Dmitri Hvorostovsky
In 2015, at a time when his vocal maturity allowed him to take on the great theatrical roles such as Falstaff, Scarpia, Gianni Schicchi, Rigoletto, Grémine, and Père Germond, the Russian baritone who was suffering from an inoperable brain tumor was forced to cancel all his engagements for the stage. His last public appearance was at a Gala on the 7th May 2017, for the fifth anniversary of the Metropolitan Opera at the Lincoln Center in New York. He sparked the crowd’s enthusiasm by performing "Cortigiani, vil razza", the famous monologue from Rigoletto. Hoping that the best therapy was continuing to sing, Dmitri Hvorostovsky continued his art every day, dreaming that he would one day be able to get back up onto the stage, a hope that fate tragically refused him on the 22nd November 2017.
With fairies having brought both a beautiful voice and a beautiful physique to his cradle, Dmitri Hvorostovsky learned from an early age how to use these attributes to become one of the greatest baritones of recent years. Since making his international breakthrough in 1989, he has left his mark on some of the main opera stages all over the planet. Born in Krasnoïarsk (Siberia), he graduated with a music degree in just 4 years and soon after began to win competitions, first in the Soviet Union and then in Toulouse. But it was the BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition in 1989 that hugely boosted his career.
The beginning of his career was a dazzling success. His ease on stage, his deep and generous voice and his warm timbre that’s perfectly homogenous with his full range allowed him to make his characters truly convincing. The major record companies latched on, with PHILIPS in the lead, instantly allowing him to record numerous operas and recitals. Never short of risky comparisons, the tabloids called him the "Elvis of Opera", which helped spread his image beyond musical circles.
As he aged, his voice transformed, gaining power and becoming more flexible. Aware of his worth, the singer knew that he had conquered the world. Proud, warm and obstinate, he admits that he had his life together: "It must be said, I became a saint: I stopped smoking and drinking alcohol". Dmitri Hvorostovsky has also readily performed French song, for which he managed to perfect the accent thanks to his wife who comes from Geneva, an ex-singer herself. He is not afraid of making crossovers, with many of his albums being devoted to Russian folk songs.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky’s discography is enormous. Scouted right from the start by the major record companies, he has recorded numerous operas: Eugene Onegin, of course, as well as The Queen of Spades, Iolanta, La Traviata, Don Carlo, Cavalleria Rusticana, and Rigoletto. The latter was released in November 2017 and had been eagerly awaited as it was one of his biggest roles ever. The work was recorded in Kaunas, Lithuania, with Francesco Demuro and Nadine Sierra, conducted by Constantine Orbellian.
© François Hudry/QOBUZ
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Tchaikovsky: Iolanta
Galina Gorchakova, Gegam Grigorian, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Kirov Chorus, St Petersburg, Orchestra of the Kirov Opera, St. Petersburg, Valery Gergiev
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jan 1, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
In this moonlit night
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ivari Ilja
Vocal Music (Secular and Sacred) - Released by Ondine on Jan 1, 2013
Gramophone Editor's Choice24-Bit 48.0 kHz - Stereo -
Hvorostovsky, Dmitri: Tchaikovsky Romances (Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky - Lev Alexandrovich Mey - Yakov Petrovich Polonsky)
Classical - Released by Delos on Oct 27, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Sviridov: Russia Cast Adrift
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, St. Petersburg State Symphony Orchestra, Style of Five, Constantine Orbelian
Classical - Released by Delos on Jun 9, 2017
24-Bit 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bel Canto Arias
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Philharmonia Orchestra, Ion Marin
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Sep 20, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky and Verdi Arias (Dmitri Hvorostovsky – The Philips Recitals, Vol. 1)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Valery Gergiev
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on May 16, 1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Pushkin Romances (Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka - Alexander Pushkin - Alexander Sergeyevich Dargomyzhsky)
Classical - Released by Delos on May 25, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arias & Duets (Dmitri Hvorostovsky – The Philips Recitals, Vol. 11)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Olga Borodina, English Chamber Orchestra, Patrick Summers
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on May 12, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Shostakovich: Suite on Poems by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Op. 145 - Liszt: 3 Sonetti di Petrarca, S. 270a
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Ivari Ilja
Classical - Released by Ondine on Oct 30, 2015
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russian Romances
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Oleg Boshniakovich
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on May 10, 1991
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Tchaikovsky: The Queen of Spades, Op. 68 (Live)
Irina Arkhipova, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Natalia Datsko, Alexander Yurlov Russian State Academic Choir, Vladimir Fedoseyev, Grand Symphony Orchestra of All-Union National Radio Service and Central Television Networks
Miscellaneous - Released by JSC Firma Melodiya on Nov 16, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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MOZART: Don Giovanni - Leporello's Revenge (Soundtrack) (Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart)
Classical - Released by CBC on Nov 21, 2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
My Restless Soul
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Mikhail Arkadiev
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Feb 1, 1995
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russia Cast Adrift (Dmitri Hvorostovsky – The Philips Recitals, Vol. 8)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Mikhail Arkadiev
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Jun 11, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Russia Cast Adrift
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Mikhail Arkadiev
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Jun 11, 1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Arias & Duets
Olga Borodina, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, English Chamber Orchestra, Patrick Summers
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on May 12, 1998
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bel Canto Arias (Dmitri Hvorostovsky – The Philips Recitals, Vol. 4)
Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Philharmonia Orchestra, Ion Marin
Classical - Released by Universal Music Australia Pty. Ltd. on Sep 20, 1994
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
"I met you my love" -
Concertos - Released by Delos on Jan 1, 2002
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Mélodies (Gueorgi Vasilevitch Sviridov)
Concertos - Released by Delos on Jan 1, 2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Verdi: La Traviata
Kiri Te Kanawa, Alfredo Kraus, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Coro Del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Orchestre du Mai Musical Florentin , Zubin Mehta
Classical - Released by Decca Music Group Ltd. on Aug 30, 1993
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo