Mark Bernes is one of the most popular Soviet pop singers of the middle and second half of the XNUMXth century, People's Artist of the RSFSR. He is widely known for his performance of such songs as "Dark Night", "At the Nameless Height", etc.
Today, Bernes is called not only a singer and performer of songs, but also a real historical figure. It is difficult to overestimate his contribution to the culture of the Soviet period. His name is widely known not only to the older generation, but also to schoolchildren who have seen him more than once on the pages of textbooks.
The childhood of the musician Mark Bernes
The singer was born on October 8, 1911 in the city of Nizhyn (Chernigov province) into a Jewish family. His father worked at the reception of raw materials that were being prepared for disposal, and his mother took care of the family and the household. Despite the fact that the boy's parents were far from art, including music, he grew up among the constantly sounding songs and melodies. Thanks to this, he began to be interested in pop music quite early. The parents of the future singer noticed his inclinations and realized that his son had every chance of becoming a musician.
Mark graduated from school in Kharkov, where he lived from about 5 years old. After graduating from seven classes, he entered the theater school. At this age, acting began - Bernes performed at the local theater. He began working as an extra, which he did not get easily. The guy still had to persuade the head to take him to work.
After some time, one of the actors fell ill before the performance. The director had no choice but to release an extra on the stage. Mark's efforts were not in vain - his game was appreciated by the director. The young man decided to become an actor and took his famous pseudonym.
At the age of 18, the young man left Kharkov. On the way was Moscow with all its theatrical diversity. Mark got a full-time position at two famous theaters at once - the Bolshoi and the Maly. However, he did not get into the troupe, but became an extra. The young man was not upset. Knowing firsthand about these theaters, he was happy to work here. A few years later, the guy began to offer small roles. Mark gradually joined the theatrical life of Moscow.
Mark Bernes: The Beginning of Musical Creation
The mid-1930s marked the beginning of a full-fledged acting career for Bernes. The older generation of viewers knows him not only as a singer, but also as a talented actor who showed himself perfectly in the films "Fighters", "Big Life", etc. By the middle of the decade, Bernes became popular and gained popular love.
In 1943, during the evacuation in Tashkent, the film "Two Soldiers" was filmed. Mark also played a significant role here. He once again showed himself here as a talented actor. This film was also the starting point in his musical career. It was in the film "Two Soldiers" that the legendary composition "Dark Night" sounded for the first time, which struck the viewer from the first notes. If I could put it that way then, then this song would be called a real hit. The composition became popular.
Rise of popularity
The song became a real turning point in the life and work of Bernes. Despite the fact that many noted that Mark cannot be called the owner of a unique strong voice, the sincerity with which the musician sang penetrated deep into the soul of every person. From that moment on, any film with the participation of the actor was accompanied by the artist's own song, sounding in the film. The legendary films "Fighters" and "Big Life" were no exception. “Beloved City” and “I Dreamed About You for Three Years” liked the viewer no less than movies.
During this time, the radio played Bernes' music every day. The artist was invited to many different concerts, including television. Despite this, Mark did not stop his film career and continued to act in films. But still, the considerable attention of the viewer was henceforth focused not on the acting talent of the artist, but on the songs that he performed according to the script.
He received the title of folk singer. Each new song became a hit, and the attention of the best authors and composers was focused on the performer. Mark's performance of poetry immediately made their author famous. The same was true for the arrangements. Therefore, from that moment on, many poets and composers wanted the artist to perform exactly what they had prepared.
Interestingly, some of them frankly complained about the difficult nature of the singer. He constantly asked to remake some part of the song - whether it be a line of a poem or a chord of an instrument. All this caused irritation and controversy, but in the end, Bernes achieved what he wanted.
The middle of the 1960th century is the heyday of creativity and popularity of the performer. He performed weekly at various concerts, received all kinds of titles and awards. However, closer to the XNUMXs, the situation began to change.
Mark Bernes and Later Years
In 1956, his wife, Polina Linetskaya, died of oncology, which was a heavy blow. Then followed a series of failures in his career. In 1958, Mark performed at a concert in the presence of Nikita Khrushchev. Each performer could sing no more than two songs. If the audience asked the performer to sing more, this issue had to be resolved by the management. After Bernes' performance, the audience wanted more. Taking into account the fact that the management had disappeared by that time, the singer decided to follow the rules of the concert. So he bowed and left. Khrushchev's entourage regarded this not as compliance with the rules, but as pride and disrespect for the viewer.
After that day, newspapers (among them the famous Pravda) began to write about the artist's "stardom", creating an openly vulgar image for him. Because of criticism, authors, composers and studios refused to work with the singer. There are almost no offers left.
The situation improved only in 1960, when the musician was gradually again invited to concerts and offered new roles. One of the last songs was "Cranes", which was recorded in July 1969 in one take (a little more than a month before the artist's death from lung cancer).
