Bass Nicolai Ghiaurov [1929–2004] began his stellar operatic career as a student in his native Bulgaria, eventually migrating to the Soviet Union in 1950 (at the age of 21) to continue his studies at the famed Moscow Conservatory. He won top prize at the International Vocal Competition in Paris [1955] and followed that up with a first-place finish at a similar contest in Prague. He made his professional debut later the same year, singing the role of Don Basilio in a Sofia, Bulgaria, production of Rossini’s “The Barber of Seville.”
Throughout his career, Ghiaurov was best known as an interpreter of Russian opera as well as in singing the major bass roles in various operas by Verdi. He made his London debut at Covent Garden as Padre Guardiano in Verdi’s La forza del destino. Additional Verdi roles in his repertoire included Philip II in Don Carlo, Fiesco in Simon Boccanegra, Silva in Ernani, Procida in I vespri Siciliani, Sparafucile in Rigoletto, and the title role in Attila. His first performance with the Metropolitan Opera in New York saw him sing Mephistopheles in a 1965 production of Gounod’s Faust. This was the same role he had sung four years earlier in Genoa, which was the first time he appeared onstage with the woman who would later become his wife—soprano Mirella Freni. They were married in 1978 and continued to live together in Freni’s hometown of Modena, Italy, until Ghiaurov’s death. He ultimately made 81 appearances at the Met in ten different roles, and he likewise appeared regularly with Chicago’s Lyric Opera, singing a dozen different roles there—including among them the title roles in Mussorgsky’s Boris Godunov, Massenet’s Don Quichotte, and Boito’s Mefistofele.
Ghiaurov made many notable recordings down through the years, including quite a few with Freni. He continued to perform up until a few months before he died. His last performance was as Basilio in “Barber,” fittingly the role that gave him his professional start.
Ghiaurov performs the famous bass aria “Le veau d’or” from Gounod’s Faust:
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