teatro alla Scala
1925 Madrid Teatro Real
TRACKLIST
Odeon, Berlin 1913-09/12
Così fan tutte (Mozart): Der Odem der Liebe erfrischet die Seele AA57202 xxBo6248
Entführung aus dem Serail (Mozart): Wenn der Freude Tränen fliessen AA57204 xxBo6252
Odeon, Berlin 1914-01?
Mignon (Thomas): Wie ihre Unschuld auch sich das Gefühl verhehlte AA57051 xxB5953
Zauberflöte (Mozart): Dies Bildnis ist bezaubernd schön AA57053 xxB5954
Aida (Verdi): Holde Aida AA57055 xxB5965
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