A Dictionary of Music and Musicians/Ivanoff, Nicholas

by Julian Marshall

IVANOFF, or IVANHOFF, Nicholas, born in 1809, an Italianized Russian, appeared in England in the season of 1834. A pupil of E. Bianchi, he had a very beautiful tenor voice, 'a chaste and simple style of singing, but little execution' (Lord Mount-Edgcumbe). On the other hand, Mr. Chorley wrote,—'Nothing could be more delicious as to tone—more neat as to execution. No such good Rodrigo in Otello has been heard since I have known the opera:' and Moscheles, in his Diary, says, 'he attracted the public by his great flexibility of voice, but he displeased my German ear by using his head-voice too frequently, particularly when singing Schubert's Serenade. His sickly, sentimental style became so wearisome that some wag circulated a joke about him declaring that his real name was "I've enough."' Sweet as were his voice and method of vocalisation, his acting and appearance on the stage were utterly null and insignificant; 'In England, he was never seen to attempt to act; subsequently, he essayed to do so in Italy, I have heard; but, by that time, the voice had begun to perish' (Chorley). He reappeared in London in 1835 and 37, but he never fulfilled the promise of his first season, and soon retired. With others of the Italian troupe he had taken part, but without effect, in the Festival at Westminster Abbey in 1834. Ivanhoff is still living in retirement at Bologna.

[ J. M. ]