Elchin Azizov

Equality of music and expression

„The most important question ist not about quality. It is about knowing what exactly you should sing.“ - Elchin Azizov

Prima la musica, dopo le parole – first the music, then the words? Whether music or words take priority in opera, has been discussed for ages. In the ideal case, both come together, as opera is sung theatre and the word is the motor driving the drama and action. Very few opera singers have mastered the art of doing equal justice to the musical line and expressive content of the word. One who is able to do so is Elchin Azizov. And yet, the Azerbaijani baritone is a late bloomer, as the acclaimed star of the Bolshoi Theatre and the New York Met did not begin his career as a singer. In addition to his work as a producer, director and actor, he was formerly known on Russian television as a comedian and master of puns, when his phenomenal voice was discovered by the legendary singer Galina Wischnewskaja. At her invitation, the then 30-year-old made the decision to go to Moscow to be trained as a singer at breathtaking speed by the Georgian tenor Badri Maisuradze. Shortly after that he was engaged as a permanent member of the Bolshoi Theatre.