It has long frustrated many Lanza aficionados (including me!) that the baritone and bass who appear with Mario Lanza in For the First Time in the delightful "E voi ridete" trio from Mozart's Così fan tutte have remained unidentified after all these years.
But no longer! I'm very happy to report that, thanks to information forwarded to me by resident Lanza sleuth Stefanie Walzinger, the two singers have been positively identified as Paolo Silveri (1913-2001), a well-known baritone who sang at the Met, Covent Garden, and La Scala, and bass Plinio Clabassi (1920-1984), who enjoyed a long stage career, and can be heard on quite a number of recordings. Interestingly, Clabassi was married to tenor Beniamino Gigli's daughter, soprano Rina Gigli.
It seems certain from comparing various photographs that Silveri didn't appear in For the First Time, however; instead, another singer lip-synched to his recording. But it may well be his colleague Clabassi whom we see in the film. I hope to have confirmation of that soon.
In the meantime, it's wonderful to have yet another Lanza "mystery" solved. Thank you, Steff!
It seems certain from comparing various photographs that Silveri didn't appear in For the First Time, however; instead, another singer lip-synched to his recording. But it may well be his colleague Clabassi whom we see in the film. I hope to have confirmation of that soon.
In the meantime, it's wonderful to have yet another Lanza "mystery" solved. Thank you, Steff!
 Plinio Clabassi |  Paolo Silveri |
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