Kyra Vayne

Kyra Knopmuss, known professionally as Kyra Vayne (29 January 1916 in St Petersburg, Russia – 12 January 2001 in London; Cyrillic form ) was a Russian-born British opera singer.

Biography

The Russian-born soprano Kyra Vayne came to London in 1924. From the late 1930s to the late 1950s she sang in London and elsewhere in revue and variety, and later in opera. Reviewers acknowledged that she had a fine voice but for various reasons her career was only intermittently successful. In ''A Voice Reborn'' she tried to explain the reasons for this: sometimes "personal problems intruded on, and destroyed my professional life – or rather, I stupidly allowed them to", and opportunities, were missed especially in Italy. "Wherever I went I was the perpetual outsider."

She was born Kyra Knopmuss in St Petersburg just before the Revolution, and in 1924 the family fled to London. She was educated at a private school, leaving at 15. In 1937 she became a showgirl in the revue "Sanctions", featuring Phyllis Dixey. She first broadcast for the BBC in 1938 with Teddy Joyce's Girls' Choir. After two voice teachers whom she did not like, she found Mignon Nevada, which was satisfactory.

Between 1937 and 1941, she, at first under the name of Kyra Vronska, toured in such musicals as ''Balalaika'', ''Show Boat'' and ''Chu Chin Chow''. Then she sang Russian gypsy songs in Vic Oliver's show "Variety Bill" on tour in Britain. She changed her name again to Kyra Vayne and sang with Oliver's British Symphony Orchestra. She then sang in Mussorgsky's ''Sorochintsi Fair'' at the Savoy Theatre and on tour, alternating with Oda Slobodskaya in the role of Khivria, and also with Daria Bayan as Parassia. This production was very popular and returned to London at the Adelphi Theatre before going on a second tour. She also sang the title role of '' Gay Rosalinda'', an English version of Johann Strauss's ''Die Fledermaus'', at the Palace Theatre, for four weeks in 1945, but was replaced by another soprano who invested in the show.

After the war Vayne toured Scandinavia, singing at China Variety Theatre in Stockholm, the Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen and elsewhere. In 1947, she appeared as the singer in the film''The White Unicorn''.

In 1949 she was invited to sing Fevronia in ''The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh'' by Rimsky-Korsakov at the Liceu in Barcelona. In 1951 she sang Leonora in ''Il trovatore'' for Welsh National Opera, and in autumn 1952 Vayne sang her first Tosca, to the Scarpia of Tito Gobbi in the Italian Opera Company's production. The company returned in May 1953, when she sang Leonora in ''La forza del destino'' with Carlo Bergonzi as Don Alvaro. In 1952 she married Igor Semiletoff (the marriage was later dissolved). She had a long association with Eugene Iskoldoff, the impresario of the Italian Opera Company, who became her manager. She went to Italy to try her luck, and in 1954 sang Donna Anna in Dargomyzhky's '' The Stone Guest'' in Florence, and Tosca in Rome, Piacenza and Genoa, usually with success. She also sang Santuzza in ''Cavalleria rusticana'' with Gigli as Turiddu at Rome. During the last years of the Italian Opera Company, which ended in 1956, Vayne sang Violetta in ''La traviata'', Leonora in ''Il trovatore'' and Tosca. She and Iskoldoff went to New York and then Hollywood to seek work but their money ran out and after Iskoldoff committed suicide Vayne was left destitute. She returned to London and became a secretary, and later a ceramic restorer.

In 1961 she went to New York with the Players' Theatre under the name of the Strollers. Eventually her first CD was issued, with arias from ''Prince Igor'', ''The Queen of Spades'' and ''Tosca'' ( Earl Okin "rediscovered" this soprano and Preiser released two CD sets made from her old, private records and broadcast tapes).

Later she recorded (at the age of 81) a disc of songs and operetta pieces, and wrote her autobiography, ''A Voice Reborn'' (1999).

She appeared on BBC Radio 4's ''Desert Island Discs'' on 24 March 1996, choosing a culinary book and peanuts and treats to tame animals and birds.Kyra Vayne on Desert Island Discs – Podcast available.
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Autobiography and discography

*1999 ''A Voice Reborn''. London: Arcadia Books (with Andrew Palmer)
*''Kyra Vayne'' (Preiser 89996)
*''Kyra Vayne, Volume 2'' (Preiser 89993)
*''Kyra Vayne'' (Eklipse EKR-P-16)
*''Nostalgia with Kyra Vayne'' (Eklipse EKR-P-19)

Notes

Sources

Obituary in ''The Independent'' 15 January 2001, by Elizabeth Forbes .

External links

* ttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1314832/Kyra-Vayne.html Obituary in ''The Daily Telegraph'', 15 January 2001, unsigned.br>Obituary in ''The Guardian'', 15 January 2001 "Kyra Vayne: 'Lost' Russian-born opera singer who found fame in old age" by Alan Blyth.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vayne, Kyra
1916 births
2001 deaths
Singers from Saint Petersburg
Emigrants from the Russian Empire to the United Kingdom
Singers from London
20th-century British women opera singers