Martti Talvela Biography
Martti Talvela (February 4, 1935 – July 22, 1989) was a Finnish operatic bass. Born in Hiitola, Finland (now in the Republic of Karelia), he studied in Lahti and Stockholm, and made his operatic debut in Helsinki in 1960 as Sparafucile. At 6 ft 8 in (203 cm), he was the tallest singer of his century. He was especially acclaimed as the hero in Boris Godunov and as Pimen from the same work, as Paavo Ruotsalainen in Viimeiset kiusaukset, as a Richard Wagner singer (King Marke, Hunding, Fasolt, Fafner and Titurel), as Sarastro and as Prince Gremin. As his final record he left, terribly thinned out by illness, a warm and heartfelt version of Franz Schubert's Winterreise. Talvela died while dancing with his daughter at her wedding in Juva, Finland, at the age of 54.
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