Miscellaneous Lanza-related Comments and/or Questions

[Derek McGovern]

Please use this thread for any general questions or comments about Lanza that you don't feel warrant a separate discussion, e.g. "Did Lanza ever record [such and such]?", "How tall was Lanza?", "Where can I find [such and such] recording?" Of course, if your post takes on a life of its own, then we create a separate thread for it (like Vince's Lanza music videos, for example).

This is also the ideal place to post news items about Lanza (tribute concerts, etc).  

[norma]

In Armando`s book there is a photo of Mario,Betty and her sister on
their wedding day.In it Mario looks very heavy but in the other
wedding photo of just Mario and Betty wearing a suit and a dress he
looks much thinner.I have often wondered if this was taken much later
at the blessing in July.Any thoughts on this?

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: You must be thinking of a different Lanza book. In Armando's biography, there's just one wedding photo of the Lanzas, and it's only of Mario and Betty (in April 1945). If you have the July (church) wedding photo, feel free to post it here. (You can insert photos into posts now if you use the "new" version of the forum.)

Here's the original April 13 wedding photo. Mario looks good here, and he had certainly lost a lot of weight since the previous year. He's slimmer still in many of the 1946 photos (especially the one in Grant Park, Chicago, where he looks terrific -- see below as well).

 

[norma]

Hi Derek
I`m so sorry .I meant the two photos in Derek Mannering`s
book "Singing to the Gods"

Norma

> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_9Ay2EZb484Y/TQ3Be676K3I/AAAAAAAAAJ...>
>
> <https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_9Ay2EZb484Y/TQ3AxlPpuTI/AAAAAAAAAJ...>

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: I don't have that version of Mannering's Singing to the Gods. (There are about three different editions of Mannering's book, I think, with the chief difference between them being the photos.) The edition I have is his hardback American version (University of Mississippi Press), and there's only the April 13 wedding photo in it. I'm not sure that I've ever seen the July 1945 photos.

But no matter: what we do know, of course, is that Lanza's weight went up and down, so it wouldn't surprise me if he'd gained a few pounds between April and July. Just look at the difference in his weight from November to December 1958, for example (in the photos in Armando's book) or between arriving at Victoria Station in mid-November 1957 and at the Albert Hall two months later. The interesting thing, though, is that for a long period after Lanza left the Army, his weight remained fairly stable for a good four or five years. (The man "discovered" by Mayer at the Hollywood Bowl in 1947 certainly wasn't unhealthily overweight.) I don't think it's any coincidence that when he was at his happiest, his weight problem ceased to be an issue. 

Cheers

Derek

[Vincent Di Placido]

I always loved this photo of Mario at the mic recording his radio show & I just got my hands on a beautiful large print of it & the quality is fantastic, unfortunately I've had to scan at a reduced rate to be able to upload it here but it is still impressive. 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Vince

Thanks for sharing that, Vince: the quality's amazing. I've always loved that photo, and it's interesting how slim and youthful Mario looks here. He was 31, but he could easily pass for 25 -- particularly in the profile shot taken on the same day:

There's a third photo from the same session -- not as flattering this one, as he looks tired. But you can really tell here how thin he is, as his clothes just hang on him:

The boyish quality would definitely have served him well for The Student Prince that same year. It's incredible to think that just two years later, he was looking 10-15 years older when he appeared on The Christopher Show:

And yet, look at how boyish he was looking again three years after the photo above was taken:

Mind you, he always looks younger in profile.

But, truly, he was the man of a thousand faces!

Cheers

Derek

P.S. This post is best viewed in our new format: 

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/mariolanza/cpYv4GAa9u4

 P.S

[Derek McGovern]

Whoops: I didn't mean The Christopher Show for the colour photo above; I meant, of course, the Chrysler Shower of Stars Show.

[Vincent Di Placido]

Here are those photos Norma is talking about...

 

 

 

[Maria Luísa]

What a selection of wonderful photos! There's at least two of them I
had never seen. Mario looks great in all of them. Thank you Derek and
Vince for these gorgeous pictures. This could very well be a beautiful
Christmas present to all those who really love Mario.

On Dec 25, 2:12 am, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Vince
>
> Thanks for sharing that, Vince: the quality's amazing. I've always loved
> that photo, and it's interesting how slim and youthful Mario looks here. He
> was 31, but he could easily pass for 25 -- particularly in the profile shot
> taken on the same day:
>

> <https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_9Ay2EZb484Y/TRVO9ZsbuJI/AAAAAAAAAK...>

>
> There's a third photo from the same session -- not as flattering this one,
> as he looks tired. But you can really tell here how thin he is, as his
> clothes just hang on him:
>

> <https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/_9Ay2EZb484Y/TRVPcb87oUI/AAAAAAAAAK...>

> The boyish quality would definitely have served him well for The Student
> Prince that same year. It's incredible to think that just two years later,
> he was looking 10-15 years older when he appeared on The Christopher Show:
>

> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_9Ay2EZb484Y/TRVQ4Lgxk9I/AAAAAAAAAL...>
>
> And yet, look at how boyish he was looking again three years *after *the
> photo above was taken:
>
> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_9Ay2EZb484Y/TRVSkphDr9I/AAAAAAAAAL...>

> Mind you, he always looks younger in profile.
>
> But, truly, he was the man of a thousand faces!
>
> Cheers
> Derek
>
> P.S. This post is best viewed in our new format:
>

> https://groups.google.com/forum/?fromgroups#!topic/mariolanza/cpYv4GA...
>
>  P.S

[norma]

Thank you for posting 2 wedding photos of M ario and Betty I was
actually comparing Mario`s weight in these with the usual wedding
photo where Betty is holding her bouquet. 25, 12:59 pm, Vincent Di

Placido <vincent.diplac...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Here are those photos Norma is talking about...
>

> <https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_5lxGXmtURhE/TRXqd9aXVZI/AAAAAAAAAB...>
>
> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_5lxGXmtURhE/TRXqcwIaAlI/AAAAAAAAAB...>

[Derek McGovern]

Glad you enjoyed the photos, Luísa. With our new forum format, it's fun being able to insert images into posts, rather than just providing links. 

As for the July 1945 "wedding" pics that Vince kindly posted, yes, Lanza is probably a little beefier in these than in his official wedding day photo -- though as Vince mentioned to me elsewhere, the rather tight suit he was wearing in the July shots probably didn't help. And clothes do make a difference. But whatever the weight gain, he still looks good here -- certainly not unhealthily overweight. Here are the April and July photos for a side by side comparison (and remember that you'll to be viewing the new version of this forum to see them).

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

A P.S. to the above: I hope these photos prove once and for all that Mario was not the 5' 10 and a half inch "giant" that some would have us believe. After all, these were taken before he started wearing built-up shoes! 

[Derek McGovern]

Not being a speaker of German, I never had much idea of what Hans Sohnker and Johanna Von Koczian were talking about in this sweet promo from Berlin for For the First Time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X8q2Avw_j_8

But thanks to the person who uploaded it, we now have a translation of what Sohnker was talking about. It's actually very touching:

"One of my biggest impressions was when I -- like a little mouse in Rome, sat in the audience room (Zuschauerraum) and listened to [Lanza] and saw him the first time in my life. I've seen a lot of Pagliacci, especially the monologue [Vesti la Giubba]. That was the greatest experience for me; that was the most beautiful voice I have ever heard and also theatrically, I was deeply moved.

"I took me the whole morning just to calm down."

Incidentally, I love the moment here where Mario (just after he says "Dein ist mein ganzes Herz" to Johanna) misunderstands Hans' response, and assumes he's being vulgar. Priceless!

Mario looks good here, and very relaxed. It's hard to believe he'd be gone in less than eleven months.

[Derek McGovern]

Here's a new article on the mysterious artist who leaves drawings of "opera singer Mario Lanza" at an English pub:

http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2011/01/02/mario-lanza-artist-leaves-plaque-honour-at-pub/

Quite a bizarre story, really! 

[Derek McGovern]

Here's a curiosity for history and film buffs: it's the newsreel footage of leading film and theatre stars of the day and the British Royal Family arriving at the Royal Film Performance of Because You're Mine in London in 1952:

http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=30505

Strangely, not a word is mentioned about the film -- or the fact that its star was not present! -- though the poster for the movie can be glimpsed in the background.

What a terrific line-up of stars were there: Charlie Chaplin, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Patrice Munsel, John Mills, Rock Hudson, Gene Kelly... 

It's just a shame that the film they'd come to see wasn't The Great Caruso or Serenade!!

 

[zsazsa]

He Derek,
thanks a lot for the most interesting newsreel footage about the gests
arriving for the Royal Performance of Mario`s `Because you`re mine`
movie. We have never, ever heard any details about this great event,
so we really didn`t know that Chaplin and his Wife and the other great
actors, personalities were attend, so it is most interesting to see
the great drawing up of that most interesting guests. First of all the
Queen (how beautiful she looks) and his husband and all those great
actors and actresses. And in the back you can see the posters with
Mario`s face and the title of the movie `Because you`re Mine`. Very,
very interesting, thanks a lot once again.
Have a great beginning of the Year 2011! Ciao from Susan

> <http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=30505>

[Tonytenor]

Here's an interesting one. The very elite British webzine Gramaphone
has debuted their new classical music CD / mp3 purchase and download
site:
www.ariama.com (U.S. only they say in their promos) and it seems quite
replete with musical artists past and present. I am happy to see
Mario Lanza listed in there though a bit mystified by this enty ICONS
- MARIO LANZA. This site, which one would assume would be well
researched and supported lists this collection as a four CD Sony
release. Have I missed something? Is this indeed a legit release?
Every other site I've checked it looks suspiciously like a bootleg to
me. Anyone out there able to educate the knitwitted midwesterner?

Ciao - Tony

http://www.ariama.com/albums/icons-mario-lanza-(mario-lanza-sony-music)

> > <http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=30505>- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: According to the product information for Mario Lanza: Icons at the UK division of amazon, this set has been put out by Sony Music, so it must be a legitimate release. 

There's nothing new on it, and it's such a hodgepodge of musical genres on every disc (e.g., Ah! Swet Mystery of Life, as it's amusingly misspelled at amazon, is sandwiched between Una Furtiva Lagrima and Canta Pe' Me) that I think it would drive me crazy. I can understand a single-disc collection containing multiple genres, but why do that with four discs?! 

Curiously, "La dona e mobile" (another misspelling!) and One Night of Love are listed as being on two of the discs; surely that can't be right?! 

I wouldn't waste my money, old friend.

[Derek McGovern]

Armando's currently in Italy, and while attending performances of opera there (including a Lucia with Beczala as Edgardo) he's gotten into discussions about Lanza. So far he's had to put more than one operatic "expert" in his place, as frustratingly, he writes, "In Italy, the old myth that Mario could not sustain an entire opera is rampant!"

I'd love to have been a fly on the wall when Armando was setting the record straight :)

[Vincent Di Placido]

No better man (other than yourself, Derek) to deal with the "experts". If you are a Lanza fan you spend half your life defending him... The old myths have hung around like a bad smell, so annoying!

[norma]

Sorry about the errors,I don`t know if this sheds any light on the
subject but in England there is a series of ICON boxed CDs on sale
featuring many artists.

On Jan 11, 4:36 pm, Tonytenor <tonyparting...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Here's an interesting one.  The very elite British webzine Gramaphone
> has debuted their new classical music CD / mp3 purchase and download

> site:www.ariama.com(U.S. only they say in their promos) and it seems quite

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Michael McAdam]

A new topic here: has anyone seen the new special edition of 'Life' that's currently out on the newsstands?

"Gone Too Soon" deals with the famous entertainment figures who died long before their time.

 

As I approached the section devoted to singers and musicians I turned the pages with more and more trepidation (did they mention Mario, I wonder?).

Nope! sad to say that the likes of Bill Haley, Elvis, John Lennon are all there (plus Sam Cooke, Marvin Gaye et al) but, aside from a nod to the 40's and 50's by virtue of  of a quarter page on Garland and a postage stamp spot for Piaf, no mention of our lad!

 

I'm not surprised. He's been gone a long time and the editorial staff was likely born well after 1959. I would guess that Piaf had a small spot in there only by virtue of her recent biopic having made the current generation aware of the name and we know that Judy G. still has an active publicity machine in operation through her daughters. This article never mentioned Glenn Miller, Gene Krupa, Marty Robbins or many others either. Have to keep those articles in perspective.

Here's a thought: If Colleen had lived, what her father's legacy be like today? She just might have been an entertainer, a TV personality or even a columnist? Another 'what if' !

M.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Mike: I haven't seen that "life" edition, but I'm not surprised that Lanza was omitted. Like you say, the editorial staff was probably too young to know who he was. It's very lazy journalism, though! I mean, Lanza was one of the biggest stars of the early 1950s, and an influential figure on the careers of not just opera singers, but everyone from Elvis Presley to Steve Hackett, guitarist and song-writer in the group Genesis.

Sad to say, I think Colleen's life was in a downward spiral at the time of her death. But from Armando's told me of her, in her prime she was certainly a vibrant, musical and highly intelligent woman. 

Cheers

Derek  

[Derek McGovern]

I've just learned the sad news that conductor Herbert Grossman, whose wonderful anecdotes about Lanza, Toscanini, and tenor David Poleri feature in this thread, passed away from kidney failure four months ago at the age of 83. I thoroughly enjoyed corresponding with him, and an essay of our email chats on Lanza is included on our new site.

Yet another precious link to Lanza is gone. R.I.P., Maestro.

[Derek McGovern]

Here's a link to dear old Herb's Lanza-only reminiscences:

https://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/web/firsthand-accounts-of-working-with-mario-lanza?hl=en

They're very interesting.

[Derek McGovern]

It's good to see that the name Mario Lanza still attracts the interest of members of the forum grandi-tenori:

http://grandi-tenori.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3934

[zsazsa]

Hi Derek,

it is an interesting site and one can read a lot about Mario, here is the link:

 http://historyofthetenor.com/page.php?87

This is the very first time I`m writing in this new, beautiful site and I enjoy it. 

Congratulation again and Ciao  Susan

[Michael McAdam]

Interesting page (and website), Susan. With the exception of a few holes, I've seen worse synopses of Lanza's life. 

I'm wondering where the author gets this information from: "it is said that arrangements were made to complete studio performances of the great operas with Maria Callas". It is said? So, who 'said' this one wonders? Lanza is never mentioned in any Callas biography I've read, nor is there any mention of this recording 'arrangement' in Armando's Lanza biography (if it came out in Giovanni Viglione's 1973 interview with Maria Callas I think Armando would have mentioned it?)

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Susan and Mike: I've been aware of that site for a while (since it turned up in my daily Google Lanza "alert"). Curiously, the entire text about Lanza has been taken from the British Mario Lanza Society's website! What tipped me off was the statement that "In the 'Triumph March' for the final scene of  'For The First Time' he oversang the 260 member Rome Opera House orchestra and chorus" -- an amusing claim (and a physical impossibility) that I wish the Society would remove from their site.

I listened to the narrative that's also featured on that site, but turned it off after a minute, as there were just too many mistakes: "Lanza was born in 1922 to Spanish-Italian parents"; "He sang one performance of La Boheme in New Orleans," etc. Also, I didn't agree at all with the claim that Lanza should be judged not as a singer but purely as a film star!!!

Cheers

Derek

[Lover of Grand Voices]

Derek and Friends, I plan to show The Great Caruso to a group of my university students.  I will do a short presentation.  Any advice on what to do to help a group of 20 year olds enjoy the experience and learn to appreciate Mario?  All the best, E

[Derek McGovern]

Ciao Emilio: What an opportunity!

If it's possible at all, I suggest that you tell your students about our new site (www.mariolanzatenor.com) before your presentation. Make it a fun homework assignment, and tell them that you'll be asking them some basic questions about Lanza at your presentation!

But if that's not feasible, I would simply outline Lanza's life, emphasizing the extraordinary impact that he's had on successive generations of music lovers and operatic singers, but also stressing the tragedy of such a gift being lost to the world of music at such a young age. And when describing that voice, I would mention some of the jaw-dropping firsthand reactions of those who heard him or worked with him. Callinicos' comment, for example, that on first hearing Lanza (when they performed in recital together in 1947) that he felt a tremendous joke was being played on him -- such was the quality of the voice. 

I would also stress how popular Lanza was during his lifetime, emphasizing that here was an operatic singer whose records were massive sellers on the *pop* charts (Be My Love reached #1; The Student Prince was at #1 on the Billboard charts for 42 weeks!). This is a feat that's never been repeated.

I'd also show an interesting range of photos from throughout Lanza's life.

Hope this helps!

Cheers

Derek

[Lover of Grand Voices]

Hi Derek, thank you very much.  This is helpful.  I'm sure they will enjoy it.  All the best.  E

[Tony Partington]

Hi Folks -

Just a quick post.  I came across this mention re: Mario and thought I 'd pass it along.  Take a look at the movies listed for February 10th.

 

http://laurasmiscmusings.blogspot.com/2011/02/tcm-in-february-31-days-of-oscar.html

 

ciao - Tony

[Tony Partington]

Hey, found another.  I think this is quite a nice photo of Mario Lanza Park in Philadelphia.

http://queenvillagepix.posterous.com/snow-in-mario-lanza-park

[Tony Partington]

Oh my gosh, here's another photo of Mario Lanza Park.  I'd like to visit it one day.  It's been almost 13 years since I was last in Philadelphia.  So much has changed I am sure.  Yet I imagine that much of South Philly is exactly the same.

 

Ciao - Tony

[Derek McGovern]

Those are nice photos of Mario Lanza Park, Tony. The "snow" one popped up in my Lanza Google alert the other day, and I thought it would be a nice addition to the photos of the Park we have here:

http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/a-lanza-scrapbook.html

It's good to know that Philadelphia still reveres one of its greatest singers.

[leeann]

Hi, Tony, I'm a newcomer to Philadelphia visits, and while people talk about changes in the Italian market and other parts of South Philly, I suspect there's an awful lot that really hasn't changed much Wandering around that neighborhood and through the Italian market (which is pretty multicultural now!) is a thrill. And so many places associated with Lanza's boyhood are still around and and very much alive and well! I'd love to hear what people who know the city think about it. In the meantime, here's a link to PhilaPlace which has great videos--historical and present-day. There's a link on the website now to more information about Mario Lanza Park along with those photos you and Derek found!  Best, Lee Ann

[E I]

Dear Derek and our friends. I am not sure you received my original
message so I will repeat the request. I would like to present to my
students examples of notable singers of the past and present who were
influenced by Mario. I would appreciate examples,especially ones that
20 year olds can relate to. i would also be grateful for anecdotes and
vignettes that I can use to introduce the movie and Mario. This is a
chance to present Lanza to a new generation. Thank you all for your
help. E

[Derek McGovern]

Ciao Emilio: I assume the post above was written by you! (It was sent through under a different email address than the one you registered with at this forum.)

 

I'm not sure that I can really elaborate much more on what I wrote in my earlier reply to you. The difficulty with bringing up any singer that Lanza influenced is that none of the names would mean much to your typical 20-year-old. Now if I said that Lady Gaga was inspired by Lanza, that would mean something to your students, I'm sure! But, unfortunately, I can't think of any big contemporary pop names that fit into the category of  Lanza admirers.

 

What I can say is that in a 1972 interview with the producers of the Elvis Presley documentary film Elvis on Tour, Elvis named Lanza as his biggest musical influence. Jose' Carerras has also stated on many occasions that it was seeing Lanza in The Great Caruso at the age of six that made him want to sing. (The day after seeing the film he began singing "La Donna 'e Mobile repeatedly, driving his family crazy over the following weeks.) And recently 33-year-old Joseph Calleja was quoted in the Houston Chronicle last year as saying:

 

"[The Great Caruso] was nothing short of life-changing," Calleja recalls. "The first sounds he (Lanza) emits in the movie are just la-la vocalizing to loosen his throat. But the minute I heard it, I thought, 'I want to do that.' "  

 

You could also point out to your students that Lanza himself worshipped Caruso, starting from a very young age, and yet this film is a very rare instance of the "disciple" (at the very least) matching his idol in terms of raw talent. I would also add the extraordinary endorsement of the choice of Lanza for the film by Caruso's own son (and you might want to mention that his being illegitimate precluded his mention in the film!). It's all here:

 

http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/a-radical-reassessment-part-iii.html

  

I hope this helps.

 

Cheers

Derek

[Tony Partington]

Just a quick note to post this link to a rather lovely blog spot and a fellow's posting of Mario's recording of the "Serenade" from THE STUDENT PRINCE.  Lovely pictures.

http://valentinboeru.blogspot.com/2011/02/mario-lanza-serenade-from-student.html

Ciao - Tony

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: I think that fellow has been influenced by the Lanza music videos of a certain Vincenzo di Placido! Nicely put together by an obvious admirer, but not up to Vince's standards, I'm afraid...  

Changing the subject slightly, the grandi-tenori regulars have continued to post some interesting comments on Lanza (see page 2 for the latest):

 

http://grandi-tenori.com/bbs/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3934

 

Cheers

Derek

[zsazsa]

Hi Everyone,

here is an article about Mario, calles Dan O`Neill: Mario set the tone for tenors. 

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2011/02/01/mario-set-the-tone-for-tenors-91466-28089177/

Not always true what they write, but still interesting, I found it interesting.

Cheerio Susan

[norma]

Derek, my information about interesting you tube items about Mario
seems to have dis appeared.Any reasons?


Best wishes Norma

On Feb 13, 9:39 pm, zsazsa <marlan_k...@web.de> wrote:
> Hi Everyone,
> here is an article about Mario, calles Dan O`Neill: Mario set the tone for

> tenors.http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/columnists/2011/02/01/mario-set-the...

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: Here's your post again, this time with the links to YouTube provided. (The first of these, incidentally, was created by Vince.)

 

If anyone has not found these youtube sites about Mario,they are very interesting: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Kf10OnV5cM, which shows Mario getting the photoplay award. He looks really shy. It also shows he and Betty visiting Filignano village.
The other clip is very sad as it shows Mario a few weeks before he died: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBn3LbWF6Qo&playnext=1&list=PLC7BCE71D7EC9B1C6

[Derek McGovern]

A P.S. to the above: That contemplative photo of Lanza with his head in his hands in the second YouTube clip was not taken a few weeks before he died. It was actually taken during his 1958 tour.
 
In fact, one of the curious things about Lanza's final year is that no (confirmed) photos of him after January 1959 have yet emerged. Very strange! In his book Tenor in Exile, Roland Bessette claims that there are photos of a "tragically impaired" Lanza at his Desert Song sessions in August of that year, but Bessette ignored my recent request on the Rense forum for him to produce these elusive pics. Hmmn. 

[zsazsa]

And here is an other article on Mario  for the Valentin Day, called `Be my love`. I like always to read or hear about Mario. 

Ciao Susan

[zsazsa]

Sorry I wanted to give the link to this article, called Be my love, here it is:

http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110214/GJCOMMUNITY02/702149979/-1/CITNEWS

Ciao Susan

[Michael McAdam]

Derek:  speaking of pics - are there any in circulation (or in a family collection perhaps?) of Mario's daughter Colleen when she was an adult? Has sister Elissa ever published any? I'm curious as to the extent of any resemblance to her dad she may have had as I've only seen pictures of her as a toddler and with sunglasses as a young teen, in the company of her siblings. 

If there were any in your collection, Armando I would imagine we would have seen them by now? Just curious.

M.

[Tony Partington]

Hey Gang! Here's a rather nice little piece celebrating Valentine's
Day with the help of Mario. Not sure of the origin of this, but it's
nice to see something so fun and romantic.
http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110214/GJCOMMUNITY02/702149979/-1/CITNEWS

Ciao, Tony

On Feb 14, 8:33 am, Michael McAdam <macadame...@ns.sympatico.ca>
wrote:

[Tony Partington]

Oopps! Zsazsa, looks like we had the same idea.

On Feb 14, 9:45 am, Tony Partington <tonyparting...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hey Gang!  Here's a rather nice little piece celebrating Valentine's
> Day with the help of Mario.  Not sure of the origin of this, but it's

> nice to see something so fun and romantic.http://www.citizen.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20110214/GJCOMMUNIT...

>
> Ciao, Tony
>
> On Feb 14, 8:33 am, Michael McAdam <macadame...@ns.sympatico.ca>
> wrote:
>
>
>
> > Derek:  speaking of pics - are there any in circulation (or in a family
> > collection perhaps?) of Mario's daughter Colleen when she was an adult? Has
> > sister Elissa ever published any? I'm curious as to the extent of any
> > resemblance to her dad she may have had as I've only seen pictures of her as
> > a toddler and with sunglasses as a young teen, in the company of her
> > siblings.
> > If there were any in your collection, Armando I would imagine we would have
> > seen them by now? Just curious.

> > M.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Mike: I have one pic of Colleen taken when she was around 20 (can't produce it right now, as it's back in Korea -- and I'm currently in NZ), but you can see her at the age of 34 on the documentary Mario Lanza: The American Caruso. Like her father, she was very articulate with a beautiful speaking voice.

 

Cheers

Derek

[Armando]

Hi Mike: I do have some photos of the young Colleen.
Derek what's the procedure re producing them?

[Derek McGovern]

Ciao Armando

 

Reproducing photos inside a post is very easy with our new format. Simply click on the "insert image" botton (to the left of "Link") and you'll be given the option of uploading photos from your computer. The photo you upload will then go immediately into your post, and you can move it around however you like. The only thing to be careful with is not to make the photo too large. You'll be given a choice of photo sizes (small/medium/large/original size), and the trick is to choose the size you want before you hit "Post."  

 

Hope that makes sense!

 

Cheers

Derek

 

[Armando]

I got to know Colleen very well during the two weeks I spent in Los Angeles in 1977.

 The similarity to her father, not only physically but in also in personalty, was amazing. The same sparkling eyes, bubbling vitality, a marked sense of humour. She was also highly intelligent if totally mixed up and insecure. She very kind and generous, was instrumental in helping with various people I interviewed, put all her father’s material and files in her possession at my disposal and even made her car and chauffeur available to me.

 A delightful person in every way. 

 She was 17 in the colour photo and 20 in the black and white. 

[Armando]

Hi Derek: Couldn't find the photo sizes options. I sent the first two as normal , this one as small let's see if it works!

[Tony Partington]

Sorry Derek! I'll give it another try. I hope to god my patients are
getting more accurate care and attention from me than the last post
did. If not, god help 'em! And here's the right link - I think...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYI9nh6WZxk


Here's a You Tube interview with Elissa discussing her father with a
radio host. It's very interesting and she speaks very well indeed.
When I had the pleasure of meeting Elissa and her husband Bobby it was
back in 1988 (I believe) and they both were in Philadelphia for the
Lanza Ball, etc. Anyway, we met actually at the Lanza house on
Christian street and I introduced myself and simply told Elissa that I
was a great admirer of her father's and that he was indeed the
inspiration to pursue a musical career. At some point in our
converstion I mentioned Constantine Callinicos and here eyes lit up.
She called her husband over and told him I had studied with Costa and
the she proceeded to ask me a good deal about Costa's style of
coaching and accompaning, etc. I got the feeling that perhaps this was
a missing link in the chain which made up the story of her father's
life and career - knowing more about Costa and the intimate musical
working. In all events, we had a delightful talk and we parted with
thopes that we would see one another again.

Now to this interview. I find it interesting that Elissa, in the
interview, does not mention Koussevitzky or the Tanglewood component
in her dad's career. Also, I believe she a bit off on the years of the
Hollywood Bowl concert in which Ida Koverman first heard Mario,
although I may be wrong about that. I'm writing from work and I've no
way of checking dates, etc. All in all though an interesting
interview.

On Jan 26, 3:38 am, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I've just learned the sad news that conductor Herbert Grossman, whose
> wonderful anecdotes about Lanza, Toscanini, and tenor David Poleri feature
> in this thread<https://groups.google.com/d/topic/mariolanza/L-_vjrkNgdY/discussion>,
> passed away from kidney failure four months ago at the age of 83. I
> thoroughly enjoyed corresponding with him, and an essay of our email chats
> on Lanza is included on our new site.
>
> Yet another precious link to Lanza is gone. R.I.P., Maestro.

[Derek McGovern]

Ciao Armando: you did well! Great photos of Colleen -- I had no idea she was so pretty as a teenager.

 

The only thing I'd suggest when adding photos in future is to place them inside your message, rather than as attachments, like I've done with the one above. And to establish the size, simply left click once on the photo before you post it for the full range of options. For example, the size that I've chosen for the one above is "Large" rather than "Original size."

 

Cheers

Derek  

 

[Armando]

Hi Derek: I was either half asleep or still suffering from jet lag when I wrote my first post-it’s full of errors!

Ciao

[Armando]

A photo of the children with their grandparents taken at the latter’s home in Pacific Palisades in 1968

[Michael McAdam]

Thanks for the great pics in response to my post, Armando (and for your help there too, Derek). I haven't viewed my American Caruso DVD for years so must watch it again now to see Colleen speak (seems we've become used to seeing only Elissa speak about her father on YouTube etc. Stands to reason). Colleen was a lovely girl and may have quite possibly had the "undiscovered" voice in the family? What a shame that we'll never know.

[leeann]

Dear Armando, Thank you for sharing these photos. I find a tendency to look at each one wondering who in the family most looked like whom--notwithstanding that family resemblances are sometimes most apparent when people are in action--gestures, voices, body language are often more revealing.

I can't imagine the fascinating stories we'd hear if you ever chose to write your autobiography. Best, Lee Ann

[Armando]

Hi Mike: Undiscovered indeed! Colleen had a beautiful lyric soprano voice. I only managed to get her to sing once- a snatch of ‘Un Bel Di Vedremo’ at Kathryn Grayson’s home.

It was a clear, beautiful sound, easily produced. I tried, again, to get her to sing at Xavier Cugat’s Restaurant, which had a resident pianist-to no avail. I ended up singing on my own!  She totally lacked confidence, which might in part have been due to her terrible first marriage as well as the fact that she was putting on weight. As a farewell present I gave her an LP of Renata Scotto and told that if she worked on her voice she could be just as good.

[Armando]

Hi Lee Ann: Features wise the one that was /is the spitting image of Mario is Ellisa, particularly in her teenage years.

As for my autobiography-perhaps one day……

 

[Tony Partington]

Hello Folks!  Just a quick post to accompany this link.  It's nice to see Mario getting attention all around the world.  Including good old Wales!

http://www.lakewalesnews.com/articles/2011/02/16/entertainment/doc4d5adbb033332686882812.txt

[Tony Partington]

Yikes!  Tony, stupido!!!  Let me try that again.  Mario's getting attention in LAKE WALES, FLORIDA.  Still good though, yes???