Pavel Lisitsian became known in the history of the world opera as one of the most outstanding baritones of the 20^th century. During his quarter-century activities at the Bolshoi Theatre, this prominent soloist performed in 1,800 productions! His work at the Bolshoi Theatre earned Pavel Lisitsian the unofficial title of ‘the king of baritones.’ That is exactly what he was called for his filigree performance of complex parts in combination with the highest mastery of transformation. Pavel Lisitsian believed that music on stage would only be perceived when the audience believed that standing in front of them character was not just a singer, but the real Eugene Onegin.

In 1941, Pavel Lisitsian debuted at the Bolshoi Theatre in the role of Onegin (in the production of Eugene Onegin by Leonid Baratov), which remained his favourite role throughout his life.  With his captivating charm as a great opera actor, Lisitsian was universally regarded as the benchmark Onegin, combining a surface gloss of good manner with the ‘emotional tension of the hero’. Pavel Lisitsian was recorded in the history of the Bolshoi Theatre as the unsurpassed Amonasro in ‘Aida’ by Giuseppe Verdi, the unforgettable Escamillo in ‘Carmen’ by Georges Bizet, the fierce and romantic Mazeppa (in ‘Mazeppa’ by Tchaikovsky), and the deeply suffering Grigory Gryaznoy in ‘The Tsar's Bride’ by Rimsky-Korsakov, captivating audiences everywhere with the beauty and warmth of his voice. The singer also became famous abroad. His velvety baritone voice of extraordinary beauty captivated audiences across Europe. During his tour of America in 1960, his performance as the Ethiopian king Amonasro in ‘Aida’ was met with admiration from both the public and critics. The singer impressed even the sophisticated Italians with his performance as Prince Yeletsky in ‘The Queen of Spades’.

Concert activity of Pavel Lisitsian was exceptionally active. He toured throughout the Soviet Union, including the Arctic and Sakhalin with the extensive chamber repertoire combining works from different eras and styles (from Bach, Schubert and Ravel to Rachmaninoff, Myaskovsky and Kabalevsky), including romances by Tchaikovsky.

Pavel achieved many creative victories, receiving cheers in his honour in La Scala and the Metropolitan Opera (he became the first Soviet opera singer to perform on this stage in New York, in the production of Verdi's ‘Aida’). While touring the world, Pavel Lisitsian loved to make people stare when he brought folk songs from their countries and perform them in their original language. But his main passion was performing Armenian and Russian songs.

Pavel Lisitsian trained a galaxy of brilliant singers. Not only was he a great vocalist himself, but he also had a perfect command of resonance theory. Everyone wanted to take lessons from him: from novice singers to veterans, from performers of minor roles to recognised stars.

In addition, Pavel Lisitsian was open to justified innovations. Not only did he regularly participate in performances of operas by Soviet composers, but he also performed contemporary romances and songs in virtually all of his concert performances. From the 1970s onwards, Lisitsian performed in a family quartet with his children Ruzanna, Karina and Ruben. As a single ensemble, they debuted in Requiem by Mozart, performing all the parts – soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

The voice of Soviet opera singer Pavel Lisitsian thrilled and thrilled audiences, who were ready to give standing ovations to his baritone, which became the benchmark for several generations of national and foreign vocalists.

Pavel Lisitsian became a legend during his lifetime. Recordings of opera arias and songs that he performed give the listeners the opportunity to hear the singer's unique artistic interpretation of musical works, based on his understanding of the epoch, style and imagery of the music.

Musical selection for the birthday of Pavel Lisitsian is posted in the museum Music library.