Lucine Amara

She spoke last night in Englewood--she's with a local opera company. She sang at the Met for around 40 years. Now 83, smart and fun. (She's in the classic Bjorling-De los Angeles recording of Boheme--as Musetta.)

On Pavarotti: Full of himself. Once clapped her on the face with both hands during a performance--hurting her. (She demonstrated on ME. I told her that I had enjoyed it.)

On Feruccio Tagliavini: Singing with him in Boheme, he put a log on the "fire" during her aria--and combed his hair! She complained--and he didn't sing again at the Met for 8 years.

Richard Tucker: I, I, I. (I myself once heard him interviewed on TV. How was he received in Italy? I came, I saw, I conquered, he said. The audience expressed its disapproval.)

Mario Lanza: During the filming of The Great Caruso, he arrogantly boasted that he was a better singer than Caruso. (She sang a bit in the film.)

Greatest friend: Judith Raskin. When she began moving toward the wrong side of the stage, Raskin, with her eyes, signaled the right way.

Franco Corelli: A good friend. But very insecure. Once, in Tosca, while he was on the floor, he whispered to her in Italian, how was my singing?

She never sang at La Scala because Rudolf Bing wouldn't let her accept an invitation.. She was never invited again.
(But Bing had hired her.)

Her daughter may be writing her biography.