Amiranashvili Petre
Petre Amiranashvili (b. November 16, 1907, Nigoiti, present-day Lanchkhuti Municipality – d. November 26, 1976, Tbilisi) was a singer (baritone), People's Artist of Georgia (1943), USSR (1950) and People's Artist of the Republic of Armenia (1974).
In 1930, he graduated from the Tbilisi State Conservatoire (Professor O. Bakhutashvili-Shulgina's class). The same year, he became the soloist of the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre. Amiranashvili made a great contribution to the formation and development of Georgian opera art. His work was characterized by national identity, passionate temperament, heroic attitude and exemplary integrity of vocal-dramatic embodiment.
During the first decade of Georgian art in Moscow (1937), he achieved great success with his original, vocal-scenic mastery of the roles of Kiazo and Murmani (Z. Paliashvili's Daisi and Abesalom and Eteri). Amiranashvili contributed to the success of new operas by Georgian composers. His following roles are worth noting: Kako (A. Andriashvili's Kako Kachaghi), Avtandili (Sh. Mshvelidze's The Tale of Tariel; USSR State Prize, 1947), Khevisberi (Sh. Azmaiparashvili's Khevisberi Gocha) and especially Chalkhia (O. Taktakishvili's Mindia). Amiranashvili's distinctive artistry was fully revealed in the following operas: Eugene Onegin (P. Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin), Gryaznoy (N. Rimsky-Korsakov's The Tsar's Bride), Igor (A. Borodin's Prince Igor), Amonasro, Rigoletto , Di-Luna, Iago (G. Verdi's Aida, Rigoletto, The Troubadour, Othello), Demon (A. Rubinstein's The Demon), Escamillo (G. Bizet's Carmen), Figaro (G. Rossini's The Barber of Seville), Tonio (R. Leoncavallo's Pagliacci), Scarpia (G. Puccini's Tosca), Otar-Beg (M. Ippolitov-Ivanov's Treason), Bohdan Khmelnitsky (K. Dankevych's Bohdan Khmelnitsky) and others.
Amiranashvili did extensive concert work as well. He performed with a rich chamber repertoire. He performed the works of Georgian, Russian and European composers, as well as the best examples of folk songs. He successfully performed on the opera and concert stages of foreign countries.
In 1962–1976, he taught at the Tbilisi State Conservatoire (professor since 1964). A scholarship named after Amiranashvili was established there. Tbilisi's 18th music school was named after Amiranashvili. He participated in the film Keto and Kote (played the role of Levan Pantiashvili, director V. Tabliashvili, 1948).
Amiranashvili has received state awards, including the Stalin Prize (1948) and the Z. Paliashvili State Prize (1971).
He is buried in the Didube Pantheon of Writers and Public Figures in Tbilisi.
Literature: გ ვ ა ხ ა რ ი ა ვ., მ ე ს ხ ი ნ., პეტრე ამირანაშვილი, თბ., 1962.
A. Tsulukidze
