Mario Lanza: Interviews A selection of radio interviews, 1949-1959
Mario Lanza gave relatively few interviews during his brief career, particularly after the breakup with MGM in 1952, and those that he did participate in wereseldom illuminating from a vocal perspective. Interviewers (both from the print and electronic media) were either reluctant or unqualified to explore topics of any musical depth, and their questions often verged on the banal.
To be fair, though, with rare exceptions (e.g. two articles for the American musical magazine Etude in 1949 and 1950), these interviews were aimed at mainstream audiences.
The following are perhaps the best of the unscripted English-language interviews that Lanza gave during the last ten years of his life, and they reveal the man's intelligence, warmth, and articulateness. Two interviews in Italian are also included—--Derek McGovern.
Hi Jinx (NBC) New York Broadcast Date, 25 September 1949
Jinx Falkenburg
This is essentially a promotional interview for Lanza's first film, That Midnight Kiss. Play interview Hi Jinx Part One (10:16) Please note: The sound becomes somewhat muffled for a short time starting at 4:06.
Hi Jinx, Part Two (6:43)
Hi Jinx, Part Three (2:33)
Hi Jinx, Part Four (1:23)
In Part One, Jinx Falkenburg asks Lanza about his early life, leading up to his discovery by famed conductor Serge Koussevitzky. The interview is preceded by a pre-recorded segment in which several musical and film luminaries comment on Lanza's potential. Falkenburg's husband and co-host, Tex McCrary, assists. (Note: Lanza—possibly with a nod to the wishes of MGM's Publicity Department—shaves a year off his age and adds three and a half inches to his height.)
In Part Two, Lanza discusses life in the army air force during World War II, "embellishes" the story of a bogus Lanza record that he once supplied in lieu of an audition (he claims it was a Caruso recording; other versions state that it was by Metropolitan Opera tenor Frederick Jagel), and talks about a proposed movie with operatic legend Ezio Pinza.
In Part Three, Lanza talks about his operatic aspirations and a proposed movie on the life of Enrico Caruso. This is the only occasion on which Lanza was recorded discussing the operatic roles that he had learned (although he neglects to mention one of them: Canio in Pagliacci).
In Part Four, Lanza introduces the "They Didn't Believe Me" scene in his movie That Midnight Kiss.
Today in Hollywood Honolulu Broadcast date: 21 March 1950
Lanza greeted in Honolulu, March 1950
Play interview (9:43)
The interviewer is Betty Smyser
This entertaining interview was recorded while Lanza was on a working vacation in Hawaii in March 1950. (He sang three sold-out concerts in Honolulu that month.) Curiously, Lanza doesn't mention his second film, The Toast of New Orleans, which he had just completed, and instead focuses on his forthcoming picture on Caruso.
Note: Lanza mentions here that he has been married for six years. He and Betty were in fact a few weeks away from their fifth wedding anniversary at the time.
"Magic Mario." NBC Interview by Ray Heindorf Broadcast date: 27 February 1956
Lanza with Renata Tebaldi and Ray Heindorf, October 1955
Play interview (6:53)
Promotional interview for Lanza's fifth film, Serenade.
Ray Heindorf, musical director for Serenade, interviews Lanza about some of the lighter vocal selections in the film. More substantial than usual, this interview is also the recorded instance in which Lanza states his much-quoted musical credo: "I sing each word as though it were my last on Earth."
St. Peter's Square Rome Recorded July 1957; Broadcast October 1957
St. Peter's Square
Play interview (53 secs)
Promotional interview for Lanza's sixth film, Seven Hills of Rome.
This snippet is part of a longer interview with journalist Lello Barsani that Lanza gave in Italian while filming a sequence for Seven Hills of Rome in St. Peter's Square (see photo on left).
Interview with Wilfrid Thomas, BBC London Broadcast date: 15 March 1958
Lanza in London, March 1958
Play interview(3:54)
This interview was recorded while Lanza was on his final recital tour (which took him throughout the United Kingdom and also to various cities on the European Continent). A relaxed Lanza is in obvious Public Relations mode here, as he plays up to his audience by saying exactly what he thinks the British public wants to hear!
But as Armando Cesari has pointed out, "[Lanza] also does himself a disservice by stating here that he had had very little training." Lanza had in fact studied for 16 months with the celebrated Enrico Rosati—a period that "was paramount in building a solid technique, which you cannot acquire simply by listening to recordings [as he claims here]. And let's not forget that he [also] worked extensively with [noted baritone] Robert Weede, and later with Maestro [Giacomo] Spadoni."
Interview, Berlin November 1958 Broadcast details unknown
Betty and Mario Lanza in Berlin, 1958
Play interview (2:45)
This is one of the more intriguing Lanza interviews—as notable for the tenor's interesting account of his first meeting with Serge Koussevitzky (and operatic debut) as it is for some curious slips (e.g. "Leoncavalli") and unusual sentence structures (e.g. "I didn't, in reality, the truth I must tell"). Lanza was apparently talking to an (unheard) interviewer named John Hendricks.
"La Mia Vita per il Canto" (RAI) Rome Recorded in September 1959 First broadcast 4 October 1959, three days before Lanza's death.
Above: The Lanza family during their final vacation together, St. Moritz, January 1959
New (May 2019): Listen to all of Lanza's spoken contributions to "La Mia Vita per il Canto" (recorded September 1959 / broadcast October 4, 1959)
Play interview (15:12)
"La Mia Vita per il Canto" (My Life for Singing) was the first of what was intended to be a four-part radio series in which Lanza, speaking in Italian, would discuss his life and career. Only one part was recorded (and broadcast) before his death. Here are all of Lanza's spoken contributions to the programme (which also included many of his recordings). We hear Lanza being interviewed about his life and career, and in the last few minutes he introduces his wife and four children to his Italian audience.
Note: As usual, Lanza fibs about his age and height, but the man's zest for life and love of his family are touchingly evident, as are his warm reminiscences of his time with the celebrated voice teacher Enrico Rosati.
The English translation of this interview is included below. Many thanks to Stefanie Walzinger for providing this transcription (the result of her many hours of painstaking translation), and to Armando Cesari for his help in editing it.
Identity card of our host: Interviewer: Renato Izzo First and last name: Mario Lanza: Alfredo Arnaldo Cocozza Interviewer: Stage name, of course, Mario Lanza. Would you like to tell us how this change happened? Mario Lanza: Ah, that’s a nice story. It was because my father …but, let’s say it this way, before I speak about my father. My name in America was always terribly modified by the Americans because they were not able to pronounce C-o-c-o- z z-a. It was too much for them, so they called me “Casusa,” “Gasosa,” “Cozza,” mamma mia, so many mistakes, truly. And then, one day, I received a letter and my name was modified in such a terrible way that my father said once and for all: “All right, change that name because I already see now that it is impossible to go on this way. That day I took the name of my mom who was called Maria Lanza before she married my father, and I adapted "Mario" Lanza from "Maria." Interviewer: Aha. Date of birth? Mario Lanza: 1925 Interviewer: Height? Mario Lanza: In English it is five feet, 10 inches—barefoot. Interviewer: Eyes? Mario Lanza: Black, black! Interviewer: Hair? Mario Lanza: Black, too. Interviewer: Weight? Mario Lanza: Weight: at the moment I am … how much is 198 pounds? Interviewer: 90 Kilograms more or less, I believe. Mario Lanza: 90 kilograms. You are right: 90 kilograms, yes. You know, it is difficult for me because I still have the scales I brought over from America which are different from the ones used in Europe. Interviewer: I understand. Particular features? Mario Lanza: When I arrived in Italy they called me “hunk.” Interviewer: It’s a term we use here! Place of birth? Mario Lanza: I was born in Philadelphia. The state is Pennsylvania; Philadelphia is the city. The district was called “Little Italy.” At this time the city had 2 million, sorry, 3 million inhabitants, and I am sure that 700,000 at least were Italians in this huge district in the southern part of Philadelphia. And for that reason the remaining part of the city was given the name of “Little Italy.” In this district, I heard all dialects, you know. Yes, because at home we spoke this way (Mario imitates Abruzzese and Neapolitan dialects) I love how Neapolitans speak, you know, and how they sing! Interviewer: Out of curiosity, Mr. Lanza: what type of boy were you? What did you do; what were your thoughts? Mario Lanza: When I was a boy I knew deep down that one day I would become a famous singer, let’s say, but strangely enough I did not sing. You know what I did? I boxed. At the age of 15, 16, 17—at this age, I was always at the —how do you call it? —at the gym, always there, every day, every day. But with all the famous, “boxers,” we call them in the United States, strangely they were all my friends and I exercised with them, you know. Truly strange, really. Interviewer: But, tell us, Lanza, when did you give up boxing in order to really start singing? Mario Lanza: Yes, I was a child when I started singing really, professionally, for money, when they pay you with what here in Italy is the well-known term “la grana” (money). Well, it was in 1939 that I started singing in concerts. Interviewer: And then, if we are not mistaken you received a special letter. Let’s say, it was a letter of historic significance. Can you tell us who sent it to you? Mario Lanza: Who sent it to me? It was the great maestro Serge Koussevitzky, who was the famous director of the symphony orchestra of the city of Boston, very well known all over the world. This letter was an invitation to the famous festival—let’s say it is famous in America because it is the greatest music festival in the United States; the famous festival which is called Berkshire, the Berkshire Festival. And he was the head of this festival for young musicians, young singers. Interviewer So this was your debut? Mario Lanza: Yes, I made my debut in 1942 at this festival. Interviewer: And the opera on the billboard was La Bohème, wasn’t it? Mario Lanza: Yes. [Note by Derek McGovern: While it's true that Lanza performed the role of Rodolfo in a staged offering of Act III of Puccini's La Bohème at the festival, the actual complete opera in which he made his debut was Nicolai's now seldom-performed The Merry Wives of Windsor.] Interviewer: Irene Williams, this is a name that Mario Lanza will hardly forget. In fact, this was the name of his first teacher. The one that for two years, on alternative days, gave him singing lessons in a modest house in Little Italy in Philadelphia. Mario Lanza: Yes, I can tell you one thing I started, as you said, with Irene Williams, but after that I made my debut and all those great things in grand opera with Koussevitzky, and in 1945, when I was discharged (from the Army) I began to sing and I sang for a year concerts, on the radio, and then, you know what I did? I wanted… I knew that at the end of each concert my throat felt a little bit tired, and I knew that I really had to study truly well and with an Italian maestro. The origin of Bel Canto is where? It’s here: in this country. Of course, I loved the tenor Gigli. I had all his records, all his records. I found out that the famous Italian maestro who at that time lived in America, and who had come to America with Gigli when Gigli was called by the Metropolitan Opera in New York. And I went to see him, Enrico Rosati, who … do you know where he was the maestro at? At Santa Cecilia here in Rome, at Santa Cecilia where, in the course of a year, he found two students. They were Beniamino Gigli and Giacomo Lauri-Volpi. It was a wonderful thing, also for the maestro, to find two such great singers within, let’s say, eight months. Well, I went to see him, I gave up everything. He said to me: “Mario you have to give up this life on the stage completely. You have to start studying with me each day, also on Sundays, and you have to start at nine o’clock in the morning. It’s at 9 o’clock that one sings!” And my maestro … I did this, gave up everything for 13 months. [Note by Derek McGovern: It was actually 15 months.]Well, my managers, who were the biggest “Columbia“ in America which had the greatest, most famous artists in the world under contract, eh, naturally they fought a big battle against me. Heck! What a fight! They didn’t want me to do this and give up, you know why? Because for them, of course, they would lose a lot of the famous la “grana” (money). I said “Ciao”: I want to know nothing about this, leave me alone, and I went to live with maestro Enrico Rosati. And truly this was the most beautiful period of my life. It is strange that I tell you this. Maybe strange for you because how can it be that a person, a singer, can say that the studies with the maestro were the most wonderful time of his life instead of, let’s say, being on stage in front of an audience? No, it’s the truth, I can say that for me it was the happiest experience. 13 months, and after that he kissed me on both cheeks and said: “Mario, go and never come back to this studio as a student, but only as a friend.” Interviewer: September `44. Despite wearing the bright uniform of the Air Force, Mario Lanza decides suddenly to say goodbye to celibacy. There appears on the scene, discretely and with gentleness, a sweet, modest, charming creature, Betty… Mario Lanza: The name of my wife is Betty Hicks. Here in Italy they pronounce her name like “Ickisi,” “Ickisi.” “Betty Hicks” in English, and I—it is strange how I met my wife—it was on a photo, on a photograph which was in – uh, Sam, how do you say “wallet” in Italian? Sam Steinman: “Portafoglio.” Mario Lanza: Yes, “portafoglio” in the wallet of Betty’s brother who, you know, was my good friend, my great friend in the Army. He would always show me this photo of this beautiful girl, and I said, “Mamma mia, how beautiful this girl is, what a beautiful figure, face, everything.” After 6 months he said to me one day: “Do you know who this girl is? She’s my sister.” And then after six months from this day we met each other. We were transferred from the city of New York to California. We were transferred to Santa Monica, California, and during this time I met Betty. And I can say that I immediately found myself gone, eh, let’s say, gone. “Conquered” is the term, is it not?
Mario Lanza: I am so happy here to present to you my family. Here is the first one, he is called Damon---he is my first son. Damon, how are you? Damon Lanza: Bene! (Well) Mario Lanza: Why don’t you say “ciao” to all the nice people here? Damon Lanza: Ciao! Mario Lanza: When do you go to school? Damon Lanza: I don’t know. Mario Lanza: Where do you go to? Damon Lanza: Marymount. Mario Lanza: To Marymount. And there they teach you to learn Italian? They teach you …. but speak, speak! They teach you to speak Italian? Damon Lanza: Yes. Mario Lanza: And English? English, eh. English, and Italian. Eh, bravo, okay, say “ciao.” Damon Lanza: Ciao! Mario Lanza: Ciao, ciao! Marco, come dear, come! In Italian, in Italian. Say “hello” to all the people. Marc Lanza: Ciao! Mario Lanza: Ciao! He says “ciao.” How are you, dear? Marc Lanza: Well! Mario Lanza: Only “well,” eh? Ah, fine, okay. You ought to say “fantastic!” Do you go to school soon? Marc Lanza: Yes. Mario Lanza: How old are you? Do you know how old you are? Marc Lanza: Yes: so many (not spoken, Marc probably shows 5 fingers) Mario Lanza: So many? Let me see how many fingers. You are right: 5 years, he said. Okay. Do you like school? Marc Lanza: No! Mario Lanza: No? You don’t like school? You’re just like your daddy! Bravo! Ciao Marco, ciao Marco! Elissa, Elissa, here’s dear Elissa, the second daughter. Elissa Lanza: What shall I say? Mario Lanza: Oh, no, no, speak in Italian! Say “hello,” say “ciao.” Elissa Lanza: Ciao! How are you all? Mario Lanza: Good, good, good. Do you like school? Elissa Lanza: Yes. Mario Lanza: Why? Elissa Lanza: Because it is nice. Mario Lanza: “Because it is nice”: brava, brava! I love you—do you know that? Elissa Lanza: Yes! Mario Lanza: Say “goodbye” in Italian. Elissa Lanza: Ciao! Mario Lanza: Here’s Colleen, my first daughter, my first child. How are you Colleen? Colleen Lanza: Good. Mario Lanza: Are you happy to talk here? Colleen Lanza: Hmm, yes. Mario Lanza: You don’t say “hmm,” you say, “yes, I am happy.” Do you like school? Colleen Lanza: No! Mario Lanza: No? Colleen, do you already have some Italian friends, eh? Colleen Lanza: Yes. Mario Lanza: Many or only a few? Colleen Lanza: I don’t know. Mario Lanza: She doesn’t know. See, she’s getting upset because I’m making her talk. But I don’t know why these kids …. Why don’t you talk like your Daddy talks – who talks all the time?! And you lot don’t talk! Now, come here, Colleen, say “ciao.” Colleen Lanza: Ciao! Mario Lanza: Now, you have heard a little bit of my family. As you can see, they are afraid of the microphone. Yes, yes, yes, yes, you can listen. You have to listen to the programme and you’ll hear your voice, okay? Ciao to all! Ah sorry, sorry, here’s my wife, this fantastic woman can speak Italian. She’s called the famous Betty Ickisi—Betty Hicks. Betty Lanza: Ciao, all the best to you. Mario Lanza: Ah, you heard it? Do you like Italy? Betty Lanza: Yes, very much! Mario Lanza: Hmm, how well she speaks! Are you happy to stay in Italy for another three years? Betty Lanza: Yes, very happy. Mario Lanza: Mamma mia, how she speaks Italian! It’s better now that you say ciao, otherwise ……… Betty Lanza: I like the Italians. Mario Lanza: Do you want to learn more? Betty Lanza: Yes! yes, yes. Mario Lanza: You want to learn more—good. Betty Lanza: I understand a lot but speak only a little Mario Lanza: Ah, “I understand a lot but speak only a little.” But, you don’t know when she shouts at me, I don’t know where she finds these words, I don’t know. But she knows some beautiful words! Say “ciao, all the best.” Betty Lanza: Ciao, all the best again. Mario Lanza: Again, she said ciao, all the best, again! OK: all right, ciao to everyone!
