Ivan Rebroff

Personal Info

Known For

Acting

Known Credits

56

Gender

Male

Birthday

1931-07-31

Day of death

2008-02-27 (76 years old)

Place of Birth

Berlin, Germany

Ivan Rebroff

Biography

Ivan Rebroff (31 July 1931 – 27 February 2008) was a German-born vocalist, allegedly of Russian ancestry, who rose to prominence for his distinct and extensive vocal range of four and a half octaves, ranging from the soprano to bass registers. Rebroff was born in Berlin 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 French opera, singing and acting, among other greats, the role of Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. Rebroff still performed 12 shows in 14 days when he was well into his seventies, such as on an Australian tour. Ivan Rebroff described himself as international, the "connection between East and West". He became a citizen of Greece and lived on the Greek island of Skopelos in the Sporades. Rebroff was homosexual. As well as being a phenomenal singer, videos such as this and photos such as this suggest that he was at least a reasonable violinist and keyboardist (he is pictured playing a church organ but may have also played the piano). He died in Frankfurt after a long illness. Four days after his death, his brother Horst Rippert, 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. Source: Article "Ivan Rebroff" from Wikipedia in English, licensed under CC-BY-SA 3.0.

Known For

  • DAS!

    DAS!

  • NDR Talk Show

    NDR Talk Show

  • Wetten, dass..?

    Wetten, dass..?

  • Champs-Elysées

    Champs-Elysées

  • Vivement dimanche

    Vivement dimanche

  • Sacrée Soirée

    Sacrée Soirée

  • Midi trente

    Midi trente

  • ZDF-Fernsehgarten

    ZDF-Fernsehgarten

  • Die Drehscheibe

    Die Drehscheibe

  • Le monde est à vous

    Le monde est à vous

  • Discorama

    Discorama

  • Die Feste mit Florian Silbereisen

    Die Feste mit Florian Silbereisen

  • Dalli Dalli

    Dalli Dalli

  • Le Grand Échiquier

    Le Grand Échiquier

  • What Am I?

    What Am I?

  • Samedi soir

    Samedi soir

  • Zum blauen Bock

    Zum blauen Bock

  • Aktuelle Schaubude

    Aktuelle Schaubude

  • Die Montagsmaler

    Die Montagsmaler

  • Menschen der Woche

    Menschen der Woche

  • alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio

    alfredissimo! Kochen mit Bio

  • Heut' abend

    Heut' abend

  • Melodien für Millionen

    Melodien für Millionen

  • Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel

    Willkommen bei Carmen Nebel

  • Verstehen Sie Spaß?

    Verstehen Sie Spaß?

  • Système 2

    Système 2

  • Stars in the Ring

    Stars in the Ring

  • Einer wird gewinnen

    Einer wird gewinnen

  • À bout portant

    À bout portant

  • Auf los geht's los

    Auf los geht's los

  • Wünsch dir was

    Wünsch dir was

  • Am laufenden Band

    Am laufenden Band

  • Gut gefragt ist halb gewonnen

    Gut gefragt ist halb gewonnen

  • Musik ist Trumpf

    Musik ist Trumpf

  • Music & Guests

    Music & Guests

  • Wedden, dat..?

    Wedden, dat..?

  • Starparade

    Starparade

  • Cadet Rousselle

    Cadet Rousselle

  • Prominentenküche

    Prominentenküche

  • Bio’s Bahnhof

    Bio’s Bahnhof

  • Der goldene Schuß

    Der goldene Schuß

  • The Song of the Balalaika

    The Song of the Balalaika

  • Musikalische Reise

    Musikalische Reise

  • Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten

    Peter Alexander präsentiert Spezialitäten

  • Vorhang auf

    Vorhang auf

  • Europarty

    Europarty

  • The Gypsy Baron

    The Gypsy Baron

  • Servus, Hansi Hinterseer

    Servus, Hansi Hinterseer

  • Von uns für Sie

    Von uns für Sie

  • Wie wär’s heut’ mit Revue?

    Wie wär’s heut’ mit Revue?

  • Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Die Michael Schanze Jubiläumsgala

    Herzlichen Glückwunsch - Die Michael Schanze Jubiläumsgala

  • Die Ivan-Rebroff-Show

    Die Ivan-Rebroff-Show

  • Kleiner Mann was tun

    Kleiner Mann was tun

  • Ein Sommer - ein Herbst

    Ein Sommer - ein Herbst

  • Die schöne Helena

    Die schöne Helena

  • Cent ans de Folies Bergère

    Cent ans de Folies Bergère