Irina Arkhipova interesting facts. Arkhipova Irina - biography, facts from life, photos, background information
1955 - I prize at the V World Festival of Youth and Students in Warsaw.
1959 - the title of "Honored Artist of the RSFSR".
1961 - the title of "People's Artist of the RSFSR".
1966 - the title of "People's Artist of the USSR".
1971 - Order of Lenin.
1978 - Lenin Prize "for the performance of parties in the operas" Il trovatore "and" Sadko ", concert programs of recent years."
1976 - Order of Lenin.
1980 - Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
1984 - the title of "Hero of Socialist Labor".
1985 - Order of Lenin.
1997 - State Prize of Russia for the cycle of music festivals "Irina Arkhipova presents ..."
1999 - Russian award "Casta Diva" "for the noble service to the opera."
2000 - Order "For Merit to the Fatherland" II degree, Prize of the Moscow City Hall in the field of literature and art "for outstanding contribution to the artistic culture of Moscow and Russia", international award of the Foundation of the Holy All-Praised Apostle Andrew the First-Called, Order of the Russian Orthodox Church Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga II degree, Order of the Republic of Moldova, Order signs "Cross of St. Michael of Tver", "For Mercy and Charity".
2005 - Order of St. Andrew the First-Called.
Winner of the prize and medal named after S. Rachmaninov, the Order of St. Luke "for supporting culture Yaroslavl region” and “For Merit to the Culture of Poland”, a commemorative sign “Golden Apollo” “for long-term selfless service to Russian musical art”, A. Pushkin medal, honorary title “Master of Arts / Maestru în artă” (Moldova), titles “Man of the Century "(International Biographical Center Cambridge), "Goddess of the Arts" and many other awards.
Minor planet No. 4424 (1995) bears the name of Irina Arkhipova.
Biography
“Arkhipova is endowed with a deep and exciting musicality, she has a perfect intonation, pure diction and a very good Italian pronunciation, which is simply enviable for a foreigner. The voice is surprisingly fresh, mobile, with a wide range. The performer captivates with a lively, subtle and passionate temperament, manifested both in the sound of her voice and in the game.
From the Italian press
She was born on January 2, 1925 in Moscow.
In 1948 she graduated from the Moscow Architectural Institute. In 1953 - the Moscow State Conservatory (class of Leonid Savransky).
In 1954-56. - Soloist of the Sverdlovsk Opera and Ballet Theatre.
In 1956-88. - Soloist of the Bolshoi Theatre.
Repertoire
1956
Carmen("Carmen" by J. Bizet)
Lyubasha("The Tsar's Bride" by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)
Amneris("Aida" by G. Verdi)
1957
Charlotte("Werther" J. Massenet)
Nilovna(“Mother” by T. Khrennikov)
1958
Marina Mnishek("Boris Godunov" by M. Mussorgsky)
Princess("The Enchantress" by P. Tchaikovsky)
Deacon(“Her stepdaughter” by L. Janacek)
1959
Martha(“Khovanshchina” by M. Mussorgsky)
Hyatt(“Jalil” by N. Zhiganov)
Pauline(The Queen of Spades by P. Tchaikovsky)
Helen(“War and Peace” by S. Prokofiev)
1960
Claudia("Tales of a Real Man" by S. Prokofiev) - first performer
1962
Varvara Vasilievna(“Not only love” by R. Shchedrin)
Meg Page("Falstaff" G. Verdi) -
1963
eboli(“Don Carlos” by G. Verdi)
1965
Spring(The Snow Maiden by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)
1967
Love("Mazepa" by P. Tchaikovsky)
commissioner(“Optimistic tragedy” by A. Kholminov) - first performer at the Bolshoi Theater
1974
Azucena("Troubadour" by G. Verdi)
1976
Lyubava(Sadko by N. Rimsky-Korsakov)
1977
Countess("October" by V. Muradeli)
1979
Frikka("Gold of the Rhine" by R. Wagner)
1983
Clytemnestra(“Iphigenia in Aulis” by K. V. Gluck) - first performer at the Bolshoi Theater
Already after the official departure from the Bolshoi troupe, she performed two more parts on its stage - Ulrica(“Masquerade Ball” by G. Verdi, 1989) and Countess ("Queen of Spades", 1990).
Toured a lot abroad: in Austria, Poland, East Germany, Finland, Italy, Hungary, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria, USA, Japan, France, Canada. She spoke at leading stages of the world: in la The Rock, the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, the Metropolitan Opera, the Colon Theater and others.
In 1960-61. at the invitation of Mario del Monaco, she sang Carmen in Naples and Rome, where she also gave a concert.
In 1963 she toured with solo concerts in Japan.
In 1964, she took part in the tour of the Bolshoi Theater to La Scala (performed the parts of Marina Mnishek, Polina and Helen Bezukhova), where she later took part in productions of Khovanshchina and Boris Godunov.
In 1964 and 1969 toured the United States, where she performed at Carnegie Hall in New York.
In 1970 she received an invitation to sing Amneris at the San Francisco Opera, took part in the tour of the Bolshoi Theater in Canada (sang the parts of Marina Mnishek and Polina), then sang Azucena in Riga and Nancy.
Participated in the production of G. Donizetti's opera The Favorite in Bologna. She sang Amneris in Rouen and Bordeaux, Azucena at the International Opera Festival in Orange.
Together with pianist John Wustman, she toured the United States and Europe, and also recorded a disc from the works of S. Rachmaninoff and M. Mussorgsky's Song and Dance of Death cycle (the disc received the Golden Orpheus Grand Prix in Paris).
She taught at the Moscow Conservatory.
She was a member of the jury of the Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Mario del Monaco competitions in Italy, Maria Callas in Greece, Francisco Viñas in Spain, the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, Verdi Voices in Italy, as well as competitions in Paris and Munich .
She was the chairman of the jury of the Tchaikovsky, Glinka and Bul-Bul competitions.
In 1986 she became President of the All-Union Musical Society (now the International Union of Musical Figures).
She was a full member and vice-president of the International Academy of Creativity and the Russian section of the International Academy of Sciences.
Honorary Doctor of the National Academy of Music of the Republic of Moldova.
Author of books: “My Muses” (1992), “Music of Life” (1997), “Brand named “I” (2005).
In 1993, the Irina Arkhipova Foundation was organized, which is engaged in supporting young performers, organizing festivals (including the festival "Irina Arkhipova Presents ..." in Chelyabinsk, the festival in Yakutsk, the festival "Seliger's Musical Summer" in the city of Ostashkov, Tver Region) , competitions, exhibitions, master classes, opera productions and concert programs: " Russian singers in the World Opera”, “Through the Pages of the Masterpieces of the World Opera”, “Russian Chamber Vocal Lyrics - from Glinka to Sviridov”, “The New Generation Opera”, “Vladislav Piavko and Company. Tenor Parade.
Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova was born on January 2, 1925 in Moscow. During for long years she shone on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater of Russia. Arkhipova - laureate of the Lenin Prize, Hero of Socialist Labor, laureate of the State Prize of Russia. Irina Arkhipova was rightfully crowned with the title "Queen of Russian Opera".
The name Arkhipova is one of the brightest names in the world opera stage second half of the twentieth century. The opera diva received worldwide recognition after performing the part of Carmen in the opera of the same name by Georges Bizet. Arkhipova wrote several books - “My Muses”, “Music of Life”, “Brand named “I”.
Finnish newspaper Kansanuutiset, 1967:
“Arkhipova's voice is technically honed to perfection. It sounds amazingly even from the lowest to the highest note. The perfect vocal position gives it an incomparable metallic sheen that helps even phrases sung pianissimo to float above a raging orchestra.”
American newspaper Columbus Citizen Journal, 1969:
French newspaper Comba, 1972:
“Monserrat Caballe and Irina Arkhipova are beyond any competition! They are one and only of their kind. Thanks to the festival in Orange, we had the good fortune to see both great goddesses of modern opera in Il trovatore at once, always meeting with an enthusiastic reception from the public”
Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova was born on January 2, 1925 in Moscow. Irina was not yet nine years old when her hearing, memory, sense of rhythm opened the doors of the school at the Moscow Conservatory for her.
Irina Konstantinovna recalls:
“I still remember some special atmosphere that reigned in the conservatory, even the people we met were somehow significant, beautiful. We were received by a noble-looking lady with a luxurious (as I then imagined) hairdo. At the audition, as expected, I was asked to sing something to test my musical ear. What could I sing then, I am a child of my time of industrialization and collectivization? I said that I would sing the Tractor Song!
Then I was asked to sing something else, like a familiar excerpt from an opera. I could do this because I knew some of them: my mother often sang popular opera arias or excerpts that were broadcast on the radio. And I suggested: “I will sing the choir “Girls-beauties, darlings-girlfriends” from “Eugene Onegin””. This suggestion of mine was received more favorably than the Tractor Song. Then they checked my sense of rhythm, musical memory. I also answered other questions.
When the audition was over, we were left to wait for the results of the test. That beautiful female teacher came out to us, who struck me with her magnificent hair, and told dad that I was accepted into the school. Then she confessed to dad that when he talked about his daughter's musical abilities, insisting on listening, she took it for the usual parental exaggeration and was glad that she was wrong, and dad was right.
They immediately bought me a “Schroeder” piano… But I didn’t have to study at the music school at the conservatory. On the day on which my first lesson with a teacher was scheduled, I became seriously ill - I was lying with a high temperature, catching a cold (together with my mother and brother) in line at the Hall of Columns during farewell to S.M. Kirov. And it began - a hospital, complications after scarlet fever ... Music lessons were out of the question, after a long illness I barely had the strength to make up for what was missed in a regular school.
But dad did not leave his dream to give me the original musical education, and the question of music lessons arose again. Since it was too late for me to start piano lessons at a music school (they were accepted there at the age of six or seven), my dad was advised to invite a private teacher who would “catch up” with me in the school curriculum and prepare me for admission. My first piano teacher was Olga Alexandrovna Golubeva, with whom I studied for over a year. At that time, Rita Troitskaya, the future mother of the now famous singer Natalya Troitskaya, studied with her with me. Subsequently, Rita became a professional pianist.
Olga Alexandrovna advised my father to take me not to the conservatory school, but to the Gnesins, where I had more chances to be accepted. We went with him to the Dog's playground, where the Gnesins' school and school were then located ... ”.
Irina Arkhipova as Charlotte in Massenet's Werther, 1964 Elena Fabianovna Gnesina, after listening to the young pianist, sent her to her sister's class. Excellent musicality, good hands helped to "jump" from the fourth grade straight to the sixth.
“For the first time, I learned an assessment of my voice in a solfeggio lesson from a teacher P.G. Kozlov. We sang the task, but someone from our group was out of tune. To check who is doing this, Pavel Gennadievich asked each student to sing separately. It was my turn too. From embarrassment and fear that I had to sing alone, I literally cringed. Although I sang intonation cleanly, I was so worried that my voice sounded not like a child, but almost like an adult. The teacher began to listen attentively and with interest. The boys, who also heard something unusual in my voice, laughed: “Finally they found the fake one.” But Pavel Gennadievich abruptly interrupted their fun: “You are laughing in vain! Because she has a voice! Maybe she will famous singer”.
The outbreak of war prevented the girl from completing her studies. Since Arkhipova's father was not drafted into the army, the family was evacuated to Tashkent. There, Irina graduated from high school and entered the branch of the Moscow Architectural Institute, which had just opened in the city.
She successfully completed two courses and only in 1944 returned to Moscow with her family. Arkhipova continued to actively participate in the institute's amateur performances, without even thinking about a career as a singer.
The singer recalls:
“At the Moscow Conservatory, undergraduate students have the opportunity to try their hand at pedagogy - to engage in their specialty with everyone. The same restless Kisa Lebedeva persuaded me to go to this sector of student practice. I "got" the student vocalist Raya Loseva, who studied with Professor N.I. Speransky. She had a very good voice, but so far there was no clear idea about vocal pedagogy: basically she tried to explain everything to me using the example of her voice or those works that she performed herself. But Raya treated our studies conscientiously, and at first everything seemed to be going well.
One day she took me to her professor to show me the results of working with me. When I started to sing, he came out of the other room, where he was then, and asked in surprise: “Who is this singing?” Paradise, confused, not knowing what exactly N.I. Speransky, pointed to me: "She sings." The professor approved: "Good." Then Raya proudly announced, “This is my student.” But then, when I had to sing at the exam, I could not please her.
In class, she talked so much about some techniques that were in no way consistent with my usual singing and were alien to me, she spoke so incomprehensibly about breathing that I was completely confused. I was so worried, so constrained in the exam, that I could not show anything. After that, Raya Loseva told my mother: “What should I do? Ira is a musical girl, but she cannot sing.” Of course, it was unpleasant for my mother to hear this, and I generally lost faith in my vocal abilities.
Faith in myself was revived in me by Nadezhda Matveevna Malysheva. It is from the moment of our meeting that I count my biography of the singer. In the vocal circle of the Architectural Institute, I learned the basic techniques correct setting voices, it was there that my singing apparatus was formed. And it is to Nadezhda Matveevna that I owe what I have achieved.”
Irina Arkhipova as Marina Mnishek in M. Mussorgsky's opera Boris Godunov, 1967 Malysheva and took the girl to an audition at the Moscow Conservatory. The opinion of the conservatory professors was unanimous: Arkhipova should enter the vocal department. Leaving work in the design workshop, she completely devotes herself to music.
In the summer of 1946, after much hesitation, Arkhipova applied to the conservatory. During the exams in the first round, she was heard by the famous vocal teacher S. Savransky. He decided to take the applicant into his class. Under his guidance, Arkhipova improved her singing technique and already in her second year she made her debut in the performance of the Opera Studio. She sang the role of Larina in Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin. She was followed by the role of Spring in Rimsky-Korsakov's opera The Snow Maiden, after which Arkhipova was invited to perform on the radio.
Arkhipova moves to the full-time department of the conservatory and begins to work on the diploma program. Her performance in the Small Hall of the Conservatory was rated by the examination committee with the highest score. Arkhipova was offered to stay at the conservatory and was recommended for admission to graduate school.
However, at that time, a teaching career did not attract Arkhipova. She wanted to be a singer and, on the advice of Savransky, decides to join the trainee group of the Bolshoi Theater. But failure awaited her. Then the young singer left for Sverdlovsk, where she was immediately accepted into the troupe. Her debut took place two weeks after her arrival. Arkhipova performed the role of Lyubasha in the opera by N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov "The Tsar's Bride". Her partner was the famous opera singer Yuri Gulyaev. Here is how he remembers this time:
Irina Arkhipova as Lyubasha in N. Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride, 1959 “The very first meeting with Irina Arkhipova was a revelation for me. It happened in Sverdlovsk. I was still a student at the conservatory and performed in small parts on the stage of the Sverdlovsk Opera Theater as a trainee. And suddenly a rumor spread, a new young, talented singer was accepted into the troupe, who was already being talked about as a master. She was immediately offered a debut - Lyubasha in " royal bride” Rimsky-Korsakov. She must have been very worried...
Later, Irina Konstantinovna told me that she turned away from the posters with fear, where for the first time it was printed: “Lyubasha - Arkhipova”. And here is Irina's first rehearsal. There were no scenery, there were no spectators. There was only a chair on the stage. But there was an orchestra and a conductor at the podium. And there was Irina - Lyubasha. Tall, slender, in a modest blouse and skirt, without a stage costume, without makeup. Aspiring singer...
I was backstage five meters from her. Everything was ordinary, in a working way, the first rough rehearsal. The conductor showed the introduction. And from the very first sound of the singer's voice, everything changed, came to life and spoke. She sang “This is what I have lived to, Grigory,” and it was such a sigh, drawn out and aching, it was such a truth that I forgot about everything; it was a confession and a story, it was a revelation of a naked heart, poisoned by bitterness and suffering.
In her severity and inner restraint, in her ability to master the colors of her voice with the help of the most concise means, there lived an absolute confidence that excited, shocked and surprised. I believed her in everything. Word, sound, appearance - everything spoke in rich Russian. I forgot that this is an opera, that this is a stage, that this is a rehearsal and there will be a performance in a few days. It was life itself. It was like that state when it seems that a person is off the ground, such inspiration when you sympathize and empathize with the truth itself. “Here she is, Mother Rus', how she sings, how she takes the heart,” I thought then ... "
While working in Sverdlovsk, the young singer expanded her operatic repertoire and improved her vocal and artistic technique. A year later, she became a laureate of the International Vocal Competition in Warsaw. Returning from there, Arkhipova made her debut in the classical part for mezzo-soprano in the opera Carmen. It was this party that became the turning point in her biography.
After playing the role of Carmen, Arkhipova was invited to the troupe of the Maly Opera Theater in Leningrad. However, she never made it to Leningrad, because at the same time she received an order to be transferred to the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. She was noticed by the chief conductor of the theater A. Melik-Pashayev. He was working on updating the production of the opera Carmen and needed a new performer.
And on April 1, 1956, the singer made her debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater in Carmen. Arkhipova worked on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater for forty years and performed in almost all parts of the classical repertoire.
In the first years of her work, her mentor was Alexander Shamilevich Melik-Pashaev, and then the famous opera conductor Vasily Vasilyevich Nebolsin. After a triumphant premiere in Moscow, Arkhipova was invited to the Warsaw Opera, and from that time her fame began on the world opera stage.
In 1959 Arkhipova was a partner famous singer Mario Del Monaco, invited to Moscow to play the role of Jose. After the performance famous artist In turn, he invited Arkhipova to participate in productions of this opera in Naples and Rome. Arkhipova became the first Russian singer to join foreign opera companies.
“Irina Arkhipova is exactly the kind of Carmen that I see this image, bright, strong, whole, far from any touch of vulgarity and vulgarity, humane. Irina Arkhipova has a temperament, a subtle stage intuition, a charming appearance, and, of course, an excellent voice - a mezzo-soprano of a wide range, which she is fluent in.
She is a wonderful partner. Her meaningful, emotional acting, her truthful, expressive conveyance of the depth of the image of Carmen gave me, as the performer of the role of José, everything that was needed for the life of my hero on stage. She is a truly great actress. The psychological truth of the behavior and feelings of her heroine, organically connected with music and singing, passing through her personality, fills her entire being, ”
her Italian colleague said.
In the 1959/60 season, together with Mario Del Monaco, Arkhipova performed in Naples, Rome and other cities. She received great reviews from the press.
“... A true triumph fell to the lot of the soloist of the Moscow Bolshoi Theater Irina Arkhipova, who performed as Carmen. The strong, wide range, rare beauty voice of the artist, dominating the orchestra, is her obedient instrument; with his help, the singer was able to express a whole range of feelings that Bizet endowed the heroine of his opera with.
The perfect diction and plasticity of the word should be emphasized, which is especially noticeable in recitatives. No less than Arkhipova’s vocal skill is her outstanding acting talent, which is distinguished by an excellent elaboration of the role down to the smallest details”
Irina Arkhipova and Mario Del Monaco in Carmen, 1959 “About performers leading role in Bizet's amazing opera we have many enthusiastic memories, but after listening to the last Carmen, we can say with confidence that none of them aroused such admiration as Arkhipova.
Her interpretation for us, who have opera in their blood, seemed completely new. Exceptionally faithful Russian Carmen in an Italian production, to be honest, we did not expect to see. Irina Arkhipova in yesterday's performance opened up new performing horizons for the character of Merimee - Bizet”
Arkhipova was sent to Italy not alone, but accompanied by an interpreter - a teacher Italian Y. Volkova. Apparently, the officials were afraid that Arkhipova would remain in Italy.
Like other singers, Arkhipova often fell victim to behind-the-scenes intrigues. Sometimes the singer was simply refused to leave under the pretext that she had too many invitations from different countries. So one day, when Arkhipova received an invitation from England to participate in the production of the opera Il Trovatore on the stage of the Covent Garden Theatre, the Ministry of Culture replied that Arkhipova was busy and offered to send another singer.
Not less complexity caused an expansion of the repertoire. In particular, Arkhipova became famous for her performance of European sacred music. However, for a long time she could not include Russian sacred music in her repertoire. Only in the late 1980s did the situation change. Fortunately, these “accompanying circumstances” are also in the distant past.
Written by V.V. Timokhin:
“The performing art of Arkhipova cannot be placed within the framework of any role. Her range of interests is very wide and varied. Along with the opera house, a huge place in her artistic life is occupied by concert activity in its most diverse aspects: these are performances with the Bolshoi Theater Violin Ensemble, participation in concert performances of opera works, and such a relatively rare form of performance today as Opernabend (evening opera music) with a symphony orchestra, and concert programs accompanied by an organ. And on the eve of the 30th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, Irina Arkhipova appeared before the audience as a magnificent performer of the Soviet song, masterfully conveying her lyrical warmth and high citizenship.
The stylistic and emotional versatility inherent in Arkhipova's art is unusually impressive. On the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, she sang virtually the entire repertoire intended for mezzo-soprano - Marfa in Khovanshchina, Marina Mnishek in Boris Godunov, Lyubava in Sadko, Lyubasha in The Tsar's Bride, Love in Mazepa, Carmen in Bizet, Azucenu in Il trovatore, Eboli in Don Carlos.
For the singer, who conducts systematic concert activity, it became natural to turn to the works of Bach and Handel, Liszt and Schubert, Glinka and Dargomyzhsky, Mussorgsky and Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Prokofiev. How many artists have to their credit romances by Medtner, Taneyev, Shaporin or such a wonderful work by Brahms as “Rhapsody for mezzo-soprano” with a male choir and a symphony orchestra?
How many of the music lovers were familiar with, say, vocal duets Tchaikovsky before Irina Arkhipova recorded them on a record in an ensemble with soloists of the Bolshoi Theater Makvala Kasrashvili, as well as with Vladislav Pashinsky?”
Concluding her book in 1996, Irina Konstantinovna wrote:
“…In the intervals between tours, which are an indispensable condition for active creative life, recording another record, or rather, a CD, filming TV programs, press conferences and interviews, performing singers at the concerts of the “Singing Biennale. Moscow - St. Petersburg", work with students, work in the International Union of Musical Figures ...
And more work on the book, and more ... And ... I myself am surprised how, with all my downright crazy workload of pedagogical, organizational, social and other “non-vocal” affairs, I still continue to sing. Just like that joke about the tailor who was elected king, but he does not want to give up his craft and sews a little more at night ...
Here you go! Another phone call… “What? Ask to organize a master class? When?.. And where should I perform?.. How? Is the recording already tomorrow?..”
The music of life continues to sound ... And it's wonderful.”
Irina Arkhipova - opera singer, owner of a wonderful mezzo-soprano, People's Artist of the Soviet Union, teacher, publicist, public figure. It can rightly be considered the national treasure of Russia, because Arkhipova's brilliant singing gift and the global scale of her personality are limitless.
The main events that Arkhipova Irina Konstantinovna experienced in her life, the husbands of the singer, her achievements in music and in social activities - today is our story about this outstanding woman. By what internal principles did the opera queen of the Soviet Union live, and why did she quarrel with the great Galina Vishnevskaya? The reader will find answers to all these questions in our article.
Childhood memories
Irina Arkhipova is a singer whose biography began in Moscow. The girl was born in January 1925 in a family of intelligent and very musical people. Her father, engineer Konstantin Vetoshkin, was incredibly creative person, he played four musical instruments - piano, balalaika, guitar, mandolin. This commitment to music has been going on since ancient times of the Vetoshkin family. Once in the family of Konstantin Ivanovich's parents there was a whole family orchestra. Arkhipova's mother - Evdokia Efimovna Galda - sang at the Bolshoi Theater. Irina Konstantinovna recalls: “Mom had a very beautiful voice with a soft timbre, dad always admired her talent. Parents loved to attend concerts, opera performances, ballet. Live music played constantly parental home, Irina heard it since childhood.
Parents tried to instill a versatile education and, of course, a love of music for their daughter. I must say that Irina was a gifted child in many things - she showed the ability to draw, she sang well. They decided to send her to study at the music school at the conservatory in Moscow in piano. However, education had to be interrupted - the girl suddenly fell ill and could not attend classes. Later, Irina again made an attempt to get closer to the world of music - she entered the school named after the Gnessin sisters and began studying with Olga Fabianovna Gnesina. Simultaneously with piano lessons, Irina Konstantinovna sang in the school choir.
Choice of profession
Parents, of course, understood that their daughter had a musical talent, but they were of the opinion that singing was not the best thing to do well in life. Whether the case for which Arkhipova had not hefty abilities. In addition, Irina Konstantinovna always admired the works of famous women sculptors A.S. Golubkina, V.I. Mukhina and seriously thought about how to connect her life with architecture.
The war made a choice for Irina Konstantinovna. The Vetoshkin family was evacuated to Tashkent. There, the future opera diva entered the Architectural Institute, which, by a great coincidence, also ended up in Tashkent, in evacuation. In parallel with her studies at the university, Arkhipova Irina Konstantinovna studied at the vocal studio at the institute. Her teacher was Nadezhda Malysheva, who opened the world of music to the student, introduced her to the art of opera. According to Irina Arkhipova herself, it was Nadezhda Matveevna who initially led the student to the correct interpretation musical works, taught to feel the form and content, introduced me to romance and opera literature.
The first performance of Irina Arkhipova before the public took place within the walls of the Architectural Institute. It must be said that music and theater were highly respected both among teachers and university students, and such concerts were an important part of students' lives.
In 1948, Irina Arkhipova defended her diploma project with an “excellent” degree and was assigned to an architectural workshop that dealt with Moscow projects. With the participation of Irina Arkhipova, residential buildings were created on the Yaroslavl Highway. According to her project, the Moscow Financial Institute was built.
Singing career. Start
In 1948, evening studies became available at the Moscow Conservatory, and Irina, without leaving her job as an architect, entered the first year. educational institution in the class of the artist of the RSFSR Leonid Savransky. In 1951, the singer made her debut on the radio. In 1954, Irina Arkhipova switched to full-time education, for which she took a vacation at her own expense. She sincerely believed that after graduation she would definitely return to architecture, but this did not happen. Irina Konstantinovna brilliantly defended her thesis, passed state exams with honors and entered graduate school. Unfortunately, she did not pass the test for the Bolshoi Theater troupe.
In 1954, Irina Arkhipova left for Sverdlovsk, where she worked for a year at the opera house. The first popularity came to the singer when she won the International Vocal Competition. Having taken the Grand Prix in a musical competition, Irina Arkhipova decided not to stop there. The biography of her creative development continued with concert activities in the cities of Russia. Two years later, the future opera diva ended up in Leningrad. She performed very successfully on the stage of the Maly Theater, after which she was offered to stay in the cultural capital. However, unexpectedly for everyone, by order of the Ministry of Culture, Arkhipova was transferred to Moscow. Since March 1956, Irina Konstantinovna was officially listed in the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater.
Work at the Bolshoi Theater
On April 1 of the same year, Irina Arkhipova made her debut on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater - she performed with great success in Georges Bizet's opera Carmen. Her stage partner was the Bulgarian dramatic tenor Lubomir Bodurov. Of course, in the career of a young and aspiring artist, this was a sharp turn. Irina Arkhipova, whose biography of creativity began several years ago, did not have time to work at the Bolshoi Theater even for a year. And now she has received main party in the great opera.
As Irina Arkhipova herself recalled about that period of time: “All my thoughts were occupied with only one thing - to prepare and perform well in the play. In my youth and ignorance of life, I did not even imagine that it was not at all the first appearance on the stage to be afraid. It was necessary to beware of the debut appearance on it as a soloist in the production of Carmen. It seemed to me then that this was a simple pattern - the first time in the Bolshoi and immediately in the lead role. I could not even think that this is an exceptional case.
In May 1959, another important event took place in the career of Irina Arkhipova - she performed one of her favorite roles in the play "Khovanshchina" by Mussorgsky - the part of Martha.
World recognition
In June 1959, a tour of Italian tenor Mario Del Monaco was organized in the USSR. The opera singer took part in the play "Carmen", becoming Irina Arkhipova's stage partner. His arrival in Soviet Union was an incredible event that had a public outcry. The duet with a world star was the culminating event in creative career Irina Arkhipova, who opened the doors to world popularity for her. Television and radio broadcasts of the performance in European countries contributed to the instant recognition of the talent of the Russian opera queen. Arkhipova Irina Konstantinovna, whose photo now did not leave the covers of Soviet magazines, did not have time to accept numerous job offers from abroad.
She was to perform joint performances with Mario Del Monaco in the cities of Italy. By the way, this was the first performance of a Russian singer on the Italian stage in the history of all Soviet opera art. Irina Arkhipova was a pioneer in promoting the Russian opera school in the West. Soon the first internship of young Soviet singers in Italy became possible - Milashkina, Vedernikov, Nikitina and others.
Acquaintance with Woostman and Caballe
In the summer of 1963, Irina Arkhipova went to Japan, where she gave 14 concerts in many cities of the country. In 1964, the singer performed on the stage of La Scala in performances: Boris Godunov (part of Marina Mnishek), War and Peace (part of Helen Bezukhova), The Queen of Spades (Polina). Irina Arkhipova also managed to go overseas - she had several performances in the USA. In New York, the singer met John Wustman, a famous pianist, with whom they recorded a record with Mussorgsky at the Melodiya company. The joint work was awarded the Golden Orpheus Grand Prix in France. By the way, John Wustman became a creative friend for Arkhipova for many years.
Thanks to the festival held in the south of France, Irina Konstantinovna met Montserrat Caballe and was indescribably surprised at the dignity with which the world star behaves. “During our work in the play “Il trovatore”, Montserrat never allowed herself “royal” whims. She was always attentive to her colleagues on the stage, not overwhelming any of them with her fame. Her behavior confirms the immutable truth - a great artist has nothing to boast of - art, his own talent and great ability to work speak for him.
Personal life
Active creative activity did not become an obstacle to the personal happiness of the singer. The opera diva tried several times to start a family. The husbands of Irina Arkhipova belonged to different professional circles. The first husband of Irina Konstantinovna was to whom in 1947 she gave birth to a son, Andrei. However, the marriage soon broke up. The second husband of the singer was her colleague in the shop. Irina Arkhipova and Vladislav Piavko, an operatic tenor, met at the Bolshoi Theatre. Once upon a time, an unhappy ending was predicted for this relationship, but the spiteful critics were mistaken in their predictions.
According to relatives of the Soviet opera diva, she was happily married. The life of Irina Konstantinovna, in addition to creativity, was also filled with female happiness. and Irina Arkhipova lived together for over forty years. Although the relationship of the two talented people started with loud scandal, which was known not only in the Soviet Union, but also far beyond its borders. The conflict between Irina Arkhipova and Galina Vishnevskaya - another prima of the Bolshoi Theater - flared up just because of the young and promising opera singer - Vladislav Piavko. The details of this scandalous story became known to the public thanks to the story published by Irina Konstantinovna in the book of her husband (Vladislav Piavko) "Tenor: from the chronicle of lived lives ...".
And it all happened like this. When the aspiring singer first appeared on the threshold of the Bolshoi Theater, he immediately began to court Galina Vishnevskaya, but rather not as a man, but as a fan of her great talent. A friend of Vladislav sent him from Riga a huge amount of carnations, which the tenor presented to Galina Pavlovna as a token of admiration and boundless respect. When Irina Arkhipova came to the theater, Piavko suddenly "switched" to her. The singer made it clear to the man that he would not succeed, even if only because he is much younger than Irina. However, this did not alienate the fan at all, but only provoked him even more.
The official version of the quarrel between the two opera divas was their dispute over participation in the same performance, however true reason The conflict was far from working, but personal. A tough conversation took place between the women, during which Arkhipova spoke out, not embarrassed in her expressions. It got to the point that Galina Vishnevskaya wrote a statement to the party committee against Arkhipov. The woman was summoned to a party meeting with a demand to apologize. Arkhipova offered to apologize only for the form, refusing to apologize for the content. This meeting of the party committee ended everything.
Soon, the novel of the prima of the Bolshoi Theater and Vladislav Piavko became known to others. Under the onslaught of the Siberian stubbornness of the man, Irina Arkhipova gave in. And fate certainly played an important role here.
Vladislav Piavko and Irina Arkhipova had a significant age difference of sixteen years. In marriage, the singers did not have common children, but Vladislav was already the father of four. Irina Arkhipova had her only son Andrei. After a while, the grandson Andryusha was born to the opera diva, who later graduated from the conservatory and became an artist at the Bolshoi Theater. Andrei once had a daughter, Irina, named after her famous grandmother. Unfortunately, the great Irina Arkhipova outlived her son by four years.
Social activity
Irina Arkhipova's career as a public figure began with her participation as a jury member in the Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966. Then there was the chairmanship of the Glinka Competition, participation in many world forums, for example, the Verdi Voices, the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, the vocal competition in Paris and Munich, the Maria Callas and Francisco Viñas Competitions in Greece and Spain, respectively.
Since 1986, Arkhipova has been the head of the All-Union Musical Society, later renamed the International Union of Musical Figures. In the 90s, Irina Arkhipova became the chairman of the commission in the Bul-Bul Competition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of this singer from Azerbaijan. In 1993, a special Irina Arkhipova Foundation was created in Moscow, which supports beginning musicians in every possible way. However, Arkhipova's large-scale activities are not limited to the musical sphere. Irina Konstantinovna participates in various international congresses and symposiums that deal with global problems of mankind.
Irina Arkhipova achieved her heights in life thanks to titanic work, perseverance, and love for the profession. This woman is unique. In addition to all the above areas of activity, she is a great worker.
Arkhipova - Hero of Socialist Labor, Russia for enlightenment, laureate of the Moscow City Hall award in the field of literature and art. Her work has been awarded the International Prize of the St. Andrew the First-Called Foundation. In the piggy bank of Irina Konstantinovna's regalia, there are three Red Banners of Labor, the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland". The singer was awarded the Cross of St. Michael of Tverskoy, the distinction "For Mercy and Charity", the Pushkin Medal. In addition, Irina Arkhipova is a People's Artist of several states at once - Kyrgyzstan, Bashkortostan and Udmurtia. Irina Konstantinovna also owns several honorary titles - "Person of the Year", "Person of the Century", "Goddess of the Arts".
Arkhipova. Who is she?
In the year of her eighty-fifth birthday, Irina Arkhipova gave an interview to izvestia.ru journalists, in which she shared her memories and life guidelines. The singer spoke about the fact that she has experienced a lot in her dizzying musical career. Arkhipova did not always sing what she wanted. Often she had to perform chamber programs in order to keep herself busy. Arkhipova Irina Konstantinovna, whose biography of creativity has a huge number of facts and events, still regrets something. She never had to sing "The Maid of Orleans" from the stage.
By the way, Arkhipova did not have powerful patrons, she was never anyone's favorite. People loved her for her talent, and that was enough. Irina Arkhipova was often nominated for deputies without her knowledge, in absentia. She did not resist and tried to help her constituents in any way she could. Basically it was necessary to solve the housing problem. By the way, according to the singer herself, she often met decent people in the Supreme Council. Irina Arkhipova organized the construction of a church on the Prokhorovsky field, where she invested large sums of money.
A little bit about yourself
A woman confidently declares that she has pulled out in life happy ticket. She had wonderful parents, friends, relatives. She always did what she liked; traveled a lot of countries; met with prominent people its modernity; I felt the love of fans of my work.
And all my life I felt needed. Arkhipova always tried to live by the principle: “Whatever the age in which you live, there will be no other time for you. So now it is important to do something that will leave a mark in the hearts of people for many years to come.” In addition, I felt myself happy woman Irina Arkhipova. Her personal life developed and was long and full. She is grateful to her partners for everything. From each of them, the woman learned something. Irina Arkhipova and her husbands have always been more than just roommates. They were friends.
At one time, the woman helped ensure that her grandson Andrei Arkhipov got into the troupe of the Bolshoi Theater. But not just because it is her relative. The singer really saw in her Andryusha a huge musical talent.
She said about herself that her character was complex, and not everyone liked him - Arkhipova always had a habit of telling people the truth in person. Because of this, she was often considered harsh. And she was not harsh, but simply quick-tempered. She could break loose and commit a rash act, which she later regretted. Irina Arkhipova died in February 2010 at the age of 85. Buried in Moscow Novodevichy cemetery.
The queen of Russian opera, Irina Arkhipova, lost her son shortly before her death. The health of the Russian singer, whose loss was a tragedy for world musical culture, crippled family grief.
In the sixtieth year of his life, the only son of Irina Konstantinovna Andrei died.
It is difficult to say the exact diagnosis, but he was ill for a very long time, although there was hope that everything would end well, Nadezhda Khachaturova, executive director of the Arkhipova Foundation, admitted to Life News. - It was a big loss for Irina Konstantinovna as a mother.
Arkhipova has always been closed person and never advertised what was happening in her life. We only knew that her son Andrei died not so long ago, - said the former press secretary of the Bolshoi Theater Pavel Tokarev.
In addition, in January 2010, her mother-in-law, 94-year-old Nina Kirillovna, died. The mother of the wife of the legendary artist passed away quite recently, and Irina Konstantinovna was very upset by what was happening, already in the hospital.
Vladislav Ivanovich (Arkhipova's husband. - Note) is now in the hospital, - says Nadezhda Khachaturova. - He's just not able to talk - not even forty days have passed since the day of his mother's funeral. Vladislav Ivanovich is simply shocked by what happened.
The heart of People's Artist of the USSR Irina Arkhipova stopped early this morning.
At night, Irina Konstantinovna's heart stopped twice, Botkin hospital told Life News. - The first time she was saved. The second stop took place at about five in the morning, and, unfortunately, it was no longer possible to do something.
The opera singer was transferred to the vascular intensive care unit a few days ago from the orthopedics department. 85-year-old Irina Konstantinovna was admitted to the clinic with very serious disorders of the heart. She has coronary heart disease, angina pectoris, arrhythmia. Against the background of all this, she had problems with her joints.
Doctors did everything possible to help the great artist. Despite her advanced age, an intensive course of treatment gave certain results and the opera singer got better.
However, the improvement appeared to be temporary. The condition of the singer who performed the famous Carmen (she was called the best Carmen in the world) deteriorated sharply. She was re-transferred to intensive care. Unfortunately, Arkhipova's body could not cope with a serious illness, her heart stopped.
The tragic news from the intensive care unit was immediately reported to Arkhipova's husband, Vladislav Piavko.
Vladislav Ivanovich is now in the hospital, - says Nadezhda Khachaturova, executive director of the Arkhipova Foundation. - He's just not able to talk - not even forty days have passed since the day of his mother's funeral. Vladislav Ivanovich is simply shocked by what happened.
On Thursday at two o'clock in the afternoon, Piavko's agent came to the hospital, where he completed the necessary documents related to the death of the singer. According to clinic staff, he spent about half an hour in the hospital. After his visit, it became known that farewell to Irina Arkhipova would take place in the Great Hall of the Conservatory on Saturday at noon, and after that she would be buried at the Novodevichy cemetery of the capital.
This is a huge loss for the entire musical community, not only Russian, but also global, - says Iosif Kobzon. - Irina Konstantinovna gave young performers the opportunity to prove themselves, this loss is not just sad, it is very bitter. I have known her since young years when she performed on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, was her big fan, her voice. Last time we met two years ago at a festival in Tver, which was organized by her foundation.
Irina Arkhipova was one of the loudest singers in the world, - Nikolai Baskov recalls. - Under her patronage, many famous Russian artists began their careers, for example, Dmitry Hvorostovsky. For everyone, including us young people, this is a huge loss. She was a very sensitive, valuable teacher. I knew her from an early age, I was still just a boy. And he knew very well - Irina Konstantinovna was a relative of our close friends. Of course she was a great woman! The real queen! Arkhipova was very domineering: in her presence, many were lost, embarrassed. They bowed before her! .. A huge loss for the country, very, very sorry.
It is already known that the farewell will take place in the great hall of the conservatory on Saturday or Sunday. According to the employees of the Arkhipova Foundation, the question of where the great singer will be buried is now being decided at the highest level.
The French newspaper Komba then wrote: “This performance ended in the triumph of two ladies! Montserrat Caballe and Irina Arkhipova are beyond competition. public response."
Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova (b. 1925) - Russian singer (mezzo-soprano). Was born in Moscow. Father - Vetoshkin Konstantin Ivanovich. Mother - Galda Evdokia Efimovna. Spouse - Piavko Vladislav Ivanovich, People's Artist of the USSR. Son - Andrew. Great-granddaughter - Irina.
Irina Arkhipova's father is from Belarus. He was from a family of hereditary railway workers who owned their craft deeply and seriously. The labor traditions of the Vetoshkin family, the desire for knowledge led my father in the 1920s to Moscow, to the Institute of Railway Engineers. Subsequently, Konstantin Ivanovich became a major specialist in the field of construction. In Moscow, he participated in the construction of the buildings of the Lenin Library and the development of the project for the Palace of Soviets. He was a very musical person, played several instruments, but, unlike his wife, Evdokia Efimovna, in whose family everyone could sing, he was deprived singing voice. Maternal grandfather, Efim Ivanovich, had a remarkable musical talent and a wonderful voice (bass-baritone), all his life he sang at rural holidays, in church. At one time he led the collective farm choir. Upon arrival in Moscow, Evdokia Efimovna auditioned for the choir of the Bolshoi Theater, but her husband, Konstantin Ivanovich, did not allow her to work there.
The knowledge of the surrounding world took place not only with the help of visual images, but also through sound impressions. My mother's singing was the first musical sounds of my childhood. She had a very beautiful voice, soulful, soft timbre. Dad always admired him. Although he himself did not have a voice, he was a very musical person, he liked to go to concerts, to the theater for opera performances. Self-taught, he learned to play the balalaika, mandolin, and guitar. I remember how in our house there were always these daddy's tools on the cabinets. Then I learned that in the family of my father's parents, where there were several sons, there was even a kind of family orchestra. Dad also played the piano.
During my childhood, "live" music sounded much more often than now, not only in the family circle - in school curriculum singing lessons were compulsory. They were an indispensable part of a versatile education and aesthetic education children. At such lessons, they not only sang, but at them the children received the beginnings of musical literacy - they learned notes. We even had musical dictations at school in singing lessons: I remember how we got the task to write down a melody we had just listened to with notes folk song"There was a birch tree in the field." All this speaks of the level of teaching and the attitude to such, as is commonly believed, a "minor" subject. Of course, not all of my classmates liked singing lessons, but I liked them very much, just as I liked singing in the choir.
Of course, parents tried to do everything so that their children received a versatile education. We were taken to theaters, our artistic inclinations were encouraged. Dad himself drew well and was sympathetic to my first experiments in this direction. In our house, music often sounded and not only when guests came. Often, my mother and I sang something together. We especially liked to sing the duet of Liza and Polina from "The Queen of Spades" by P.I. Tchaikovsky - of course, by ear, not by notes ...
Seeing his daughter's musical talent, Konstantin Ivanovich decided to send Irina to study music in the piano class. She entered the Central Music School at the Moscow Conservatory, but due to a sudden illness, she did not have to study there. Later, to catch up, Irina entered the Gnessin School. Her first piano teacher was Olga Alexandrovna Golubeva. A year and a half later, Irina moved to Olga Fabianovna Gnesina. In parallel with piano lessons, she sang in the choir music school.
For the first time, I learned the assessment of my voice in a solfeggio lesson from the teacher P.G. Kozlov. We sang the task, but someone from our group was out of tune. To check who is doing this, Pavel Gennadievich asked each student to sing separately. It was my turn too. From embarrassment and fear that I had to sing alone, I literally cringed. Although I sang intonation cleanly, I was so worried that my voice sounded not like a child, but almost like an adult. The teacher began to listen attentively and with interest. The boys, who also heard something unusual in my voice, laughed: "Finally they found the fake one." But Pavel Gennadievich abruptly interrupted their fun: "You shouldn't laugh! After all, she has a voice! Maybe she will be a famous singer."
However, there was no doubt in the family: the future of Irina was architecture. In 1941, she graduated from the 9th grade, but the war began, which largely influenced her choice of profession. In autumn the family was evacuated to Tashkent. In 1942, after graduating from school in Tashkent, Irina entered the Architectural Institute (MARCHI), which was also evacuated in Tashkent. Irina passed the exam in drawing and drafting with the grade "excellent #1".
My choice future profession was predestined back in Moscow. When my father's builder friends came to visit us, looking at me, they often said: "What a serious daughter you have! She will probably become an architect."
I really looked strict then: I wore a thick braid, was smart, always with a serious expression on my face. I was very flattered by this opinion of adults, especially since it coincided with my plans - I admired the works of famous women sculptors A.S. Golubkina and V.I. Mukhina and dreamed of being a sculptor or an architect. And it was just a happy coincidence that the Institute of Architecture was in Tashkent very close to our house.
In Tashkent, Irina Arkhipova resumed her music lessons, and there, at the Architectural Institute, her first public performance took place. Irina performed Polina's romance. The performance turned out to be not very successful - a strong excitement summed it up. In 1944, when the institute returned from evacuation to Moscow, she decided to speak again. Over time, these concerts have become an integral part of her student life.
Often, answering the question of how she became a singer, Irina Konstantinovna says: "I graduated from the Architectural Institute." The illogicality of such an answer is purely external, since the Institute of Architecture, in addition to a broad education, erudition, outlook, perception and feeling of space, a sense of style, form, composition, also provided a rather serious musical education. Within the walls of the institute, music enjoyed great respect. Both teachers and students were avid theater goers.
In 1945, the "father of architecture", the famous academician Ivan Vladislavovich Zholtovsky, invited Nadezhda Matveevna Malysheva to lead a vocal circle at the Moscow Architectural Institute, which Irina Arkhipova entered. Prior to that, Nadezhda Matveevna worked as an accompanist for the famous vocal teacher G. Aden. From that moment, a new streak began in Irina's life, which led her to the opera house and the concert stage. It is from this moment that her creative (singing) biography begins.
From the very beginning, Nadezhda Matveevna led me to the correct interpretation of the works, taught me to feel the form, explained the subtext, suggested what techniques could be used to achieve a high artistic result. In our circle, everything was evaluated according to the highest standards of real art. My repertoire grew rapidly, Nadezhda Matveevna was pleased with me, but at the same time stingy with praise. Therefore, it was a great joy for me to find out what she said about me: "You can speak the same language with Ira - the language of Chaliapin and Stanislavsky!"
In the vocal circle, a serious acquaintance of the future singer with romance and opera literature began. Interestingly, during the lessons on Habanera from the opera "Carmen" by Jean Bizet, N.M. Malysheva offered her own interpretation of the image of Carmen - pure, free, wild - which resonated in Irina's soul and subsequently became the cornerstone in the performance of the entire part. A few months after the start of classes, her first vocal evenings took place in the architectural.
Being engaged in singing, making progress in the concerts of the vocal circle and its evenings, I.K. Nevertheless, Arkhipova continued to prepare for the work of an architect and persistently worked on her graduation project under the guidance of Professor M.O. Barshch, teachers G.D. Konstantinovsky, N.P. Sukoyants and architect L.S. Zalesskaya.
For my diploma, I chose not quite regular theme- designing a monument-museum in honor of the fallen in the Great Patriotic War in the city of Stavropol. The unusualness was out of the question - only three years had passed since the end of the war, and the memory of the fallen was very fresh, and the construction of monuments in their honor was more than relevant. The decision I proposed was unusual - to erect a monument in the form of a kind of pantheon on an elevated place in the park, in the very center of the city of Stavropol. At that time, this was new: immediately after the war, no one had yet built pantheon monuments. It was then that they began to appear in various places in our country - suffice it to name the famous ensemble on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd or the recently opened memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.
I was not in the city of Stavropol itself, but I, like other diploma students, were provided with everything necessary materials- photographs, plans, literature - so I had a good idea of the place where I proposed to erect a monument. According to my project, it was supposed to stand on Komsomolskaya Gorka - this is the highest place in the park, which I wanted to crown with some kind of vertical. And this visual dominant was to be a monument-museum erected in the form of a rotunda with columns. Inside the rotunda, I planned to place a Museum of Glory with sculptural images of heroes, with the names of the fallen carved on the walls. Alleys of the park were supposed to converge to this rotunda, a detailed layout of which (and the area adjacent to it) I also made.
Now, after many years, I understand that at that time still a very young architect, I intuitively felt and tried to the best of my ability to express what later became characteristic of our monumental architecture.
Until recently, I was sure that my graduation project had disappeared somewhere in the archives of the institute or disappeared altogether (after all, almost half a century had passed!). But some time ago I got a call and was told that the institute had organized an exhibition of works by architects who happened to live, study and work in the era of totalitarianism - from 1938 to 1948 - and that my graduation project was also exhibited at the exhibition. Later, at one of my evenings in the hall of the Architect's House, which I regularly organize, the rector of the Architectural Institute spoke and said that the German and Japanese architects who had visited the exhibition were interested in some projects for exhibitions planned by them in other countries. Among the selected works was my project ...
Having defended her diploma "excellently" and successfully graduated from the institute, in 1948 Irina Arkhipova was assigned to work in the architectural and design workshop "Voenproekt", where she was engaged in the design of residential buildings on the Yaroslavl highway. At this time, in the workshop of the Palace of Soviets, a group of architects led by L.V. Rudneva led the design of the complex of the Moscow State University named after M.V. Lomonosov on Sparrow Hills. The design of the service buildings of the complex was transferred to L.V. Rudnev "Voenproekt", of which the garage, printing house and chemical laboratory were entrusted to Irina Arkhipova, and this work was successfully completed by her. Architect Irina Arkhipova is the author of the project for the building of the Moscow Financial Institute on Prospekt Mira.
In the same 1948, having learned that an evening department had opened at the Moscow Conservatory, Irina, continuing to work as an architect, entered the class of People's Artist of the RSFSR Leonid Filippovich Savransky as a first-year student.
In March 1951, a 3rd year student at the Moscow Conservatory and architect of the "Voenproekt" of the Ministry of Defense, Irina Arkhipova, made her debut on the Moscow radio for Italy. She told the audience about her family, sang the Molinelli anthem and the Russian folk song "Oh, you are long, night."
By the 5th year, it became obvious that it was necessary to finally decide on a profession. Performances in the opera studio, work on the chamber repertoire, participation in concerts were added to the classes at the conservatory. Irina Arkhipova decided to take a year off at her own expense, switch to a full-time department, graduate from the conservatory and see what happens there. It turned out that Irina Arkhipova never returned to architecture.
While working on the diploma program, which included an aria from the "Mass" by I.S. Bach, Irina Arkhipova rehearsed in the Great Hall of the Conservatory with Harry Grodberg, who played the famous organ. Since then, a line has appeared in the biography of a professional singer organ music. She subsequently sang with the organist M. Roizman, I. Braudo, P. Sipolnieks, O. Tsintyn, O. Yanchenko. She has performed in the organ halls of the Philharmonics of Minsk, Moscow, Leningrad, Kyiv, Chisinau, Sverdlovsk and many other cities of our country. She recorded a record of organ music in the famous Dome Cathedral in Riga, the Cathedral Assembly in Vilnius, the Polish church in Kyiv, etc.
Having brilliantly performed at the graduation concert and having passed the State exams with honors, Irina Arkhipova entered graduate school, but she did not like her at the audition for the Bolshoi Theater troupe, and they did not take her. In graduate school, she studied first in the class of F.S. Petrova, then in chamber singing - with A.V. Dolivo, and all these years she did not break with N.M. Malysheva.
Even during classes at the conservatory, everyone was convinced that Irina Arkhipova was destined to become, first of all, an opera singer. In her repertoire even then there were complex opera parts. She was often invited to take part in the most prestigious concerts with the participation of recognized vocalists. On March 1, 1954, Irina Arkhipova took part in a concert in the Red Banner Hall of the CDSA, where she performed with I.S. Kozlovsky, A.P. Ognivtsev, L.A. Ruslanova, A.P. Zueva, V.A. Popov. In April 1954, Irina Arkhipova was invited to take part in the comedy "The Philistine in the Nobility", which was brought to the USSR by the Parisian theater "Comédie Francaise". She successfully sang all the performances in Moscow and Leningrad on French and again auditioned for the Bolshoi Theater, but again they did not take her.
Once Leonid Filippovich Savransky, who was already tired of enduring that the voice of his student was still unclaimed (he was indignant: “I can’t see that you don’t sing! What good is that?”), He took me to G.M. Komissarzhevsky, an old theatrical figure known even before the revolution as an impresario. I sang a few things for him. He immediately dictated a telegram to Sverdlovsk to the director of the opera house, M.E. Ganelin: "Tall, slender, interesting, musical, with a full range, so many years ..." That is, a complete description.
Soon the answer came: Ganelin offered me to come for an audition. I did not go - I decided to continue my studies in graduate school. Two or three months later, the director of the Sverdlovsk Theater Natalya Barantseva appeared in Moscow. She listened to me and also asked: "Will you come or will you teach?" I replied, "I don't know yet."
At the end of the theatrical season, M.E. himself arrived in Moscow. Ganelin. He listened to me and said: "I give you a debut!" Without any trial... Returning to Sverdlovsk, he immediately sent me money, "lifting", so that I could leave. I calculated everything correctly: having received the money, I can no longer refuse - after all, now I have obligations to him. And I made the final decision - I'm going to Sverdlovsk! Moreover, the theater there has always been famous for its good professional level, at that time the famous bass Boris Shtokolov sang there. It meant something.
In 1954, Irina Arkhipova transferred to the postgraduate correspondence department of the vocal faculty and left for Sverdlovsk, where she worked all winter at the Opera and Ballet Theatre. In 1955, she won the international vocal competition for V World Festival youth and students in Warsaw, which ended with a concert of the winners in the Kremlin and at which one of the members of the government asked: "Why is Arkhipova not in the Bolshoi?" After the festival, the current life of the soloist of the Sverdlovsk Opera began. Irina Arkhipova took part in the final tour concert of the theater, which took place in Rostov-on-Don, and then went with him to Kislovodsk and began to prepare the part of Carmen, in which she soon performed with success.
At the same time, the "Leningrad line" began at I. Arkhipova.
On January 28, 1956, her first touring concert performance took place - a concert from the works of R. Schumann in the Small Philharmonic Hall in Leningrad. Two days later, the singer made her successful debut in The Tsar's Bride at the Maly Opera House. After these concerts, Irina Arkhipova was offered to stay in Leningrad, but she was unexpectedly transferred to the Bolshoi Theater by order of the USSR Ministry of Culture.
On March 1, 1956, Irina Arkhipova started working at the Bolshoi, and exactly a month later, on April 1, she made her debut - she performed the part of Carmen with great success. Her partner in the first "Carmen" was the Bulgarian singer Lubomir Bodurov. The part of Mikaela was sung by E.V. Shumskaya, conducted by V.V. Nebolsin.
From the debut performance at the Bolshoi Theater, the memory retained a feeling of some kind of unusual fear. But it was a completely justified, natural horror before the upcoming appearance on the famous stage, while unfamiliar to me. It was a "one-time" fear - how will I sing? How will the public, to which I was also still unfamiliar, accept me?
Due to my then inexperience, I did not know that it was necessary to be afraid not just of the first appearance on the stage of the Bolshoi, but of the first appearance on it in the part of Carmen. I did not think then that this was an exceptional case: for the first time in the Bolshoi and immediately in the title role! My thoughts then were occupied with one thing - to sing the performance well.
Every year I try to somehow celebrate that debut: on this "frivolous" day I sing, if possible, a performance at the Bolshoi Theater or arrange a creative evening on its stage. In 1996, I also managed to celebrate the 40th anniversary of my arrival at the Bolshoi Theater: it was on March 1, 1996 that an agreement was signed for the publication of a book of my memoirs, Music of Life. Here is such a coincidence. I hope it turns out happy...
In December 1956, on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, Irina Arkhipova sang Amneris (Aida by G. Verdi). This was followed by "War and Peace" (Helen), "Falstaff" (Meg) directed by B.A. Pokrovsky. Irina Arkhipova considered it a great honor and pleasure to sing in concerts where A.Sh. Melik-Pashaev. With his death, a great and milestone artistic life of the singer. She received a huge creative baggage from an inspired master. He largely determined her creative destiny, for already at first laid a solid foundation in her, based on exactingness, taste, musicality.
In 1958, the most difficult opera was staged at the Bolshoi Theater Czech composer L. Janacek "Her stepdaughter" ("Enufa"). The musical director and conductor of the production was the chief conductor of the Prague Opera, Zdenek Halabala. The stage director was the director from the Brno Opera House (Czechoslovakia) Lingart. Irina Arkhipova performed the most difficult part of Dyachikha (Kostelnichka).
Although a director came to Moscow from Brno to stage the opera, the conductor Halabala could also be called more than just music director, but also a full-fledged director: Zdenek Antonovich (as we called him in the Russian manner) translated the entire musical, rhythmic pattern written out by the composer into a dramatic action. In his mise-en-scenes, he came from music. For example, there are many pauses in Shteva's part, and Halabala explained why: Shteva was afraid of the angry old Dyachikha and stuttered from fear. When these and other features of the opera score were explained to the singers, everything fell into place and was clear.
Zdenek Antonovich worked so interestingly that I soon began to relate to a stranger to me before. musical material with less fear, and then she became so carried away with this part that she did not limit herself only to her own rehearsals with Halabala, but also stayed at others to see how he works with the performers. Watching him at this time, I could apply to myself all those requirements and advice that he gave to my partners.
Other a prime example of how to work on stage, became for Arkhipova S.Ya. Lemeshev. Under his leadership, she participated in the production of "Werther". The performances were a huge success, not to mention the triumph that S.Ya. Lemeshev - Werther. It was from him that the singer learned to give all her strength and all her thoughts to work on the image, on the opera.
In May 1959, Irina Arkhipova performed for the first time one of her favorite roles - the part of Martha in MP Khovanshchina. Mussorgsky.
The culmination of the first stage of I.K. Arkhipova was June 1959, when the Soviet Union hosted a tour of the famous Italian tenor Mario del Monaco. He was the first Italian opera singer on the Soviet stage. His arrival was a huge event, and the success of "Carmen" with his participation was incredible.
The hall greeted us standing. I don't remember how many times we went out to bow. Mario kissed my hands, tears flowed from my eyes - from joy? From stress? From happiness? I don't know... The choir artists lifted Mario and carried him off the stage to the dressing room in their arms. Such an honor at one time was awarded only to F.I. Chaliapin. Mario, also joyful, happy, said then: "I have been singing on stage for twenty years. During this time I have known many Carmen, but only three of them have remained in my memory. These are Joanna Pederzini, Rise Stevens and Irina Arkhipova."
It was not easy to go out into the street - the endless applause of the Muscovites who saw the expected miracle spread beyond the walls of the theater, which was surrounded by a huge crowd. It included those who had just left the hall, and did not get to the performance, and those who watched the broadcast on television and managed to come to the Bolshoi.
I did not consider myself famous and believed that no one would recognize me at the service entrance without makeup and costume, and I could leave the theater quite calmly. But the Moscow public knows how to love! They immediately surrounded me, said the kindest words, thanked me. I don’t remember how many autographs I signed then ... For the first time in my life, so many ...
The grandiose success of "Carmen" in Moscow opened the doors to the world opera stage for Irina Arkhipova and brought the singer world success. Thanks to the television and radio broadcast of this performance throughout Europe, she received numerous invitations from abroad. While touring in Budapest, she performed Carmen in Italian for the first time. Her partner, in the role of Jose, was a talented singer and actor Jozsef Shimandi. And ahead was to sing with Mario del Monaco in Italy! In December 1960, "Carmen" was in Naples, and in January 1961 - in Rome. Here she was not just a success - a triumph! It became evidence that the talent of Irina Arkhipova was recognized in her homeland as the best vocal school in the world, and del Monaco recognized Irina Arkhipova as the best of modern Carmen.
You are my delight, my torment,
You light up my life with happiness...
My Carmen...
This is how the enamored José addresses Carmen in his famous aria from the second act, or, as it is also called, "aria with a flower."
I, too, can rightfully repeat these words of recognition to my heroine. And although it cannot be said that working on this role was my torment, my Carmen was given to me not immediately and not simply, but after many doubts and searches for my own vision, my understanding of this character of a very popular opera by Bizet and no less popular short story by Mérimée. But it is indisputable that the performance of this party had a decisive influence on my entire future creative destiny. Carmen really lit up my life, because she is associated with very vivid impressions from the first years of my work in the theater. This party opened the way for me Big world: thanks to her, I received the first real recognition both in my homeland and in other countries.
Touring in Italy was of great importance for everything domestic art. These were the first performances by a Russian singer in the history of Soviet opera and her participation in productions on the Italian opera stage. In addition, Irina Arkhipova performed in Rome with an evening of Russian romances. The result of these tours was the signing by the director of La Scala, Dr. Antonio Giringelli and the USSR Ambassador to Italy, S.P. Kozyrev of the document-contract on the first internship of young Soviet singers in Italy. Soon T. Milashkina, L. Nikitina, A. Vedernikov, N. Andguladze, E. Kibkalo went there.
The popularity of Irina Arkhipova also grew at home. In November 1961, her first solo concert took place in the Hall of Columns. In his program classical music. I. Arkhipova decided to perform Shaporin's Spanish romance "A cool night has died" and felt that the work Soviet composer took an equal place next to the famous classics.
In the autumn of 1963, work was underway on the first opera, which was intended for the stage of the newly opened Kremlin Palace of Congresses - "Don Carlos" by G. Verdi. Irina Arkhipova was entrusted with the party of Eboli. The Bulgarian conductor Asen Naydenov was invited for the production, who later said: "Irina Arkhipova possesses not only great self-control, a sense of proportion and acting skills, but also great musicality, an excellent memory and vivid artistry. I know two singers who coped brilliantly with this most difficult party - Elena Nikolai and Irina Arkhipova".
In May-June 1963, Irina Arkhipova traveled to Japan, where she held 14 solo concerts throughout the country, and in 1964, on tour of the Bolshoi Theater in Milan, at La Scala, Irina Arkhipova brilliantly performed in the roles: Marina Mnishek ( "Boris Godunov"), Polina ("The Queen of Spades") and Helen Bezukhova ("War and Peace"). In the same year, I. Arkhipova made her first trip to the USA. In New York, she met pianist John Woostman, with whom she still remains in real creative friendship. With him, the singer repeatedly toured the United States, Europe, in particular, she sang with him one of the concerts at the Pleyel Hall in Paris. In 1970, during the third round of the P.I. Tchaikovsky Irina Arkhipova and John Wustman recorded at the Melodiya company a disc from the works of S. Rachmaninov and a cycle by M.P. Mussorgsky's Songs and Dances of Death. This record received the Grand Prix "Golden Orpheus" in Paris.
In 1967, Irina Arkhipova accepted an offer to take part in the production of "Khovanshchina" by M.P. Mussorgsky in the famous "La Scala", becoming the first Russian singer to receive an invitation to participate in the production of a performance abroad. Irina Arkhipova performed the part of Marfa in the premiere performances in Italian. The part of Ivan Khovansky was performed by the famous Bulgarian bass Nikolay Gyaurov.
Returning to Moscow after my first Milan tour, I soon received a very warm letter from Dr. Antonio Ghiringelli, director of the La Scala Theatre: "Dear Mrs. "Khovanshchina" Both the press and the public highly appreciated your finest skill as an actress and your beautiful voice. I express my ardent desire to see you perform at La Scala also in Italian operas, in particular, in the operas "Don Carlos" and "Aida". The first of these two operas is expected at the end of next year. I will not hesitate to inform you of possible dates and, of course, ask for your cooperation and participation. May 18, 1967, Milan. But less than a year after Khovanshchina, at the end of 1967, I was again in Milan - I participated in the production of another opera by M.P. Mussorgsky - Boris Godunov. And I met Nikolai again Gyaurov, who wonderfully sang Tsar Boris.
In 1969 - again touring the United States, again "Carnegie Hall" in New York. Here Irina Arkhipova sang scenes from "Carmen" in French. In 1970, the singer received an invitation to the San Francisco Opera for Aida. One of the performances was attended by Luciano Pavarotti, who invited the singer to Donizetti's "Favorite" in Bologna.
In August 1970, Irina Arkhipova, having sung Marina Mnishek, Polina in The Queen of Spades and several concerts on the tour of the Bolshoi Theater of the USSR in Canada at Expo-70, flew to Riga, where she made her debut as Azucena in the opera Il Trovatore. In October of the same year, Arkhipova participated in the production of Il trovatore in Nancy, France, after which she was listed in the Golden Book of the theater and received a contract for Aida in Rouen and Bordeaux and for the production of Il trovatore in Orange. This production took place in the summer of 1972 as part of the International Opera Festival.
Without any exaggeration, I can say that I consider my performance in the "Il Trovatore" on the stage of the ancient Roman amphitheater of the times of Emperor Augustus the strongest impression in my artistic life, a significant milestone in my life. creative destiny.
The impression of visiting the amphitheater in Orange was amazing. It caused me both delight and fear: a giant bowl, on the steps of which, diverging upwards and to the sides and somewhat destroyed over the past millennia, can accommodate up to eight thousand spectators; many arches in a huge wall reaching forty meters; in one of them there is a preserved, albeit dilapidated, statue of Emperor Augustus... This was once a place for entertainment for Roman soldiers. Now opera performances are staged here.
Of course, before entering such an unusual stage for me, where I was to sing surrounded by outstanding performers, I was worried, but I did not expect such success, such an extraordinary delight of the public. And not only her. For me, who had recently experienced unpleasant moments in my "native" theater, it was very important that the interest and appreciation of my reading of the image of Azucena received such a high response in France, whose newspapers called our duet with Montserrat Caballe like this: "Caballe's triumph! Coronation Arkhipova!"
The French newspaper Komba then wrote: “This performance ended in the triumph of two ladies! Montserrat Caballe and Irina Arkhipova are beyond competition. public response." In addition to the press, French filmmakers also showed interest in staging Il trovatore on the stage of a huge ancient amphitheater, who shot a whole film dedicated to the historical production of the opera. (True, it was never seen in our country).
Another wonderful impression of the festival in the south of France was my acquaintance with Montserrat Caballe. This illustrious singer at all times of our joint work on "Troubadour" behaved very worthy - without any "prima donna outbursts". Moreover, she was very attentive to her partners, did not suppress anyone with her fame, but was calm, friendly. Her behavior once again confirmed that the Great Artist has no need to engage in "frills" - His Majesty Art speaks for him. Montserrat treated me not only well - in London, where we met three years later, and again at the Troubadour, she even brought her impresario to me and said that she had not heard a better Azucena than Arkhipov for all the time their speeches. Evaluation of a colleague of this rank is worth a lot.
The London debut of 1975, where again I. Arkhipova sang with great success together with M. Caballe in Il trovatore, turned out to be no less successful, and the press was numerous and enthusiastic. After this performance, tours in England became regular. Performances, festivals, concerts. It was on these tours that Irina Arkhipova met with a wonderful Italian conductor Ricardo Mutti. The singer considers chamber programs important for herself, including romances by Medtner, Taneyev, Prokofiev, Shaporin, Sviridov, so the success that fell to their lot in England is especially dear to her. One of the articles, in response to concerts in September 1986, was entitled "Magic Mezzo". "... She gave London unforgettable moments of singing art, enchanting and beautiful sounds of a voice, one of best voices V last years... Arkhipova perfectly masters her voice, its boundless emotional possibilities: from a quiet whisper to a cry of despair and command. She can amaze with her great sound, but her main goal is to serve music with complete freedom, boundless musicality and taste... Arkhipova sounds full, inspired and at the same time modest, without pretensions, without affectations, like the best Slavic and Balkan folk singers, but at the same time advantage that gives singing breath, backed up by craftsmanship, is a true bel canto."
"Arkhipova was able to revive the greatness of Maria Callas in our memory, endowing us with two unique hours of music at the same time, which excited us," the press wrote after the concert in memory of Maria Callas on the stage of Herod-Atticus, which took place as part of Irina Arkhipova's September tour in Greece (1983).
Stories about people whom Irina Arkhipova was lucky to meet in her life, to know from working together on stage, can be endlessly long. This is a work with conductor B.E. Khaikin, directors I.M. Tumanov, B.A. Pokrovsky, G.P. Ansimov; beautiful singers A.A. Eizen, P.G. Lisitsian, Z.I. Anjaparidze, next generation singers whom she supported at the very beginning of their opera career, who later became partners with I.K. Arkhipova. The singer brought many of them, as they say, by the hand to European and other stages.
Deep and serious acquaintance of Irina Arkhipova with new works began at the conservatory, in graduate school. The cantata "Mother's Word" to the verses by Julius Fucik, performed at the conservatory by the student orchestra under the baton of the young Algis Zhuraitis, she opened the direction of oratorio-cantata forms in her work. Three decades later, during a speech on the radio with V.I. Fedoseev, she repeated this cantata.
Then there was work with S.S. Prokofiev: the cantata "Alexander Nevsky", the oratorio "Ivan the Terrible", the opera "War and Peace", "The Tale of a Real Man", his satirical songs.
The singer got acquainted with the music of Rodion Shchedrin and with him personally while preparing the opera "Not Only Love" on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater, and in 1962 this performance was conducted by E.V. Svetlanov. With composer A.N. Kholminov met when he wrote Mother's song for a gala concert dedicated to the 40th anniversary of the Komsomol, and later - in the work on the image of the commissar in "Optimistic Tragedy", which the composer wrote based on Irina Arkhipova.
Unfortunately, the singer really, creatively met the great Georgy Vasilievich Sviridov late, but having started working, she could no longer move away from the composer, from his music - original, deep, modern. G.V. Sviridov said: "Irina Konstantinovna is an artist not only great feeling and subtle intellect. She well feels the nature of poetic speech, has a wonderful sense of musical form, the proportion of art..."
A bright, unforgettable event - acquaintance with the Georgian composer Otar Taktakishvili, which turned into a long-term creative friendship.
I have at home one "non-archive" thing that constantly reminds me of various events and people. This is a linen tablecloth of respectable age, on which I have embroidered autographs left in different time many outstanding cultural figures with whom I happened to meet, be acquainted, work or be friends...
The idea to collect autographs on the tablecloth does not belong to me. In the 50s, when I had just come to work at the Bolshoi Theater, an elderly secretary worked in the reception room of our director - she was one of the oldest workers in the theater. It was she who collected and embroidered such signatures. Although I was still a young singer at the time, she asked me to sign her tablecloth. I remember how I was somewhat surprised by this, but also flattered. I liked the idea so much that I also decided to collect autographs wonderful people with whom fate will bring me.
The first to leave their signatures on my tablecloth were my colleagues at the Bolshoi Theater - singers Maria Maksakova, Maria Zvezdina, Kira Leonova, Tamara Milashkina, Larisa Nikitina ... Of the singers with whom I often went on the stage of the Bolshoi, they signed for me Ivan Petrov, Zurab Anjaparidze, Vladislav Piavko... I also have autographs of our outstanding ballet dancers - Maya Plisetskaya and Vladimir Vasiliev. Embroidered on the tablecloth are the signatures of many great musicians - David Oistrakh, Emil Gilels, Leonid Kogan, Evgeny Mravinsky...
The tablecloth traveled with me around the world in a special bag for needlework. She is still at work today.
In 1966, Irina Arkhipova was invited to take part as a member of the jury of the P.I. Tchaikovsky, and since 1967 she has been the permanent chairman of the jury of the M.I. Glinka. Since then, she regularly takes part in many prestigious competitions in the world, including: "Verdi voices" and named after Mario del Monaco in Italy, the Queen Elizabeth Competition in Belgium, Maria Callas in Greece, Francisco Viñas in Spain, vocal competition in Paris, vocal competition in Munich. Since 1974 (with the exception of 1994) she has been the permanent chairman of the jury of the P.I. Tchaikovsky in the section " solo singing". In 1997, at the invitation of the President of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev and the Minister of Culture of Azerbaijan, Palad Bul-Bul Ogly, Irina Arkhipova headed the jury of the Bul-Bul Competition, organized on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the birth of this outstanding Azerbaijani singer.
Since 1986, I.K. Arkhipova heads the All-Union musical society, at the end of 1990 transformed into the International Union of Musical Figures. Irina Konstantinovna takes part in many international congresses and symposiums of public and government organizations By global issues humanity. In the sphere of her daily worries and interests, the most diverse questions, up to curiosities. Not without her participation, it was possible to save the famous Bird Market for Moscow, to organize the performance of young singers - laureates of the M.I. Glinka, "knock out" the Hall of Columns for holding International Competition named after P.I. Tchaikovsky.
In 1993, the Irina Arkhipova Foundation was organized in Moscow to support and promote young performing musicians, including singers.
Irina Konstantinovna Arkhipova is a unique phenomenon on the world opera stage. She is the People's Artist of the USSR (1966), Hero of Socialist Labor (1985), laureate of the Lenin Prize (1978), the State Prize of Russia (1997) for enlightenment, awards and medals named after S.V. Rachmaninov, Moscow Mayor's Prize in literature and art for outstanding contribution to the artistic culture of Moscow and Russia (2000), Russian Prize"Casta-Diva" "For noble service to the opera" (1999), International Prize of the St. Andrew the First-Called Apostle Foundation (2000). She was awarded three orders of Lenin (1972, 1976, 1985), the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1971), the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, II degree (2000), the Order of the Russian Orthodox Church of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Princess Olga, II degree (2000), the Order of the Republic ( Moldova, 2000), medals "Cross of St. Michael of Tver" (2000), "For Mercy and Charity" (2000), "For services to the culture of Poland", St. long-term selfless service to the Russian musical art (1998), medal named after A.S. Pushkin (1999), many other domestic and foreign medals. She has been awarded the title People's Artist Republic of Kyrgyzstan, People's Artist of the Republic of Bashkortostan (1994), Honored Artist of Udmurtia, title "Maestra Del'Arte" (Moldova).
Irina Arkhipova is a professor at the Moscow State P.I. Tchaikovsky (1984), full member and vice-president of the International Academy of Creativity and the Russian Section of the International Academy of Sciences, President of the International Union of Musical Figures (1986) and the Irina Arkhipova Foundation (1993), Honorary Doctor of the National Academy of Music named after Musichesku of the Republic of Moldova (1998), President of the Friendship Society "Russia - Uzbekistan".
I.K. Arkhipova was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (1962-1966), people's deputy THE USSR. She is the owner of titles: "Person of the Year" (Russian biographical institute, 1993), "Person of the Century" (International Biographical Center of Cambridge, 1993), "Goddess of Arts" (1995), Laureate of the world prize of arts "Diamond Lyre" corporation "Marishin Art Management International". In 1995 the Institute for Theoretical Astronomy Russian Academy sciences named Arkhipova's minor planet No. 4424.
I can confidently call my life happy. I was happy with my parents, my loved ones, my friends, happy with my teachers and my students. All my life I have been doing what I love, traveled almost the whole world, met with many prominent personalities, I had the opportunity to share with people what nature has given me, to feel the love and appreciation of my listeners and to feel that many people need my art. But it is so important for each of us to know about our need.
As soon as they did not call the past twentieth century - both electronic and cosmic ... Nostradamus in his mysterious "Centuries" predicted that it would be "iron", "bloody" ... Whatever it was, this is our century, that in which it fell to us to live, and there was no other time for us. It is important what you did in the time allotted to you on this earth. And what did you leave behind...
