Valstybės teatro solistė Vladislava Grigaitienė: balso metamorfozė ir vokalinio meno principų kilmė

LTStraipsnyje nagrinėjama vienos ryškiausių Lietuvos nepriklausomybės laikotarpio operos solisčių Vladislavos Polovinskaitės- Grigaitienės veikla. Apžvelgiamos veiklos ištakos ir prielaidos. Pirmą kartą siekiama aptarti solistės balso pokytį iš mecosoprano į sopraną, repertuaro strategiją, sukurtus vaidmenis, balso prigimties unikalumą ir raišką, gilinamasi į vokalinės kultūros paveldą, jo kilmę, operos solistės sugebėjimų sritis. Analizuojant problematiką, remiamasi specialia literatūra, archyvų dokumentais, V. Grigaitienės balso įrašais, kitais šaltiniais. Taikomi istorinis analitinis, audicinės analizės, refleksijos metodai.

ENThe article examines the activities of Vladislava Polovinskaitė- Grigaitienė (1890–1961), the opera soloist in pre-war Lithuania and the leading singer in Kaunas State Theatre, their origin and background. The article focuses on Grigaitienė’s singing school, vocal cultural heritage, the uniqueness of the nature of voice, the change from the mezzo-soprano voice type to the soprano, and the roles she has created. With the help of the soloist’s voice recordings, the characteristics of her voice, the principles of voice formation and control are revealed, vocal technique and peculiarities of interpretation are analysed. The topic is addressed for the first time. During the years of national revival, Grigaitienė took an active part in cultural activities, sang in Daina Society’s choir, and performed plays by Lithuanian authors on stage. After finishing the teacher training at Saulė Educational Society in Kaunas in 1918, she taught at Lithuanian schools and continued her cultural activities. This was when the talent of the future soloist revealed itself. In 1910 she joined a singing course in Vilnius Music School led by Vasily Karmilov, a graduate of the Moscow Conservatory and a vocal apprentice of Prof. U. Masetti. In 1914–1919 she continued her studies at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory instructed by Prof. Natalia Ireckaya. She was a vocal apprentice of H. Nissen-Saloman and P. Viardot- García, and these educators studied singing with M. García (Jnr.). Later, when she started singing at Kaunas State Theatre, Grigaitienė attended training conducted by famous French-based soprano Félia Litvinne, a vocal apprentice of P. Viardot-García. Thus, Grigaitienė’s vocal cultural heritage was based on the principles of the school of the renowned vocal teacher M. García (Jnr.). This is evidenced by the analysis of the soloist’s voice recordings.At the beginning of her career, Grigaitienė performed mezzo-soprano parts. She is the first Carmen in Lithuanian opera-house history. Thanks to her talent, high vocal culture, intelligence, and wellthought- out work, Grigaitienė was able to refine her voice and fully discover her talent. Having made a very successful debut in the role of Santuzza in Cavalleria Rusticana by P. Mascagni, she immediately established herself in the dramatic and lyrical dramatic soprano repertoire and became the most prominent performer. She gave particularly distinguished performances in Wagner’s operas. Over more than two decades of creative activity (1921–1944), Grigaitienė created 30 roles. She was the first to perform most of them on the Lithuanian opera stage. Grigaitienė’s outstanding merits in Lithuanian vocal pedagogy should be emphasised. In 1944 the soloist departed to the West. She died in New York City.