Vladimir Iosif Kobzon: 100 Songs in One Concert
When we speak of Iosif Kobzon we remember not just an artist but a titan of a man whose baritone became the musical DNA of an entire country. His contribution to culture is measured in thousands of songs, but history holds one absolutely phenomenal record that seems beyond the possible today.
11 hours of live sound and 100 songs in one evening
His famous anniversary concert at the Rossiya State Central Concert Hall became legend. Iosif Davydovich walked on stage in the evening and finished the performance only toward morning. The concert lasted 11 hours without an interval, during which he performed more than 100 songs live!
Several audiences had time to change in the hall, orchestra musicians collapsed from exhaustion and left for a break, and Kobzon kept singing. This marathon became a symbol of his iron will and boundless respect for his public.
The magic of an inimitable voice
His lyric-dramatic baritone cannot be mistaken for anyone else’s: dense, velvety, technically flawless. Kobzon had model breathing and perfect diction; every word reached the gallery and went straight to the heart. Without excess pathos, with a noble, manly restraint, he could convey both the tragedy of war and the tenderness of first love.
A musical monument to an era
His repertoire included more than 3,000 works: from great songs about the Great Patriotic War (“Victory Day”) and cult film classics (“Moments”) to heartfelt romances.
But Kobzon was more than a voice on a record. His songs sounded where it was hardest for people: he sang in Afghanistan, for the liquidators at Chernobyl, and was one of the first to enter the building on Dubrovka to negotiate with the terrorists.
