Description

COSTA MILONA (KERATEA, 3 FEBRUARY, 1889 – LONDON, 27 MARCH, 1949)

 

 

 

 

A spinto tenor of note during the 1920s and 1930s, he is remembered principally for his recordings. Born Konstantinos Mylonas into poverty, he lost his father at an early age and was sent to work in the mines. Heard singing by a well-off gentleman, he was sponsored to the Athens Conservatory where he did well and gained recital experience in concerts sometimes accompanied by a young Dimitri Mitropoulos on the piano. Upon his 1920 graduation he relocated to Milan where he refined his art, Italianized his name, and took-up with a married Italian lady. Milona made 1923 appearances in Monte Carlo as both a Sailor and a Shepherd from R. Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” but spent most of the 1920s in the German capital earning praise in such roles as Rodolfo in G. Puccini’s “La Boheme” and the tragic clown Canio of R. Leoncavallo’s “I Pagliacci” while recording for various companies. He was seen at the Vienna State Opera in 1932, worked as a voice teacher in Berlin during the mid 1930s, and sang at the Deutsche Opera Berlin as late as 1938. After spending the war years in Berlin, he moved to London in 1946, his way paid by a wealthy English lady as by then his voice was used-up and he was broke. Milona died of heart disease after a period of steady decline.

 

Chronology of some appearances

 

1923 Monte Carlo Grand-Théâtre Tristan und Isolde (sailor)

1923 Monte Carlo Grand-Théâtre Tristan und Isolde (sailor)

1938 Berlin Deutsches Oper La Bohème (Rodolfo)

1938 Berlin Deutsches Oper Pagliacci (Canio)

 

TRACKLIST

 

 

Addio, mia bella Napoli (Cottrau) 03657E 1728-1AA Vox, Berlin, October 1927

Africaine (Meyerbeer) Mi batte il cor… O paradiso P51017 2-20814 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-06-11

Africana (Meyerbeer) Mi batte il cor… O paradiso P.1394-I 5940 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Aida (Verdi) Celeste Aida H.010247 2759A Vox, Berlin 1926-05 (ac)

Andrea Chénier (Giordano) Come un bel dì di maggio 03571 2758A Vox, Berlin 1926-05 (ac)

Ave Maria (Kahn) B8675 51900-I Homocord, Berlin 1925-08-25

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Di tu se fedele 03663 1731AA Vox, Berlin 1927-03

Ballo in maschera (Verdi) Di tu se fedele O-6991 2-20812 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-06-11

Bohème (Puccini) Che gelida manina 3-8668 51875-1 Homocord, Berlin 1925-09-10

Boheme (Puccini) Ebbene no no lo son P.1629-I 5944 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Bohemikí Agápi (Hadziapostolou) B21526 101019 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-06-21

Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni) Addio a la madre B.8674 51899 Homokord, Berlin 1925

Cavalleria rusticana (Mascagni) O Lola, bianca come fior di spino P1629 2-5906 Parlophon, Berlin, 24 May 1922

Cavallleria Rusticana (Mascagni) O Lola, ch’ai di latti  P.1629-II 5906 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Despo (arr. Skalkottas) B21519 101002 Parlophon, Berlin, 18 March 1929

Diamantoula Mou (Skalikottas) B21520 101011 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-03-19

Die Königin von Saba (Goldmark) Magische Note 3-51614 51516 Homokord, Berlin 1924

Don Sebastiano (Donizetti) Deserto in terra 3-8535 51619-I Homokord, Berlin 1924

Élégie (Massenet) B17537 36664 Parlophon, Berlin, 5 November 1928

Faust (Gounod) Salut, demeure chaste et pure 3-8676 51902 Homokord, Berlin 1925

Faust (Gounod) Salve, dimora B8676 51902 Homocord, Berlin, 25 August 1925

Favorita (Donizetti) Spirto gentil P.1631-II 5822 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Forza del Destino (Verdi) Solenne in quest’ora with Jean Athanasiu  04177 2745A Vox, Berlin 1926

Giati (Xanthopoulos) B21522 101010 Parlophon, Berlin, 19 March 1929

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar 03570 2746A Vox, Berlin 1926-05 (ac)

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar B7793 119049 Parlophon, Berlin, 19 June 1930

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar B8533 51613-2 Homocord, Berlin, 17 June 1924

Gioconda (Ponchielli) Cielo e mar P. 1482-II 5839 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Glyko mou agapi (Naltsas) B21524 101013 Parlophon, Berlin, 20 June 1929

Huguenots (Meyerbeer) O qual soave vision… Bianca al par H.010218 2756A Vox, Berlin 1926-05 (ac)

I gynaika tou dromou (Chatziapostolou) Kardia pou apo agapi orfani B21521 101005 Parlophon, Berlin, 18 March 1929

I proti  agapi (Chatziapostolou) I kardia tis manas B21526 101015 Parlophon, Berlin, 20 June 1929

Ideale (Tosti) 3-8531 51610-I Homocord, Berlin 1924-06-16

Ideale (Tosti) B12026 36670 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-11-07

Il trovatore (Verdi) Di quella pira 3573 3263B Vox, Berlin, June 1926

Jocelyn (Godard) Nascosti in quest’asil (Berceuse) 3-8535 51611 Homocord, Berlin 1924-06-11

Karava anigi ta ftera (Lavrangaas) B21518 101001 Parlophon, Berlin, 18 March 1929

Kardia pisti (= Vertrautes Herz) (Barthélemy) B21522 101007 Parlophon, Berlin, 19 March 1929

La forza del destino (Verdi) O tu che in seno P9315 2-20816-2 Parlophon, Berlin, 13 June 1928

La traviata (Verdi) Dei miei bollenti spiriti P1530 2-5942 Parlophon, Berlin, 9 June 1922

La traviata (Verdi) Dei miei bollenti spiriti unpublished 2-84081 Parlophon, Berlin, 19 June 1930

L’addio a Napoli (Cottrau) B 7796 119055 Parlophon, Berlin 1930-06-20

L’Africaine (Meyerbeer) O paradiso B8532 51618 Homocord, Berlin, 17 June 1924

L’elisir d’amore (Donizetti) Una furtiva lagrima P1631 2-5818 Parlophon, Berlin, 4 April 1922

Lolita (Buzzi-Peccia) B17537 36498 Parlophon, Berlin, 31 October 1928

Madama Butterfly (Puccini) Addio fiorito asil B7794 119050 Parlophon, Berlin 1930-06-19

Manna kai yios (Samaras) B21518 101003 Parlophon, Berlin, 18 March 1929.

Manon (Massenet) Io son sol… Ah dispar vision B.8674 51903-1 Homokord, Berlin 1925

Maria, Marì (Di Capua) B17534 36671 Parlophon, Berlin, 7 November 1928

Martha (Flotow) M’appari B8675 51901 Homocord, Berlin 1925-08-25

Martha (Flotow) M’appari H.010247 2744A Vox, Berlin 1926-05 (ac)

Mattinata (Leoncavallo) B17534 34948-2 Parlophon, Berlin, 6 November 1928

Mefistofele (Boito) Dai campi, dai prati 6039, 2143-BB Kristall, Berlin 1927

Mefistofele (Boito) Giunto sul passo estremo 03571 2755A Vox, Berlin 1926-05 (ac)

Nanourisma (Samaras) B21524 101018 Parlophon, Berlin, 21 June 1929

O Yero Dimos (Karéras) B21519 101008 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-03-19

Oh latrefti mou (= O meine Traumfrau) (Brodszky) B21596 101707 Parlophon, Berlin, 15 May 1931

Otello (Verdi) Sì pel ciel (w. Athanasiu) 04177 2757A Vox, Berlin, May 1926

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) O Colombina 3-8667 51871-1 Homokord, Berlin 1925

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba 6039 2143-BB Vox, Berlin, October 1927

Pagliacci (Leoncavallo) Vesti la giubba P1530-I aT5907 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Paola (Herapoulou) B21597 101705 Parlophon, Berlin, 12 May 1931

Pecché (Pennino) 3-8531 51620 Homocord, Berlin 1924-06-18

Pecché (Pennino) B12339 119054 Parlophon, Berlin 1930-06-20

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Mi par d’udir ancora 03570 2743½A Vox, Berlin 1926-05 (ac)

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Mi par d’udir ancora P1394 2-5941 Parlophon, Berlin 1922-06-09

Pêcheurs de perles (Bizet) Mi par d’udir ancora P51017 2-20817-2 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-11-07

Pos Pantrevoun Tin Agápi Mou (Lavda) B21521 101009 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-03-19

Puritani (Bellini) A te, o cara 3-8676 51902 Homokord, Berlin 1925

Ramona (Wayne) (Gr) B21517 101006 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-03-19

Rigoletto (Verdi) La donna è mobile P1380 2-5904 Parlophon, Berlin 1922-05-24

Rigoletto (Verdi) Questa o quella P1380 2-5903 Parlophon, Berlin 1922-05-24

Santa Lucia (Cottrau) 03657E 1729AA Vox, Berlin, October 1927

Santa Lucia (Cottrau) B 7796 119056 Parlophon, Berlin 1930-06-20

Santa Lucia (Cottrau) B17535 36600 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-10-31

Serenata (Toselli) B12026 36499 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-10-31

Sterni kantada (Statheros) B21596 101701 Parlophon, Berlin, 21 April 1931

To alanaki (Thanou) B21517 101000 Parlophon, Berlin, 18 March 1929

To Mátia Tu Dimou (Lavda) B21520 101004 Parlophon, Berlin 1929-03-18

To tango tis theatrinas (Heropoulos) B21595 101706 Parlophon, Berlin, 12 May 1931

Tosca (Puccini) E lucevan les stelle P. 1482-I 5821 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Tosca (Puccini) Recondita armonia P1630 2-5819 Parlophon, Berlin 1922-04-05

Tosca (Puccini) Tu, di tua man l’uccidesti… O dolci mani P. 1630-II 5820 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Traviata (Verdi) De miei bollenti spiriti P1530-II 5942 Parlophon, Berlin 1922

Traviata (Verdi) Lun ge da lei… De miei bollenti spiriti 06003 1733-AAX Kristall, Berlin 1927

Trovatore (Verdi) Ah sì, ben mio coll’essere 3-8667  51874 Homokord, Berlin 1925

Trovatore (Verdi) Ah sì, ben mio coll’essere 03663 1735AA Vox, Berlin 1927-03

Un ballo in maschera (Verdi) Di’ tu se fedele B8534 51616 Homocord, Berlin, 16 June 1924

Vieni sul mar (trad) B17535 36601 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-10-31

Werther (Massenet) Ah non mi ridestar 58506 20813 Parlophon, Berlin 1928-06-11