Maxim Karolik
1893–1963
In RA format
In RA format
Karolik was a prominent patron of the arts in Boston, and a major benefactor of the Boston Museum
of Fine Arts. Karolik recorded one LP on a private label. The LP number is F-MKO-1 and
contains arias from Otello (Esultate, Ora per sempre, Dio mi potevi scagliar, Niun mi tema), Andrea
Chénier (Un dì all'azzurro spazio, Sì fui soldato, Come un bel dì di maggio), L'Africaine (O paradiso),
Il trovatore (Di quella pira), Pikovaja dama
(4 arias or scenes) and La forza del destino (O tu che in seno). He paid to make the record.
He also recorded a 3 LP album of Russian art songs on the Unicorn label (UNS 2).
Karolik has a strange, husky, throaty voice.
He resorts to shouting or speaking when he cannot sing the lines. He has some power,
but that's about it. I should tell a story passed along by a site visitor. That man's brother
recalled Karolik playing his own recording featuring a dramatic scene from Otello (likely the "Niun mi tema") and
exclaiming, with great satisfaction, in his heavily Russian accented English:
"For the voice – Caruso... perhaps. But for the interpretation – Karolik!"
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