Georgy Baklanov (Georges Baklanoff) (George Bakkis) (Baritone) (1880 Riga, Latvia – Basel, Switzerland 1938)

                                                              Rigoletto

In 1900 he studied in Kiev with Martin Petz. From 1901 to 1902 and in 1904 Baklanoff was a pupil of the famous baritone, vocal pedagogue I. P. Pryanishnikov who  has taken away Baklanoff to Milan where has acquainted him with the conductor of La Scala Vittorio Vanza who improved his voice from 1902 to 1903. Baklanoff made his opera debut in 1904 in Kiev as Amonasro in ‘’Aida’’. Here he appeared one season. During the same period he went on tour with private opera troupe in Kamenetz-Podolsk, Poltava, Jitomir. In 1905 he made his debut at the Sergei Zimin’s Opera Theatre as Demon in Rubinstein’s opera ‘’Demon’’. From 1905 to 1909 He sang at the Moscow Bolshoi Theatre where he appeared in 14 operas. In 1913 he guested in Mariinsky Theatre where he appeared with famous soprano Lydia Lipkovska in ‘’Rigoletto’’. In 1913 Baklanoff also sang in National House, in 1915 in Kiev. He appeared with great succes in USA (Boston, Chicago, New York, 1909; New York MET as Rigoletto), London (1910, Covent Garden – ‘’Aida’’, ‘’Rigoletto’’ and ‘’Tosca’’), Vienna Staatsoper (Otello, Lakme, Don Giovanni 1910, 1911, from 1912 to 1916), Komische Oper in Berlin (here he created a sensation as Rigoletto in 1911), Buenos Aires (1911, Teatro Colon), Paris (‘’Eugene Onegin’’ 1911). From 1911 to 1914  and from 1915 to 1918 he appeared in Boston Opera. For example in 1914 in Monte Carlo he appeared with Enrico Caruso and Lydia Lipkovska in ‘’Rigoletto’’, with Giovanni Martinelli he sang in ‘’La fanciulla del west’’. In Monte Carlo he performed with Salomea Kruszelnicka in ‘’Demon’’. In 1912 Baklanoff sang in Prague, in 1913 in Grand Opera of Paris. From 1917 to 1928 he was a principal member of Chicago Opera. From 1930 to 1932 Baklanoff lived in his own house in suburb of Berlin, then untill his death in Basel, Switzerland. During of his career he also appeared in Milan, Budapest, Leipzig, Philadelphia, Warsaw, Belgrad, Vienna, Dresden, Zagreb, Munich, Koln, Nürnberg, Frankfurt am Main, Brno, Zurich, Sopot, Basel. He possessed a voice of phenomenal beauty, unusual force and a wide range. He had a  natural musicality, dramatic talent and bright scenic appearance. Critics called him ''Russian Battistini''. He acted also in bass repertoire and appeared in concerts as Hermann in ''Queen of spades'' of Tchaikovsky. In 1906 he took part in the world premiere of Rachmaninov's two operas ''Francesca da Rimini'' and ''The Miserly Knight''.

Chronology of some appearances

1904 Moscow S. Zimin’s Private Opera Theatre

1905 Moscow Bolshoi Theatre

1906 Moscow Bolshoi Theatre

1907 Moscow Bolshoi Theatre

1908 Moscow Bolshoi Theatre

1909 Moscow Bolshoi Theatre

1909 New York Metropolitan Opera

1910 London Covent Garden

1910 Vienna Staatsoper

1911 Vienna Staatsoper

1911 Berlin Komische Oper

1911 Buenos Aires Teatro Colon

1912 Vienna Staatsoper

1913 St. Petersburg Mariinsky Theatre

1913 St. Petersburg National House

1913 Paris Grand Opera

1914 Monte Carlo

1916 Vienna Staatsoper

1917 Chicago Opera

RECORDINGS FOR SALE

 

G&T, Tiflis

Demon (Rubinstein): Accursed world  3-22589 2695'r

Demon (Rubinstein): I am he whom you called  3-22590 2697'r

Nero (Rubinstein): Epithalamium  3-22593 2700r

Prince Igor (Borodin): O give, give me freedom 3-22594 2701r

Song of Triumphant Love: O pure creature  3-22591 2698r

Demon (Rubinstein): Oath of the demon  3-22596 2703r

Columbia, New York 1911

Carmen (Bizet): Votre toast  A5272 30619

Gioconda (Ponchielli): Barcarolla  A5272 30620

Gramophone, Wien 1914-01-08

Amleto (Thomas): Nega se puoi la luce with Lydia Lipkovska 054476 736m

Columbia, New York 1918

Amleto (Thomas): Brindisi  7028M 49452

Columbia, New York?

Otello (Verdi): Monolog  A5270 30621

Otello (Verdi): Jago's tale  A5270 30622

Demon (Rubinstein): Aria  A 5271 30617

Vox 

Rigoletto (Verdi): Monolog  03432 1974A

Rigoletto (Verdi):  Aria 03432 1979A