Galina Aleksandrovna Kovalyova |
Galina Kovalyova
Galina Alexandrovna Kovaleva – Soviet Russian opera singer (coloratura soprano), teacher. People’s Artist of the USSR (1974).
She was born on March 7, 1932 in the village of Goryachiy Klyuch (now the Krasnodar Territory). In 1959 she graduated from the L. V. Sobinov Saratov Conservatory in the singing class of O. N. Strizhova. During her studies, she received a Sobinov scholarship. In 1957, while still a fourth-year student, she participated in concerts of the VI World Festival of Youth and Students in Moscow.
Since 1958 she has been a soloist of the Saratov Opera and Ballet Theatre.
Since 1960 she has been a soloist of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre. S. M. Kirov (now the Mariinsky Theater). In 1961 she made her debut as Rosina in the opera The Barber of Seville by G. Rossini. Later she gained fame in such parts of the foreign repertoire as Lucia (“Lucia di Lammermoor” by G. Donizetti), Violetta (“La Traviata” by G. Verdi). The singer is also close to the Russian repertoire: in the operas by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov – Martha (“The Tsar’s Bride”), The Swan Princess (“The Tale of Tsar Saltan”), Volkhov (“Sadko”), in the operas of M. I. Glinka – Antonida (“Ivan Susanin”), Lyudmila (“Ruslan and Lyudmila”).
She also performed as a chamber singer and had an extensive repertoire: romances by P. I. Tchaikovsky, S. V. Rachmaninov, S. I. Taneyev, P. P. Bulakhov, A. L. Gurilev, A. G. Varlamov, A. K Glazunov, works by S. S. Prokofiev, D. D. Shostakovich, Yu. A. Shaporin, R. M. Glier, G. V. Sviridov. Her concert programs included works by R. Schumann, F. Schubert, J. Brahms, J. S. Bach, F. Liszt, G. Handel, E. Grieg, E. Chausson, C. Duparc, C. Debussy.
The singer included in her concerts arias and scenes from operas that she could not perform in the theater, for example: arias from operas by W. A. Mozart (“All Women Do This”), G. Donizetti (“Don Pasquale”), F. Cilea (“Adriana Lecouvreur”), G. Puccini (“Madama Butterfly”), G. Meyerbeer (“Huguenots”), G. Verdi (“Force of Destiny”).
For many years she performed in collaboration with organists. Her constant partner is the Leningrad organist N. I. Oksentyan. In the interpretation of the singer, the music of Italian masters, arias from cantatas and oratorios by J. S. Bach, G. Handel, vocal compositions by F. Schubert, R. Schumann, F. Liszt sounded to the organ. She also performed Concerto for Voice and Orchestra by R. M. Gliere, large solo parts in G. Verdi’s Requiem, J. Haydn’s The Four Seasons, G. Mahler’s Second Symphony, S. V. Bells. Rachmaninov, in Yu. A. Shaporin’s symphony-cantata “On the Kulikovo Field”.
She has toured in Bulgaria, Czechoslovakia, France, Italy, Canada, Poland, East Germany, Japan, USA, Sweden, Great Britain, Latin America.
Since 1970 – Associate Professor of the Leningrad Conservatory (since 1981 – Professor). Famous students – S. A. Yalysheva, Yu. N. Zamyatina.
She died on January 7, 1995 in St. Petersburg, and was buried on the Literary bridges of the Volkovsky cemetery.
Titles and awards:
Laureate of the International Competition for Young Opera Singers in Sofia (1961, 2nd prize) Laureate of the IX International Vocal Competition in Toulouse (1962, 1st prize) Laureate of the Montreal International Performing Competition (1967) Merited Artist of the RSFSR (1964) People’s Artist of the RSFSR (1967) People’s Artist of the USSR (1974) State Prize of the RSFSR named after M. I. Glinka (1978) – for the performance of the parts of Antonida and Martha in opera performances of Ivan Susanin by M. I. Glinka and The Tsar’s Bride by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov
