Boris Khristov
Khristov, Boris
Born May 18, 1914, in Plovdiv. Bulgarian bass. People’s Artist of the People’s Republic of Bulgaria (1975).
Khristov sang in the Gusla folk chorus. In 1942 he studied with R. Stracciari in Italy, where he made his operatic debut in 1945. Beginning in 1946, Khristov was a soloist at various Italian theaters, including La Scala in Milan. Since 1952 he has toured many countries, often appearing in concert.
Khristov combines the techniques of bel canto with the performance traditions of F. I. Chaliapin. Russian songs and the works of Russian composers, chiefly M. P. Mussorgsky, hold an important place in Khristov’s repertoire. His roles have included Konchak and Galitskii in Borodin’s Prince Igor, Sobakin in Rimsky-Korsakov’s The Tsar’s Bride, the title role in Glinka’s Ivan Susanin, Banquo and Philip II in Verdi’s Macbeth and Don Carlo, the title role in Boito’s Mephistopheles, and the title role in Massenet’s Don Quichotte.