Shara Talian

Born July 16 (28), 1893, in Tbilisi; died Nov. 7, 1965, in Yerevan. Soviet singer (tenor and, later, baritone). People’s Artist of the Armenian SSR (1939).

The son of an ashug (Caucasian folk singer and storyteller), Tal’ian studied singing with G. Siuni; he also studied at the Petrograd Conservatory from 1916 to 1918 under S. I. Gabel’. He performed in opera and operetta troupes and in ashug ensembles, which he often organized. He was one of the founders of the Armenian Theater of Opera and Ballet, where he was a soloist from 1933 to 1954.

Tal’ian was thoroughly grounded in European singing traditions, and his characterizations of roles in Russian, Western European, and Soviet operas were highly original. He sang at the premieres of many Armenian operas and also performed as a concert artist. Tal’ian was an expert on and a master performer of folk, gusan (Armenian folk singer), and ashug songs. Together with M. Agaian, he compiled and edited collections of songs by Sayat-Nova (1946 and 1963) and Dzhivani (1955).

Tal’ian was a deputy to the first and second convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the Armenian SSR. He was awarded the State Prize of the USSR (1946), the Order of Lenin, and two other orders.