This is a machine-generated transcript. Text is unformatted and may contain errors.

And you. Saw about the buckle on e was a round man and his life was an accumulation of round figures he was born in this century was very young on April fourteenth one thousand nine hundred he came to America for the first time as a member of the Chicago Opera in one thousand thirty made his metropolitan opera debut in one nine hundred forty and he died in one thousand nine hundred seventy we are going to remember Bach alone here this evening but not in a pompous so demoniacs fashion his spirit would never forgive us for that we are going to remember him with a smile and to make sure that this will happen I've asked Buck alone is a long time metropolitan quality that ends all of R.T. to be my guest Mr ALL OF OUR it is also a bustle and he shared some of bucket on his rollers he was back on his friend and he is full of good bucket only stories Lorenzo It's a pleasure to have you here and feel free to tell us a good story right now if you want I would like to start not resist because you see when you invited me to speak about black on me I was very. I was moved because I was his colleague his friend and I was in his house he played cards to get out of the same together because I think that Salvator debacle only decide about what is very important because you know I mean save and he saved so many performers when he was he practically alone alone on the stage with his particular quality and personality but anyway I think that's sad about what a buck alone can be identified. With the OP oppa. Which means if the art form of opera has to live then we need back Karlo days and by Colonials are very rare you mean personalities of the buckle on the personalities he was an extraordinary person in many ways what example I consider him first of all extraordinary as a human being he was extraordinary as an artist he was very unusual as a friend or a colleague and he was a very great as a family man because he was a very warm hearted man but Colonia had one of those very rare things he had charm and his charm is missing and wherever charm is missing I think even in business in any kind of way of life I think that we are empty and he feared us with an irresistible natural gift soon and as a journalist say I mean what we've never seen a separatist child he also had a sense of humor now I think that several books could be written about the humor of the colonial But what on what does humor was base is a formidable sense of proportion we are fair that when he was on the stage as an artist and as a person there was a frame and really fell like a puzzle you know like it was and we fell into this fray and we saying and we behaved in a completely different way than we would have if someone else would have sung that on for example give an example of Michael and I we have been engaged to do and he's on for get there but you need Bartolo if you're a deaf ear and I couldn't have any rehearsals because the Metropolitan didn't let me go and I never did with him this beast this role now I said to him you know what let's do it as it was originally conceived let's improvise. And I want to see how strong I can improvise against this formidable Colossal Man. What happened I entered a stage you know I'd make a very. Good hypocritical but I entered a stage I saw him around and I suddenly had the idea to know. All and when I started to go back to my wife and many others was standing there was such a gesture of research rolling eyes that the audience started to roar for two minutes so that when I came back I'd be couldn't stop that famous rich. We couldn't stop it and this show was that without force without any premeditated so quite artifice you can be effective in this but he was not it is a one on one little story but I hear about hundreds of them and I don't think I would. Know you were certainly not born of the audience and we're going to get into these stories one after another I can hardly wait to hear them but before we take up the anonymous role that Michael only failed as a comic Buster as a bouncer before I would like to have what may be a surprise to you and I think it's going to be a surprise to most of our audience in his younger years when Buck Aloni was a member of the skull and incidentally was brought to our skull in one thousand nine hundred eighty six and. He didn't just sing for rollers as a matter of fact one of his orders was believe it or not spout off which either in Rigoletto spite of which he was an assassin he's a frightening man a terrifying man and to prove a point we have a recording here I mean going to hear now the famous spot of which he laid the wet in act one buck Aloni as a spot of which you. Oh oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh oh oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh oh. Oh oh oh oh oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Around nineteen thirty in Milan the name of the Rigoletto is Luigi. And despite a song by song about daughter back alone me in something that is what I said very unusual part and I suppose some time later somebody must have realized that. It didn't make a very frightening assassin and I don't think that anybody believe it for a moment that a man like Bach alone he could be a good spot of which you know what do you think. People are engaged. In. An opera and they have to. Know for example going back when he was engaged with me together for about twenty years we had been together in San Francisco of course they didn't give him this but I. Bought a pool and many other things many many many things and I have to tell you that for twenty years I bought from really. Younger generation despite of which he is in San Francisco of course particular. Was made when he had a young voice and he was a young man. But later on I understand that he sent for example. To change anything at all and also to be on a sort of I do not believe that this type of personality was it possible for he was but I just think that he was an all around artist and I think it's part of which he would. Perform. The low note at the end was sort of imaginary but I'm sure that being an actual actor he did his is a very very best they own however which really brought out only to the attention of the international public was that but I don't know and the opportunity for that when he was invited to line born I believe the year was one nine hundred thirty six and the unforgettable and very famous complete Don't Giovani conducted by Fritz Bush had him as a leopard hello and next day musical selection will be left with those famous catalog. Yeah. The. The. The. The. I mean if you have an. Income. On your. Own. Home home. Home. Home. Home. You may be. Right. I mean I've been thinking. In the neighborhood. Home. Oh oh you. Home. On. Your. Home Oh oh. That was the catalog aria from Don Giovanni sung by song about a buckle on the as a leopard Hello conducted by Fritz Bush. I sing my first must. Be any as that but I will and you might be interested to cast was the following and he said it. Was I don't know. Was it on there and unforgettable popped out of mind before my saying so many performances. Was don't Giovani deep whisky Pa didn't know. And in his prime but I know and I fed like a little midget as much as much of a real classic wonderful cat and I was a year it was I think in San Francisco forty or forty one years yes I remember that it was the last year that came to San Francisco. Well anyhow I have to confess to you without force modesty that later on when I saying. Hello myself or even I said oh I didn't feel like a midget anymore I sometimes I felt as a giant my very My man without wanting to be one because you see he went back alone he was not there N.P. inside there was a tremendous void you know it was the domino theory you know nobody take nobody could take that there's a vacuum here now coming back about cologne and you might be interested George if I may say that but come on it was a very moody man and he suffered as many tyrants do and many hungry and from sympathies and pity he was discriminating against bad food bad singers or bad conductors he couldn't stand bad taste and since I am convinced I don't know if you are that discrimination is the basic element of everything artistic He was one of those few who did know the difference not only between good and bad but we green good and better and no I mean everybody knows that he was immensely talented but he was proud to be talented he insisted on the rights of the talented person and he had sometimes trouble because people accused him of snobbery against those people have been inferior play in what ways say one way or another way you see for example back alone he did no more than many young conductors and he was infinitely more sensitive than many stage director. And he just put these people on the right track which means that he want to be left alone and I pressed the great station actors on left him alone because they didn't know that but Cologne is back only and what they wanted you realize that the stage actor has to justify his existence and the conductor too and many people many conductors are not I don't have to tell you that we were at this for skinny Bruno Walter and we work now with with him and with this type of conductors we have a formidable respect for the great conductors but we have a formidable disrespect for conductors who learn to operate on our voices and in our so-called talent. Who will be nameless who we've been in this but there are many in the US you see this is a funny thing that mediocrity believes in the majority to you and says mediocrity has the majority T.V. Sometimes I have subjugated by them this is an aspect of buckle only that only you as an insider know and most of us don't with all that Was he popular not with you with his close friends Was he popular inside an opera house or any kind of a holy terror No he was popular with everybody because he had a very good sense of how to handle people not he handed people some of them like for example a lot of his reverence and the others he handled the weaker ones be a so-called condescending benevolence and a condescending benevolence we noticed but those people you know who think that but come on he was nice to them they didn't notice it but actually and he was a teacher he gave everybody advice and that advice was given very freely and some people who couldn't understand advice they thought that this interference you know many people have a chip on their shoulders you know back out on it couldn't tolerate that he just went through he said. That's the way it has to be done and if people did it it was what I if people didn't need it he bypassed them. He did not he was not the man you know who want to defy he was much more clever Don't forget that he was of the Politan descent Allman Now this is the best combination of honestly and I mean how to handle people you see he was doing very very well how can I say that to you he's very interesting with a very smooth way but back alone you always prevail because you see the town demand with very intelligent head I don't know if you know that that he studied medicine and he studied also for example Sydney design and for example he had a he had some idea about perspective no he had a perspective on the stage but he had a perspective concerning his career he did know how to handle it on this note I'd like to pause for a brief intermission after which we'll come back with more discussion on buckle only and some musical selections illustrating his before mastery we are remembering Salvatore. And I would like to continue with a marvelous illustration of Bach alone he is before mastery we are going to hear the aria of the bottle from Rossi and he is the Barber of Seville. Oh all oh you know. What. You know. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. You know. Oh oh. Oh my God I don't know I haven't even thought about. What I paid for this imbroglio. I'm going to. Medical Oh. God. Oh. God. Now. Oh oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh. Oh oh. Oh oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh oh. You know the one about going out. Because. What you're doing with the bodies of everybody else on the ground. I don't. Look at the motorbike went back up and I back up when I got the. Memo no. No. No. No. No. No no I've got to make it out of. The if you don't want to know. Why don't you don't run. Don't let that man among the crowd. That was they don't bother to lower. The scene is the Barber of Seville Lorenzo You must have shed many delightful about to be at ease with Michael and I certainly did and I'm very sorry that we couldn't play that you couldn't play it a chuckle because the greatness of Bach only was that he was a talent fate at Tempe. Which means that he had a formidable instinctive and also a stunted way off time now to stymie is something which today doesn't exist any more because it itched the thieves and gone over these a certain kind of superficial indifference not what he did it was actually the plate because the idea was a song you know an audio form with relatively few movements what could be valid and ended except he will gave for example no Johnny those wish that he was because human beings are on forgettable. And actually he was also possible not only through his timing but through his impeccable Italian You see back Oni was proud to be any tie and he had all the assets of the Caribbean and he used even the liabilities with his charm and turned them into assets for example only to tell you very interesting story but colonial made fun of it that Italians and he are so are superstitious and for example when I was in the back only once in Long Island where he had a beautiful house Incidentally he built the stage there you know at an experimental stage it was very interesting Maison when I went there he showed me a room in which he had a little six X.. I don't know how to say that Godly pieces because the godly piece is hanging around in C. exacts they are against the so-called bad spirits not of course but kind of didn't take this seriously and I said can tell you why is this here because you never know you might come on some other bad spirit he said to me and then I have to be armed against this but said that you are not superstitious you don't believe in superstition no I don't but I don't want to take chances and say this was the. Incident you know I asked what cologne he wants to me Are you sure that you are going to be successful he says yes why because I have artistic security here say that many people have mental security emotional security he had artistic security and he was absolutely sure that a walk when he for example event during the battle are if you just played left for example. I speak about we will say I because she did it at that time I never got it when he left me to say how when she make this. Table and went to the other people to pick up these four you know what happened there are these pieces right who was here and so on that walk was just as expressive as a melody Colline. That's the kind of his greatness that from the beginning to the end he had a line and all of the details fit into the frame and would look quite nice to quote in each of these lines is very interesting what you said a moment ago about T.V. because I have heard recently several. Recordings of done Giovanni you know some of the new complete versions where very frequently the roles of Don Giovanni and leopard Elo are done by ninety talents and the way they rattle off these wretched T.V. the audience would never guess that these are very witty very sparkling dialogues that go on between these two and I'm afraid it is true that the singers learn to speak the language they have a general idea what is going on but it takes an Italian or someone steeped in that tradition to really bring out the meat of the dialogue and already know when to stop and when to start all over again for example you cannot say I am very happy to see you have to I am very happy to see you and this is very difficult because it's done differently in French as you know very well and differently in English and English it cannot be done in part because I think that the English language which is a very utilitarian very useful language does not lend itself to see. Because it cannot be accompanied with those. Pieces absolutely unique back only movements because back alone when he was on the stage and he sang or he played he was as they say from the hip to the foot always involved everything with the voice everything was coordinated and this made this immense and unique impact on the audience before the colony and I know that you know if you don't know if for example he was absolutely convinced that what ever story he's thirty S. come out or also in private life that is going to be believed because the delivery was stronger than the contents. Did anybody was so strong that whatever he said sometimes he thought authorities and they have not been true he did eat I believe the B.B.C. cuisine joy and it was a make believe enjoyed and we enjoyed it more than if anybody else would have told a joke that a good and let N.Z. just set the stage for your friend about colony in his other unforgettable role as Dr don't come out of him leaving a demo to. All the world was. Off A. No Zero. Zero eight. Out of the make up yeah. Oh. Yeah um. Um. Um. Um. Um. Um um um um um um oh oh oh no the only better for. You know that's a really. Michael Vick was many of the things. They don't know but only on. The. Matter. You know it all but a ball. On. The floor and it didn't look like that. He could go with you because they. Both obviously. Didn't call them with your face because we bought the book we're going to go home that plugged in we'll be finding you don't normally get the bomb Rob even called did you feel the phone Mo'Nique speaking on not even oh we both. Know you recall. That it was all. Over. You don't. Already know about a little bit on the Aguilera. Called. Old. Boy don't. Call bad. Boy. On you. But but a quote all the. Known all solid all. The. They did send me a publicity. The family D.V.D. of a CD What do you think you money. If the name of the whole thing most not even call me an opportunity to be me and I'll be able to pick up a body could be ready to jump up and let it happen here but the people well you made over and over that football body got off and all that although. I'm not then you're crazy people all over a little bit of a lot. Order to prop up every. Town hall meeting in the meter thirty one because the law that all books. Don't. Know. Who knows the color. Of her water. A little school of a daughter. Or gold. They were all. Right. Oh. They'll come. Closer. All. There are. Rare. Earth the earth the earth the. Oh God don't let me hold you know me from the Adi Godrej your car. Or do you. Want to tell the American. The. Poor. MARY. The. The. The. The. The American. The. Better. That. America. The. Less was we need to or new Stevie do come on and friends song and aria from the dead these lazy Ademola that song of course by solid I thought about colony. That again is an unforgettable and marvelous role and I imagine there was very it was very difficult to be on the stage with him because he must have been the world's greatest scene stealer was me you know when they speak about scenes theatres I had my personal opinion that you only steal a scene when you can and I went back and only was used. To keep every speech so he wasn't just didn't see that he was the perfect match for the idea match and he was enthusiast I'm in his presence augmented everything later I'm going to have to be substituted with less strong artists then he came on voluntarily and inadvertently as a scene stealer that's that's a true somebody had to do it so many have to do it right well it happens quite often you mentioned a while ago his human qualities and his. Qualities of family man would you like to allow guest on Ice I believe George that. You cannot be a great artist or a good artist or a great personality unless you have personal attachments now he was a family man because he loved his wife you know Mrs Buck alone is a bargain and several times I was invited there for dinner for example I remember once we came from Philadelphia we arrived at two o'clock she waited with about ten or fifteen different bargain and dishes and we ate until four o'clock our dinner at four o'clock I went home at eight o'clock I was awakened with a telegram and a telegram was this it was a very nice to have you for dinner but the next time I got by with you. Or even an automobile because it is cheaper Regards Michael. I think you should they going to come from and I was I don't know because I didn't know who had more he what I. Was he ever again certain about his weight No he was never concerned about his weight but no in the last four or five years I think he was concerned because he didn't feel very well and someone told him is that Terry to everybody that he has to lose weight not for back and only losing weight somehow was losing a part of his profession or entity and I'm not so sure that he was happy about it but he spoke about it only during the last four or five when he when he went to Hollywood during the last few years of his life had you been in touch with him or did yes I mean contact when I was because I like that feeling which he made and I congratulated him and he was very happy because somehow you know all of us have an instinctive feeling that operates a little confining and we want to find a new medium and he found it and he was very popular in it and he I think that was a great satisfaction for him especially during the last years yes because you know in the last years he was a little bitter because there is a certain tendency that people want to have new blood and this new blood is sometimes taken even if they're already better so that there is our kind of politics as we call it in the theater and he suffered from this and it was rather disturbing not only to him but to us and also to the audience and I don't forget this is again a little anecdote one of the managers who substituted back around with someone else and I was on the stage asked me not only how do you like this new but so comical and I said You see I'm not engaged here actually to pass judgment on my colleagues and finally the manager says yes I know that you are a very great friend of sort of I thought about how lonely maybe that influences you so it's not a problem if I what anybody else here under stage is a friend or back around to the problem is that the audience is a friend of Michael only they want back only not only asked but the audience and audience wondered back and still wants back on those who ever saw a black cologne and I'm absolutely convinced they cannot find a place. And this is not because I want to speak about any of my colleagues who my very well very good terms are am working today that immensely talented and we have excellent because what we had only one black colony there was only one and I don't believe that in the next hundred years they've been over there and so I happen to know from one of our earlier conversations that you relationship with bucket of money was not limited to. Singing it wasn't even limited to eating can you tell me more about it for the benefit of our audience or no you know when we have been on tour with The San Francisco over the Metropolitan Opera Of course we had a lot of free time and seen singers I'm not supposed to talk so much because they we have to save our voices we played cards or what did we play we played so-called draw poker I don't know if your audience knows of drop or what is what is a typical European game but they played here to not open book or drop book and who played always the same people. But only the powerless and George Second ask you know they took me in as the Feast of first time in San Francisco. And I remember my from Iraq and they are why what are you doing here I'm paying you for a request for the whole season just as much as what even if you lose this I have to pay you again and he let me pay them later on when I was successful in my play pay was a little higher then I played with them and you know we played in this combination for twenty years and later on the set of a pin so I came to c.a.p and so by calling other people but anyway we played for twenty years or twenty five years every night and every day and every minute and we never had an argument nobody ever threw his cars away that was never an argument about money and you know I have to confess to you that sometimes I was so lucky that I believed in cards you see I sent all my money home and I've been caught and they like people I don't know why I was very lucky but I don't know why they paid me because I was so lucky I was really lucky maybe because I enjoyed my company know what can you imagine but it was never replayed sometimes for five six seven hours in the dining cars in the hotels there was never an argument and back car only once I never forget it had a stick and he played in his sleep in his sleep can you imagine he was betting all the time and everybody thought that now it's time back alone he's asleep and going to play people who cards you know dropped on about me and he made collar and made about two hundred dollars on the pot I'm sorry that I speak about money but you see that I cannot do anything anymore because I don't know if you tried an income tax or not but anyway just what I But anyway bit Marconi was better playing in his sleep we await what it's like Michael but actually I am not much of a player and but I do know the expression poker face hardly applies to buckle only how good it was he is not here his face was so moving all the time but he became a poker face in itself because nobody did know when he's enjoying himself and not so it was misleading just the same incident he spoke again was a very loud one but it was just as misleading because we didn't know what was going to be better than what he did that he did the smiling bluff and we had to pay off just saying well the only thing I regret is that you didn't bring a secret recording of one of those games that would have been terrifying as a matter of fact many people watched that game. And sometimes and by watching them especially very nice girls came out on you know and he and he was ready for me to you know he joined everybody he enjoyed his I enjoyed a good food when he was just being me and he was a. Well I think this would be a very nice some nation to our chat which I enjoyed very much thank you very much Lorenzo all of our you for coming here and for giving me and my listeners very well rounded picture of a beloved and longer a member figure Salvatore debacle on e I hope you'll visit me again someday In conclusion I would like to remind our listeners that my friend and guest that means of Adi is also the host of a very stimulating very interesting op or a program called operate the topics Sunday afternoons on New York's me I suppose station they'll be N.Y.C. thanks again this is George I don't like saying good night. And. I think. I am. In the.