She was born in Goro, province of Ferrara.
In 1959 Milva won a contest for new voices, and was named the overall winner from more than seven thousand participants. In 1960 she recorded her first 7" single with Cetra records: Édith Piaf's song "Milord". Her real debut was on the stage of the Sanremo Music Festival in 1961, where she took third place. She competed many times at the Festival (14 times in total, the last time in 1993). The highest position she has reached is second place in 1962, but she has never won to date.
In 1965, a fortunate meeting led to a definitiive change in her career: Italo-German actor, dramatist and director Giorgo Strehler helped to develop her skills in staging and singing in Italian theatres (especially the Piccolo Teatro in Milan) and she began to perform a more committed repertoire (songs of Italian resistance movement, songs from Bertold Brecht's pieces, etc.). In the following years she alternated success in singing (especially in Germany where she won platinum and gold records for top sales) and success in theatre, where a remarkable 1973 edition of The Threepenny Opera met with success all over Europe.
In 1962 Milva was the first singer to successfully sing Édith Piaf's repertoire at the prestigious Olympia theatre in Paris. In 1983 she performed again and again received a real ovation by the public and the French press, very surprised how a non-French artist could interpret with such a feeling and energy the songs of their most beloved French singer.
She was a highly eclectic artist, performing everything from pop music to opera (with Luciano Berio), from comedy theatre to committed theatre (she is the first non-German actress to achieve a huge success in Bertold Brecht plays, putting in a shadow the former actresses of the same roles), TV shows (Al Paradise in 1981 won the Rose d'Or at the Montreaux Festival) and musicals. She also occasionally appeared in some Italian movies of the 1960s, like The beautiful Ippolita with Gina Lollobrigida.
Her singing career has become more complex and various year by year, thanks to the collaboration with some of the most talented composers and musician in European scene: Ennio Morricone in 1965, Francis Lai in 1973, Mikis Theodorakis in 1978 (Was ich denke best selling album in Germany), Enzo Jannacci in 1980, Vangelis in 1981 and 1986, Franco Battiato in 1982 and 1986.
Her theatre career has also gone from success to success, touring the world's most prestigious theatres with Bertold Brecht's recitals and Luciano Berio's operas. She has performed in La Scala in Milan, in the Deutsche Oper in Berlin, in Paris Opera, in Royal Albert Hall in London, at the Los Angeles Olympic Games, at the Edinburgh Festival, and many others.
In 1984 she performed (with Ástor Piazzolla) the show El tango in the Les Bouffes du Nort Theatre in Paris. This was just the beginning of an important new collaboration, interpreting the tangos of revolutionary Piazzolla all over the world.
In the 1990s her mentor Giorgio Strehler died. She temporarily reduced her theatre activity and focused on music only. She received new inspiration collaborating with Thanos Mikroutsikos, James Last and Shinji Tanimura. She performed her tour number 14 in Japan.
In 2004 her last CD and tour was dedicated to set to music of the poetry of Milan poetress Alda Merini.
She had a relationship with actor Luigi Pistilli the ending of which contributed to his suicide.
She had a daughter named Martina, born after the marriage with Maurizio Corgnati in the early 1960s.
D'Amore Si Muore
Milva Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
vedo solo te
ed io ti sento in me
credo di capire che cos'è per te
cosa vuol dir per te
che senso ha per te
l'amore mio.
e tu non sei con me
mi sento sola perché
tu non hai capito
che cos'è per me
l'amore mio per te.
Amore mio
no, no, non dirmi addio
perché io no, non vivo senza te,
amore mio!
Quando ti guardo vedo che per me
negli occhi tuoi amor non c'è
cerco l'amore che tu non mi dai
amore mio, perché?
Amore mio
no, no, non dirmi addio
perché io no, non vivo senza te,
amore mio
l'amore mio per te, per te.
Ora chiudo gli occhi e tu non sei con me
ti dico addio perché
tu non hai capito quanto grande è in me
l'amore mio per te.
Amore mio
io muoio, amore addio!
Perché io no, non vivo senza te
amore mio, amore amore addio!
The song "D'Amore Si Muore" by Milva presents the theme of unrequited love. The singer of the song is deeply in love with someone who does not seem to reciprocate the same feelings. The first stanza describes how the singer feels when they close their eyes, they see the person they love and they feel them within themselves. They believe they understand what love means for that person, but they wonder if their love has the same meaning for them. The songwriter uses powerful metaphors to describe the depth of the singer's feelings.
The second stanza expresses the feeling of loneliness when the person is not with them. The singer feels they are alone because their love has not understood how strong their love is. The chorus repeats the phrase "amore mio" (my love) several times, highlighting the strength of the love that the singer feels. They plead with their love not to leave them because they cannot live without them.
In the final stanza, the singer decides to say goodbye because the person they love has not understood how much they mean to them. They use the phrase "amore addio" (love goodbye), emphasizing the pain they feel. The song ends with the repetition of the phrase "amore mio, amore amore addio!" (my love, love goodbye!). Overall, Milva's "D'Amore Si Muore" is a powerful rendition of unrequited love and the pain that one feels when their love goes unnoticed.
Line by Line Meaning
Quando chiudo gli occhi
When I close my eyes, all I see is you.
vedo solo te
I see only you in my mind's eye.
ed io ti sento in me
I can feel you inside of me.
credo di capire che cos'è per te
I think I understand what it means to you.
cosa vuol dir per te
What does it mean to you?
che senso ha per te
What significance does it hold for you?
l'amore mio.
My love for you.
Quando apro gli occhi
When I open my eyes,
e tu non sei con me
and you're not with me,
mi sento sola perché
I feel so lonely because
tu non hai capito
you don't understand
che cos'è per me
what you mean to me.
l'amore mio per te.
My love for you.
Amore mio
My love,
no, no, non dirmi addio
No, no, don't say goodbye to me
perché io no, non vivo senza te,
because I can't live without you,
amore mio!
My love!
Quando ti guardo vedo che per me
When I look at you, I see
negli occhi tuoi amor non c'è
that there's no love for me in your eyes.
cerco l'amore che tu non mi dai
I search for the love that you don't give me,
amore mio, perché?
My love, why?
Ora chiudo gli occhi e tu non sei con me
Now I close my eyes and you're not with me
ti dico addio perché
I say goodbye to you because
tu non hai capito quanto grande è in me
you don't understand how much love I have for you.
l'amore mio per te.
My love for you.
Amore mio
My love,
io muoio, amore addio!
I'm dying, goodbye love!
Perché io no, non vivo senza te
Because I can't live without you,
amore mio, amore amore addio!
My love, my love, goodbye!
Writer(s): Ennio Morricone
Contributed by Anthony H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ibrido di risonanza
Quando chiudo gli occhi
Vedo solo te
Ed io ti sento in me
Credo di capire che cos'è per te
Cosa vuol dir per te
Che senso ha per te
L'amore mio.
Quando apro gli occhi
E tu non sei con me
Mi sento sola perché
Tu non hai capito
Che cos'è per me
L'amore mio per te.
Amore mio
No, no, non dirmi addio
Perché io no, non vivo senza te,
Amore mio!
Quando ti guardo vedo che per me
Negli occhi tuoi amor non c'è
Cerco l'amore che tu non mi dai
Amore mio, perché?
Amore mio
No, no, non dirmi addio
Perché io no, non vivo senza te,
Amore mio
L'amore mio per te, per te.
Ora chiudo gli occhi e tu non sei con me
Ti dico addio perché
Tu non hai capito quanto grande è in me
L'amore mio per te.
Amore mio
Io muoio, amore addio!
Perché io no, non vivo senza te
Amore mio, amore amore addio!
Mike W. and Brad
A tender love story, with a sad ending...thank you dear Ana, for this magnificent video...hugs and happiness to you.
Ana Altovani
Thanks a lot for your lovely comments dear friend Mike and Brad, You're fantastic! 🌸🌷🌹
SpiralBlue Andromeda
That was pure magic Anna!
Thank you so very much my dear friend for sharing your so very powerful and impressive upload with us!
Ana Altovani
Thanks a lot dear friend Katerina. I really appreciate your support and beautiful comments. My best wishes to you! 🌸🌷🌹
Roger Wynde
Very lovely and relaxing mood you have created with this great music and a very colorful video my friend ... Thanks !! 👍23
Ana Altovani
Thanks a lot dear friend. Happy weekend! 🌸🌷🌹
Larisa Shik
Beautiful new video. Wonderful song. Excellent video editing. Like. Thank you. Greetings.
Ana Altovani
Thanks a lot dear friend. My best wishes! 🌸🌷🌹
Tom Clark
BIG THUMBS UP! Ana 🌹👍.
Ana Altovani
Thank you so much Tom. It's a pleasure to meet you again!🌸🌷🌹