Opera singers who worked with Lanza or heard him sing live — and their comments on him

[Derek McGovern]

I thought it would be fun to assemble in one place all of the comments we have from professional opera singers who either sang with Lanza or heard him live. This may eventually become a page on our main site. I've probably missed a few, so please do add more as you find them.

These are rather impressive endorsements!

 

Paul Asciak, Maltese spinto tenor (1923 - ), active at Covent Garden in the 1950s, and only teacher to tenor Joseph Calleja. Heard Lanza at the Royal Albert Hall in January 1958, and told Calleja that he was very impressed by the beauty of his voice. (Will ask Calleja if he can provide us with a direct quote.) 

Grace Bumbry, soprano (1937- ). Heard Lanza in concert — presumably during his 1958 tour, as she was in Europe at the time. Told Joseph Calleja that Lanza possessed "a fully bloomed lirico spinto of outstanding quality." 

George London, bass-baritone (1920-1985). Performed in concert with Lanza extensively 1947-48 as part of the Bel Canto Trio. "In my opinion, Lanza, with the possible exception of Björling, had the greatest voice of his time. His singing could move people to tears and, in my presence, frequently did. . . . I would venture that if he had not gone to Hollywood he would, at least for the beginning, have had a major operatic career." 

Frances Yeend, soprano (1913-2008). Performed in concert with Lanza extensively 1947-48 as part of the Bel Canto Trio, and also appeared with him in joint concerts and radio appearances between 1945 and 1948. "I loved singing with Mario." "[He} had a wonderful instrument that I always hoped would be channeled. He had a lovely sound, a lovely quality: a very emotional quality about it." "[Lanza's] potential was . . . truly staggering."  

Licia Albanese, soprano (1913? - ). Recorded the Act III duet from Otello — "Dio To Giocondi" — with Lanza in November 1955 for the soundtrack of Serenade. "He had the most beautiful lirico spinto voice. It was a gorgeous, beautiful, powerful voice. I should know because I sang with so many tenors. He had everything that one needs. The voice, the temperament, perfect diction. . . . Vocally he was very secure. All he needed was coaching. Everything was so easy for him. He was fantastic! I rank him next to Caruso. Next comes Di Stefano, then all the others." 

Blanche Thebom, mezzo-soprano (1915-2010). Sang with Lanza in The Great Caruso, 1950. "Mario's voice was of first class operatically speaking and of very large scale. [...] My own personal memories [of making The Great Caruso] are tinged with the deep and sincere regrets that Mario was never a colleague at the Met as his talent warranted."

Dorothy Kirsten, soprano (1910-1992). Sang in concert with Lanza in 1948 and for the soundtrack of The Great Caruso in 1950. "Mario could have sung in any opera house in the world . . . and his career could have been sensational. . .". "[He had] an extraordinary voice, and he sang magnificently at our concert . . .". 

Tomiko Kanazawa, soprano (1915 - ). Sang Butterfly to Lanza's Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, New Orleans Opera Association, 8 and 10 April, 1948. "It was an exceptionally beautiful lirico spinto voice -- beautiful coloring -- [and] I enjoyed singing with him."  

Irma González, soprano (1916-2008). Sang with the then-21-year-old tenor in a one-off performance of Act III of La Bohème at the Tanglewood Music Festival, 26 July 1942. "He was a charming boy: very correct, likable, with a powerful, beautiful voice." 

Helen Strassburger (later Boatwright), soprano (1916-2010). Sang opposite Lanza in The Merry Wives of Windsor on 13 August 1942. "[Lanza] was handsome, with a beautiful voice."

Lucine Amara, soprano (1924 - ). Sang briefly with Lanza in The Great Caruso. "His was the quality voice that we needed at the Met." "His singing gave me goosebumps." 

Rosalind Nadell, mezzo soprano (1922 - ). Sang Suzuki to Lanza's Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly, New Orleans, 8 and 10 April, 1948. "Lanza was vocally impressive, had a very good voice, was a very good singer and was very good looking." 

Gloria Boh, soprano (c. 1930 - ). Recorded the Act III duet from Otello — "Dio To Giocondi" — with Lanza in July 1955 for possible inclusion in the film Serenade. (See this article for details and to hear the recording.) "He had the stamina to do it all. While he needed the underpinning of a coach, he was a born singer and his voice was magnificent."

Marilyn Horne, mezzo soprano (1934 - ). Was in the chorus when Lanza performed at the Hollywood Bowl on 24 July 1948. "And we were all in love with Lanza. He was young and thin and gorgeous — and that sound! Man, he was the real thing. He would have been a spinto tenor. He was a spinto tenor."

Renata Tebaldi, soprano (1922-2004). Heard Lanza sing in person at his home (and sang informally with him), October 1955. "Lanza has the finest natural tenor voice I've ever heard."

Joan Sutherland, soprano (1926-2010) [and Richard Bonynge, conductor (1930 - )]. Attended Lanza's first recital at the Royal Albert Hall, 16 January 1958. "We were both surprised by the size of the voice — we were also impressed by Lanza's innate musicality. No doubt he could have had an outstanding operatic career."

Nicolai Gedda, tenor. (1925 - ). Attended Lanza's first recital at the Royal Albert Hall, 16 January 1958. "It's the greatest tenor voice I've ever heard."

[Steff]

Derek, fantastic idea. Here are a few for the moment ....


Tito Schipa(1888-1965): A beautiful voice, a sad story.


Jussi Björling (1911-1960), when asked if he had seen the Mario Lanza film of Caruso: "Yes," he answered, a bit guardedly. "A pretty good picture, and I like Lanza's singing very much. Why is it we don't hear of him lately?" Bjoerling was told that Lanza had proved difficult with his employers. The Swedish tenor shook his head sadly, murmuring. "Too bad - such gifts should not be wasted."


Frances Yeend (1913-2008) : in addition to what you, Derek, quoted: "One of the most pleasant periods in my career to date." (referring to the Belcanto Trio)


Jeannette Mac Donald (1903-1965) (though not a professional opera singer) "Asked if she might co-star on-screen with fellow Philadelphian Mario Lanza, she replied that "although our voices are of blending timbre, I think the difference in our ages would rule out any chance of Mario and [me] appearing opposite each other."


Plácido Domingo (*1941) "The impact of Mario Lanza's voice on me was enormous and helped to crystallize many things in my mind - most important, that being an opera singer could be a very fulfilling career. To this day, I haven't figured out who I have to thank most for that revelation: Caruso or Lanza. However, one thing has always been clear to me: that nature had given Lanza a phenomenal voice which was highly underrated by the classical music establishment. I think I can say with confidence that he was too talented by nature and too lucky as a movie personality to be seriously appreciated by the music cognoscenti - for reasons I do not fathom even to this day. Tales abound that he was temperamental and undisciplined. Maybe so, but that should not deflect from the truth that Lanza's voice was an inspiration not only to me but countless other opera singers, as time has proven."


Anthony Kearns (*1971):  see on LanzaLegend http://www.lanzalegend.com/kearns.htm


Wynne Evans (*1972): Mario Lanza, Wynne’s childhood inspiration. "Mario was the ultimate matinee film star," says Wynne. "I only ever played two albums when I was younger: The Student Prince soundtrack, from a film which Mario sang in but never appeared in, and The Mario Lanza Christmas Album. My dad used to go absolutely bonkers when I played Christmas songs in June."


Steff

[Steff]

Derek,

I just noticed that you did only refer to opera singers who worked with Lanza or heard him live, so my recent post does not make any sense!! Sorry

Steff

[Armando]

Ciao Derek: Other opera singers who heard Lanza sing live and were in awe of his voice were tenors Alberto Remedios and Jon Weaving, the latter echoing Gedda’s comment “The greatest tenor voice I ever heard,” and soprano June Bronhill-all at the Albert Hall.

 Robert Merrill, who had raved about Lanza’s voice to his singing teacher Samuel Margolis and coach Leila Edwards.

 And Robert Weede, “ Lanza had what I believe to be the greatest vocal gift of his decade.”

 I am sure there must be others.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: Yes, I would like to restrict this thread to opera singers who actually heard or sang with Lanza, as — for one thing — their testimonies are great ammunition for countering much of the nonsense that's been spouted about him. Of course, we could also extend it to some of the conductors who worked with him (Koussevitzky, Ferrara, Adler et al). Which reminds me — I wonder if Eugene Ormandy ever gave his opinion on Lanza? 

Can you give me the dates and sources for those Schipa, Björling, and Yeend quotes? I'm curious, by the way, to know when Schipa actually met Lanza. That was the occasion when he reportedly told Mario that he had "the greatest-given throat ever heard in a young man." The only source I'm aware of for that comment is Mario himself.

I do love Domingo's 2007 comments (in your post above). While they're basically a reiteration of what he wrote in his preface to Armando's book, the fact that he's gone out of his way in recent years to praise Lanza is commendable stuff :) I think in his earlier days he was reluctant to open up about his admiration for Lanza — fear of ridicule from those "musicologists" he mentions in his preface, perhaps? — in fact, he doesn't even mention him in his 1983 autobiography. But he's certainly made up for that in the last fifteen years or so!

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Grazie, Armando. I'd forgotten about June Bronhill attending Lanza's Albert Hall recital. Didn't she go there with Bonynge and Sutherland? Sutherland, by the way, apparently told another Lanza admirer — Steve Cutler, I think it was — that, "I can only describe Mario Lanza in one word: magnificent!"  

I didn't know that the Wagnerian tenor Alberto Remedios had also attended Albert Hall. What with Gedda and Weaving there as well, that was quite a turnout from the operatic world for a so-called film singer! :) No doubt other prominent singers attended as well.

Incidentally, I've always assumed that all of these operatic luminaries attended Lanza's first recital at the Royal Albert Hall. Did Sutherland and co actually specifically state to you that it was the recital on the 16th of January? Depending on whether one believes Callinicos or a number of fans who attended both recitals, Lanza was either in poor vocal shape (after his fall two days earlier) at the second recital on January 19th, or as impressive as he had been  at the first one. Regardless of the truth, though, all indications are that he sounded and sang better than he had at Albert Hall on quite a number of other occasions during that final tour. 

 

Here's a challenge for those researchers among us: find some professional reviews of the first Albert Hall recital! I've never seen a single one, but they must exist. 

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Just thinking of Robert Merrill, I've suddenly remembered that Jim Thompson interviewed him some years back for his "Mario Lanza and Friends" radio program. Perhaps Jim can supply us with a memorable quote from Merrill on Lanza? 

We should probably also add soprano Elaine Malbin to the list, although, to be honest, there's nothing eminently quotable from her on Lanza's actual voice or singing in her tribute chapter in the 1999 Damon Lanza/Dolfi/Mueller book Be My Love: A Celebration of Mario Lanza. She praises Lanza the person ("very sweet and very charming") and describes him as "great," but offers nothing specific. Again, perhaps Jim, who also interviewed her, can provide us with something usable?   

[Armando]

Hi Derek: I did not ask Sutherland and Bonynge which concert they attended, I, guess I could have but whether they remembered after so many years is another matter.

Malbin on one occasion stated that Lanza’s voice was the same size as Di Stefano’s!

On another she said the size of Tucker. In 2003 she told me that the voice was big- so I wouldn’t call her testimony the most reliable! 

 

 

[Steff]

Derek, in his book "Between Acts - An Irreverent look at Opera and Other Madness" Robert Merrill (with his co-author Robert Saffron, published 1976) says about Mario Lanza: "What a gift he had! He could have been at home in any opera houses in the world. But he could never discipline himself to study for it, and he spent the rest of his short life with a gnawing self-doubt, quarreling, cancelling, gaining weight, losing friends, making excuses [......]  Mario made his last movie in Europe, and when death came from a heart attack in 1959, he was only thirty eight. It was a strange waste. Mr. Margolis, a better judge than I, seemed confident that Lanza might have become another Caruso."

Merrill tells about Mario being introduced to him in a record store in New York in 1945 and Mario saying: "Hiya, I'm Mario Lanza, and I'm looking for the best teacher." Merrill told about taking him to Mr.Margolis who offered to tutor him "starting with the fundamental, as he did with everyone he accepted."

Merrill speaks in about two pages, mostly about Lanza's problems (Student Prince lawsuit,  eating and drinking problem,  a problem with Blanche Thebom, the Vegas fiasco. It sounds as if Merrill and Lanza were in contact over the years, at least phoned each other. Merrill mentions a phone call which Lanza did with him from Italy in 1956 (note the date!!): Here are parts of it:

Mario: Bob, is Bing in town? I want to do Bohème.

Merrill: Mario, I don't think Bing would let anybody walk out on his stage unless he's seen him on stage before.

Mario: Hell, he can see me in Serenade. I did a sock Rudolfo scene, and my "Di quelle pira" is sensational! I even do Otello.

Merril: They love you in Italy. why don't you consider a debut there and see how you feel about it? It only takes one -

Mario: So that's my audition, huh? You must be out of your mind. I don't audition for anybody!

I am not sure if the phone call really took place as described. The book - or at least some passages I rea - definitely lack seriousness and I think it is not a book about the artistry of opera and singers. BTW, the book also includes a nasty comment about Lanza which is comparable to the Bernard/Teitelbaum style.

Steff
.... will look for the sources you requested.

[JimT]

Hello Derek and everyone:  I spoke to Robert Merrill on several occasions on and off air. What he said about Mario on air was that "he had a large voice and good diction. He loved to sing but I don't know if he had the dicipline for the opera". He added in conversation that "he was a great guy".  By the way, after I got out of the Army in "58 I studied with Maestro Margolis for about a year and a half. My teacher in college, Helen Carroll had studied with him and introduced me.  I remember sitting in the waiting room once when Merrill was working with Margolis. There would be singing then silence and then great laughter and more vocalizing.  I asked Maestro what was going on and he said that that was when Merrill would tell him the dirtiest jokes and  laughter would follow!

 

Elaine Malbin described the voice to me as emotional and powerful. She loved singing with him and added he was a very nice and considerate person to a very young Elaine.

 

My wife and I want make time to edit and present on the internet show the full interviews I was fortunate to do over the years with Eilleen Farrell, Renee Fleming, Jerry Hadley, Richard Leech, Sherrill Milnes, Licia Albanese, Fabio Armiliato, Roberta Peters, Lucine Amara, and Jane Powell. There may be others but I can't recall the names right now.  I remember that Anders Bjorling, who came to the interview I did with my good friend Andrew Farkas about his book "Jussi", told me his father had the highest regards for Mario's voice and liked him as a man.

 

My first post and I am smiling at the pleasure of such good company.

All the best,

 

Jim 

[Steff]

Derek, here are the sources for the singers' comments:

1) The Tito Schipa comment "A beautiful voice, a sad story" can be found in "Final Concert by Schipa Will Not Really Be Last" from the Reading Eagle, Febr 8, 1963

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=DBUrAAAAIBAJ&sjid=i5wFAAAAIBAJ&pg=3446,3384534&dq=final+concert+by+schiupa&hl=en


2) The Jussi Björling comment is taken from "Bjoerling Tells of an Illness Which Cost Him $ 100,000" from The Milwaukee Journal, Jan 28, 1954.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=QNBQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=vyMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4486,5400462&dq=dorothy+caruso&hl=en

Incidentally, reading Björling's comment on Lanza I begin wonder if the two singers really ever met. Björling's assessment re Lanza's voice solely based on his watching the film "The Great Caruso," not on having heard him sing during a meeting in Lanza's home. Hmmm.....


3) Frances Yeend's comment: "One of the most pleasant periods in my career to date" (referring to the Belcanto Trio) was from "Orchestra and Miss Yend Score at Opening Concert" fromn the Spokane Daily Chronicle, Nov 8, 1949.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=1eNXAAAAIBAJ&sjid=rvUDAAAAIBAJ&pg=7347,2696179&dq=george+london+mario+lanza&hl=en

Incidentally, just a passing comment regarding the Belcanto Trio. It continued with other singers, and I found an article about a concert given in 1959 (the singers were soprano Joan Brainerd, tenor Charles L. K. Davis and baritone Robert Kirkham) and interestingly, the pianist accompanying them was James Benner, husband of Frances Yeend. I was not aware of this connection.



BTW, in "Bobby Soxers Find Another Hero With a Booming Voice in Opera" from "The Milwaukee Journal," Dec 14, 1951 George London says about the Belcanto Trio: "We made moderately good sounds."

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=n_EdAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iCMEAAAAIBAJ&pg=7032,7838145&dq=george+london+mario+lanza&hl=en


Steff

[Steff]

Here is a comment of Richard Tucker on Mario Lanza:

"The ruiniation of hundreds of fine young voices is this rushing into opera without sufficient study. Look at Mario Lanza. He had the voice of the century, but no training, and see what happened." from "New Operatic Roles in Tucker's Future," N.Y.Times Jan 19, 1964

Now I am not sure, did Tucker and his wife only met Lanza at Covent Garden for a talk  the night before Lanza's Royal Albert Hall recital, or did Tucker even hear Lanza sing?

Steff

[Steff]

Derek,

I hesitate calling the following newspaper notes "review" and especially not "professional," as they say little or nothing about Mario's singing itself at the first Royal Albert Hall recital. Notice that the one article mentions Mario singing "If you Were Mine," but certainly the writer meant to say "Because You're Mine."

Steff  

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: Thanks for reproducing that section from Merrill's book. Yes, it is a rather salacious work, and I feel that Merrill cheapened himself by writing such tittle-tattle, especially about people who had been his friends.

But I would say that the conversation did take place, and that it happened shortly before Serenade was released in April 1956. Mario's reference to "a socko Rodolfo scene" suggests that he hadn't yet seen the film, and therefore didn't know that the "Ci Lasceremo" scene from Act III of Bohème with Norma Zimmer (lip-synching to Jean Fenn) had been cut from the release print. (I'm sure he wasn't referring to the "O Soave Fanciulla" scene.)

In an article for Bill Ronayne's newsletter a few years back, Derek Mannering used this conversation to support his thesis that Lanza wasn't serious about returning to opera. But to me, the conversation reads like exactly the sort of phone call Mario — in a mood of bravado — would have made after more than a few drinks! In other words, no importance should be attached to it.

Cheers
Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: Thanks for providing those sources a couple of posts back. As to whether Björling actually met Lanza, I'm sure it did happen, though (according to Terry Robinson), Mario didn't sing — he played his records. It would be nice to think they'd both sung that day during what was supposedly a very good-humoured (and boozy!) encounter.

Jim's post further along in this thread, in which he mentions that Björling's son Anders recalled that his father liked Lanza "as a man," also supports their having met.

As for Tucker's comment, I'm surprised that he stated that Mario had had no training, as that topic had been one of the things they talked about in their memorable get-together at Lanza's suite at the Dorchester. Surely Mario would have mentioned his time with Rosati?

As far as I know, Tucker never heard Lanza sing in person. (He may well have been singing Cavaradossi on the nights of Lanza's two performances in London.) If he had heard him at Albert Hall, I'm sure he wouldn't have made that "ruination" comment. The Tucker/Lanza encounter, by the way, happened on January 14th -- two nights before the first Albert Hall recital, and not the evening before (as Mannering asserts). There's no way that John Coast, who arranged the whole thing, would have jeopardized his client Lanza's appearance at such an important venue by urging him to socialize only the previous evening. After all, Coast knew all about Lanza's lifestyle by that stage!

Thanks for unearthing those two newspaper reports about the Albert Hall recital.

Cheers
Derek

  

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Jim: Thanks for those very interesting recollections!

Mario's kindness toward Elaine Malbin, who was just 19 at the time, was repeated when he worked with another young singer, Gloria Boh, five years later. Ms. Boh found him very warm and down to earth. I just wish, though, in the case of the recordings that he made with Malbin that he had been in better voice that day! The Butterfly duet is one of Mario's roughest pieces of operatic singing, in my book, and a far cry from the magnificent Hollywood Bowl version with Frances Yeend. And yet Lanza had recorded a magnificent "M'apparì" just three days earlier.

Did Margolis make any comments to you about Lanza?

It'd be nice to know more about the meeting with Björling. Presumably, Mario and Jussi only met the one time? Getting back to what I wrote a few posts back, it's hard to imagine those two giants getting together and not singing at least a few bars to each other.

Hope you saw Lee Ann's comments to you today on the New Members thread!

Cheers
Derek

[Steff]

Derek,

As for the phone call between Merrill and Lanza there's a discrepancy in what Merrill tells in his book. He mentions that the conversation took place in 1956, but then says that Lanza called him from Italy which would mean that they talked sometime in 1957.

Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: I still think it's more likely that the call took place in 1956, shortly before the release of Serenade. Mario may have called Merrill on another occasion from Italy -- hence Merrill's slip. Besides, I think it's unlikely that once ensconced in Italy, Lanza would have suddenly wanted to return to sing at the Met. If he were going to sing at all on the opera stage once he was living in Italy, his attention would have been focused on the Rome Opera or Naples' San Carlo. (Indeed, at the time of his death, he'd given an undertaking to Riccardo Vitale, Artistic Director of the Rome Opera, that he would sing Canio there at the opening of the 1960-61 season.)

Cheers
Derek

[Tony Partington]

Wonderful posts all around.  It's great to see the forum a buzz with such activity.  Sorry for not posting lately, I've been ill but hopefully things will start looking up.

 

I remembered reading this bit about tenor Richard Tucker several years ago in a book I have entitled "The Tenors" (Candid Portraits of Five Operatic Superstars by Five Noted Writers) Herbert H. Breslin, Editor (copyright 1974).  There are mini-bios of Pavarotti, Vickers, Corelli, Domingo and good old modest Richard Tucker.  There's an interesting paragraph (beginning on page 30 and concluding on page 31):

 

Tucker began visiting California - where, from time to time, he would "rescue" the Hollywood Bowl - and dropping by the movie studios where he knew dickering was going on with Caruso's widow for the screen rights to the Caruso story.  To no avail.  MGM signed Mario Lanza.  Said Tucker later to a reporter: "Did you see that thing Louis Biancolli wrote about me - you should get it, it's a good copy - something like they ought to have Mario Lanza in THE GREAT TUCKER.  Something like that."

 

The "thing" that Tucker is referring to is a 1951 review by Louis Biancolli in the World-Telegram: "Tucker once more demonstrated that if he continues singing as beautifully as he does, a new Mario Lanza will be signed up by Hollywood some day to do THE GREAT TUCKER.  What a voice!"

 

I feel it very important to point out some very specific and critical things regarding Richard Tucker:  It is true, Tucker did have a well trained and, to some ears, a very beautiful tenor voice.  He was known for his vocal stamina and for his wide repertoire.  He also enjoyed a relatively long career.  In the review by Mr. Biancolli that Mr. Tucker himself endorsed as "good copy," you will note that nothing is mentioned of Mr. Tucker's acting abilities.  In fact, I dare say one would be hard pressed to find a review (of any sort) praising Richard Tucker's acting.

 

As some of you folks on the forum know, my father was in the professional theatre.  First in stock theatre then on Broadway then as a vital part of the American Regional Theatre movement.  It was in this third phase of his career that he had the great good fortune to work and become quite close to Sir Tyrone Guthrie.  My father had stage managed the original productions of Thorton Wilder's THE MATCHMAKER and Lerner and Lowe's MY FAIR LADY on Broadway and was working with Orson Welles and Rod Steiger on Welles' adaptation of Melville's MOBY DICK.  Anyway, Dr. Guthrie contacted my father and asked him if he'd be interested in be the first Production Manager at the soon to be built Guthrie Theatre in Minneapolis, Minnesota.  Long story short, my dad jumped at the chance and that's how we wound up in Minnesota.  ANYWAY!  Regarding Richard Tucker.  My father and Sir Tyrone were talking one day about opera and Tucker's name happened to come up.  Apparently Dr. Guthrie had directed - or tried to - Tucker in CARMEN some years before and he was telling my father these wonderful tales of how horrible an actor Tucker was.  It all culminated in Guthrie trying to get Tucker to loosen up in some love scene I guess and finally the great director saw it was indeed hopeless and said to the tenor, "Well, Dicky.  Right or wrong, be strong."  I have treasured that great bit of directorial advice for years.  All I can say is, thank god Tucker didn't play Caruso!  Or any other part in the film.  One has only to expose one's self to Mr. Tucker via YouTube to get the full effect of his scenery chewing capabilities.  Lord almighty!

 

Ciao ~ Tony

[Derek McGovern]

Poor old Tucker! Yes, I know what you mean about his acting, Tony, but I still think that next to his contemporary Mario del Monaco, Tucker was an Olivier :) If Tucker chewed the scenery, then del Monaco destroyed it! I still haven't got over del Monaco's appalling performance in Pagliacci in Tokyo (in the early 1960s, I think it was). Armando showed it to me in 2008.

Coincidentally, I've been corresponding today with a very knowledgeable opera lover who met Tucker, and also knows his son Henry very well. The younger Tucker admires Lanza as much as his father did. "The greatest voice in the world" is how Richard Tucker described Lanza to my correspondent. Nice to see that Tucker was consistent about Lanza!  

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

P.S. I hope you make a complete recovery in the very near future, Tony. 

[Tony Partington]

Derek: Many thanks for your kind words. I must confess I had
absolutely no idea that Richard Tucker felt one way or another about
Mario Lanza, much less that he described him as "The greatest voice in
the world." I recall reading a quote by Sarah Tucker that Mario
seemed "sad" when she meet him and that she attiributed that to his
never realising his goal of a real operatic career. I know too that
Mario and Betty attended Richard's Covent Garden (debut - I believe)
performance of TOSCA - I think, January 15, 1958 (the night before
Mario's RAH concert). I am not fuly sure of my dates and cannot check
them as I am writting from work.

In all events, Dicky has redeemed himself with me a good deal with his
high regard of Mario and his talent.

Ciao ~ Tony

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: If you read back through this thread, you'll also find Tucker's comment in a newspaper interview in the early 1960s that Lanza possessed "the voice of the century." 

Tucker and Lanza met on Jan 14th, 1958 -- Mannering got the date wrong in his book. As I suggested earlier, if it'd been the 15th, I don't think Mario would have been in any condition to sing the following evening at Albert Hall :)

Cheers

Derek

[Tony Partington]

Oh Derek, I feel terribly badly now being so harsh about Tucker and not knowing his true feelings and opinion about Mario and his voice. Just goes to show how very true it is about not judging a book by its cover.

It would be interesting indeed to find out the opinions of singers such as DelMonaco, Valletti, Schipa, Martinelli - but the question is, did these singers actually hear Mario in person. Recordings don't count as a true and realistic representation of the voice and I have to wonder if these operatic "superstars" would have been able to suppress their own egos enough to state an objective opinion of Lanza's talent - much as Gedda and Sutherland did with the RAH concert.

Well, enough of my rambling. Again, great posts, et al.

Ciao - Tony

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Tony: I don't think you should take back your comments about Tucker's acting, etc simply because he admired Lanza!

I'm sure del Monaco never heard Lanza in person, and if he had, I can't imagine him being charitable about him. Remember that del Monaco regularly dismissed his contemporaries, declaring that he had no equals -- that there was no one alive worth mentioning in the same breath as him. (And they called Lanza an egotist!)

Schipa admired Lanza, but I'm not sure if he ever heard him sing in person.

Cheers
Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Lee Ann has uncovered a wonderful review for us of Lanza's 1951 Chicago concert from Claudia Cassidy, and has just added it to our main site. It's the 12th article here (third line down) and it's entitled "'Wow!' Exults Lanza, and His Hearers Agree":

http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/concerts-and-operatic-performances.html

Do check out this review, folks. Cassidy was one of the toughest and most respected American music critics of her time, and her reviews of Lanza's appearances at Grant Park in 1946 and 1947 are among the most significant ones of his career. I'd always wondered what she thought of Lanza after he'd gone to Hollywood, and now -- thanks to Lee Ann -- I know! 

And note what "Acidy" Cassidy writes in her final paragraph about Callinicos's murdering of Chopin and Debussy! Her comments echo those of Felix Borowski, reviewing the same concert for the Chicago Sun-Times, who wrote that Callinicos pounded "his innocent instrument, often with astonishing inaccuracy of execution." 

[Lou]

Hi Derek: Historian and opera critic Jan Neckers wrote in Opera Nostaglia, “[Mario Del Monaco] was Italy 's secret weapon against Hollywood 's Mario Lanza as he was the real thing; not a movie tenor but a real successor of Enrico Caruso. Of course the strange thing was that he was best known for a movie in which he didn't put in an appearance. Italy reposted [sic] to Hollywood 's The Great Caruso with its own ‘Enrico Caruso: La leggenda di una voce’. Nowadays some people still say that Del Monaco played the role of the legendary tenor though he only lent his voice…The movie …made the tenor's name a household word.”

If I understand the above passage correctly, Lanza indirectly and unwittingly gave impetus to Del Monaco’s popularity with the Italian public. Now why would Del Monaco  try to compete against Lanza if he didn’t consider the latter at least his equal?

Cheers,

Lou

[leeann]

Hi, Lou.  That's an awfully provocative question--I'm looking forward to an answer as well. It seems odd too, that that movie--which I think is also called The Young Caruso--would've made him a household name in Italy. I would've thought del Monaco already was quite well-known there--although perhaps not a household word? According to English-language newspapers, at least--that movie was as huge a failure in Italy as it was in America--Gina Lollobrigida not withstanding. (As an offside--I think the same is true of his other movie--Man With the Gray Glove.)

Of course, Armando talks in Mario Lanza: an American Tragedy of del Monaco's being considered for The Student Prince at one point, and that the universal opinion about his acting ability seems to be that it didn't exist....

But all that makes the Neckers comment curiouser and curiouser.  Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lou: Armando may have a better idea, as I think he was still living in Florence when Enrico Caruso: La leggenda di una Voce was released, but I'd always thought the film was a box-office dud, as Lee Ann points out -- even in Italy. I haven't seen the film -- just clips of it on YouTube -- but it looks pretty dire to me! Did it really make del Monaco "a household name"? I seriously doubt it!! 

I wouldn't have thought the film was an effort on del Monaco's part to compete with Lanza so much as it was an attempt by its makers to cash in on the renewed interest in Caruso in the wake of The Great Caruso. Besides, del Monaco would never have deigned to view Lanza as someone worthy of competing with!  

Lou's post inspired me to watch a few del Monaco clips of live performances in his prime, and I have to say yet again that there's something fundamentally anti-musical about his singing. Lanza was right about him: it's all "Mwah! Mwah! Mwah!"! 

[Armando]

Hi Lou: By 1951, Del Monaco was already well established in operatic circles having sung, or more appropriately blasted, his way through many Italian opera houses, including La Scala. He was also known among opera aficionados in America following performances in San Francisco and the Metropolitan.

The Italian film on Caruso was a shoddy, cheaply produced non-event made to capitalise on the enormous success of The Great Caruso. The film disappeared in no time at all and did little or nothing for Del Monaco who, apart from murdering Addio Mia Bella Napoli, blasts his way through half a dozen arias ranging from Una Furtiva Lagrima to Vesti La Giubba all sung at full volume, in a monochromatic way, and in what I call “The mouth full of marbles singing technique.”   

If Jan Neckers claims that “Mario Del Monaco was Italy 's secret weapon against Hollywood 's Mario Lanza as he was the real thing; not a movie tenor but a real successor of Enrico Caruso.’ I can only say that the secret weapon totally misfired.

 

[Lou]

Hi Armando and  Derek: Many thanks for your enlightening comments. I thought perhaps Del Monaco, though already an opera star in 1951, coveted the household name status Lanza had achieved through The Great Caruso. But searching for more background information on The Young Caruso, I was surprised to find the following statement on a number of sites, including The New York Times: "Not long before MGM embarked upon its musical biopic The Great Caruso, the Italian Enrico Caruso, Leggenda di Una Voce made the American distribution rounds" (Emphasis mine.) I guess that renders this discussion moot and academic.

But, as Lee Ann quipped, all that makes the Neckers comment curiouser and curiouser.

Incidentally, Neckers claims he "was reared upon a healthy dose of Mario Lanza."

[Armando]

Hi Lou: That quote from the New York Times is completely wrong. The Great Caruso went into production in 1950 and was released in April 1951.

Leggenda di Una Voce was made in 1951 and not released in America until September 1953.

As for Del Monaco, you are right in saying that he coveted the household name status Lanza had achieved, as did many others in the operatic world. But as far as tenors are concerned the only one who came close and, unfortunately, failed was Oreste Kirkop.

Frankly, I’m not terribly interested in what Neckers has to say.

I took him to task on a couple of points in his review of my book, where he stated,   

“One wonders if musical competence means praising every single note Lanza sang at the expense of every other tenor of his era.”

 I told him he should read the book again, as there are many instances where I am critical of Lanza’s singing.

And,

“Absolutely ridiculous is Cesari’s statement that the legendary De Sabata desperately wanted Lanza for Chenier at la Scala. And while Cesari is otherwise eager to quote ‘sources’ this quote, not surprisingly, remains unsupported.”

I pointed out reference note number 19 in Chapter 15 to him, and what did Neckers do? He left his review unchanged.

[Steff]

No sensational statement and no direct quotation, nevertheless, I thought this should be added to Dorothy Kirsten's comments about Lanza.
I found this in a column of Dorothy Manners in which she was reporting about a birthday party honoring L.B. Mayer and Dorothy Kirsten.

"Next to the cake cutting and birthday doings, one of the highlights of the evening was the thrilling duetting of Kathryn Grayson and Mario Lanza singing arias from Madame Butterfly. Dorothy Kirsten who sang the opera with the Metropolitan told me that she was thrilled listening to the little Grayson girl and the magnificent Lanza." (from the Modesto Bee, July 8, 1948).

Steff

[Lou]

Thank you, Armando, for setting me straight on the respective production and release dates of The Great Caruso versus those of The Young Caruso. That should remind me not to believe everything I read in the press. :-)

In light of your experience with Neckers, I'm now inclined to take his views and claims (for example: that Del Monaco was "personally consecrated" by Umberto Giordano) with more than the usual grain of salt. Thanks for the heads-up.

[George Laszlo]

Since I'm pretty confused about the right place for this post, I will put it here since my comments are related to Richard Leech.

I have been doing research in the archival index of the New Yorker Magazine which goes all the way back to 1925. While Lanza is not the main reason for the research, I thought it would be fun to plug in his name. And, I have found many interesting things which I will note in another thread. One thing that caught my eye was a listing for the October 8, 1999 notice for the Carnegie Hall tribute to Mario Lanza by Skitch Henderson featuring Richard Leech.

Since Richard Leech is still pretty active, I checked out his web site which does discuss this concert although only very briefly. His discography is quite extensive and I am now wondering whether it would make sense to 'vote' on this site on some of the songs that both Richard and Mario have recorded. In addition, since Richard was interviewed in the past for this forum, could his comments be brought back to be re-posted. Better yet, could we get him to comment here directly?

[George Laszlo]

OK, it looks like I have egg on my face. Although the Richard Leech web site is up and running, it seems that Mr. Leech departed this world in 2004. So, we should not try to contact him, at least not until one of us passes through the pearly gates. But, now I'm more curious than ever.

[George Laszlo]

I guess it's possible to have egg on your face twice in a row. Yes, Richard Leech the actor is dead. Richard Leech the tenor is very much alive. I will now shut up!

[Derek McGovern]

Hi George: If it's any consolation, I once confused Cesari Siepi with another bass and declared him dead---on the snobby Opera-L forum, of all places---several years before he actually met his maker :)

But if you'd like to compare Richard Leech's recordings with Lanza's, I suggest you do so on the current Miscellaneous Lanza-related comments thread, as clearly Mr. Leech never heard or worked with him. As for comparisons, I guess you're mainly thinking of Leech's album From the Heart? 

To be honest, I don't know what to make of Leech's attitude towards Lanza. On the one hand, he's paid tribute to him in concert and in interviews; on the other, I've been told that he's made disparaging comments about him, including making the bizarre claim that Lanza's singing was "all in his throat." 

Cheers

Derek

[George Laszlo]

As I noted in an earlier post, I have been doing research in the New Yorker magazine going back to 1925. So, I was pleasantly surprised to find an extensive article on George London in the October 26, 1957 issue. This is quite an extensive two piece article about London that (I do not believe) has not been mentioned in this forum. Thus, I took the liberty to copy the part having to do with Mario Lanza. Here it is in its entirety:

Profiles: The Vocal Mission - George London

New Yorker, October 26, 1957 p49-92

Joseph Wechsberg

[George] borrowed some money from a benevolent uncle and paid a visit to the West Fifty-seventh Street studio of Enrico Rosati, a singing teacher who had had a hand in training the voices of a number of distinguished singer, including Beniamino Gigli and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi. Rosati listened unenthusiastically while London sang for him, and then told him curtly that he had "a lot to learn." He consented to accept him as a pupil, however, and during the next year London, living in a third rate hotel on upper Broadway, did the  best he could to learn a lot, singing scales and practiing solfeggio. Another pupil of Rosati's at the time was Mario Lanza, whom London had known in Los Angeles. Listening to Lanza sing brought back memories of London's Victrola-playing days in Montreal, for it seemed to him that his friend had a natural tenor voice second only to Caruso's - an opinion he still holds.

During such moments of respite from their strenuous regimens Rosati allowed them, London and Lanza began preparing for a concert tour that the Columbia Artists Management was arranging. In 1947, Rosati pronounced the young met fit for the tour, and they set out with the American soprano Frances Yeend, who was better known than either of them. The were billed as the Bel Canto Trio, and they travelled from coast to coast and from Newfoundland to Mexico. As the biggest box-office attraction, Miss Yeend received forty-five percent of the take; Lanza, being a tenor and thus commanding a higher price than a baritone, got thirty; and London had to content himself with the remaining twenty-five.

The Trio performed duos and trios, to piano accompaniment, and each member had two or three solo specialties, London's being the serenade, "Vous qui faites l'endormie," from gounod's "Faust," and Leporello's aria "Madamina, il catalogo," from "Don Giovanni." By and large, the critics praised the trio, and all went well as long as the singers were on the concert platform. Things were not so smooth off-stage. "As far as Miss Yeend was concerned, the way Lanza and I behaved left something to be desired," London said not long ago. "He and I overate, over drank, overslept, and just generally overdid things." 

The personal difficulties of the three singers were aggravated by the fact that Lanza refused to go anywhere by plane, although their schedule was a tight one; Miss Yeend and their accompanist usually took a plane to the next stop, to set things up for their appearance, and she was often kept wondering uneasily if they would all be together in time for the concert, while Lanza and London - the latter preferred the easygoing companionship of his friend while traveling - trailed along by train or bus. Once, Lanza and London slept late, missed a through bus to Mexico City, and had to take a local jitney, which, as it stopped in one hamlet after another, became laden with mothers vainly trying to hush squalling babies, and men whose baggage included quite a lot of livestock. It was fearfully  hot, and Lanza and London slaked their thirst with a few bottles of the vin du pays, after which they burst into full-throated song, to terrific ovations from their fellow passengers. The singers reached Mexico City just in time for the concert, but both were hoarse, and Miss Yeend's expression was steely as she took her bows with them on the platform.

At the end of the tour, Lanza signed a movie contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, and the next season [1948), when the Bel Canto Trio set out once more, Mario Berini, who is now a successful publisher's representative and has a hand in, among other things, the export of comic books, succeeded him as its tenor. It was in the course of this tour that London, taking advantage of a hole in the ensemble's schedule as it travelled through Iowa, stopped off at Estherville to give his first solo recital. He was rewarded with a check for three hundred dollars and enough applause to prompt him to sing several encores, including "Ol' Man River" - a number that, over the years, has almost become his trademark.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi George: I was familiar with George London's comment about overeating, overdrinking, etc with fellow reprobate Lanza, as it's included in Armando's book---and the amusing story about the journey to Mexico City has appeared elsewhere---but I'd never come across this article before. Many thanks.

Just a few things in the piece that I'd quibble over: the tour with Lanza, London and Yeend lasted much longer than the writer implies, and well into 1948 (late May, in fact). I've also yet to read even a single middling review from the tour, suggesting that "by and large the critics praised the trio" is a bit of an understatement! And Lanza didn't sign up with MGM at the end of the tour---rather, he signed the contract only weeks after the tour had started. A small point to some, perhaps, but it does underline the fact that he didn't rush into movies after being signed, but instead continued to concertize, as well as learning and performing the role of Pinkerton.

Poor old Yeend no doubt had her work cut out with London and Lanza around, but at least she was receiving nearly half the box office take! Ironic, really, considering how famous her two co-performers were to become. Incidentally, one thing we didn't realize (or at least I didn't) until fairly recently is that Yeend was seven and eight years older than London and Lanza, respectively. (I think her press releases in the 1940s shaved five years off her real age.) That age difference might help explain why she was the best behaved of the three :) 

Cheers

Derek     

[leeann]

Quotes from opera singers who have worked with Lanza or hear him in person are now posted on the website, Mario Lanza, Tenor under the far more convenient title, The Opera Singers said...

It's awfully impressive to see these brief quotes consolidated, knowing that these are excerpts of longer comments and conversations. And responses to Derek's, Armando's, and Emilio Iodice's posts on the Amazon.com discussion, "Mario Lanza, Was he the greatest tenor of all time?" seem to show that people who  love Lanza's voice--as well as those who only know the myths and rumours--are also fascinated!

And speaking of myths: Derek's other new articles are posted as well, and they, too are remarkable to read!

Myths About Mario Lanza, the Artist tackles questions about the power of Lanza's voice, his vocal technique, his ability to learn music, and his experience in opera performances among other issues.

Myths About Mario Lanza, the Man challenges some of the fundamental rumours that impact Lanza' s reputation and spill over into his credibility as an artist.

You can also link to these articles if you'll scroll down a bit on our slightly-revised Home page where you'll find updated connections to the newest content on the site from time to time.

And tomorrow  there's yet another announcement of more content coming.  I love getting to do the webwork on these pieces. :-) Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

I see that the autobiography of famed Czech soprano Jarmila Novotná (1907-1994), who played the temperamental Maria Selka in The Great Caruso, is now available in English. Here's what Ms. Novotná writes about Lanza: