20051 | 25 May 2025 | 10:56

His talent makes him one of the first opera artists - beloved by the audience

A young boy, Mikhail Lyutskanov, walks through the "Women's Market". He really wants to hear the famous singer Parushev, popular in the whole city of Sofia. The singer is standing under a red umbrella, performing his own songs and accompanying himself on a harmonium. When he takes a break, Parushev shares stories captured in his songs and sells songbooks. These books are small, with the lyrics printed inside. After the title of the song, there are instructions on which melody to sing it to. Parushev is the first singer who sparks an interest in music in Mihail Lyutskanov's child soul.

Later, the young boy comes back home and starts imitating the singer from "Women's Market", mimicking his distinctive voice and Laskov dialect. Then he opens the bought songbook and sings all the songs with enthusiasm. This turns out to be fateful for the boy - he becomes one of the great Bulgarian opera singers.

Mihail Lyutskanov was born on April 3, 1900 in Sofia. His grandparents are from Sliven, they emigrated to Bessarabia during the Ottoman slavery. His father was an heir to vineyards, which he worked on, and also owned a tavern. In Ploesht he was a standard bearer for the Fourth Volunteer Company. He carried the flag in all the battles against the Turks, until he fell seriously injured during the defense of Shipka. Later, he recovered, got married, and moved to Bulgaria with his seven children. The family traveled in the footsteps of the Bulgarian volunteers, visited all the places where battles took place.

They settled in Sofia and built a house on "Opulchenska" Street. With the volunteer pension granted by the state to his father, the family could comfortably meet their needs.

The future opera singer is the eighth child. He is born three months after his father's death. The mother finds herself in a difficult situation and decides to give him up for adoption to strangers. She offers him to a Bulgarian, who came to Bulgaria with the Russian army and remained to serve in the military here. So at only eight months old, the child is sent to live with the family of Mihail Nikolov Lyutskanov, who adopts him and gives him his name. His new parents are kind and caring people, but later do not support the child's inclination towards art.

The boy attends the "Cyril and Methodius" school. He plays with the other boys, participates in gymnastics clubs, and loves nature. But he starts suffering from appendicitis. His family waits for him to get better, eventually calling one of the few doctors in Sofia. He recommends putting ice on the affected area. His parents didn't believe in the doctor and called the local healer Baba Paraskeva. "She stripped me, asked for blue ink and a straw from a broom, with which she drew a large circle on my stomach, in the middle of which she wrote various incantations and a cross. Then she put out coals on my head with water from the pan, reciting different spells," remembers Mihail Lyutskanov. But the boy's condition worsened and he developed peritonitis. By a miracle, he was saved by a German surgeon, a volunteer in a military hospital during the Balkan War, who performed emergency surgery on him. He stayed in the hospital for two months. From the soldiers who were being treated in the hospital, he learned several popular Serbian songs at the time.

The Balkan War broke out, and life in the capital changed. Despite this, it didn't stop young people from walking around and exchanging hot glances. Life still went on.

At that time, on "Maria Louisa" street, all the newest trends were shown. Here, the residents of Sofia could see the first film screenings in big tents. The screenings were for short films, lasting only a few minutes, and were attended by many city dwellers.

Even Mihail Lutskanov used to go there and in his old age, he remembers some fragments. "One was a train coming at great speed towards the viewers. The owner reassured us not to be afraid, it wouldn't harm us. Another film showed the Mongolfier balloon making its first flight. On the same street, there were also various panoramas, menageries, instant photographs and who knows what else in the tents," writes Lutskanov in his memories.

In addition, concerts, shows and carnivals were also held on "Maria Louisa" street. "Maria Louisa" has family beer gardens which are filled with citizens of Sofia after work. They offer tasty kebabs with cold beer. There is live music and the singers perform sentimental urban songs. Among them are "Don't cry, dear love, don't lament, I will come back, I will take you" or "The steamboat is already arriving, goodbye, love, I am leaving". At that time, applause was not known. After the song was over, someone would shout "ashkolsun". The satisfied singer would come down from the stage with a tray in hand and go around the tables collecting tips. Sometimes she would sit with the merry groups.

Mihail Lyutskanov and his friends would listen to the performances, usually by foreign singers, through the holes in the fences. He soon learns their repertoire.

The boy listens to one of the most famous orchestras in Sofia during the first decades of the 20th century - the "Shopstki" Orchestra. Its members are dressed in Shopstki costumes and their favorite number is "The Lost Mail".

"The flautist of the orchestra went into a neighboring building and climbed onto one of its windows, crying out desperate signals for help: the mail had been lost. The whole orchestra followed with encouraging melodies until the mail was returned. This naive performance melted the hearts of the listeners. The conductor of the orchestra, Bay Nikifor - a representative Bulgarian with big mustaches, played the flute and piccolo". The piccolo made a particular impression on the boy, so he bought one and began to learn how to play. He is now a student at the gymnasium.

Even during his first singing lessons, his teacher N. Sipka, Nikolaev, the creator of the first church choir in our country, at the Cathedral "St. Kral", discovers the singing talent of Mihail Lyutskanov. He invites him to participate in the church choir, where most of the singers are artists and choristers from the National Opera. The boy visits the rehearsals several times, but eventually declines. They are on Sundays and holidays, and he prefers to go on a trip in the mountains.

Lutskanov is from the generation that experienced three wars. He and his friends create a group that presents concerts for wounded soldiers. They have a small orchestra with mandolins and guitars. They recite poems, tell humorous stories, and do concert painting. Lutskanov and his friend come up with their own act - they play the piccolo together. One of them blows into the piccolo while the other presses the keys and holes with his fingers. This act is the biggest attraction in the program. During this period, Michail is consumed by the piano and does not think about singing.

In the summer of 1917, his parents send him to Varna to stay with relatives as a guest. Despite the ongoing World War I, this doesn't stop the residents of Varna from taking evening walks in the Sea Garden to meet friends and listen to the military band conducted by Alexander Naumov. Vacationers also enjoy the sea air. Every night, in a special pavilion in the Sea Garden, Naumov and his first-class orchestra perform popular concerts.

His relative, with whom Mihail is staying, is a gardener in the Sea Garden and has a residence there. The Sofia native never misses a concert and every evening enjoys the program from beginning to end. A blackboard is placed outside the pavilion. Before each performance, someone writes the name of the author and the title of the play in chalk. This is how Mihail Lyutskanov learned the titles of the works.

At that time, his classmate - the son of actress Zlatina Nedeva - arrived in the seaside town. The two meet at a concert. The boy tells Lyutskanov that he arrived with his mother's troupe and invites him to participate as an extra in the shows. Lyutskanov agrees - he has the opportunity to participate in a real performance. The next day, he goes - two shows are presented, one of which is "Sappho" by Grillparzer. In this play, he is dressed in a tunic and plays a part in the crowd. In the other play, he is a sailor and Zlatina Nedeva is on stage with him, and she praised him during intermission. This encourages the boy, and he feels like a real dramatic actor.

Upon returning to Sofia, he asked his parents to buy him a black soft hat with a large brim, like the ones worn by the dramatic actors of the time in Russia. From then on, the young man's path would often take him near the National Theater and the "Odeon" Theater, where concerts and performances from private troupes were held. A chance encounter introduced him to the creator of "Macedonian Bloody Wedding," Voydan Chernodrinisky, who invited him to participate in a production at the "Odeon" Theater. It was here that he first smelled the scent of gum and ether - the glue used in the theater to attach beards, mustaches, and wigs. Once one has sensed this smell, it stays with them for their entire life.

Soon, fate returns Mihail Lyutskanov to the stage. “ "From friends who, like me, wander around the theaters, I learned that the play "Yana Vojvoda" by writer Ana Karima will be performed and that they were looking for extras wearing their own village costumes. Immediately I went to the village of Obelya, where I had acquaintances and acquired a village costume. The main role of Yana Vojvoda was played by the renowned actress from the National Theater, Adriana Budevska, and the male role by Slave Kazandzhiev - later an opera artist. I played one of the soldiers, to whom Yana was a leader." Adriana Budevs In the last years of high school, Mihail Lyutskanov participated as a piccolo player in the marching band of the First Male Gymnasium where he studies. He loves his piccolo because it is easy to carry and always in his pocket. The instrument does not annoy his mother and she does not chase him when he plays, unlike when he studies singing.

The war is coming to an end, and the young man is thinking about his future. He decides to become an officer. He applies to a military academy. A couple of bad grades in trigonometry put an end to his military career. He enrolls in the Faculty of Law at Sofia University, although he has no interest in this profession. But fate once again changes his life. The tuition fees are increased and his parents, who are struggling financially, can't afford them.

At an improvised opera night with his friend Lyova, he seriously considers the idea of dedicating himself to opera singing. "He reveals to him that he possesses abilities for this art. Lutskanov applies to the former Music School and goes to his former teacher Dragiya Tumanagelov to note the Russian song "Volga, Volga, beloved mother". They have a few rehearsals and Lutskanov appears before the exam commission. Ivan Vulpe is also part of it. He passes the exam successfully and is accepted into the music school. Up until this point, he only knows the pentatonic scale and the major scale. He starts to educate himself in music, with the help of his two brothers Dimitar and Boris Hristovi.

His family's financial situation becomes increasingly dire and he has to take care of himself. They can't afford to buy him a piano, but his beloved piccolo saves him, as it replaces the piano." "It was difficult for me to both play and sing with the same mouth, but I was a virtuoso at playing the piccolo numbers and managed satisfactorily in my concert activities in hospitals. It was especially unpleasant for me to receive negative attitude from my mother towards singing, as she did not allow me to warm up in the room and I was forced to go down to the cellar or bathroom, where I sang freely," shares the opera singer. This is how Lutskanov begins his singing career with great difficulties. During vacations, he works on the construction of the road and the formation of the garden around the "Ovcha kupel" bath. He walks six kilometers to get there, in order to save money on the tram ticket. Professor Vulpe, who is now his teacher, sees the efforts that the young man puts in. He becomes one of his favorite students.

Mihail Lyutskanov decides to leave for Italy." He is already married to Nadya. She is ready to support herself as a civil servant in Sofia and to send him some money from her savings while he is abroad.

Before leaving, Lyutskanov meets a photographer who has a photo studio in Sofia. His nickname was Violante. He was famous among the residents of the capital for his portraits. Lyutskanov himself had an interest in photography and he starts making portraits of his close friends and acquaintances at home. But his clients keep increasing and he's never short on money. Photography remains his favorite hobby until old age.

During this time, the photographer Violante also decides to try his luck in Italy. He leaves for Rome without any money and does very well in retouching, immediately getting a job at a photo studio. He starts writing letters to Lyutskanov, urging him to join him as soon as possible.

And he left in 1927, with the support of his wife. And a little saved money from photography and a concert, which he presents in the modern salon of Doctor Long at the time. The cheapest way to Italy is by the Danube to Vienna, and then by train to Rome. His luggage is - two suitcases, large and small. The big one is full of food products that will last him at least three months, and the small one - with scarce clothes, music sheets, camera, and retouching tools. The only suit he has, made of strong wool fabric and heavy shoes with thick car tires on them, is on him.

After the long trip, he arrives in the eternal city. There he is greeted by his photographer friend and taken to a Protestant community housing for poor students, where he lives himself. Lyutskanov is accommodated in a room with an Italian. There is a dining room where lunch and dinner are served for 300 lire. But the Bulgarian has only 150 pounds and is not registered. He budgets with the food brought from Bulgaria to spend a few months. Soon it's over and he lives with a liter of milk, 900 grams of bread, 100 grams of cheese and 1 kg of apples or figs per day. When even that runs out, he survives on just bread and pasta.

For Christmas and Easter, he cooks a pot of Bulgarian beans and invites Italian students for lunch. In a month, he can afford to have meat once or twice, or two hot dogs. Meat is a luxury for the poor and is bought in portions of 100 or 200 grams. When he needs to save money, he goes to the monastery to receive soup and a piece of bread. There are also days of abundance when he attends receptions at the Bulgarian Embassy or responds to various invitations from well-wishers.

His professor teaches a wealthy American, whose father owns a furniture factory in New York, and he often helps him. Just in Italy, Mikhail Lyutskanov gets to know the "Gladoria Bulgaris". He does not sign up to study singing, but at the University of Rome for law. He knows that the singing profession is unstable. Even a simple cold can cause him to lose his voice. He regularly attends lectures and studies the language. In Italy, opera is highly respected. Anyone who believed they had a voice, studied singing and could easily find a teacher. Luckily for Lyutskanov, he is recommended a serious maestro, Ettore Borucci - a former singer, bass, who is a teacher of the Pope's singers in the Vatican. He helps the Bulgarian find the correct vocal placement. They begin to work together and prepare an Italian opera repertoire. Later, Ettore Borucci arranges a series of concerts for Lyutskanov at Radio Rome and he becomes the first popularizer of Bulgarian songs on Italian radio. Maestro Borukia lives four to five kilometers from the home of Lyutskanov. The Bulgarian visits him three times a week for lessons, walking there since he doesn't have money for a tram ticket. He also attends lectures at the Law faculty, again on foot. Throughout his stay in Rome, he only managed to ride a trolley with a battery once.

Photographer Violante recommends Mihail Lyutskanov to some Italian photographers who give him glass for retouching. After meeting more people, he starts making portraits with the permission of the dormitory director in the chamber music hall. Eventually, he manages to secure a job as a photographer in several theaters. This is how photography helps him make money and continue his studies.

On holidays, the Bulgarian visits the museums and galleries of Rome, when they are free of charge. And on the last Saturday of the month, the papal museums in Vatican City open. They showcase the great artists and sculptors of the Renaissance era. Maestro Foboci, who took him under his wing, secured financial assistance from the university. He always has two complimentary tickets for all music events in Rome and brings with him Mikhail Lyutskanov. This way, the Bulgarian manages to experience the art of Shalyapin, Straillieri, Martinelli, Lauri Volpi, Tito Schipa, and others. Maestro Foboci introduces him to the idolized by the Italians Maestro Mascagni, who conducts "Hymn to the Sun" from his opera "Iris", performed by a spiritual orchestra of 3000 people.

Lyutskanov auditions for the great opera singer Jemma Belinchoni, who has created an International Experimental Theater for young opera performers. And he is accepted. With the help of Belinchoni, he plays several roles on stage, some of which later enter his repertoire on the Sofia stage. This is where he takes his first steps in opera. In the dormitory where he lives there is a concert hall. They allow him to sing there for free, covering his expenses for invitations and posters. He performs classical songs, romances, and opera arias.

The time has come for him to return to Bulgaria. In Sofia, he finds Professor Vulpe in poor health. Nevertheless, he finds the strength to welcome his favorite student, to have a sip of the Vermouth "Cinzano" brought from Rome, and to write a recommendation letter to Moisei Zlatin, the director of the Sofia Opera. He is a fellow student of Vulpe from Russia. And Zlatin fulfills Vulpe's last wish. He appoints a commission to listen to Mikhail Lyutskanov. He is approved and appointed as an intern - artist at the Sofia Opera. They determine his trial debut in the role of Duko from the opera "Cvet" by Maestro Atanasov. They entrust him with the regular debut role of Henry Ashton from the opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" by Donizetti. He rehearses for both parties with Italian conductor Maestro Franki, who devotes many years to Bulgarian music. He comes to us as a young conductor with the Italian opera troupe of Enrico Masini. Franki directs Lutskanov and the two become friends. Mihail Lutskanov makes his debut in "Cvet" and "Lucia". In his first season at the opera, he presents eight roles. Even during his studies at the Music Academy, on the recommendation of Prof. Vulpe, he gathers a large repertoire of famous arias, songs, ballads and romances. Тя мивзеха подарък, посрещна ме с уважение. Since then, arias from famous operas such as "La Traviata", "The Barber of Seville", "A Masked Ball", "Eugene Onegin" and others have become his favorite works, which have become his main repertoire.

The characters of Yevgeny Onegin and Marcel, Figaro and Papageno, Gianni Schicchi and the Devil, created by Lyutskanov, remain in the golden fund of the Bulgarian opera theater. He has many admirers who are delighted by his performances.

After a performance of "The Barber of Seville", a fan called his house and asked to be received in order to present him with a gift. Lyutskanov agreed. At the exact time, the doorbell rang. "A young woman with a provincial appearance, carrying a goose under her arm and a basket of grapes. I opened the door and invited her in, and she asked for me. I said that I am the one. She handed me the gift and greeted me with respect. She disappointedly looked at me, left the goose and the grapes, and could only whisper: "It's not you," and disappeared. This case comes to confirm once again my statement that the artist should stay away from their fans, in order not to ruin the illusion created in them."

Mihail Lyutskanov remains on the Bulgarian stage for thirty years. His talent makes him one of the first opera artists - a favorite of the audience.