Her last name meaning “exemplary” suits her as no one else: the artist fanatically devoted to music, the singer for whom her profession is her passion and the paramount sense of life, the magnetic personality, Elena Obraztsova is the first Russian singer who received the status of a legend of the world vocal.
At the opera theatre, in concerts and cinema her partners were outstanding musicians and conductors such as: G. von Karajan, G. Rozhdestvensky, V. Gergiev, V. Spivakov, J. Sutherland, M. Caballe, R. Tebaldi, L. Pavarotti, J. Carreras, Placido Domingo, Fedora Barbieri, Renato Bruson, E. Nesterenko, Z. Sotkilava and others.
She wears impeccable jewelry pieces, has a good eye for them and likes to give them as gifts: the story of a luxurious blue topaz ring with 22 diamonds, which, going up the stage, she gave as a gift to Georgian singer Nutsa featuring Edith Piaf became public knowledge. It is also known that Elena Obraztsova presents jewelry adornments as prizes to young girls – winners in the international contest of young singers, so some of them get a diamond necklace and some receive a suite of black corals.
What kind of gemstones do you prefer?
I love all kinds of gemstones – they are live! I communicate with them, talk to them – and they help me. I like very much sapphires, emeralds and pearls.
One of your first heroines – Marina Mniszech – preferred a diamond crown to all the other valuables while getting ready for the crucial rendezvous. What is your attitude towards diamonds?
On the whole, it is composed. But if the artwork is touched by God’s Spark, diamonds make me excited.
How much beautiful do you find diamond jewelry worn by your female contemporaries?
Formerly, female artists of opera and ballet, especially in Leningrad, sparkled with jewelry. I don’t like modern diamond jewelry – it reminds me of Christmas-tree toys. I like antique things – like for instance the Faberge brooch, which was given to me on my birthday by my beloved husband – conductor Algis Juraitis.
In your opinion, in what way is the creative potential related to the quality of jewelry? Do art people always have a good taste?
I am not sure!
What is being worn in your quarters – what is considered fashionable?
I am not very much concerned with other people’s tastes. However, one of my woman friends, a famous Italian singer, started wearing bijouterie – beautiful and expensive, but bijouterie. I asked her why she was wearing such things. And she replied that after being robbed, after all her jewels were stolen, she was no more pleased with them.
You have probably a whole collection of jewelry. Some family things?
I have no family things, but I take care of Algis’ brooch… In general, I do not collect adornments. Trying to use them to impress someone is a futile thing. There will always be someone who has more of them and whose adornments are more expensive! I like to give them as gifts, although I also often get them as gifts. One of my admirers in New York, an elderly and very well-to-do woman, Elizabeth Brookdons, some day took me to an auction. She was a very venturous buyer. And she asked me all the time, “Do you like it? Look, what a charming thing it is… How do you like it? Or that one thing? So do you already want it?” I got awfully tired, we came back to her house – I was staying there – where we tried these things on with different attires and marveled at each other. The next morning I woke up and saw a huge can with the yesterday’s adornments on my night table. I ran to Liz, “Hide it away, it’s tons of money. Lord forbid, if something gets lost, this is so precious, these things are real antique!” But she said, “You hide it away, this is a present for you!" I nearly got mad. I could not take such gifts. But she was mortally offended, so I had to take it. There came another problem: how to get all that fortune through the customs? However, everything went wonderfully and the can passed all the three borders.
Have you got some adornment, which is very memorable for you?
Yes, it is associated with Renata Tibaldi. She was my friend and I loved her very much. Very long time ago, I gave her a ring as a gift. And it came back to me after 30 years, after Renata’s death, three years ago. Renata signed over to me all her concert dresses – and the ring. I cried then very much – and now I am wearing it – her and my ring – every day.
