Enzo Leliva (Tadeusz Leliwa) (Tenor) (Teplik, Ukraine 1875 – Warsaw, Poland 1929)

                                                        Radames in ‘’Aida’’

                                                       Raoul in ''Ugonotti''

His real name was Tadeusz Kopystcynski. He studied at first medicine at the university of Kiev, then law at the university of Warsaw. He received at the same time singing lessons from Mrs. Massini, later from A. W. Aleksandrowicz, also he studied with Jean de Reszke in Paris and with A. Brogi in Italy. In 1901 he made his opera debut at Saratov, afterwards he sang in the opera house of Kiev. The violinist Stanislaw Barcewicz helped him to appear at the Opera Theatre of Warsaw in which he debuted in 1902 as Radames in ‘’Aida’’ and remained till 1904. He appeared here among other things as Duke in ‘’Rigoletto’’, Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’, Enzo in ‘’La Gioconda’’ of Ponchielli, Fernando in ‘’La Favorita’’ of Donizetti, Hermann in Tchaikovsky’s ‘’Pique dame’’ and in the title roles of the operas ‘’Mazeppa’’ of A. Münchheimer and ‘’Chopin’’ of Orefice. During his engagement in Warsaw he guested in the opera houses of Lvov (Lwów) and Vilnius. By the invitation of the composer R. Leoncavallo who had heard him in Warsaw he went in 1904 to Italy where he sang as Milio in Leoncavallo’s opera ‘’Zazà’’ first at the Teatro Regio in Turin. In 1905 he guested at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples as Henning in the Italian première of Leoncavallo’s ‘’Roland von Berlin’’, afterwards in Turin, Palermo and at the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa. In 1905 he sang at the Teatro Lirico in Milan as Jontek in the Italian première of the Polish national opera ‘’Halka’’ of Moniuszko. He guested during his stay in Italy further in Poland and also in 1906 in the opera houses of St. Petersburg and Kiev. In 1907 he sang at La Scala as Radames in ‘’Aida’’ and guested in the same year in Mexico City. In 1908 he appeared in the opera houses of Barcelona, Madrid and Lisbon, then also at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires. In 1909 he appeared in Covent Garden as Pinkerton in ‘’Madame Butterfly’’ and as Canio in ‘’Pagliacci’’ together with the famous soprano Emmy Destinn. In 1909 he sang for the first time in the USA, namely in the opera house of Boston (among other things as Turiddu in ‘’Cavalleria rusticana’’ and as ‘ Alfredo in ‘’La Traviata’’), then also in Chicago and New York. From 1910 to 12 he was to be heard, primarily, in his Polish native country and in Russia. Then he went in 1913 again to Italy (Teatro Comunale Bologna, Teatro Carlo Felice Genua), however, came back with outbreak of the First World War in 1914 to Poland and sang here in Warsaw, later in Kiev primarily in concerts. In 1919 he finished his career in Kiev appearing last time in ‘’Halka’’of  Moniuszko. Since 1922 he worked as a teacher in Warsaw, one of his pupils was the famous tenor Jan Kiepura. He sang abroad, above all in Italy, under the name Enzo Leliva.

Chronology of some appearances

1904 Milano Teatro Lirico Zaza (Millo)
1906 San Pietroburgo Teatro Aquarium Ugonotti (Raoul)
1906 Brescia Teatro Grande Tristano e Isotta (Tristano)
1906 Torino Teatro Regio Loreley (Walter)
1906 Torino Teatro Regio Dannazione di Faust (Faust)
1906 Palermo  Teatro Massimo Loreley (Walter)
1907 Cittа del Messico  Teatro Arbeu Ballo in maschera (Riccardo)
1907 Cittа del Messico Teatro Arbeu Tannhauser (Tannhauser)
1907 Cittа del Messico Teatro Arbeu Ugonotti (Raoul)
1908 Genova  Politeama Genovese Pagliacci (Canio)
1909 Boston Opera House Cavalleria rusticana (Turiddu)
1909 Boston  Opera House Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1909 Boston  Opera House Pagliacci (Canio)
1910 Chicago  Auditorium Carmen (Don Jose)
1910 Chicago  Auditorium Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1910 Chicago  Auditorium Pagliacci (Canio)
1910 Pittsburgh  Teatro Nixon Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1910 St. Louis Teatro Odeon Madama Butterfly (Pinkerton)
1910 St. Louis Teatro Odeon Pagliacci (Canio)