Bogomir Korsov

Tchaikovsky Research
Bogomir Korsov (1843–1920)
As Mazepa in 1884

Russian baritone and opera artist of German descent (b. 19 February/3 March 1843 in Saint Petersburg; d. 1920 in Tiflis), born Gottfried Göring (Готтфрид Геринг), but known onstage as Bogomir Bogomirovich Korsov (Богомир Богомирович Корсов).

After studying in Saint Petersburg with Luigi Piccioli, Korsov made his stage debut in Turin in 1868. From 1869 he was a member of the Mariinsky Theatre company in the Russian capital, moving to the Bolshoi in Moscow the following year, where he remained until 1905. In Moscow he premiered the roles of Vyazminsky in The Oprichnik (1878) and the title role in Mazepa (1884) — Tchaikovsky supplying additional numbers in both operas specially at Korsov's request — as well as the Devil in Cherevichki (1887), and Tomsky in The Queen of Spades (1890).

Dedications

Tchaikovsky dedicated two of his songs to Bogomir Korsov:

Correspondence with Tchaikovsky

22 letters from Tchaikovsky to Bogomir Korsov have survived, dating from 1874 to 1891, all of which have been translated into English on this website:

15 letters from Korsov to the composer, dating from 1887 to 1892, are preserved in the Tchaikovsky State Memorial Musical Museum-Reserve at Klin (a4, Nos. 1793–1807).

Bibliography

External Links