Zinka Milanov (; May 17, 1906 – May 30, 1989) was a
Croatia
Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
n
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
tic
dramatic soprano
A dramatic soprano is a type of operatic soprano with a powerful, rich, emotive voice that can sing over, or cut through, a full orchestra. Thicker vocal folds in dramatic voices usually (but not always) mean less agility than lighter voices but a ...
who had a major career centered on the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. After finishing her education in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
, Milanov made her debut in 1927 in
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
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as Leonora in
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...
's
Il Trovatore. From 1928 to 1936, she was the leading soprano of the
Croatian National Theatre. In 1937, Milanov performed at the Metropolitan Opera for the first time, where she continued to sing until 1966. She also performed as a concert singer and was a noted vocal coach and teacher. Milanov is the sister of the composer and pianist
Božidar Kunc.
Biography
Born in
Zagreb, Croatia as Zinka Kunc (), she studied with the
Wagnerian soprano
Milka Ternina and her assistant Marija Kostrenčić. She also studied in
Milan
Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
with Carpi and in
Berlin
Berlin ( ; ) is the Capital of Germany, capital and largest city of Germany, by both area and List of cities in Germany by population, population. With 3.7 million inhabitants, it has the List of cities in the European Union by population withi ...
with Stückgolt. On October 29, 1927, she made her operatic debut as Leonora in
Giuseppe Verdi
Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi ( ; ; 9 or 10 October 1813 – 27 January 1901) was an Italian composer best known for List of compositions by Giuseppe Verdi, his operas. He was born near Busseto, a small town in the province of Parma ...
's ''
Il Trovatore'' in
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
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,
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
, at age 21. Her debut in her native Croatia, at the
National Theatre in Zagreb, took place five weeks later as Marguerite in
Charles Gounod
Charles-François Gounod (; ; 17 June 181818 October 1893), usually known as Charles Gounod, was a French composer. He wrote twelve operas, of which the most popular has always been ''Faust (opera), Faust'' (1859); his ''Roméo et Juliette'' (18 ...
's ''
Faust''.
After an early debut in
Dresden
Dresden (; ; Upper Saxon German, Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; , ) is the capital city of the States of Germany, German state of Saxony and its second most populous city after Leipzig. It is the List of cities in Germany by population, 12th most p ...
(November 5, 1928, also as Leonora), her teacher, Ternina, was not pleased and much work commenced to perfect her technique. She performed in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
and
Ljubljana
{{Infobox settlement
, name = Ljubljana
, official_name =
, settlement_type = Capital city
, image_skyline = {{multiple image
, border = infobox
, perrow = 1/2/2/1
, total_widt ...
almost exclusively for the next six years. Later she became a member of the
New German Theatre in
Prague
Prague ( ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in the Czech Republic, largest city of the Czech Republic and the historical capital of Bohemia. Prague, located on the Vltava River, has a population of about 1.4 million, while its P ...
, where all performances were sung in
German. She was discovered there by
Bruno Walter
Bruno Walter (born Bruno Schlesinger, September 15, 1876February 17, 1962) was a Germany, German-born Conducting, conductor, pianist, and composer. Born in Berlin, he escaped Nazi Germany in 1933, was naturalised as a French people, French cit ...
, who recommended her to
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...
for a performance of Verdi's ''
Requiem'' in
Salzburg
Salzburg is the List of cities and towns in Austria, fourth-largest city in Austria. In 2020 its population was 156,852. The city lies on the Salzach, Salzach River, near the border with Germany and at the foot of the Austrian Alps, Alps moun ...
.
In 1937, the soprano made her debut at the
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an American opera company based in New York City, currently resident at the Metropolitan Opera House (Lincoln Center), Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center, situated on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. Referred ...
, once again as Leonora. At that time she adopted the name Milanov, the stage name of her second husband, an actor. According to Milanov herself, "Kunc" wasn't "glamorous" enough for the Metropolitan Opera. The 2004 ''Opera News'' article "Zinka Takes Off" stated that the name change was deemed necessary since the gentlemen at the Met feared the "implications inherent in what they predicted would be the standard American mispronunciation — but they were never forthright with her about it". On November 8, 1937, Erich Simon, who was in charge of engaging Milanov, cabled Edward Ziegler, the assistant manager of the Met, "Mme Zinka KUNZ-MARCOVIC has informed me that she wishes to perform under her husband's stage name, MILANOV."
In 1940, Milanov was one of the featured soloists in a radio performance of
Beethoven
Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. He is one of the most revered figures in the history of Western music; his works rank among the most performed of the classical music repertoire ...
's ''
Missa Solemnis
is Latin for Solemn Mass.[Mass]
, ''Catholic Encyclopedia''. N.p., Appleton, 1910. 797. and is a genre of < ...
'', along with
Jussi Björling (tenor),
Alexander Kipnis (bass),
Bruna Castagna (mezzo), and the Westminster Choir. Toscanini conducted the NBC Symphony Orchestra.
In 1947, she left the Met when she married, for the third time, to
Yugoslav general and diplomat Ljubomir Ilić, and returned to live in Yugoslavia. She was at the peak of her artistic and vocal powers when she made her debut at the
Teatro alla Scala as
Tosca
''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
in 1950. Milanov returned to the Metropolitan Opera the same year, invited by
Rudolf Bing in his first year there as general manager.
She gave her final performance in 1966 at the closing night of the old
Metropolitan Opera House. Having worked as a voice teacher while still performing, Milanov devoted herself to teaching after her retirement. Among her pupils were Betty Allen,
Grace Bumbry,
Christa Ludwig,
Regina Resnik, Dubravka Zubovic and
Milka Stojanovic. Composer
Richard Hundley was one of her studio pianists. She recorded prolifically from the 1940s through to the 1960s. Her voice was well-suited to Italian operas such as those of
Verdi,
Ponchielli,
Puccini and the
verismo composers. She died at Lenox Hill Hospital in
Manhattan
Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...
on May 30, 1989, following a stroke, aged 83.
Discography
* Verdi: ''
Il trovatore'' - Zinka Milanov,
Jussi Björling,
Fedora Barbieri,
Leonard Warren,
Nicola Moscona; Robert Shaw Chorale, RCA Victor Orchestra,
Renato Cellini, RCA Victor, 1952.
* Verdi: ''
Aida'' - Zinka Milanov, Jussi Björling, Fedora Barbieri, Leonard Warren,
Boris Christoff; Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus,
Jonel Perlea, RCA Victor, 1955.
* Mascagni: ''
Cavalleria rusticana
''Cavalleria rusticana'' (; ) is an opera in one act by Pietro Mascagni to an Italian libretto by Giovanni Targioni-Tozzetti and Guido Menasci, adapted from an 1880 Cavalleria rusticana (short story), short story of the same name and subsequent ...
'' - Zinka Milanov, Jussi Björling,
Robert Merrill; Robert Shaw Chorale, RCA Victor Orchestra, Renato Cellini, RCA Victor, 1953.
* Puccini: ''
Tosca
''Tosca'' is an opera in three acts by Giacomo Puccini to an Italian libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa. It premiered at the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Teatro Costanzi in Rome on 14 January 1900. The work, based on Victorien Sardou's 1 ...
'' - Zinka Milanov, Jussi Björling, Leonard Warren; Rome Opera Orchestra and Chorus,
Erich Leinsdorf, RCA Victor, 1957.
* Rossini: ''
Stabat Mater'' - Zinka Milanov,
Risë Stevens,
Nicolai Gedda,
Nicola Rossi-Lemeni; Westminster Choir (choir master: John Finley Williamson);
NBC Symphony Orchestra,
Arturo Toscanini
Arturo Toscanini (; ; March 25, 1867January 16, 1957) was an Italian conductor. He was one of the most acclaimed and influential musicians of the late 19th and early 20th century, renowned for his intensity, his perfectionism, his ear for orche ...
, RCA Victor, 1952.
* Verdi: ''
La forza del destino'' - Zinka Milanov,
Giuseppe di Stefano, Leonard Warren,
Rosalind Elias,
Giorgio Tozzi; Coro e Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome,
Fernando Previtali, RCA Victor/DECCA, 1958.
* Ponchielli: ''
La Gioconda'' - Zinka Milanov, Giuseppe di Stefano, Leonard Warren, Rosalind Elias,
Plinio Clabassi; Coro e Orchestra dell'Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Rome, Fernando Previtali, RCA Victor/DECCA, 1957.
* Verdi: ''
La forza del destino'' (live broadcast, March 17, 1956). Milanov, Rosalind Elias,
Richard Tucker, Leonard Warren,
Cesare Siepi; Fritz Stiedry, Metropolitan Opera, New York
* Verdi: ''
Simon Boccanegra'' (live broadcast, April 2, 1960). Milanov,
Carlo Bergonzi,
Frank Guarrera, Giorgio Tozzi,
Dimitri Mitropoulos; Metropolitan Opera
* Verdi: ''
Un ballo in maschera'' (live broadcast, January 22, 1955). Milanov, Richard Tucker,
Josef Metternich,
Jean Madeira,
Roberta Peters; Dimitri Mitropoulos, Metropolitan Opera
* Verdi: ''
Un ballo in maschera'' (live broadcast, December 10, 1955). Milanov,
Jan Peerce,
Robert Merrill,
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson (February 27, 1897April 8, 1993) was an American contralto. She performed a wide range of music, from opera to spirituals. Anderson performed with renowned orchestras in major concert and recital venues throughout the United S ...
, Roberta Peters; Dimitri Mitropoulos, Metropolitan Opera
Bibliography
* ''The Last Prima Donnas'', by
Lanfranco Rasponi, Alfred A Knopf, 1982.
References
External links
Croatian Opera Singers - In Croatian
{{DEFAULTSORT:Milanov, Zinka
1906 births
1989 deaths
Yugoslav operatic sopranos
Musicians from Zagreb
Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery
20th-century Croatian women opera singers
Yugoslav emigrants to the United States
RCA Victor artists
Naturalized citizens of the United States