Editing Georg Ots

{{Short description|Estonian singer and actor}}
{{For|the ferry|MS Georg Ots}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2019}}

{{Infobox person
| name               = Georg Ots
| post-nominals      = 
| image              = Georg-Ots-1962.jpg
| caption            = Georg Ots in 1962
| birthname          = Georg Ots
| birth_date         = {{birth date|df=y|1920|3|21}}
| birth_place        = [[Saint Petersburg]]
| death_date         = {{Death date and age|df=y|1975|9|5|1920|3|21}}
| death_place        = [[Tallinn]], Estonia
| occupation         = Singer, actor
| years_active       = 1942–1975
| spouse             = Margot Laane (1941–1941) <br> Asta Saar (1944–1964) <br> Ilona Noor (1964–1975)

}}
'''Georg Ots''' (21 March 1920 – 5 September 1975) was an Soviet Estonian baritone. He sang at the [[Estonian National Opera]] from 1951 to his death in 1975. Ots gained wider recognition with his roles at the [[Bolshoi Theatre]], particularly with his lead role in Tchaikovsky's ''[[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]]'' with [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vg2QKvFNu6o Galina Vishnevskaya as Tatyana]. He was also celebrated for his performance in ''[[Mister Iks]]'', based on [[Emmerich Kálmán|Imre Kálmán]]'s operetta ''[[Die Zirkusprinzessin]]''.

== Biography ==
Before studying singing with Aleksander Rahnel in [[Yaroslavl]] where a cultural centre for [[Soviet evacuation of Tallinn|evacuated Estonians]] had been established, Ots was a young Navy Officer who had escaped a sinking ship bombed by the [[Kriegsmarine]] in 1941. Ots was saved and taken to Kurgan region of Russia. Six months later he auditioned for a place at the conservatory in [[Tallinn]]. He became a member of the chorus at the [[Estonian National Opera]] in Tallinn. His solo opera debut was a small part in ''Eugene Onegin'' in 1944. He soon became one of the most revered singers in Estonia and Finland, and was equally admired all over the Soviet Union.

Ots often performed at the [[Bolshoi Theatre]] in Moscow. His repertoire included the roles of [[Eugene Onegin (opera)|Eugene Onegin]], [[Carmen|Escamillo]], [[Un ballo in maschera|Renato]], [[Don Giovanni]], [[The Magic Flute|Papageno]], [[Rigoletto]], [[Iago]], [[Porgy and Bess|Porgy]], [[The Marriage of Figaro|Figaro]], and [[Dmitry Kabalevsky|Kabalevsky]]'s ''[[Colas Breugnon (opera)|Colas Breugnon]]''. Ots sang in Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Italian, and Russian. One of Ots's most famous roles with which he is often identified was the lead character in [[Anton Rubinstein]]'s opera ''[[The Demon (opera)|The Demon]]''. The libretto of ''The Demon'' is based on [[Mikhail Lermontov]]'s famous epic poem, once banned because of its plotline involving a [[Mésalliance|misalliance]] between a dark angel and a Georgian princess. Ots's interpretation of the angel mesmerized audiences and received rapturous reviews.

Ots also played a leading role in ''[[Between Three Plagues]]'', a film based on a historical novel by [[Jaan Kross]] which illuminates the life of [[Balthasar Russow]].

Ots performed in various European countries. After his death, the Tallinn Music School was named after him (now ''Georg Otsa nimeline Tallinna Muusikakool''). In 1997, Russian scientists named a newly discovered minor planet after him, [https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/3738-ots-1977-qa1 3738 Ots (1977 QA1)]. His first wife Margot Laane fled the Nazi-occupied Estonia in 1942 and settled in Canada. Ots then wed Asta Saar and they were married for 20 years. In 1964 Ots married Ilona Noor. Ots had a son Ülo (also a musician) and a daughter Ülle with his second wife Asta, and a daughter, Mariann, with his third wife Ilona.

Ots died on 5 September 1975 at the age of 55 due to complications after multiple surgeries to cure brain cancer which was diagnosed in 1972. A state funeral was held in his honour.

Ots's biography, written by Kulle Raig, was first published in Finnish in 2002 ("Saarenmaan valssi: Georg Otsin elämänkerta") and in Estonian in 2003. The book was published in Latvian in 2009, and in Russian in 2015.

== Legacy ==
*[[:et:Georg Otsa nimeline Tallinna Muusikakool|Georg Ots Tallinn School of Music]], a music school in Tallinn.
* Recordings with the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra and Neeme Järvi: [https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=OLAK5uy_n5wgJkbZu5iAjV_qownG-zXHKHGsDgGk0 arias from operas and operettas]
*The [https://www.google.com/maps/place/Georg+Otsa+t%C3%A4nav,+10148+Tallinn,+Estonia/@59.4347833,24.7478227,18.42z/data=!4m6!3m5!1s0x4692949e25494077:0xdf5c098bc4ead1a6!8m2!3d59.4344417!4d24.7487601!16s%2Fg%2F11c8757mt4?hl=en&authuser=0&entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0 Georg Ots Street] in Tallinn city centre.
*The asteroid [https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/3738-ots-1977-qa1 "1977 QA1"] was named 3738 Ots in his honour.
*Cargo / passenger ferry [[MS Georg Ots]] was named in his honour.

== References ==

# [https://news.err.ee/1067125/err-marks-georg-ots-centennial-on-saturday Georg Ots 100]
# [https://www.hs.fi/kulttuuri/art-2000006446705.html "Suomen suosituin virolainen"], ''Helsingin Sanomat'', 21.03.2020
# [https://eestielu.ca/time-machine-georg-ots-and-the-growth-of-post-war-opera-in-estonia-and-canada/ “Georg Ots and opera in Estonia and Canada”], ''Eesti Elu'', 03.04.2020
# [[:ru:Отс, Георг Карлович|Гео́рг Отс]], эстонский певец эстрады, оперы и оперетты (лирический баритон)
# [https://100philharmonia.spb.ru/persons/20736/ Georg Ots] and the [[Saint Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra]]
# [https://areena.yle.fi/podcastit/1-2050325 Georg Ots Bolshoi-teatterin lavalla], ''Yle Areena'', 10.11.2013
# [https://www.svyl.fi/ajankohtaista/georg-ots-legenda-jo-elaessaan/ "Georg Ots – legenda jo eläessään"], Suomen Viro-yhdistysten liitto (SVYL), 18.03.2020
# [https://jupiter.err.ee/1203340/georg-ots-tavaline-inimene "Georg Ots. Tavaline inimene"], ETV, 2020

[[Category:20th-century Estonian male opera singers]]
[[Category:Estonian Academy of Music and Theatre alumni]]
[[Category:Tallinn French School alumni]]
[[Category:Estonian male film actors]]
[[Category:Estonian male musical theatre actors]]
[[Category:Estonian male opera singers]]
[[Category:Estonian male stage actors]]
[[Category:Burials at Metsakalmistu]]
[[Category:1920 births]]
[[Category:1975 deaths]]