Milanov in Rigoletto's Act III - Toscanini, Warren & Peerce (Live, 25/05/1944)

Zinka Milanov at her absolute prime singing the most dramatic Gilda I have ever heard!!! Her Voice Soars above the singers and the orchestra!! What a Strong Natural Voice!! Here is the complete cast:
Gilda: Zinka Milanov
Rigoletto: Leonard Warren
Duca di Mantova: Jan Peerce
Sparafucile: Nicola Moscona
Maddalena: Nan Merriman
NBC Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
Conductor: Arturo Toscanini
LP Source, recorded live in Madison Square Garden in New York
on 25 May 1944!!
I have remastered the sound, without click or noise reduction to be as close as I can to the original LP sound!!

[@Passione2024]

Jan's singing is very emotional here! Bravo!!

[@OperaMyWorld]

In fact he always sang the same way all of his roles!! A well built voice but nothing more…

[@Operafiend22]

@@OperaMyWorld I think that's precisely why Toscanini selected him. He didn't take the liberties many of his more famous colleagues took.

[@vincekerrigan8300]

​@@OperaMyWorldA preference for a voice is a very personal thing - if a voice does not appeal then that's fine, but I think you are doing him a disservice as a singer here. People are, perhaps, a bit dismissive because he did not have what I call a 'showy' voice. Rather his voice was characterised by the dark, rock solid tone, totally consistent throughout the whole range (more so than Tucker, in my opinion), and an utterly secure upper register. His breath control was legendary, and he was considered one of the finest exponents in the technique of negotiating the passagio - his transition was seamless and barely perceptible. He was sometimes compared unfavourably to Richard Tucker, but that is a pointless comparison. Tucker had bigger voice and undertook more roles, but it was Peerce's deliberate choice to limit his repertoire to ensure the longevity of his voice. That certainly paid off - his voice had hardly deteriorated up to his late sixties. I often come across the 'nasal' comment, but I have to say in all my years of listening to him I have never noticed it.

[@valeriomessersi1016]

Dal 1944 nobilissimi interpreti per gli ascoltatori di oggi!!!! 👏👏👏

[@nenna4826]

Awesome voices under a legendary baton. Thanks OperaMyWorld❤

[@aetion]

Έκαμες πάλι πολύ καλή δουλειά στον ήχο. Η Milanov τραγούδησε με μεγάλη επιτυχία την Gilda, κατόπιν επιμονής τού Τοσκανίνι. Η ίδια θεωρούσε τον ρόλο πολύ ελαφρύ, γι' αυτό τον είχε αποκλείσει. Ο Τοσκανίνι είναι αυτός που πρώτος θεώρησε ότι ο ρόλος τής Gilda έχει νόημα, μόνο αν τραγουδιέται από μία δραματική σοπράνο. Και, όπως φάνηκε, είχε δίκιο. Η παράσταση αυτή ήταν καταπληκτική. Και τραγουδά και ο δικό μας Νίκος Μοσχονάς. Μορφή! Ευχαριστώ, φίλε μου.

[@OperaMyWorld]

Συμφωνώ απόλυτα μαζί σου με μια μικρή διαφοροποίηση…η Milanov δεν τραγούδησε ποτέ τον ρόλο! Μόνο σε αυτή τη συναυλία τραγούδησε την τελευταία πράξη του έργου! Ούτε ο Τοσκανινι δεν την έπεισε 😂

[@aetion]

@@OperaMyWorld Για να το λες εσύ, έτσι θα είναι. Πάντως αργότερα απολαύσαμε τον ρόλο τόσο με την Κάλλας, όσο και με την Σάδερλαντ. Και οι δύο δραματικές. Αυτό που θέλω να πω είναι ότι ο Τοσκανίνι είναι αυτός που πρώτος παρατήρησε ότι ο ρόλος τής Gilda τραγουδιέται καλύετρα από μία δραματική, παρά από μία λυρική σοπράνο.

[@OperaMyWorld]

@@aetion Ξεκάθαρα!! 😊

[@user-wz4yr2iy6h]

Ἀδύνατον νὰ ἐξεύρω λόγια ποὺ νὰ περιγράφουν αὐτὸ ποὺ μόλις ἄκουσα... Εὐχαριστοῦμεν!

[@Danielap4513]

Grazie Opera❤ Sentire Warren e’ un piacere. Anche Peerce ha un’ottima dizione. In questo brano la Milanov è un po’ penalizzata. La direzione diToscanini e’ al solito militaresca (come disse Furtwaengler). E ora m aspetto le critiche per aver osato toccare un mostro sacro😊

[@OperaMyWorld]

I don’t disagree with you! For me Milanov was the first dramatic voice that sang Gilda! And since this scene is dramatic, I felt excited to hear not a light coloratura voice singing Gilda! Warren is Great and Peerce is a good Duca but to me he seems that he always sang all his roles in the same manner/voice! My English are bad to describe what I mean!

[@elenajha4357]

Maestro Peerce here is very similar to Joseph Schmidt... maybe he also was a cantor, so the manner of sounding is the same.

[@petergraham8681]

Milanov as Gilda, at least at this time, is not as odd as it seems for two reasons, 1) the last act suits her pretty well & I heard that Toscanini had even suggested she take on the entire role & 2) it was a concert performance, so whatever reservations regarding Milanov‘s ˋgenerous physical proportions‘ as the character & normal lack of animation as an operatic actress was not an issue here. A singular feature of this performance was that the missing standard high notes,not written in the score, were eliminated. I know of no other recording live or in a studio where this is the case but I could be wrong here. I wonder how Warren felt about this. The Duke’s last semi-offstage tone is a written high B natural which I am certain Peerce was grateful for & he is in top form throughout the performance as well.

[@OperaMyWorld]

Which High note missed? Come on it’s suited her very good! Last Act is very dramatic! For her voice worked good! And if Toscanini thought she is a good Gilda…he knew something more…

[@elenajha4357]

Now I fully understand, that maestro Toscanini is a genius. I could hear at last the violin solo starting from 4:40. No other conductor ever let it play above the singers.

[@Khalid7a]

I never expected this intensity from Milanov wow! However I'm not sure why Toscanini always chose Peerce in his recordings over even Tucker who was a much better tenor. His voice is just hideous and nasal although a consistent and reliable artist.

[@tobiolopainto]

I don't find the voice of Peerce to be all that bad. He's not nasal here. The first time I heard him live in the early 60s, he was nasal- - without a doubt. But this singing is beautiful with long phrases, a good volume; you hear him clearly in the quartet. He doesn't drown out other singers. The chorus is superb in this great tight version of Act IV of Rigoletto. Of course there are Milanov and Warren holding everything together and singing beautifully. No other version of the trio is as brilliant or moving as the trio here. Also the trio is rhythmically precise and thus very exciting. In two productions of this opera that I've seen there are lightening flashes with the flute's flourishes. Lucky audience at the old Garden. Kudos to all.