LEONID YAKOVLEV Baritone original photo as Yeletsky in Pique Dame - creator!

Description

Original albumen photograph of the Russian baritone in his creator role, Prince Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's "Pikova Dama" (1890).
Leonid Yakovlev
(1858-1919) was a Russian baritone
He initially studied at the Nikolaev Cavalry School and served in the Imperial Russian Ulan Regiment. During his time in the military he would often sing in people's home "salons" whilst accompanying himself on guitar. After his service he went to study with Evgeny Ryadov making his debut in Tiflis as Barnaba in "La Gioconda" in 1886.  He then went to Italy for several months for further study.  Not much is known about his trip there.
Tchaikovsky happened to hear him sing when he returned to the Tiflis Opera and recommended him to the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg. He made his debut there in 1887 as Valentin in "Faust". He sung at the Mariinsky until 1906.
After 1906, Yakovlev organized several travelling opera companies where he sung and directed.  In 1911 he settled in St. Petersburg as a vocal professor.  In 1914 when Russia entered World War I, Yakovlev at the age of 56 rejoined the army and was commissioned a lieutenant in a detachment of the "Red Cross of the Russian Society of Shipping and Trade" where he became distinguished for going where no one else would go, picking up the wounded on the battlefield during enemy fire.  When he returned after the War in 1918, he was appointed Director of Petrograd State Theatres and died the following year.
Yakovlev performed a wide range of primo Russian and Western baritone roles, but none was more important than his creation of the role of Prince Yeletsky in Tchaikovsky's "Pikova Dama" at the Mariinsky Theatre World Premiere on December 19, 1890.
Extremely rare image!  The photograph has been carefully removed from the original mount for placement in a photograph album.
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New York, NY
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