↑ arvau

Wikipedia / Ivan Rebroff

Ivan Rebroff (born Hans Rolf Rippert; 31 July 193127 February 2008) was a German vocalist, allegedly of Russian ancestry, who rose to prominence for his distinct and extensive vocal range of four octaves, ranging "from a low F to a high F, one and a quarter octaves above C". An imposing figure on stage, usually bearded and dressed in Cossack clothing, his presence was enhanced by his height, being over 2 metres tall.

Early life

Rebroff was born on 31 July 1931 in Berlin (prematurely, he asserted, at seven months, on a train platform) as Hans Rolf Rippert to German parents. His parents were Paul Rippert, an engineer born in 1897 in Liebenwerda, and Luise Fenske, born in the city of Bromberg (now Bydgoszcz, Poland). He claimed Russian descent, and while often disputed, this has never been totally refuted. In a 1989 interview with Izvestia, he said "according to documents I am Ivan Pavlovich Rebroff" ().

Career

He studied singing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. Although his knowledge and pronunciation of Russian was imperfect, he became famous for singing Russian folk songs, but also performed opera, light classics and folk songs from many other countries. He was known on stage for his gusto. He performed over 6,000 concerts in his career, including a two-year seven-day-a-week stint at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris, singing and acting, among other greats, the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. When he was well into his seventies, Rebroff still performed 13 concerts in 21 days on an Australian tour.

Rebroff described himself as international, the "connection between East and West". He was named an honorary citizen of the Greek Sporades island of Skopelos, his domicile.

As well as being a singer, he was at least a reasonable violinist and keyboardist (he is pictured playing a church organ but may have also played the piano). Rebroff sang and was able to converse to a lesser or greater extent in several languages in addition to his native German; Russian, French, Italian, English, and Greek.

He died aged 76 in Frankfurt on 27 February 2008, after a long illness. Four days after his death, his brother , who is nine years his senior (and by his own unsubstantiated accounts shot down Antoine de Saint-Exupéry during World War II), claimed part of Rebroff's vast fortune.

Personal life

Rebroff was gay, but did not share this widely.

LP discography

  1. 1967

  2. Volksweisen aus dem alten Russland (Folk Songs from Old Russia)

  3. 1968

  4. Volksweisen aus dem alten Russland 2 (Folk Songs from Old Russia Volume II)

  5. Original Russische Liebeslieder

  6. Na Sdarowje (Iwan Rebroff Singt Weisen Von Vodka Und Wein)

  7. Slawische Seele (Compilation album shared with and Dunja Rajter)

  8. 1969

  9. Beim Klang der Balalaika, and in French Au son des Balalaikas

  10. Favourites from Mother Russia

  11. Abendglocken (compilation)

  12. Russische Weihnacht mit Ivan Rebroff

  13. Ivan Rebroff (includes "Lara's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago)

  14. A Russian Christmas

  15. Un Violon sur le toit (Original Paris Cast Album of Fiddler on the Roof)

  16. Russische Party (live album)

  17. Festliche Weihnacht (with Regensburger Domspatzen boys' choir)

  18. A Festive Christmas (Festliche Weihnacht re-issue)

  19. 1970

  20. Kosaken müssen reiten (German-language versions)

  21. 1971

  22. The Best of Ivan Rebroff (compilation)

  23. Somewhere My Love (English-language versions)

  24. Ivan Rebroff Sing Vir Ons (South African album – Gold Disk Award)

  25. Vir Jou Suid-Afrika (South African album)

  26. Ivan Rebroff (Opera)

  27. Kalinka (soundtrack from the 1971 film , German: Das Lied der Balalaika)

  28. Mein Russland, du bist schön (German-language versions)

  29. Starportrait (compilation)

  30. Zwischen Donau und Don (with Dunja Rajter)

  31. 1972

  32. Erinnerungen an Russland (Russian-language versions)

  33. The Best of Ivan Rebroff Volume II (compilation)

  34. Lieder der Welt (Folk songs from around the world)

  35. 1973

  36. Mein altes Russland (lushly arranged Russian folk songs)

  37. 25 Greatest Russian Melodies (compilation with Tatjana Iwanow (2 duets))

  38. 20 Greatest Hits (New Zealand compilation release)

  39. 1974

  40. Russische Party 2 (live album)

  41. Memories of Russia

  42. 1975

  43. Ivan Rebroff at Carnegie Hall (live)

  44. Reich' mir die Hand

  45. Russische Lieder von Liebe und Tod (featuring Herbert Seidemann)

  46. 1976

  47. Komm mit nach Hellas (German-language versions of Greek songs)

  48. Die Fledermaus conducted by Carlos Kleiber – Deutsche Grammophon – with Hermann Prey, Júlia Várady, Lucia Popp, René Kollo, Bernd Weikl, Benno Kusche – Bavarian State Opera Chorus and Bavarian State Orchestra

  49. 1977

  50. Mitternacht in Moskau (also known as Midnight in Moscow, with German and Russian versions)

  51. 1979

  52. Ave Maria (Festliche Abendmusik Mit Ivan Rebroff)

  53. Die Ivan Rebroff Versameling (compilation of South African tracks)

  54. Midnight in Moscow (Russian-language version), in German Mitternacht in Moskau

  55. 1980

  56. Zauber einer großen Stimme – 20 unvergängliche Welterfolge

  57. Die schönsten Lieder dieser Welt (Ivan Rebroff singt 20 unvergängliche Melodien)

  58. Katharina und Potemkin (TV musical/operetta)

  59. The Ivan Rebroff Collection (compilation)

  60. Der Zarewitsch (operetta)

  61. 1981

  62. Melodien für Millionen (Ihr Wunschkonzert Mit Den Schönsten Liedern Der Welt)

  63. 1982

  64. Ivan Rebroff (Signal record label release)

  65. Zauber Grosse Stimmen (8xLP compilation featuring Alexandra)

  66. 1983

  67. Taiga-Träume (Neue Lieder Und Geschichten Aus Dem Alten Rußland)

  68. Russie Éternelle (French release)

  69. Die Schönsten Melodien

  70. 1984

  71. In Diesen Heiligen Hallen

  72. 1985

  73. Live in Concert - Recitals 1968-1982

  74. Meine Lieblingsmelodien (Swiss compilation release)

  75. Schenk Mir Einen Wodka Ein - 16 Seiner Großen Erfolge (compilation release)

  76. 1986

  77. Ich Bete An Die Macht Der Liebe (Festliche Abendmusik Mit Ivan Rebroff Vol. II)

  78. Ivan Rebroff Singt Heitere Klassik

  79. ...Und Friede Auf Erden

  80. 1988

  81. Zauber Einer Großen Stimme (Seine Größten Welterfolge)

  82. Zijn Grootste Successen (Dutch compilation release)

  83. 1989

  84. Perestroika - Glasnost

  85. The Best of Ivan Rebroff - Ses Plus Grands Succès (English/French release)

  86. 1990

  87. The Very Best of Ivan Rebroff (BBC release)

  88. Greatest Hits (CBS release)

  89. Stationen Einer Karriere

  90. 1991

  91. Ses Plus Grands Succès (French release of The Very Best of Ivan Rebroff)

  92. The Very Best of Ivan Rebroff (Volume II) (BBC release)

  93. 1992

  94. Die Krönung Einer Großen Karriere

CD discography

  1. 1976

  2. Die Fledermaus conducted by Carlos Kleiber – Deutsche Grammophon – with Hermann Prey, Júlia Várady, Lucia Popp, René Kollo, Bernd Weikl, Benno Kusche – Bavarian State Opera Chorus and Bavarian State Orchestra

  3. 1980

  4. Der Zarewitsch

  5. 1986

  6. Ivan Rebroff Singt Heitere Klassik

  7. 1990

  8. The Very Best of Ivan Rebroff

  9. 1991

  10. The Very Best Of Ivan Rebroff (Volume II)

  11. 1996

  12. Best of Ivan Rebroff

  13. 2002

  14. Meine Reise um die Welt

  15. The Great Ivan Rebroff

  16. Ach Natascha

  17. 2003

  18. Seine Größten Welterfolge

  19. Golden Stars

  20. 2004

  21. Around The World With Ivan Rebroff

  22. 2005

  23. Stimme Aus Gold

  24. 2006

  25. Ivan Rebroff – 75 Jahre (Meine Schönsten Lieder)

Compilation albums

  • Festliche Weihnachten

  • Wunschkonzert

  • The Art of Ivan Rebroff

  • The Best of Russian Folk Songs Vol. 1

  • The Best of Russian Folk Songs Vol. 2

  • Erinnerungen an das letzte Jahrhundert

  • Weihnachten mit Ivan Rebroff

  • Die schönste Stimme Rußlands

  • Kosakenträume

References