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Zinka Milanov sings "Vissi d'arte" from Tosca (Puccini)
From: VAI DVD 4244 Producer's Showcase: Festival of Music Vol. 1
The telecast of January 30, 1956.
89 min.B&W. Subtitles optional
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Though unfortunately late recorded - in her 30th year of career - this precious clip reminds us that Milanov was one of the greatest ever, with one of the richest and more opulent voices ever in the verdian and verist repertoire.
"Unfortunately"?! Not at all. This is truly glorious singing for all time...no need for anything but high praise and deep appreciation
The recording she did in 57 with jussi bjorling is very good it's one of my favorite Tosca recordings.
Milanov's voice always seemed warmer and more velvety than Tebaldi's, to me. Both had ravishing timbres. Tebaldi's voice, of course, had it's own unique qualities.
Let's face it, in her prime hers was one of the wonder voices in the opera world.
Great Zinka!
She sang like a broad shouldered angel. Her pianissimo in Gioconda is wonderful!!!!
This is the right way of singing which is a lost art. Hope young singers now can learn something from her!
What a voice ! My God ! She has been one of the best Soprano of the 20th Century
She is miraculous in so many ways. This was performed 30 years after her debut in Yugoslavia. There are signs of wear and tear, but she holds the line and phrases well. Her intonation began to have a hooty quality to it around this time, but there is still something awesome in her voice. Only a handful of singers lasted this long and sounded this good, so she is a rarity.
+infrantasi
hmmm you seem to disagree with yourself tho...
This long? She is 49. That is not old by any standards, certainly not by operatiic ones. Nearly all good singers do just fine in their 50' s and even 60' s, sometimes better than before.
@@carollund8251 I've noticed, though, that those who sound vocally fresh in their 50s are the exception rather than the rule. Shouldn't be that way, of course, but it often is. This is why I have such tremendous respect for Milanov, Leider, Flagstad, Radvanovsky, Litvinne, Rysanek, Freni, Bergonzi, Melchior, Tauber, Merrill, Plancon, Stoyanova, Ludwig, Vickers, Urlus, Lauri-Volpi, Franz, Simoneau, Vignas, Yershov, etc. These artists kept the essence of what they had long past 50. And they did this after such arduous repertoire, even for their basic fach.
Worth saying again. She made her debut in 1927.
a rare document. I´ve never seen a video of Milanov. I own almost all of her pirated recordings, she had one of the most beautiful voices in the world
What a precious document! Have you ever heard such a velvety, ethereal sound?
Beautiful voice
Zinka has a very unusual voice, great passion and quality, and to sing this long, remarkable.
Senza parole!! Una meraviglia!!
When I was 8or 9 my parents took my brothers and me to hear Zinka sing Aida in the old Met. Bless you for posting this. What a magnificent voice
Please give soprano Kasondra Kazanjian a listen
I studied at Indiana University with Metropolitan opera baritone Walter Cassel. His years at the Met were 1939 to 1970. He sang Scarpia many times. When asked who the greatest Tosco was he said Zinka Milanov because when she opened her mouth and began to sing “nothing else mattered.”
Just be careful what metal you compare her voice to. Someone once told her that her "voice was like silver tonight! Pure silver!" She gave him a Look and snapped, "It was like GOLD!"
And theres the ego. They cant even take a compliment it seems like., in some ways silver can seem more striking than gold, especially at night time. Jeez I hate the ego of the opera singer. One of the biggest deterrents from this art form.
@@downfromkentuckeh I understand where you are coming from. The singers who are currently active tend to be much more ‘down to earth’ and less diva-ish. Very few sopranos enter opera houses in fur coats and full jewellery anymore. But frankly it can probably be argued that ego is what gives people stage presence and that a lot of star quality in opera has been lost due to the decline in ego, among other things. The same can probably be said about film actors and actresses.
@@ER1CwC Caballe was more down to earth
@@downfromkentuckeh :: Yeah ! In this case, it's bad. But the public elevates them to great heights because of the sinsations they cause. People must have appreciated her singing back then ... today / tonight, after what I've heard, they didn't have anyone better back then.
@@cliffgaither She sings the aria very well as it’s impossible to maintain a singer’s for their entire career. And she continued to sing until 1966 at the MET. There is no ego in her comment about her voice being golden as she knew her worth as a singer and to the MET.
Breathtakingly beautiful. Two Thumbs Up!
Many famous Toscas…Callas, Tebaldi etc…many celebrated recordings of Vissi d’arte…but I keep returning to Milanov, a voice I’ve adored for 50+ years. One of the most glorious singers of the 20th century. Her studio recordings of Trovatore, Aida, Forza, Cavalleria, and of course Tosca, plus the many live performances we are lucky to have, will hopefully keep alive her unique artistry for future generations.
Up to this recording here, I’d never heard her or heard of her, and listened only because she was mentioned in Michael Thimble’s book who said her voice was the greatest voice he had ever heard. Well, what I heard was on a par with Pavarotti on the female side. I was blown away.
Grandissima soprano,peccato di averne più a questo livello.
Very Beautiful. Never heard of her until I read this book and the author LOVED her, so here I am.
Stellare!!!!!!! Una Stella che non tramontera' mai, alla pari delle più grandi. Beautiful
Brava! Perfect legato.
Divina!!!!
What a sound! So incredibly beautiful! Truly she was kissed by the gods
she was a student of Milka Trnina, 'best Tosca ever' as Puccini himself praised her
Now I know why she pronouncrd
Cosi', correctly
😊
Magnificent voice.
Post more Zenka.
Heartfelt thanks
Singers like Milanov just don't exist anymore..And the grand prima donna is long gone..I've seen Milanov at the Met several times from 1961 to her farewell. The ovations were long and loud. I could never get enough of her.. Her farewell alone is one of the most memorable moments of my opera going years..Milanov also repeated the duet with Tucker on closing night of the old Met.
Have you heard lise davidsen?
Yes a lovely soprano but not the grand Italian style. But we will wait.
magnificent Milanov!!!!!!!!!! Brava
Please give a listen to soprano Kasondra Kazanjian
Simplemente maravillosa!
Excuse me, I find the '52 Forza one of the most consistently assured and beautifully vocalized examples of Verdi soprano singing in the last 60 years. I agree the last top note of the "Pace" in the '53 New Orl. isn't held for the "full count". But for me, that '52 "Pace" -- and the whole perf., in fact -- is about as close to perfect as any Forza Leonora I've ever heard. I find all her top notes ample, well-sustained and flowing, and her phrasing is broadly shaped and supple throughout.
What a fascinating insight into pre-war style. I watched Crespin's very feminine "Vissi D'arte" just before finding Milanov. M is so commanding, shaping the phrases to her desire in a long vanished way. From her Leonora I expected the top to be easy - it's terrific.
questo è l'unico filmato finora disponibile del celebre soprano! grande voce e un vissi d' arte di quelli che non si dimenticano! certo che quando tenta di muoversi sembra aver paura di cadere!
Zinka is a legend who performed in the best opera houses in the world with the greatest tenors of her time.Proud to be Croatian like her
Please give soprano Kasondra Kazanjian a listen
It's sad that you have to be proud of someone else's achievements... Maybe one day you'll have some of your own too.
Grandiosa Zinka Milanov. Es un placer escuchar esta aria tan bien cantada.
Gracias por el recuerdo
Zinka Milanov gave meaning to the phrase 'prima donna' with the pure velvet that she poured out. This is a really lovely version of a great aria and Zinka was no longer a yound woman as she told Warren when they were recording Tosca. She was in short a regal lady that took her singing seriously.
Homogénéité des registres, un timbre reconnaissable entre tous, science des pianii... Royale
Very well. She is magik in Tosca. Zinka Milanov to me the best in this rol and.... others.... GENIAL realy.
BEAUTIFUL!!!!!
I watched this after having watched Maria Callas sing it from the same year. th-cam.com/video/_Zc5exCTscg/w-d-xo.html
In my opinion, part of identifying Callas' vocal decline is in noticing how audible her breathing is. After 1953, practically every inhale is audible in studio and live performances. She is a genius with it, and weaves it into her character building, but I still hate it. After watching that video, I understand what they mean by saying that her diaphragm gave out.
Thankfully, I don't hear one breath from Zinka Milanov in this very old fashioned diva performance. And while I don't get the chiaroscuro and facial changes that register the different ideas like I do with Callas, I get a whole lot of clear, honest, rock- steady sound in the middle voice. I have come to admire Milanov so much with the passing years, and while Callas is the great genius interpreter of Italian opera, I truly believe that Milanov is the greatest post-war soprano of the Italian opera and the true heir of Rosa Ponselle and Rosa Raisa.
Wooooow this is like a dream!
You like that? Haha... Normally you are a Fan of Kaufmann, netrebko and the other crap!!! What happened to you? ;)
@@erichmayr7299 so you know me! That is funny... you talking about crap!
Thank you Clive James for writing about Zinka and introducing her beautiful voice to me 💋
Please give a listen to soprano Kasondra Kazanjian
This performance is seriously profound. Superior to Callas, refined and without the hysteria.
Köszönöm, élveztem a gyönyörű előadást!
I found a great article in the Epoch Times about Zinka and the voices of the time, circa1930. It included mention of those that were brilliant, but b4 the recording of sound.
In any case this was a joy to hear.
La época dorada de la ópera. Ahorita parece música pop
very nice...beautiful!
My god 😭
2:27 - SIGH! I don 't love Puccini unconditionally (I'm more of different school of Bellini & Donizetti) but there is this quintessential effervescence to his sound that strikes a chord in me and her delivery here brings me close to swooning!
Magnifica interpretación.!!
Beautiful! Wish we didn't have to put down another singer to appreciate another!
Una versión muy particular del aria de Tosca, Zinka Milanov conjuga los matices y refinamiento de la escuela belcantista con la potencia de la escuela verista y no como se dice que canta a la antigua, si hay una injusticia es el relegamiento que se hace de esta inmensa soprano, quizá la única que se puede definir como dramática dentro de la ópera italiana tanto en el siglo XX y este XXI, nadie mejor que ella canto los papeles verdianos.
You have heard of Rosa Ponselle I presume?
@@liedersanger1 Maravillosa cantante Rosa Ponselle, la escuchado en discos, lamentablemente se retiro en el apogeo de su carrera, su voz era celestial
Another great soprano who was not given the credit she deserved...NO...not nearly, and the reason? Who knows for sure, but I do believe if she had been born in the USA, things would have gone quite differently for her , especially at the MET! Sorry for you, Zinka...I believe you were most outstanding and quite unique as well. You sing this role as though it were written especially for you!! BRAVA!!!
all that in a tight corset?? truly amazing
Splendid
No one came near Milanov vocally, dramatically, artistically. She was right.....pure Gold!
Extraordinaria!!!
The best Tosca of all the times
At the met when the young Tebaldi arrived Milanov was coming to the end of her career and was not too happy about this fine new voice that had appeared in what was her kingdom. One evening while singing Tosca the tenor Barioni, a bit of a rogue, replied to her question "chi è quella donna bionda la su?" "è la Tebaldi ti piace?" to which Milanov was forced to comment " e troppo bella".... Zinka was not amused!
Класс.
I have owned the aforementioned Tosca for years and am a great fan of La Divina but to even suggest that the Callas sound has the BEAUTY of the Milanov voice is sheer nonsense. Instead of insulting the opinions of others listen to Milanov sing "Enzo adorata a come tamo" from the first act of La Gioconda. The totally secure top b-flat that Milanov floated was beyond the powers of Callas.
Yet Callas was the one who made the listener and onlooker cry.
@@Vaelsung1 True, and that's why she is still remembered more now, she was a better actress, and Opera, though the voice is the most important thing, also needs to be acted well :)
@@operaforlife6551 Callas truly embodied the character unlike any opera singer ever did from Bellini to Bizet to Wagner. The arc of roles that Callas sang is unparalleled and goes beyond mere "acting" as to why Callas will always reign supreme.
@@Vaelsung1 en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Method_acting
I mean, she wasn't insane, she knew what she was doing, she was just better at it than most actors :p
@@operaforlife6551 Method acting does not work in the opera and that's certainly NOT what Callas was doing. You don't "feel it first" and then sing. That can and does greatly impede the vocal technique. You need to give the impression that you, the singing actor, are creating the music, that it is emanating from you then and there in the moment...and that the music isn't simply an "accompaniment". Callas removed that duality and fused acting together with the music unlike anyone ever did or has since. It's all there in the music, especially with the great composers.
Maravillosa interpretación de Zinka Milanov..
I heard her sing in the old house many times. The greatest,particularly when teamed with Warren,Tucker or delMonaco. Dan in nyc
I too heard her in the old house many times and I agree with you. I just want to add the to me, the greatest single performance I heard her in was a Ballo with Bjoerling. The were both in top voice and it was magic.
@@paragod333 Was it this performance? Metropolitan Opera House
February 17, 1956
UN BALLO IN MASCHERA {66}
Giuseppe Verdi--Antonio Somma
Amelia..................Zinka Milanov
Riccardo................Jussi Björling
Renato..................Robert Merrill
Ulrica..................Jean Madeira
Oscar...................Laurel Hurley
Samuel..................Giorgio Tozzi
Tom.....................Norman Scott
Silvano.................Calvin Marsh
Judge...................James McCracken
Servant.................Charles Anthony
Conductor...............Dimitri Mitropoulos
A review of that performance: Review of Jay S. Harrison in the Herald Tribune
Festivities were piled high at the Metropolitan Opera last night as Verdi's "Un Ballo in Maschera" was presented for the final time this season. At the very start, conductor Dimitri Mitropoulos on walking to the podium found that this place had been usurped by Rudolf Bing who forthwith led the orchestra in a performance of "Happy Birthday" in honor of the maestro's sixtieth birthday which occurs today. It was, I should say, a classical reading of the piece, if a mite overzealous.
The evening's bounties, however, were not confined to Mr. Bing's swashbuckling baton technique. They also included Jussi Björling's first appearance at the Met this season and an extraordinarily vivid performance by the entire cast which included Zinka Milanov as Amelia, Robert Merrill as Renato, Laurel Hurley as Oscar, Giorgio Tozzi as Sam, Norman Scott as Tom and Jean Madiera who sang her first Ulrica of the year.
For those who know the work of Jussi Björling it is simply enough to state that he was, as ever, Jussi Björling. And for those unfamiliar with the tenor's voice I can only suggest that you buy a ticket to hear him even if it is necessary for you to burglarize your own children in order to do so. But be forewarned - do not expect a glamorous theatrical personality, a dramatic hero in stainless armor. Indeed, Mr. Björling is possessed of only two facial expressions: when he is happy he looks rather like a tickled cherub, and when he is sad he gives the impression of a Cupid who has somehow misplaced his arrows.
And does it matter? Not in any way, shape or form. For Mr. Björling is a glorious, full-throated tenor whose tones ring with color and are mostly true as a tuning fork's. His voice is fresh as spring water, clear, cool and unmolested by any faults of breath supply or control. In addition, Mr. Björling is equally at home in chipper, bumptious little melodies of which "Du tu se fedele" is one, and long-breathed, swooping arias that require for their full effectiveness the maintenance of an endless and pliable thematic line. Both types are plentiful in "Ballo" and Mr. Björling reeled them off with such ease it seemed they had been written with his special skills in mind.
"Welcome Back"
At the moment of his first appearance on stage as Riccardo, one exuberant standee gave forth a hearty 'Welcome Back!" It is a sentiment, I suspect, we all share.
As for Miss Milanov and Mr. Merrill they, too, were at their peak. Clearly, Miss Milanov needs the competition of lusty voices - something the Met has not provided her consistently this year - if she is to be at here best. When she hears great singing beside her, her singing in turn, turns great. And great it was on this occasion. Miss Madeira, however, sang with little beauty of tone, her low notes, particularly, emerging veiled and opaque. Still, it was an evening of rousing, heady performance. "Ball in Maschera" demands nothing less.
I suspect it was this performance. I just looked at the Met archives and I'm fairly sure it was this one. I was working in the check-room at the Met and I saw all of the Ballos. I probably have the program in a box in my garage, but not the energy to go through all of them.
This sounds incredible - isn't she like 50 in this? Damn. We have lost so much ... too much variance in technique. What fantastic sound. She sounds better than most 30 and 40 year olds...
sono d'accordo con te, e mi è piaciuto tanto il librettino Serbo-Croat fonetico!
Hermoso.
@halavey How true but you forgot that the Italians in Verona lit candles in Tucker's honor and may I further add that Lauri-Volpi compared Tucker's voice and singing style to Caruso whom Lauri-Volpi had heard. Lauri-Volpi also gave Tucker wise counsel on the role of Rodolfo in Luisa Miller the greatest piece of Verdi tenor singing in my lifetime. Milanov/Tucker/Warren in Gioconda and Forza was pure vocal heaven. Bravi Zinka!!!
Molto ,molto brava ,brava!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Mari
Very nice
I hope someone can post her "Pace, Pace, Mio Dio" from La Forza. The way she does that first Pace crescendo takes your breath away.
her voice is very "ringing" in any register. the most "the ring vocal" i ever heard before.
And if perhaps ,is Zinca ...La Divina ? I think that Zinca's voice & technique ,the years from 1950-59 ,had no rivals.Not even Tebaldi.Later ,of course Farell,with her perfect blend of huge opulence & sweet pianissimi, sang colossal Giocondas & Alcestes ,but Zinca was not at her prime anymore.
Probably the best dramatic soprano of all times!!!
Emmy Destinn was.
NO....
hahahahahahahahaha Milanov the dramatic soprano of all times ! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA
rozhin1980 Yes she is
This is is beautiful ( with a few criticisms), but there's only one greatest dramatic soprano and she's not even listed on this thread. Shameful!!!
thanks
Who could have possibly disliked this video?
splendid croatian soprano
One of my top three, along with Callas and Olivero.
NON SAPEVO CHE ESISTE ANCHE UN VIDEO DELLA PETROVA, MA QUANTO ERA GRANDE LA PETROVA...
iriisblue says: "I wish she hadn't waited so long to add Tosca to her repertory." This clip may not reflect the voice at its high noon, but remarkably, there's an audio-only "Vissi d'arte" from one year later that actually sounds vocally fresher! It's from Covent Garden, 1957, and if its poorer sound quality doesn't pose a problem for some listeners (and it's understandable that for some it can), then some here may find it a stronger testament to her greatness (/watch?v=_d9AC-9oaBY).
She hadf been singing Tosca for most of her career. The Met just didn't give her any, until Tebaldi had to cancel an Aida and Bing called Milanov. She said I am not a substitute you know, and he said no, we will change to opera which she did with little if any rehearsal and got raves.
I've never seen her in live video before. She looks smaller than I had imagined.
Actually Milanov was pretty tall at 175 cm, especially for a woman in those times.
@@equinox6651 please give a listen to soprano Kasondra Kazanjian
@AfroPoli I make a mistake about Filippeschi which I admit. But perhaps you should check your facts also. Tucker sang in Verona with Callas in Gioconda in 47, and in Roma, Florence, Parma, Milano etc. with great acclaim. Except for Lauri-Volpi all the tenors you mention were still active. Read the reviews of the Italian critics for Luisa Miller at Scala and Pavarotti writes of Tucker's five minute ovation at the end of 'Quando le sere al placido.' Scala had no tenor voice like Bjorling's.
iriisblue inquired as to my having any thoughts on the Cigna Norma. I do give a brief retrospective on her interpretation in the Assoluta Voice book, but I don't go into Martinelli's contribution in that much detail. Those interested in my take will have to write me personally, since the link at my web site where you can read the Cigna section would cancel any reply of mine showing up here at all (the TH-cam rule against posting links).
I love Zinka but - anyone watching this will "never" know what she sounded like "live" in the early 50's (which is when I heard her. Those were the greatest performances of opera I ever heard. Unless you were "there" it's pointless to describe her. At her best- she had no rivals. There are many 'not so good' performances of hers 'out there". This is one of them.
You heard her live in the early 50's? Really? Remarkable how a 80+ years old is browsing youtube :). Anyway, I do believe in your words completely.
Still very beautiful, her not so good is still better than most.
It still beats any singer today on their best day.
In the early 50s? Have you not heard her recordings from the early 40s? Now that was spectacular singing
@AfroPoli There was never a tenor who even approached Bjoerling,,and you suggest there were others, as in more than one. You have no idea what you are talking about.
iriisblue asks "What do you think of the studio recording from '57 with Bjoerling?" Personally, I feel that Bjoerl. overshadows Mil. there, although Bjoerl. is a bit tense too at certain spots, even though the "E luvevan" is very fine. Mil. doesn't sound as free and comfortable there as at Cov. Gar., even though both perfs. are '57. Her "Vissi" is perfectly good, but even that doesn't soar in the same way as at Cov. Gar. Odd that a "live" perf. is more flattering to her than a studio one.
@gaytenor Weird how Filippeschi sang at La Scala when he was never invited (Tosca, La Forza...). How did he do that? Sneak in? When Björling sang at La Scala there were others better than him in Verdi. I do not care if Masini was international or not, he sang in the houses that matter. And Tucker sang in Italy only a few times when everybody else was already gone (del Monaco, Di Stefano, Lauri Volpi, Corelli). Next time, use facts but don't make them up. Thanks.
It's obvious vergoti20 has never heard Milanov's '52 Forza or just has an axe to grind. Fortunately, there are still a few of us left who can thoroughly appreciate Milanov _and_ Callas _and_ Tebaldi _and_ Gencer _and_ Cerquetti _and_ Ponselle _and_ Roman _and_ Cigna _and_ so many more, when at their best, without going into a "compensatory" knee-jerk denigrating tirade against any single one of these purely because they are "deemed" a "threat" to a particular favorite (YAWN!).
Even in her prime, Milanov always sounded "old" to me. In my ear there was always a tiredneness in her voice. Perhaps the recordings did not do her justice.
Brava it's remember me Tebaldi
Recordings don't tell everything. Quality, size of voice, character, integrity, movement & the effect on an audience need describing too. Have you heard a great performance by this singer live, without a mic? If so please post an objective description to add the wonderful TH-cam archive before the memory is lost for ever.
How I wish I could have been there to hear Farinelli entrance an audience with the power of a single note, but we do at least have Charles Burney's marvellous account.
Hey, no one's beyond hope.:-) I wish I liked Martinelli more. I know I'm in a minority, but "la voce fissa" has never grabbed me. I know I'm missing out on a lot that's good in him -- fine phrasing, good acting, etc. But I only respond to all that as a cerebral recognition, a recognition of a fact, not one out of real enjoyment. I'd probably know this Aida already, but for him. I can just about appreciate him in the '35 Boccanegra and the Cigna Aida. But after 1937......................
@AfroPoli First the correct spelling for Bjoerling = Bjorling. Why do you consistently trash artists that sing at the Metropolitan. Zinka was the LAST TRUE DRAMATIC SOPRANO and if you don't like don't come to a site just to trash her. To many people Warren was the greatest baritone that ever lived period. Have you ever looked at the cast listings in La Scala, etc., versus the Met. Every year the Met had Tucker, Corelli, Konya, Gedda, KIng, Vickers, etc. What European house could equal that.
@AfroPoli Mario Flippeschi better than Tucker or Corelli? Filppeschi was never invited to sing at La Scala I hope I don't shock you but Vickers did sing at La Scala in Medea, Pagliacci, Fidelio, etc.
Lauri-Volpi, whom I really like was in the valley and Masini was not really an international artist. Bjorling sang Un Ballo in Maschera in one series and was never invited bavk. Consider how many performances Tucker sang in Italy.
I sit corrected. Blame Ethan Mordden; I first encountered the story in his book "Opera Anecdotes".
And Milanov would continue to sing for another 10 years after this performance. There is a Sanskrit term that I think perfectly sums up her career: Upachaya. This is an astrological term representing an area that gains and grows in power over time. We could say that in the area of professional singing, Zinka Milanov's career is possibly the greatest example of this term. I say this because her amazing longevity (she's already 49 in this video, and the voice is so fresh and clear!) is a result of constant improvement. The sustained focus she used to bring her voice under control and constantly refine her technique between 1943 and 1950 was nothing short of herculean, and she reaped the rewards for the next 15 years.
Must be a lot of young people here..hey guys, 49 is not old! Most singer' s prime is in their 40' s and even through their 50' s. Lots of 60 year olds still have fresh voices as well.
Once, after Renata Tebaldi jumped at the end of act III from the top of Castel Sant Angelo, she hurted her ankle. Milanov: "Well, I always said that Tosca is not the right thing for Tebaldi ..." :-)
stome3139 says: "It is worth listing to laugh of Milanov recorded the worst C .Her note on third act lama is thin mosquito note that last 1 second." Personally, while I wouldn't describe the note as really thin, it seems relatively thin for Milanov. The most glorious and full top C on that word comes from Milanov in a "live" Tosca from that same year (hopefully, someone here may put it up?). Milanov herself was never happy with the RCA set, and her glorious "live" Tosca underscores just why.
iriisblue says "i have the live milanov/corelli covent garden tosca from '57, if this is what you are referring to. unfortunately for zinka, it really was corelli's night." I was indeed referring to the Cov. Gar. one. I find Mil.'s "Vissi" more sweeping and relaxed there than here, although I'm very grateful for this chance to _see_ her singing. If this was her only extant "Vissi", I'd still be impressed. Also, I personally find the honors about evenly split between Mil. & Cor. at Cov. Gar.
@operalament
there are certainly other tenors who approached Bjorling. sure his voice was pretty and his technique was great, but a Verdi or Puccini tenor must be masculine and powerful. tenors like Corelli, Giacomini, Vinay, and Alexander, would send him drowning in a title wave. A light tenor can no more pull off Manrico or Cavaradossi than a soubrette could sing Brunhilde, Odabella or Gioconda. no matter how good a singer he is, he is nothing compared to the above tenors in such roles.
It is notoriously difficult for opera singers to know how to wind down their careers as the quality of the voice declines, not just for Zinka, but for Callas, Di Stefanao and many others. This is not surprising when you consider that these people had wonderfully rewarding careers. What IS surprising is the level of spite and malice that issues from the great armchair critics who, with an absence of talent themselves, pour shit on people who made a great contribution to our cultural lives.
AfroPoli: If Zinka Milanov why are you here panning a great artist. I don't have time to waste flaming great singers that I don't like. You have a great deal of trouble accepting the fact that the Metropolitan Opera House is the best in the world. Singers like Corelli and Del Monaco spent a great deal of time at the Met for peanuts compared with what they could have made in the government supported Italian houses.
If vergoti20 finds it odd my joining together all these great sopranos as each distinctly worthy -- in their own individual ways -- then I recommend he ponder the old remark that a sure mark of an intelligent mind is a capacity to hold together a variety of distinct and varied notions: i.e., in this case, the varied notions that Milanov _and_ Callas _and_ Tebaldi _and_ Gencer _and_ Cerquetti _and_ Ponselle _and_ Roman _and_ Cigna can each be valued for their individual and distinct contribution.