Israeli actor and singer Chaim Topol, best known for his performance as Tevye in the musical and film Fiddler on the Roof, has died in Tel Aviv, aged eighty-seven. Topol always held a very unique space in twentieth cent music – few singers owned one role quite so iconically. It was a role he brought to the world in the hugely popular one thousand nine hundred seventy-one film, and then in over 3.500 stage performances over fifty years. With news of his passing, many will be inspired to dust off Fiddler on the Roof DVDs, and searching for precious excerpts online.

The legend of Fiddler on the Roof centres on Tevye, a milkman in the Ukrainian village of Anatevka. The town buzzes with Jewish community and traditions, with the fixed threat of displacement the tsar. In the musical’s most well-known song, ‘If I Were a Rich Man’, Tevye, reflects on his labour-intensive, humble life, musing on a life of wealth and comfort. It really is one of the most charming songs of the twentieth century – hear to Topol’s remarkable rendition below. Read more: Lin-Manuel Miranda fronts chorus of Broadway stars in Times Square tribute to Stephen Sondheim The musical was composed by Jerry Bock, with lyrics Sheldon Harnick.

There is so much genius in the writing, but it was always Topol that brought it to full glory, with musicianship, perfect comedian playfulness, and glorious baritone singing. Tevye’s song begins a cappella, before the wonderfully evocative orchestration kicks in. then, just sit back and bask in Topol’s peerless lyricism to the spoken passages, perfect rhythmic placement, comedian moments around poultry (special shout-out to his wonderful top notes, the high F, and roaring C-sharp at the end). That half singing, half lyrical shout he's is just magical, and his performance won him the Golden Globe Award for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy.

Topol was only thirty-six years elderly at the time of the film, and with the assistance of makeup and costuming, was made to look thirty pounds heavier and twenty years older. After the film, Topol was continuously cast as an on-stage Tevye, including on London’s W End. He once claimed he'd played his most well-known character in more than 3.500 shows on stages around the world. On how he transformed a youthful actor into the fifty-something-year-old Teyev, Topol told The Jerusalem Post in two thousand-seventeenth: “As a youthful man, I'd to create sure that I didn’t crack the illusion for the audience. You've to tame yourself. “I’m presently someone who's supposed to be 50, sixty years old. I cannot jump. I cannot suddenly be young. You produce a certain sound [in your voice] that's not young”. Born in Tel Aviv in one thousand nine hundred thirty-fifth, Topol grew up in a working class neighbourhood, and his first work was as a printer at a local newspaper.

However, thanks to a theatrical side, by his school drama teacher, he later decided to pursue an acting career. This began with him becoming a member of the Nahal entertainment troupe. It was in the troupe that he met his wife, Galia Finkelstein, with whom he'd three children – a son, and two daughters. As well as his performances in Fiddler on the Roof, Topol was cast in prominent roles including Doctor Hans Zarkov in Flash Gordon and Milos Columbo in For Your Eyes Only the one thousand nine hundred eighty-one James Bond film starring Roger Moore. In two thousand-fifteenth, Topol received Israel’s highest cultural honour; the Israel Prize for lifetime achievement. While number reason for his death has been reported, Topol had been battling with Alzheimer’s disease, which was revealed by his son Omer latest year. Topol truly was a talent and infectious musical presence, that enriched us all. He's survived by his wife, his three children, and multiple children.