Feodor Ivanovich Chaliapin (Russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Шаля́пин, Fyodor Ivanovich Shalyapin; -April 12, 1938) was the most famous Russian opera singer of the 20th Century. Owing to his powerful and flexible bass voice, employed in conjunction with a mesmerizing stage presence and superb acting ability, he is considered one of the greatest performers in the history of opera. He is often credited with establishing the tradition of naturalistic acting in his chosen art form.
During the Russian phase of his career, Chaliapin was confronted with strong competition from two other great Russian basses, the black-voiced Lev Sibiriakov (1869-1942) and the more lyrical Vladimir Kastorsky (1871-1948). The fact that Chaliapin is far and away the best remembered of this distinguished trio is testament to the magnetic power of his performances on stage.
