Nezhdanova, Antonia (1873–1950)
Nezhdanova, Antonia (1873–1950)
Russian soprano. Name variations: Antonina Nezhdanova. Born in Russia in 1873; died in 1950.
Russian soprano Antonia Nezhdanova was one of the great singers of imperial Russia. She made her debut in Moscow in 1902 in Glinka's A Life for the Tsar and was immediately engaged by the Bolshoi. Throughout the 30 years of her career, along with the Russian repertoire, she sang most of the high repertoire: Gilda, Lakmé, Juliette, Frau Fluth in The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Queen of the Night, Queen Marguerite in Les Huguenots, Ophélie, and Zerlina in Fra Diavolo. She also sang the more dramatic roles, such as Desdemona and Tosca. Nezhdanova confined her career to Russia, with the exception of the 1912 season at Monte Carlo and Paris, where she sang Gilda in Rigoletto with Caruso and Ruffo.