# Ivan Rebroff

Ivan Rebroff (born Hans Rolf Rippert; 31 July 1931 – 27 February 2008) was a German vocalist, allegedly of Russian ancestry, who rose to prominence for his distinct and extensive vocal range of four octaves, ranging "from a low F to a high F, one and a quarter octaves above C". An imposing figure on stage, usually bearded and dressed in Cossack clothing, his presence was enhanced by his height, being over 2 metres tall.

## Life and career

Rebroff was born on 31 July 1931 in Berlin (prematurely, he asserted, at seven months, on a train platform) as Hans Rolf Rippert to German parents. His parents were Paul Rippert, an engineer born in 1897 in Liebenwerda, and Luise Fenske, born in Bydgoszcz (then part of Prussian Bromberg). He claimed Russian descent, and while often disputed, this has never been totally refuted. In a 1989 interview with Izvestia, he said "according to documents I am Ivan Pavlovich Rebroff" (Russian: Иван Павлович Ребров).
He studied singing at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg. Although his knowledge and pronunciation of Russian was imperfect, he became famous for singing Russian folk songs, but also performed opera, light classics and folk songs from many other countries. He was known on stage for his gusto. He performed over 6,000 concerts in his career, including a two-year seven-day-a-week stint at the Théâtre Marigny in Paris, singing and acting, among other greats, the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. When he was well into his seventies, Rebroff still performed 13 concerts in 21 days on an Australian tour.
Rebroff described himself as international, the "connection between East and West". He was named an honorary citizen of the Greek Sporades island of Skopelos, his domicile. Rebroff was homosexual.
As well as being a singer, he was at least a reasonable violinist and keyboardist (he is pictured playing a church organ but may have also played the piano). Rebroff sang and was able to converse to a lesser or greater extent in several languages in addition to his native German; Russian, French, Italian, English, and Greek.
He died in Frankfurt on 27 February 2008, after a long illness. Four days after his death, his brother Horst Rippert [de], who is nine years his senior (and by his own unsubstantiated accounts shot down Antoine de Saint-Exupéry during World War II), claimed part of Rebroff's vast fortune.

## LP discography
### 1967

    Volksweisen aus dem alten Russland (Folk Songs from Old Russia)

### 1968

    Volksweisen aus dem alten Russland 2 (Folk Songs from Old Russia Volume II)
    Original Russische Liebeslieder
    Na Sdarowje (Iwan Rebroff Singt Weisen Von Vodka Und Wein)
    Slawische Seele (Compilation album shared with Tatjana Iwanow [de] and Dunja Rajter [de])

### 1969

    Beim Klang der Balalaika, and in French Au son des Balalaikas
    Favourites from Mother Russia
    Abendglocken (compilation)
    Russische Weihnacht mit Ivan Rebroff
    Ivan Rebroff (includes "Lara's Theme" from Doctor Zhivago)
    A Russian Christmas
    Un Violon sur le toit (soundtrack of French production of Fiddler on the Roof)
    Russische Party (live album)
    Festliche Weihnacht (with Regensburger Domspatzen boys' choir)
    A Festive Christmas (Festliche Weihnacht re-issue)

### 1970

    Kosaken müssen reiten (German-language versions)
    Ivan Rebroff

### 1971

    The Best of Ivan Rebroff (compilation)
    Somewhere My Love (English-language versions)
    Ivan Rebroff Sing Vir Ons (South African album – Gold Disk Award)
    Vir Jou Suid-Afrika (South African album)
    Ivan Rebroff (Opera)
    Kalinka (soundtrack from the 1971 film L'Homme qui vient de la nuit [fr], German: Das Lied der Balalaika)
    Mein Russland, du bist schön (German-language versions)
    Starportrait (compilation)
    Zwischen Donau und Don (with Dunja Rajter)

### 1972

    Erinnerungen an Russland (Russian-language versions)
    The Best of Ivan Rebroff Volume II (compilation)

### 1973

    Lieder der Welt (Folk songs from around the world)
    Mein altes Russland (lushly arranged Russian folk songs)
    25 Greatest Russian Melodies (compilation with Tatjana Iwanow (2 duets))
    20 Greatest Hits (compilation)

### 1974

    Russische Party 2 (live album)
    Memories of Russia

### 1975

    Ivan Rebroff at Carnegie Hall (live)
    Reich mir die Hand
    Russische Lieder von Liebe und Tod

### 1977

    Midnight in Moscow (Russian-language versions)
    Komm mit nach Hellas (German-language versions of Greek songs)

### 1978

    Mitternacht in Moskau (German version of Midnight in Moscow)

### 1979

    Ave Maria
    Die Ivan Rebroff Versameling (compilation of South African tracks)

### 1980

    Zauber einer großen Stimme – 20 unvergängliche Welterfolge
    Zauber einer großen Stimme – Seine größten Welterfolge
    Die schönsten Lieder dieser Welt (Ivan Rebroff singt 20 unvergängliche Melodien)
    Katharina und Potemkin (TV musical/operetta)

## CD discography
### 1976

    Die Fledermaus conducted by Carlos Kleiber – Deutsche Grammophon – with Hermann Prey, Júlia Várady, Lucia Popp, René Kollo, Bernd Weikl, Benno Kusche – Bavarian State Opera Chorus and Bavarian State Orchestra

### 1986

    Ivan Rebroff Singt Heitere Klassik

### 1990

    The Very Best of Ivan Rebroff

### 1991

    The Very Best Of Ivan Rebroff (Volume II)

### 2002

    Meine Reise um die Welt
    The Great Ivan Rebroff
    Ach Natascha

### 2003

    Seine Größten Welterfolge
    Best of Ivan Rebroff
    Golden Stars

### 2004

    Around The World With Ivan Rebroff

### 2005

    Stimme Aus Gold

### 2006

    Ivan Rebroff – 75 Jahre (Meine Schönsten Lieder)

## Compilation albums

* Festliche Weihnachten
* The Art of Ivan Rebroff
* The Best of Russian Folk Songs Vol. 1
* The Best of Russian Folk Songs Vol. 2
* Erinnerungen an das letzte Jahrhundert
* Der Zarewitsch
* Weihnachten mit Ivan Rebroff
* Die schönste Stimme Rußlands
* Kosakenträume