Zinka Milanov - a portrait (English subtitles). Part I
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjY7-jpXql0
This is the first part of a bio-interview with one of the twentieth century's most esteemed and beloved singers, Zinka Kunc Milanov.
Still photos include:
Elvira - Met, "Ernani", 1956
Gioconda - Met, "La Gioconda", 1950s
Maddalena di Coigny - Met, "Andrea Chenier"
Donna Leonora - Met, "Forza", 1950s: Convent Scene; "Pace" Scene; Act I, Scene 1 (dressing room, in front of full-length mirror)
Desdemona - Met, 1950s, Act IV (dressing room shot)
Donna Leonora - Met, "Forza", Convent Scene, 1943, with Ezio Pinza as Guardiano; Hermit garb, 1952, with Siepi as Guardiano, Warren as Don Carlo; Scene 1, studio portraits
With Ljubo Ilic on board a luxury liner
Donna Anna - Met, "Don Giovanni" rehearsal, 1940s, with Walter, Sayao, Pinza
Bruno Walter, studio portrait
Publicity still, 1950s, wearing her favorite diamond-studded music staff brooch. "One night at some sort of reception, Zinka, Blanche, and the latter’s then husband, Richard Metz, were chatting over cocktails. Metz couldn’t keep his eyes off Zinka’s extraordinary brooch, a diamond-studded treble clef perched on a platinum music staff and pinned at the edge of her very décolleté gown.
He kept questioning her about it and leaning over to look at it more closely. Batting her eyelashes, in her most honeyed, coquettish tone, she asked at last, “Richard — vhich one of my treasures are you admiring?” [Blanche Thebom, as told to Bruce Burroughs]
With Maestro Walter
With a photo of Toscanini, 1940s
Toscanini, autographed studio portrait. "To Zinka Milanov, very cordially ... Arturo Toscanini"
Aida - Met, "Aida", circa 1951, studio portraits; Act II, Scene 1, with Nikolaidi as Amneris
Donna Leonora en travesti, "Forza" Inn Scene and first part of Convent Scene, portrait painted from the famous De Bellis photo
Zinka's parents - Ljubica Smičiklas, Rudolf Kunc (Kunz van der Rosen)
Zinka with brothers Božidar Kunc and Milivoy Kunc
Zinka with brother Božidar
Gioconda - Met, 1950s, Act II. The mask was offered as a prize to the winner of the ZMMC Annual Social "opera quiz"
Santuzza - Met, 1950s
Program, Met Farewell, 1966
Maddalena di Coigny - Met, 1954, studio portraits; Met, 1954, with Del Monaco as Chenier, Act II Duet; Act I; Act III, "La mamma morta", with Warren as Carlo Gerard;
Act III, curtain call, with Warren et al.
Brother and Karl Bohm, a great admirer of Zinka, sighted in the wings after the Silver Jubilee anniversary "Chenier"
Zinka Milanov - a portrait (English subtitles). Part II
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeD2FkOQlDw
This is the second part of a bio-interview with one of the twentieth century's most esteemed and beloved singers, Zinka Kunc Milanov. Filmed in her Belgrade home in 1983, this portrait appears for the very first time anywhere with English subtitles, making what was formerly a precious video document available to a few, now available to opera nerds everywhere.
Still photos include:
Zinka (Santuzza) with Cesare Bardelli (Alfio), Met, circa 1957
This is the second part of a bio-interview with one of the twentieth century's most esteemed and beloved singers, Zinka Kunc Milanov. Filmed in her Belgrade home in 1983, this portrait appears for the very first time anywhere with English subtitles, making what was formerly a precious video document available to a few, now available to opera nerds everywhere.
Still photos include:
Zinka (Santuzza) with Cesare Bardelli (Alfio), Met, circa 1957
Zinka with floral tributes and brother Bozidar and Karl Boehm in the wings, Met, Silver Jubilee, 1962
Toddler Zinka with her two brothers
Zinka as Maddalena di Coigny, Met, “Andrea Chenier”, Act I, circa 1954
Zinka as Maddalena, Met, “Andrea Chenier”, Act II, circa 1954
Zinka as Tosca with Met wardrobe mistress Jennie Cervini, circa 1955
Zinka as Gioconda, Act I, in the ruby-colored costume earned out of protest that “my costumes are drab compared with Laura’s”, Met, circa 1953
Zinka in her apartment ready for a night out on the town, standing beneath a watercolor portrait by Milan Petrovic (painted circa 1950)
Zinka as the “Forza” Leonora en travesti