Svetlov, Mikhail - Bass

Biography

Bass Mikhail Svetlov’s international career began at Wexford Festival Opera, since which time he has performed at many leading houses worldwide. Known for the unique range, beauty, and penetrating dark timbre of his voice, as well as his outstanding acting ability, Mr. Svetlov’s early career saw him work as a company principal at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, where his roles included Boris Godunov (Boris Godunov), Gremin (Eugene Onegin), Saltan (The tale of Tsar Saltan), Mephistopheles (Faust), Zaccaria (Nabucco), Ferrando (Il Trovatore), Sobakin (The Tsar’s Bride), Dodon (Le coq d’Or), Dosifey (Khovanshchina), King René (Iolanta), Mendoza (Betrothal in a Monastery, Teatro Alla Scala), Galitsky (Prince Igor).

Among his present and future engagements are Police Inspector (Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk) in Covent Garden, King Raimondo (Isabeu by Mascagni) in Opera Holland Park.

Recent engagements include Archibaldo (L’amore dei tre Re) and Il Cieco (Iris) for Opera Holland Park, Fiesco (Simon Boccanegra) with Kentucky Opera, Grand Inquisitor (Don Carlo) for the Caramoor Festival, Zaccaria (Nabucco) with Naples Opera, Boris Godunov (Boris Godunov), and Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia) at the Chaliapin Opera Festival, Russia, and Stravinsky’s Le Noces with the Orchestra of Santa Cecilia, Rome.

Previous seasons highlights include Zaccaria (Nabucco) – Arena di Verona, Teatro Carlo Felice Genova, covering Varlaam (Boris Godunov) and roles in the Nose and Prince Igor at Metropolitan Opera, New York, Attila in Verdi’s Attila, Banquo (Macbeth), Lorenz in the U.S première of Mathis der Maler, Don Basilio (Il barbiere di Siviglia), Banquo, and Commendotore (Don Giovanni) at New York City Opera, and many others all around the world.

Mr. Svetlov is well known for his interpretation of Verdi’s Messe de Requiem having performed at leading venues internationally in Royal Albert Hall, London, Paris, Moscow, Tokyo, Montreal, and throughout the USA. Further performance on the concert platform have seen him sing with Berliner Philharmonic Orchestra, RAI Orchestra, State Symphony Orchestra of Russia, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Sarasota Symphony Orchestra, American Symphony Orchestra, Haydn’ Paukenmesse, Mozart Requiem and a Shostakovich program with Houston Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, Shostakovich Symphonies No’s. 13 & 14 with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Schostakovich’s Symphony No. 14 at the Barbican Hall, London, with Maestro Rostropovich and the London Symphony Orchestra, and also at the Royal Albert Hall, Gstaad Festival, Switzerland, and the Edinburgh International Festival.

Svetlov’s discography includes the world première of Rachmaninov’s The Miserly Knight and Serov’s Judith (Le Chant du Monde), for which he received a Telerama Award; Shostakovich’s The Gambler (Delta Music) and Prokofiev’s Betrothal in a Monastery (BMG Classics), Shostakovich’s 14th Symphony on (Virgin Classics), and was Grammy nominated for his recording of Stravinsky’s Histoire du Soldat (Koch International Classics). Repertoire

Opera Symphonic/Oratorio

Bartok, B. Bluebeard Castle Bluebeard Bach, J.S. Mass in b minor Bellini, V. Norma Oroveso Beethoven, L.van Missa Solemnis I puritani Giorgio Symphony No. 9 Borodin, A. Prince Igor Galitzky Konchak Dvorak, A. Requiem Scula Handel, G.F. Messiah Donizetti, G. Isabeu King Raimondo Mozart, W.A. Requiem L’elisir d’amore Dulcamara Mussorgsky, M. Songs and Dances of Death Lucia di Lammermoor Raimondo Prokofiev, S. Joann the Terrible Gounod, Ch. Faust Mephistopheles Shostakovich, D. Antiformalistic Rayok Janacek, L. Katya Kabanova Dikoy Execution of Stephan Razin Mascagni, P. Iris Il Cieco Michelangelo Poetry Isabeau King Raimondo Symphonies No.13,14 Mozart, W.A. Don Giovanni Commendarore Tchaikovsky, P. Moscow Don Giovanni Verdi, G. Requiem Die Entfuhrung aus dem Serail Osmin

Die Zauberflote Zarastro Mussorgsky, M. Boris Godunov Boris Godunov Pimen, Varlaam Khovanshchina Dosifey,Khovansky Montemezzi, I. L’amore dei tre re Archibaldo Prokofiev, S. Betrothal in a Monastery Mendoza Puccini, G. La boheme Alcindoro Benoit, Colline Tosca Scarpia Turandopt Timur Rachmaninov, S. Aleko Aleko, Old Gypsy Miserly Knight Baron Rimsky-Korsakov, N. The Golden Cockerel King Dodon Mozart and Salieri Salieri Sadko Viking Tale of Saltan Saltan Tsar’s Bride Sobakin, Malyuta Rossini, G. Il barbiere di Sviglia Don Basilio Saint-Saens, C. Samson et Dalila Abimelech Shostakovich, D. Lady Macbeth of Mcensk Police Inspector Nose Doctor Tchaikovsky, P. Eugene Onegin Prince Gremin Iolanta King Rene Maid of Orleans Archibishop, Dunoi Mazepa Kochubey Verdi, G. Aida Ranphis, Il Re Attila Attila Don Carlos Grande Inquisitore Philippo La forza del destino Padre Guardiano Luisa Miller Walter Macbeth Banquo Nabucco Zaccaria Simon Boccanegra Fiesco Rigoletto Monterone Sparafucile Il trovatore Ferrando Wagner, R. Der Fliegende Daland Hollander Der Hollander Reingold Fafner, Fasolt

Reviews

Barber from Seville, Basilio Mikhail Svetlov was a sensation! – La Presse, Montreal

Boris Godunov The evening, indeed, was rich in deep voice, with Mikhail Svetlov…. first rate. – New York Times

Flying Dutchman Mikhail Svetlov has found in the Dutchman a part that he can probably franchise into a big career. Besides possessing a bass-baritone of substance size and expressivity, he knows how to stand still and convey anguish and hope with his eyes. – Opera News

Faust Oustanding was Mikhail Svetlov’s excellently sung, lithe, insinuating, sarcastic Mephistopeles… – Opera News

I puritani While all the performances were commendable, Mr. Svetlov was the standout singer of the evening. His deep, dark velvety bass was absolutely beautiful and filled the house with resonant tones and wonderful shading throughout the evening”. – OperaOnline

Nabucco, Zakharia ...again, the wonderful exciting bass... was marvelous. – The Press, Vienna

His titanic, all encompassing bass penetrated even beyond the dimensions of the hall. – The Washington Post

Faust, Mephistopheles Mikhail Svetlov conquered the diverse audience with his expressive energy and superb interpretation. This authentic singer-actor...captured the enthusiastic applause. It was a real triumph! – Diario, Mexico City

Don Giovanni Russian bass Mikhail Svetlov portrayed the lovable, detestable libertine with straightforward simplicity; his performance was the most successful yet by a male singer in Bass Performance Hall. Presence and voice combined to make a powerful final scene, in which, with the sublime support of Mozart’s music, he conveyed the sense of total decadence. – Star-Telegram

Golden Cockerel, Dodon Mikhail Svetlov’s participation anchored the enterprise; the large-voiced veteran bass rumbled compellingly through Dodon’s part with apt sound, high good humor and outstanding verbal projection. – operanews.com