Martti Talvela was one of Finland’s greatest opera stars.

Born on Feb. 4, 1935, in Hiitola as the eighth of 10 children, he studied in Lahti and Stockholm. Initially, he was on the path to be a school teacher and actually engaged with that occupation between 1957-60. However, he made his operatic debut in Helsinki in 1960 and would then perform in Stockholm in 1961 and 1962. In 1962, he found permanent employment at the Deutsche Oper Berlin before debuting at Bayreuth.

From there he would make prominent debuts around the globe with the Senate of West Berlin awarding him the distinction of Kammersänger in 1970.

In 1972, he became the first artistic leader of the Savonlinna Opera Festival and was also appointed the general director of the National Opera in Helsinki. In 1973 he was given the Pro Finlandia Medal of the Order of the Lion of Finland.

His health was in decline in the 1980s and in 1989 he died of a heart attack at age 54 while dancing at his daughter’s wedding.

Signature Roles

He sang a wide range of repertory that included the operas of Wagner and he was renowned Sarastro in “Die Zauberflöte.” He also performed the roles of Filippo II and the Grand Inquisitor in “Don Carlo” quite often.

But it was the role of “Boris Godunov” that proved his signature role. He performed it nearly 40 times at the Met Opera and also recorded the opera.

“Right now, though, the role is the hot property of Finland’s Martti Talvela, a huge (6 ft. 7 in. 260 lbs), nimble, running tackle of a man with an obsessed, Orson Wellesian face. At 39 he has a voice that may lack the steely edge of, say, Chaliapin, Kipnis or even Pinza but compensates with its oval warmth and human shadings. One never doubts that this Boris can be compassionate, a killer or mad. Accomplished without any personal padding of garment or rubberizing of the steps, Talvela’s death-throes roll down the stairway from the throne has shocking impact,” said a TIME Magazine review of his performance at the Met in 1974.

Watch and Listen

Here is a famed recording of “Boris Godunov.”

Here are a few famed passages from a number of his performances.