Conversations w Franco Corelli & Stefan Zucker, 5/12/90 #1

[CastleIvanhoe]

Franco Corelli was not a homosexual man. This is just so ridiculous. He was dedicated to his wife, whom he adored, and was by all accounts a man of loyalty and intergrity. I cannot stand those who believe that a man cannot be into "the arts" and quite good looking without being "gay"---that is, many seem to assert as such. Revolting to smear people in so shabby a manner

[Miauriceful]

Gays want all men are gays

[aforwood1]

Where in the world do you get the info that he was gay? Nothing I have ever read mentioned that. He was married but even before that was known as a "ladies man" from the time he was a young teenager. Get your info straight. ubedajils - why do you even bring that up? You sicken me and you're the reason people get bad reputations. On here we discuss singing not personal life anyway.

[PastaAndPavarotti]

What kind of sick homosexual would assert that Italian men are bisexual? Would you like to say that to an Italian man in person? You will get a fist in your face, you ass! Testosterone is in abundance in Italy my friend Idrenuccio. Gays do not have any monopoly on the love of opera, I'll the the crap out of anyone who says it.

[scottttbutcher]

As for Stefan Zucker, ANYONE would look macho next to him.

[pieritlyon]

Que interesante e instructivas estas entrevistas al gran maestro Franco Corelli. Las preguntas buenas y las respuestas sabias y generosas sobre los tenores que nombra, especialmente de Mario Del Monaco, pero éste no fué capaz de hacer lo  mismo en sus entrevistas. el maestro Franco Corelli fué tan perfecto , en todo lo que cantó, en los personajes que representó, en los conciertos y en su vida , ;además era tan elegante, bello y varonil, creo que por eso fué tan generoso.,

[sergeiparajanov]

I have no idea whether the great Corelli was attracted to women, men, or both.

But the most troubling thing in this thread is the primitive attitude so many posters have towards gay people: that they're "sick" or "not normal".

Some of you need to get educated. Gay men are everywhere, especially in the world of opera. And women frequently fall madly in love with gay men, who are often extremely charming, attractive, and sensitive ... qualities women wish they could find in more straight men!

[sergeiparajanov]

Another weird error is the idea that gay men don't like women. Gay men often love women more sincerely than a lot of straight men do, since their feelings aren't poisoned by a messy divorce, jealousy, or bad romantic experiences with them.

Gay men and straight women have some of the deepest, purest friendships in the world, since they don't desire each other sexually and can love each other on a beautiful spiritual level.

[gonzalojosevb]

Many people has an obsession with the gay issue, but that is not important. It doesn't matter the sexual orientation, that is something personal, the interesting issue here is his art, his talent, his voice.

[caddlac]

Seems that some people are more interested if he was gay,then in his beautiful voice.WHY?

[ingriddoppler]

Thank you for this video and all the others of

this great Artist;

what I find totaly absured, out of place and, forgive my saying, of very bad taste, are all those comments ,those  cheap gossip about his personal life.

Thank you.

personal life

[Idrenuccio]

Corelli's sexuality should not be an issue. It is understood that many Italian men exude a certain sensitivity in balance with their masculinity and it can often be misread, not to mention that many mediterranean men privately consider themselves bisexual. His wife was intolerable and she would hit him and scream at him all the way to the stage. He would cancel, or try to, because she put him in such a foul mood. If Corelli had managed to cheat, she would surely have murdered him.

[tatynawaits]

If there as a man who loved beautyful women and was attracted by them so it was him. Why don't you ask Stefan Zucker? He could tell you quite a lot about Franco's extramarital affairs - with women, of course!

He wasn't only the most handsome singer who ever could be seen on stage, but he was even one of the most intelligent ones and managed to hide his private life nearly totally...

[pearlmuth3]

Terrible things have been said about all these singers in the lime light, sad people are so full of hate.

[pearlmuth3]

I heard his wife watched him like a hawk so he could hardly have a moment without her let alone with another man but who cares what he was anyhow.

[tehen162]

Yes, exactly. Not to mention the fact that when they were temporaly separated in 1969, it was because of another woman. Before he met Loretta Franco had been engaged to a woman (called Iride) for more than four years.

[poivriere]

In the biography, "Prince of Tenors," the author discusses this separation and manages to imply, in one sentence, that *two* other women may have been involved.

The speculation about Corelli's sexuality has its basis in two factors, I think: One is that he was movie-star handsome, and the other is that during his career, there seems to have been no tabloid speculation about possible extramarital affairs. This would be unimaginable today.

[gdsfan01]

Gay or no...you would KILL to have a Corelli singing the heroic roles today, such as Manrico, Radames, Don Alvaro, Raoul, Pollione, Chenier, Dick Johnson, Calaf, and many many more, which are being brought into disrespute by lyric singers who have no RIGHT to sing these roles...because they haven't got the goods.

If Corelli was gay...so what? In the words of Rinuccio in Gianni Schicchi: "Ebbene? che vuol dire? Basta con le ubbie grette e piccine!"

[GermanOperaSinger]

Corelli was not gay, he was married, and even if he would it doesn't matter. Why must we look into his personal life. Can we not appreciate the fact that he was one of the greatest tenors in history?

[lanarv]

ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH YOU :-)

[paulostroff99]

@GermanOperaSinger -Yes,we certainly should and it certainly does not matter. As for the silly marriage consideration. Horowitz was married to Toscanini's daughter for around 50 years.He was an admitted and unashamed homo or bi sexual man.

[ubedajils]

He was gay... and? I say, AND? who cares for that? he was, probably, one of de 5, biggest tenors of the history of Opera, and the most important of the second half of XX.

Gay or not.. WHO CARES FOR THAT!

[tatynawaits]

For Corelli gay people weren't normal persons... Must I add anything else?

[scottttbutcher]

The fact that sopranos found corelli attractive physuically is hardly proof of his sexual orientation ... calls had a crush on visconti ... now tell us all that he wasn't gay ... nor is masculinity proof of heterosexuality ... I suggest that the person who needs to get over himself is you ...

[tehen162]

He wasn't gay. Biographies written on him have plenty facts serving as evidence. There was no crush on Visconti. Neither Arianna Huffington nor other biographer claim he was gay.

[scottttbutcher]

Sorry about my typo, it was meant to read 'Callas had a crush on Visconti' ... having lived in Italy for a while, I agree with the comment that many Italian men are bisexual. The fact that there is no "hard" evidence is no proof that the rumours are untrue. There were the same kind of silly feuds about James Dean until Elizabeth Taylor ended the debate.

[poivriere]

fleville has been around before, doing the internet troll routine.  Ignore him and he will go away.

[francotenelli]

thanks for posting, great interview

[fleville]

In the photo Corelli looks as if he was gay.Does anybody know about it ?

[Desideria7]

Dear fleville, Franco Corelli was NEVER EVER a gay and even on the photo he does not look like that. You have too much sick fantasy.

[jorjikia]

flevile!excuse me,but who are u ?

[scottttbutcher]

Arianna Huffington (neé Stasinopoulos) writes in her biography on Maria Callas that Corelli was gay. She is hardly the first writer to do so however.

[fleville]

An argentine dancer told me Corelli was the lover of another argentine male dancer

[charlie8943]

are you jealous gay dont think so he was all man just ask the sapranos who sang with him they all loved him gay my butt get a life

[Miauriceful]

@scottttbutcher

Arianna Huffington married a gay and she wasn't able to know that.