Prima Voce
Prima Voce - Zinka Milanov In Recital - Schumann, Brahms, Etc
$16.99
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Details
- Composer
- VARIOUS
- Artist
- Zinka Milanov
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Prima Voce
- Released
- Jan 01, 2008
- Catalog #
- NI7948
- UPC
- 710357794827
About
A vibrant sense of identification and technical control at its most impressive.
If you’ve been following the Nimbus Milanov releases you’ll know that their earlier foray into her recorded legacy was a Milanov sings Verdi disc (see review). There, in all her opulent and passionate splendour, she proved herself a legendary heroine, a Verdian of unimpeachable, sometimes torrential expressive qualities. But it was the more thoughtful and delicately deployed moments in her singing that also linger in the mind – her absolute control of pianissimi, the sheer refinement of much of what she did. And that leads one to this latest Milanov disc of aria antiche, lieder, and national folk songs.
The recital starts with that old standby Caro mio ben. Note that the portamenti – always a feature of her art - are relatively discreet, the voice not over-scaled, the chest voice lightly deployed. It’s an imaginative, intelligent performance and contrasts quite firmly with that of many of her contemporaries in this repertoire. Schumann’s Widmung has the requisite urgency of utterance; her German is as ever excellent. Mondnacht is also well judged and she doesn’t do too much with it. The brace of Brahms songs is similarly accomplished, the lulling Wiegenlied especially. But it’s the Strauss songs that show her affinities best I think. Her vibrant sense of identification can be gauged best from Caecilie where the technical control is at its most impressive, though Zueignung is powerful in its own right.
The Yugoslav songs offer another avenue into appreciating Milanov. Some were composed by her brother, her accompanist for the bulk of these tracks, Bozidar Kunc. All are pleasurable. Bersa’s She Duš Dan has an unforced gravity and a near operatic intensity. And Kunc’s ?ežnja is full of urgent, almost florid romanticism, well suited to Milanov’s voice and sense of declamatory power. She brings affectionate refinement, scaled dynamics to The World is Empty. The Songs of Yugoslavia, songs arranged by Dr. Lujo Goranin, are accompanied by an anonymous pianist and violinist; the set was recorded in 1943 whereas everything else derives from sessions in 1955. Milanov’s portamento style is heard to good effect in these six songs. The Magyar influence is strong, tinged with Old Vienna in Gor ?ez jezero – beautifully controlled diminuendi from Milanov here – though elsewhere things are stylistically generic. In the main, though, romantic allure wins the day especially when performed so alluringly as here. There’s nothing in these songs as touching, or important, as the Czechoslovak songs Jarmila Novotna sang at around this time but that doesn’t lessen the impact of Milanov’s singing of them.
There’s residual hiss on the Yugoslav songs, as one would expect. Transfers are fine, the notes too and up to the expected standard.
-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
If you’ve been following the Nimbus Milanov releases you’ll know that their earlier foray into her recorded legacy was a Milanov sings Verdi disc (see review). There, in all her opulent and passionate splendour, she proved herself a legendary heroine, a Verdian of unimpeachable, sometimes torrential expressive qualities. But it was the more thoughtful and delicately deployed moments in her singing that also linger in the mind – her absolute control of pianissimi, the sheer refinement of much of what she did. And that leads one to this latest Milanov disc of aria antiche, lieder, and national folk songs.
The recital starts with that old standby Caro mio ben. Note that the portamenti – always a feature of her art - are relatively discreet, the voice not over-scaled, the chest voice lightly deployed. It’s an imaginative, intelligent performance and contrasts quite firmly with that of many of her contemporaries in this repertoire. Schumann’s Widmung has the requisite urgency of utterance; her German is as ever excellent. Mondnacht is also well judged and she doesn’t do too much with it. The brace of Brahms songs is similarly accomplished, the lulling Wiegenlied especially. But it’s the Strauss songs that show her affinities best I think. Her vibrant sense of identification can be gauged best from Caecilie where the technical control is at its most impressive, though Zueignung is powerful in its own right.
The Yugoslav songs offer another avenue into appreciating Milanov. Some were composed by her brother, her accompanist for the bulk of these tracks, Bozidar Kunc. All are pleasurable. Bersa’s She Duš Dan has an unforced gravity and a near operatic intensity. And Kunc’s ?ežnja is full of urgent, almost florid romanticism, well suited to Milanov’s voice and sense of declamatory power. She brings affectionate refinement, scaled dynamics to The World is Empty. The Songs of Yugoslavia, songs arranged by Dr. Lujo Goranin, are accompanied by an anonymous pianist and violinist; the set was recorded in 1943 whereas everything else derives from sessions in 1955. Milanov’s portamento style is heard to good effect in these six songs. The Magyar influence is strong, tinged with Old Vienna in Gor ?ez jezero – beautifully controlled diminuendi from Milanov here – though elsewhere things are stylistically generic. In the main, though, romantic allure wins the day especially when performed so alluringly as here. There’s nothing in these songs as touching, or important, as the Czechoslovak songs Jarmila Novotna sang at around this time but that doesn’t lessen the impact of Milanov’s singing of them.
There’s residual hiss on the Yugoslav songs, as one would expect. Transfers are fine, the notes too and up to the expected standard.
-- Jonathan Woolf, MusicWeb International
Tracklist 21 tracks
-
1 Caro mio ben 02:54
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Caro mio ben
- Duration
- 02:54
- Composer
- Giuseppe Giordani
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
2 Myrthen, Op. 25: No. 1. Widmung 02:17
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Myrthen, Op. 25: No. 1. Widmung
- Duration
- 02:17
- Composer
- Robert Schumann
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
3 Liederkreis, Op. 39: No. 5. Mondnacht (Moonlit Night) 04:18
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Liederkreis, Op. 39: No. 5. Mondnacht (Moonlit Night)
- Duration
- 04:18
- Composer
- Robert Schumann
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
4 5 Lieder, Op. 49: No. 1. Am Sonntag Morgen 01:33
- Track
- 4
- Title
- 5 Lieder, Op. 49: No. 1. Am Sonntag Morgen
- Duration
- 01:33
- Composer
- Johannes Brahms
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
5 5 Lieder, Op. 49: No. 4. Wiegenlied 02:13
- Track
- 5
- Title
- 5 Lieder, Op. 49: No. 4. Wiegenlied
- Duration
- 02:13
- Composer
- Johannes Brahms
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
6 8 Gedichte aus Letzte Blatter, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 1. Zueignung 02:00
- Track
- 6
- Title
- 8 Gedichte aus Letzte Blatter, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 1. Zueignung
- Duration
- 02:00
- Composer
- Richard Strauss
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
7 5 Lieder, Op. 48, TrV 202: No. 1. Freundliche Vision (A Friendly Vision) 02:51
- Track
- 7
- Title
- 5 Lieder, Op. 48, TrV 202: No. 1. Freundliche Vision (A Friendly Vision)
- Duration
- 02:51
- Composer
- Richard Strauss
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
8 8 Gedichte aus Letzte Blatter, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 8. Allerseelen 03:40
- Track
- 8
- Title
- 8 Gedichte aus Letzte Blatter, Op. 10, TrV 141: No. 8. Allerseelen
- Duration
- 03:40
- Composer
- Richard Strauss
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
9 4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 2. Cacilie 01:56
- Track
- 9
- Title
- 4 Lieder, Op. 27, TrV 170: No. 2. Cacilie
- Duration
- 01:56
- Composer
- Richard Strauss
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
10 She Dus Dan (All Souls' Day) 04:36
- Track
- 10
- Title
- She Dus Dan (All Souls' Day)
- Duration
- 04:36
- Composer
- Blagoje Bersa
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
11 Pastirica (The Shepherdess) 03:15
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Pastirica (The Shepherdess)
- Duration
- 03:15
- Composer
- Josip Pavcic
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
12 Ceznja (Longing) 03:19
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Ceznja (Longing)
- Duration
- 03:19
- Composer
- Božidar Kunc
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
13 Strepnja (Quivering) 02:50
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Strepnja (Quivering)
- Duration
- 02:50
- Composer
- Božidar Kunc
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
14 The World Is Empty 01:44
- Track
- 14
- Title
- The World Is Empty
- Duration
- 01:44
- Composer
- Božidar Kunc
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
15 Do not go, my love 03:29
- Track
- 15
- Title
- Do not go, my love
- Duration
- 03:29
- Composer
- Richard Hageman
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov, Božidar Kunc
-
16 Na Bembasi (By Bembashi Waters) 03:09
- Track
- 16
- Title
- Na Bembasi (By Bembashi Waters)
- Duration
- 03:09
- Composer
- Lujo Goranin
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov
-
17 Gor cez jezero (By the Lake) 03:13
- Track
- 17
- Title
- Gor cez jezero (By the Lake)
- Duration
- 03:13
- Composer
- Lujo Goranin
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov
-
18 Ko lani sem (When last year I passed by) 03:10
- Track
- 18
- Title
- Ko lani sem (When last year I passed by)
- Duration
- 03:10
- Composer
- Lujo Goranin
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov
-
19 Ukor (Maiden's reproach) 03:04
- Track
- 19
- Title
- Ukor (Maiden's reproach)
- Duration
- 03:04
- Composer
- Lujo Goranin
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov
-
20 Daleko m'e moj Split (Split, my hometown, so far away) 03:12
- Track
- 20
- Title
- Daleko m'e moj Split (Split, my hometown, so far away)
- Duration
- 03:12
- Composer
- Lujo Goranin
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov
-
21 Domovini i ljubavi (To my homeland and to my love) 02:59
- Track
- 21
- Title
- Domovini i ljubavi (To my homeland and to my love)
- Duration
- 02:59
- Composer
- Lujo Goranin
- Performer
- Zinka Milanov