Tony Partington
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to Mario Lanza, Tenor
I was looking through my mail the other day and an entry poped up and
the topic surprised me. I hadn't heard this name in some time; Victor
Lanza. I remember back several years ago when Victor was making big
news as the "son of Mario Lanza" and I remember thinking then that if
indeed he is Lanza's son, why wait until now to tell the world. The
circumstances were, to my mind quite suspicious and I recall doing
some investigation. I found it particularly interesting that he di
not have a career here in the U.S. where his "dad" was so very
popular. In all events, the entry of Mario Lanza?" So I decided to
take it upon myself to answer said question. The following is my
response, I trust none of the gentle souls of this fine forum will
find what I said too harsh. One preface before I put down my answer
the email. I wanted a title for this post and struggled hard to think
of one and trhen fiinally came up with it. "Musical Parasites." This
may seem a bit harsh and even grotesque but I beg you hear me out.
Look, if you will, at the second definition of the word Parasite both
as a noun and a synonym. For me the definition fits perfectly. Now,
having said that, this was my response to the question about Victor
Lanza:
par·a·site /ˈpærəˌsaɪt/ Show Spelled
[par-uh-sahyt] Show IPA
–noun
1. an organism that lives on or in an organism of another species,
known as the host, from the body of which it obtains nutriment.
2. a person who receives support, advantage, or the like, from another
or others without giving any useful or proper return, as one who lives
on the hospitality of others.
3. (in ancient Greece) a person who received free meals in return for
amusing or impudent conversation, flattering remarks, etc.
No. Victor Lanza (or who ever he is ) is NOT Mario Lanza's son.
Some years ago, he tried to pawn himself off to the public as Mario
Lanza's illegitimate son. He had a passable tenor voice but was in no
way schooled properly as a true classical artist. He concertized, in
Europe mostly, and did a hackneyed tribute to his supposed father. As
far as I know, he never submitted to a DNA test to conclusively prove
the relation to Mario Lanza. When asked in public about this, Victor
Lanza's response was basically: "I know who I am and do not need to
prove it to anyone." Well, alright, but if you were indeed the son of
the great Mario Lanza, wouldn't you want the world to know it without
a doubt? I should think the remaining Lanza family would want to
embrace him with open arms no matter who is mother might be. In all
events, it is clear that Victor Lanza is NOT Mario Lanza's son just as
Cristian Lanza is NOT Mario Lanza's grandson. It is pathetic and sad
that people with mediocre talents have to try to inflate themselves by
intimately associating themselves with someone so stellar and beyond
them. They somehow think - I suppose, along the same sick line of
thinking 'guilt by association' - that they will truly become a part
of the greatness they pretend to be. It's really rather ill thinking
in my opinion. In all events, the saddest thing of all to me is that
artists like these - Victor Lanza and Cristian Lanza - cannot or will
not stand on their own true merit and ability as artists. Sink or swim
these people have chosen a sort of un-reality to live in and,
depending on how long they continue with their "careers" they will
live day after day this version of reality they've created for
themselves.
I'm reminded of the time, several years ago when I interviewed the
singer Enzo Stuarti and subsequently featured him in a two-part two
hour special on his life and career when I was producing a weekly PBS
radio program about classical voice which emanated from WETS-FM on the
campus of East Tennessee State University. In all events, at a certain
point I asked Enzo if Mario Lanza had been an influence in his career.
I expected to hear him answer in the affirmative and perhaps mention
what a great voice Lanza had. Instead though his answer was this - and
I've not forgotten it all these years: "Oh definitely, definitely. In
fact, his voice was so close to mine people used to mistake it." Now
Enzo was a very kind and gracious man to me the day of our interview,
even if he did blow his own horn sometimes at deafining levels. But to
make a statement that his voice, albeit a fine and powerful nightclub
voice with Italiante overtones - though I think personally he lacked
any kind of finese, musical empathy and emotional invenstment in what
he sang (he was, in essence in love with his own voice, just my
opinion, and it was not love of the musical facets, finese or elements
that existed there but rather the sound he could produce. Listen to
'That Wondeful Girl of Mine" from his STUARTI ARRIVE AT CARNEGIE HALL.
This record was , in reality, a 'papered audience' and that is an old
broadway expresspion that means the majority of the audience were
"comps" or free and done the fill the house. The concert was recorded
for Jubilee Records and sold moderately well. It got Enzo into venues
like The Bue Room and on the Tonight Show, but I always felt the
shadow of Mario Lanza cast over him daily. It's a curious study and
perhaps I am all wrong. But I know and believe this with all my heart:
Mario Lanza was a miracle, a once in a life time star that shown so
bright that it blinded some, corrupted some, inspired and left some in
complete awe. Never on earth had they seen or HEARD such greatness -
nor were they to again.
Tony Partington
Minneapolis, Minnesota (2011)
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Origin:
1530–40; < Latin parasītus < Greek parásītos one who eats at
another's table, orig. adj.: feeding beside, equivalent to para-
para-1 + sît ( os ) grain, food + -os adj. suffix
—Synonyms
2. sycophant, toady, leech, sponge, hanger-on.