by Irving Kolodin, The Record, June 17, 1961
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*Comment on Facebook*Any doubts as to whether America is still the land of opportunity may be resolved by citing the example of Franco Corelli, who has just returned to his native Italy after concluding his first season and spring tour with the Metropolitan Opera. It would not be accurate to say that he arrived in New York last January with no more than high hopes (and a high tenor voice), but he had substantially more when he departed aboard the S. S. Leonardo da Vinci.
Included were not only the customary keepsakes in the stateroom but, in the hold, a brand new Cadillac which he acquired lately in Detroit and drove back to New York by way of Toronto, where he made his final appearance. To be sure, it is not unknown for Americans visiting Italy to return with a Hispano Suiza or an Isotta Fraschini, but neither of these would be the same status symbol around the stage door parking area of La Scala as the Cadillac.
As for Signora Corelli, a vivacious titian-haired lady who, in the words of an emissary, "does everything for Franco but sing", she found Chicago exciting. But she reserved her highest praise for Grosse Pointe, the famous and expensive area suburban to Detroit where costly cars and big lake cruisers are equally prevalent. "Molto bene," she pronounced.
As for the tenor himself, whose predeparture afternoon found him bowed down with tax receipts, export licenses for the new properties, tickets for a party of three (including dog) and similar minutiae, life is so well ordered that future bookings now begin with summer 1963 when he may have time for Covent Garden.
To his credit, the tall, broad-shouldered Corelli is not resting on the laurels earned by his history-making performances of Prince Calaf in "Turandot" and his vigorous singing of Manrico in "Trovatore" and Carlo in "Don Carlo". He is preparing to add Cavaradossi in "Tosca", Maurice in Adriana Lecouvreur" (with Tebaldi) and Radames in "Aida" to his Metropolitan register next season, and is setting aside time in the next few months to work with the veteran Giacomo Lauri-Volpi on the Duke in "Rigoletto".
To the question of a curious listener who inquired whether it wasn't unusual for a tenor who sang such heavy roles as Radames, Prince Calaf, and Manrico to go back to the Duke, he shrugged, saying, "It lightens up the voice. It is an important part, which every tenor should sing." Good enough for a tenor like Corelli, but where is the Gilda who can stand up to him?
More exciting for those who know the works of Meyerbeer only by reputation is the information that he is planning to sing Raoul in "Gli Ugonotti" ("Les Huguenots" in French) at La Scala within a year or two, very likely with Birgit Nilsson as Valentine and Joan Sutherland as Marguerite de Valois. This brought mention that Caruso was the last tenor to sing the role at the Metropolitan. "Yes," said Corelli, "twice in '14." It didn't need much more to impress the visitor that Corelli has a good idea he may be the next.
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