Ivanoff, Nicola (1810-1880)

(Микола Кузьмич Іванов)

Naturalized Italian tenor from the Russian Empire, now Ukraine

Ivanoff as Nemorino in Elisir d'amore by Donizetti, (Motisi collection)

Nicola Ivanoff left Russia for Italy in 1830 with his friend, the future great Russian Composer Michail Ivanovič Glinka.

 

After studying singing and the Italian language in Milan, he made his Naples debut in 1832 at the San Carlo Theatre.

 

Rossini took the young talent under his wing the following year, offering him in numerous performances of his operas and recommending him to young Composers such as Gaetano Donizetti and Giuseppe Verdi.

Saverio Mercadante composed a new cabaletta for him for the opera Le due illustri rivali, and Verdi wrote special romanze for him on the occasion of the revival of Ernani and Attila.

 

Ivanoff became a veritable star of the Italian and European stages, particularly known for his elegant interpretations of roles in operas by Rossini, Bellini, Donizetti and Pacini.

 

He retired from the stage in 1852 and died in Bologna on July 19, 1880.

Discover the artist's world through various documents: each image opens the door to one of his interpretations, his portraits in civilian clothes, his autographs or press articles about him from the period

Creations :

  • Manlio (Giovanni Pacini: L'Ebrea)
  • Teoberto (Giovanni Pacini: Gli elvezi)
  • Il gondoliere (Gaetano Donizetti: Marin Faliero)

Famous roles :

  • Percy (Gaetano Donizetti: Anna Bolena)
  • Fernando (Gaetano Donizetti: La favorita)
  • Edgardo (Gaetano Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor)
  • Gennaro (Gaetano Donizetti: Lucrezia Borgia)
  • Count Almaviva (Gioachino Rossini: Il barbiere di Siviglia)
  • title role (Gioachino Rossini: Le Comte Ory)
  • Jacopo (Giuseppe Verdi: I due Foscari)
  • Oronte (Giuseppe Verdi: I Lombardi alla prima crociata)
  • Alfredo (Giuseppe Verdi: La Traviata)
  • Arturo, (Vincenzo Bellini: I puritani)
  • Elvino (La sonnambula by Vincenzo Bellini)