NASTYA POLYAKOVA
Anastasia Alexeevna belongs to the famous dynasty of Russian choral gypsies Polyakovs.
It was born in 1877. in Tula, spent her childhood in Moscow, was brought up and grew up among the choral gypsies.
Twelve years of age she entered the gypsy choir of N.I. Khlebnikov. Together with the brothers Yegor and Dmitri, she performed in the famous Moscow "Yar"
being a young choir she adopted the manner of singing from old gypsy singers.
She attracted everyone's attention by performing in a responsible concert at the Moscow Paradise Theater on the same stage as the outstanding masters of the genre.
From that moment (and then she was 14-15 years old) and the singer's artistic career began.
Nastya Polyakova was on friendly terms with the famous Countess TK Tolstoy, a famous composer and author of many popular romances,
enjoyed her advice and recommendations. At the age of 21, the artist got married and left the stage for several years.
Return to the concert stage, the singer was persuaded by the famous gypsy performer Varya Panina.
In the beginning of the 20th century the gypsy ensemble of the Polyakovs was the most famous Moscow gypsy choir.
In 1911, Nastya Polyakova performed in the Small Hall of the Moscow Conservatory, and in 1912 - in the Hall of the Noble Assembly in St. Petersburg,
then visited several Russian regions with tours.
In 1915 a big concert of the whole gypsy choir from "Yar", led by Nastya Polyakova in the hall of the Noble Assembly in Moscow, took place.
Gypsies gave a concert in favor of the wounded in the First World War soldiers and officers who lay in Moscow hospitals.
Since the beginning of the 1910s, Nastya Polyakova has already begun to record on gramophone records.
Before the Revolution of 1917 she performed in various cafes, on the stages of miniature theaters.
In 1920, together with her family, she emigrated to Constantinople, performed first at the restaurant "Stella", the famous restaurateur Fedor Fedorovich Thomas,
later in the cabaret "Black Rose". In the early 20-ies, together with Yuri Morfessi opened a Russian restaurant "Strelna"
which after a short time had to be closed due to claims that arose from the Turkish tax authorities.
In connection with this, the Polyakovs and Yuri Morfessi had to move quickly enough to Venice, a little later Nastya moved to Vienna,
then to Prague, and then in 1923 to Paris. She worked as a member of gypsy choirs and solo in prestigious Parisian restaurants.
Often acted in general programs, along with the most prominent representatives of Russian artistic emigration - A.Vertinsky, Yu.Morfessi, N.Plevitskaya.
In the early 20's, she performed in Paris with a gypsy choir (already less than in Moscow, but very good),
sang in the expensive night Paris restaurant "Scheherazade" and in the "Hermitage".
In the emigration the choir was ruled by her brother Dmitry Polyakov.
During this period the solo in the Chorus Polyakovs was sung not only by Nastya Polyakova,
but also the famous gypsy singers - Nyura Massalskaya, Ganna Marhalenko, Nasty's nephew Vladimir Polyakov, as well as Gypsies Dimitrievichi.
In the 20's, Anastasia Polyakova performed in France and Germany.
In 1926, in Paris, she solemnly celebrated the thirtieth anniversary of her artistic career,
at the celebrations presided by the great Russian writer AI Kuprin.
In 1933, one of the last concert performances of Nastia Polyakova in Europe took place.
She took part in the famous concert "Nights of the Mad," which was organized by popular singer Alexander Mikhailovich Davydov.
Then she soon emigrated to the United States.
The first Russian artists, performers,
musicians and virtuosos-balalaika appeared in New York about fifteen years earlier than in Paris,
even with the wave of the very first Russian emigration in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Being in America,
in the late 30's, Nastya Polyakova was able to perform in the White House in front of US President Franklin Roosevelt,
who loved gypsy singing and the enchanted performance of the artist. May 14, 1945 in the US held a big "farewell" concert of the singer,
as it was announced at the request of Nastya Polyakova. He went to "Club House" (Club House) and gathered a whole constellation of emigrant artists.
And on November 19, 1945, the last small half-closed "intimate concert" of Nastya Polyakova "with the participation of friends-artists" took place.
Anastasia Alexeevna Polyakova died in New York on October 17, 1947
1. 1911 I hear your voice again
2. 1911. What is my heart to do with you?
3. 1912 The Valenki
4. 1912 The faithful
5. 1912 Lilacs smell, trills of nightingale
6. 1912 I was proud of the world
7. 1938 Burning-burning love of the gypsy
8. 1938 You did not love me at all
9. 1941 In the dark alley of the neglected garden
10. 1941 At the Fatal Hour
11. 1941 Along the river
12. 1941 The Gypsies traveled
13. 1941 Pioneers
14. 1941 We are both lying
15. 1941 Do not Tell Me About Him
16. 1941 The Beggar
17. 1941 She parted saying
18. 1941 Lilacs smell, trills of a nightingale
https://yadi.sk/d/m9kwdT5T3QEuR6
From my personal collection.
