Born in the small village of Novyj Valovaj in the Chembar district of the Penza province in Russia.
Lyric-dramatic tenor. Distinguished artist of the Belorussian Soviet Socialistic Republic (1940).
How exactly a young village lad from a modest family like Lapin got to Moscow is not exactly clear, but in 1933 he
graduated from the vocal faculty of the Pedagogical Theatrical Studio (later called "GITIS" – Russian Institute of
Theatrical Art).
It happened that in the same year on May 28th in Minsk, the capital of Belorussia, a first Belorussian Opera Theater was
founded in the building of the former Kupalaŭski and later Jewish Theater. Lapin, along with other young artists
laid the foundations of the Belorussian Opera.
He brilliantly performed in that theater until 1949. He sang both classical European and Belorussian operatic repertoire,
and was the first Belorussian tenor to perform many operatic roles.
His most outstanding achievements were Lenskij, German, Vladimir Dubrovskij (Dubrovskij by Napravnik), Duca,
Pinkerton. He performed the role of Alfredo in Traviata in 1941, 1946 and 1949.
Lapin had а very vivid and full-bodied voice.
During WWII he sang on the frontline for the soldiers.
He sang in the world premiere of Mikhas Padgorny by Evgenij Tikotskij on 10 March 1939 – a production that
was the very first opera on the stage of the newly founded Belorussian Opera Theater.
He was Andrehj in the opera U pushchakh Palessja/In the forests of Polesia by Anatol Bagatyroŭ in its world
premiere on 28 August 1939. The next year, he performed the same role during the festivities dedicated to Belorussian art
in Moscow. That production was a triumph. The same happened with the romantic-ethnographic opera Kvetka
shchastsja/Flower of happiness by Aljaksej Turankoŭ in its premiere on 20 April 1940 in Moscow.
Many years later Bagatyroŭ, the famous Belorussian composer and pedagogue, recalled: "What a brilliant tenor he was!
No lesser than Lemeshev." But the Moscow operatic critics were not so eager for the performances of Lapin. One of them,
Aleksandr Shaverdjan, wrote about the 1940 U pushchakh Palessja production: "The performer of the leading role of
Andrehj – Vasilij Lapin – has good vocal capabilities."
From 1933 to 1938 Lapin sang both at the Moscow Bolshoj Theater and the Minsk Opera Theater. In 1938, he left the Bolshoj
and fully dedicated his career to Belorussian art.
Igor Milner has provided the pictures and biography: thank you very much!
Source for the recording: Yuri Bernikov's great website Russian Records
