Comments on: Zinka Milanov – The Most Beautiful Voice in the World http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/ Comments and reviews of opera, music, and medicine Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:09:49 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: luis alain http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-5389 luis alain Sun, 27 Nov 2011 07:25:18 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-5389 Sometimes I go to Opera's performances trying to find her in somewhere and the result is obvious: getting disappointed. Because It is impossible now days to listen a voice like Milanov's. Effectively. The last scene with Bjoerling (referring to Aida recording) is something that seems to be created out of this world and rehearsed in mart and brought to earth just to show perfection. D' amor sull alli rose can not be never sung as Milanov again She simply set the bar in such a way that the rest of the sopranos should avoid that recording if they want at least to be themselves as artist on stage.. Sometimes I go to Opera’s performances trying to find her in somewhere and the result is obvious: getting disappointed.
Because It is impossible now days to listen a voice like Milanov’s.
Effectively. The last scene with Bjoerling (referring to Aida recording) is something that seems to be created out of this world and rehearsed in mart and brought to earth just to show perfection. D’ amor sull alli rose can not be never sung as Milanov again She simply set the bar in such a way that the rest of the sopranos should avoid that recording if they want at least to be themselves as artist on stage..

]]> By: mmbriggs http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-2569 mmbriggs Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:43:03 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-2569 just wish to disagree in one respect. i think every great singer, that is singers who reach the rank of super legends, like zinka and di stefano, do things other singers can't. that goes for callas, sills, sutherland, caballe, ponselle, horne, etc. in fact i would say, that they do things that until they have done them, haven't quite been imagined before. sutherland's huge top notes, sills incredibly perfect coloratura, zinka's combination of a very large voice, with an incredibly surprising lyricism and her legendary piano singing, horne's flexible and large ranged voice. of course there is no such thing as the best or most beautiful voice, but thank god for zinka's ego, because without it, the young soprano from pre jugolovia may never have made it, to become the chief verdi soprano at the met for two decades. when asked by bob sherman on wxqr met intermission feature what she was thinking o when she recorded her legendary, so perfect d'amor sull'alli rose, after he had just played it, and then listed all the perfect qualities, zinka replied, well, you know mr. sherman, i all i thought about was doing everything verdi demands of a singer singing this aria, and i have to tell you, that listening to it now here, i, zinka, didn't know that even i could sing so perfectly! brava zinka! just wish to disagree in one respect. i think every great singer, that is singers who reach the rank of super legends, like zinka and di stefano, do things other singers can’t. that goes for callas, sills, sutherland, caballe, ponselle, horne, etc. in fact i would say, that they do things that until they have done them, haven’t quite been imagined before. sutherland’s huge top notes, sills incredibly perfect coloratura, zinka’s combination of a very large voice, with an incredibly surprising lyricism and her legendary piano singing, horne’s flexible and large ranged voice. of course there is no such thing as the best or most beautiful voice, but thank god for zinka’s ego, because without it, the young soprano from pre jugolovia may never have made it, to become the chief verdi soprano at the met for two decades. when asked by bob sherman on wxqr met intermission feature what she was thinking o when she recorded her legendary, so perfect d’amor sull’alli rose, after he had just played it, and then listed all the perfect qualities, zinka replied, well, you know mr. sherman, i all i thought about was doing everything verdi demands of a singer singing this aria, and i have to tell you, that listening to it now here, i, zinka, didn’t know that even i could sing so perfectly! brava zinka!

]]> By: Luis Alain http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-2234 Luis Alain Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:38:24 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-2234 I read so many good comments about my favorite dramatic soprano in this chat that I would like to say thanks. Even I never seen her live because I was born in 1975 , 9 years after her retirement so, would had be impossible I heard Milanov at my age of 16 in 1991 for my very first time and 20 years later she still remaining as my favorite, her second big aria from il trovatore means to me a rare and unique artistic achievement, her pace pace mio dio in la forza has not any possible comparison and I do not think that voices like zinka can appear in a long time. Feeling real envy of whom had the pleasure to see her in live I read so many good comments about my favorite dramatic soprano in this chat that I would like to say thanks. Even I never seen her live because I was born in 1975 , 9 years after her retirement so, would had be impossible I heard Milanov at my age of 16 in 1991 for my very first time and 20 years
later she still remaining as my favorite, her second big aria from il trovatore means to me a rare and unique artistic achievement,
her pace pace mio dio in la forza has not any possible comparison and I do not think that voices
like zinka can appear in a long time. Feeling real envy of whom had the pleasure to see her in live

]]> By: Till http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-1060 Till Sat, 14 Aug 2010 13:17:45 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-1060 taste is not arguable, fortunately i think milanov was wonderful, exceptional, and unique however, her voice never sounds truly italian to me perhaps because she just wasn't other less attractive voices, also not of italian extraction, DO sound more italian and therefore more appropriate to me there is something about true italian morbidezza and other vocal qualities, that mere german traurigkeitor / saftigkeit or croation emotion in milanov's case (coupled of course with technique) , just don't quite achieve but that's just me... there is something that italian singing communicates and illuminates... and it is in factoften best executed by an *italian* voice... i probably sound hard-core here... and i don't mean to... i don't mean to say that nilsson and bjoerling only sound good in swedish music... i just don't think zinka is incomparable... or should be championed as THE most beautiful voice... i don't even think there is such a thing... she has definite qualities but so do others taste is not arguable, fortunately

i think milanov was wonderful, exceptional, and unique

however, her voice never sounds truly italian to me
perhaps because she just wasn’t
other less attractive voices, also not of italian extraction, DO sound more italian and therefore more appropriate to me

there is something about true italian morbidezza and other vocal qualities, that mere german traurigkeitor / saftigkeit or croation emotion in milanov’s case (coupled of course with technique) , just don’t quite achieve

but that’s just me… there is something that italian singing communicates and illuminates… and it is in factoften best executed by an *italian* voice…

i probably sound hard-core here… and i don’t mean to… i don’t mean to say that nilsson and bjoerling only sound good in swedish music… i just don’t think zinka is incomparable… or should be championed as THE most beautiful voice… i don’t even think there is such a thing…

she has definite qualities
but so do others

]]> By: bob tartaglia http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-13 bob tartaglia Thu, 11 Feb 2010 16:14:46 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-13 Milanov was and still is my favorite dramatic soprano. I am very fortunate indeed to have seen her several times on stage at the old Met and also as Tosca in Philadelphia. No one since she retired has even come close to that voice and her handling of it. The last soprano I really enjoyed doing some of Milanov's roles was Gilda Cruz-Romo, a soprano I think was not given the proper respect during her hey-day...however, she was no Milanov-but then again, who is??? Milanov was and still is my favorite dramatic soprano.
I am very fortunate indeed to have seen her several times on stage at the old Met and also as Tosca in Philadelphia. No one since she retired has even come close to that voice and her handling of it. The last soprano I really enjoyed doing some of Milanov’s roles was Gilda Cruz-Romo, a soprano I think was not given the proper respect during her hey-day…however, she was no Milanov-but then again, who is???

]]> By: Les Mitchell http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-12 Les Mitchell Sat, 11 Jul 2009 04:06:34 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-12 I have a very special place in my heart for Zinka Milanov. I own all of her studio recordings and many of her live Met broadcasts. For me, her best are the 1944 Norma, the 1952 Forza, the 1953 Gioconda, the 1954 Andrea Chenier, and the 1960 Simon Boccanegra. I also love her studio recording of Aida, on which she and Jussi Bjoerling sing the most beautiful Tomb Scene I've ever heard. Milanov was a very rare and beautiful artist, and her voice lives on. I have a very special place in my heart for Zinka Milanov. I own all of her studio recordings and many of her live Met broadcasts. For me, her best are the 1944 Norma, the 1952 Forza, the 1953 Gioconda, the 1954 Andrea Chenier, and the 1960 Simon Boccanegra. I also love her studio recording of Aida, on which she and Jussi Bjoerling sing the most beautiful Tomb Scene I’ve ever heard. Milanov was a very rare and beautiful artist, and her voice lives on.

]]> By: Neil Kurtzman http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-11 Neil Kurtzman Thu, 14 May 2009 00:59:08 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-11 Zinka's maiden name sounds very much like the plural of a very nasty English word for an intimate part of the female anatomy. Zinka’s maiden name sounds very much like the plural of a very nasty English word for an intimate part of the female anatomy.

]]> By: Sinisa http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-10 Sinisa Wed, 13 May 2009 16:05:51 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-10 Thank you! Since I am Croatian, and English is my second language I still don't get it beside the fact that it is difficult to pronounce for the English speaking people. I would appreciate the explanation. Btw my point was not made for general public, but for smaller group of people for which I think is appropriate to use the real name of a person. Thank you! Since I am Croatian, and English is my second language I still don’t get it beside the fact that it is difficult to pronounce for the English speaking people. I would appreciate the explanation. Btw my point was not made for general public, but for smaller group of people for which I think is appropriate to use the real name of a person.

]]> By: Neil Kurtzman http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-9 Neil Kurtzman Tue, 12 May 2009 22:42:47 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-9 Zinka adopted her husband's name in preference to her maiden name at the suggestion of the Met's management. She wasn't told why though she probably figured it out eventually. Say her maiden name aloud pronounced properly and you'll hear why her name was altered. Zinka adopted her husband’s name in preference to her maiden name at the suggestion of the Met’s management. She wasn’t told why though she probably figured it out eventually. Say her maiden name aloud pronounced properly and you’ll hear why her name was altered.

]]> By: Sinisa http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-8 Sinisa Tue, 12 May 2009 17:01:07 +0000 http://medicine-opera.com/2007/12/10/zinka-milanov-%e2%80%93-the-most-beautiful-voice-in-the-world/#comment-8 Zinka is great, no doubt. Her Tosca one of my favorites. But, remark HAS TO BE MADE: Her name is Zinka Kunc (Milanov being used for commerial reasons - better sound and easier to pronounce in the English speaking world, ... is her husband's last name). It would be appropriate if she is here and there mentioned as CROATIAN SOPRANO. I hope nobody finds my comment rude, but as much as we can repsect here voice today, we also should her as a person: with her name and nationality, excluding marketing tricks. Zinka is great, no doubt. Her Tosca one of my favorites. But, remark HAS TO BE MADE: Her name is Zinka Kunc (Milanov being used for commerial reasons – better sound and easier to pronounce in the English speaking world, … is her husband’s last name). It would be appropriate if she is here and there mentioned as CROATIAN SOPRANO. I hope nobody finds my comment rude, but as much as we can repsect here voice today, we also should her as a person: with her name and nationality, excluding marketing tricks.

]]>