I see my mistake now, that is, I read the date from the bottom instead of properly from the top. It did not make sense to me that that Olvis would still be singing in 1973, in any case.

Yes, Mr. Olvis was, according to family legend, an ardent pursuer of women and broke poor cousin Norma’s heart (cousin Norma being his accompanist as well as wife). Much later on when I was old enough to know of such things, it was added that he chased or was chased by men as well, so TT bait he was, indeed.

Of his singing I have a very young girlish recollection of him being rather of the McCracken scuola di bel canto — I’m sure you know what that means. I did see him once, as a very young opera neophyte, sing Don Jose to the scintillating Carmen of Margaret Roggero. Even then, I knew, It Was Not Good.

Most famously, he may be seen and heard in the wonderful (to me) ’40’s film “Deep in my Heart” — saga of composer Romberg which is a marvelous potpourri, including Helen Traubel dancing a two-step with Jose Ferrer, something worth the price alone — in which he sings, in the feyest manner possible, the serenade from The Student Prince. If I recall correctly, he was subbing for Mario Lanza. I believe he went on to Bayreuth, that is, according to some YouTube evidence I’ve found. Years later, I was told by my friend he had been seen around Hollywood. I believe he is to be found on a Leonie Fliegende Hollander as the Steuermann, as well.

Thanks for taking the time to help me sort it out.

A very great singer that no one much remembers today. We have to be thankful for Naxos! In particular, I like the I Lombardi selections; very difficult and not for the inexpert.

I also heartily agree with this statement: “Sills’ fake cozy manner, mock intellectuality and phony bonhomie were appalling;”

You must very stupid darling. I can do without you as an “acolyte” (nor am I looking here or anywhere for such). You haven’t read or certainly understood any Nabokov if you think this grotesque’s vomit displays anything like his control, precision, cross linguistic puns or insights — and while a place like this doesn’t conduce to a serious writer’s discipline in revision, even Nabokov’s casual letters and postcards reveal a remarkable off the cuff verbal virtuosity.

Nor have you really understood Swift. The key to brilliant polemic is an underlying logic and precision, not scattershot free association and reverse pretension along with lies.

The loathsome nonentities’ gloss on comments I may have made elsewhere is lost on most of those here and irrelevant to them as ought to be the case. But what you and the preposterous goon think of as ‘my’ political asides are humanitarian concerns with pointless, mindless slaughter of innocents regardless of the lying justifications of those who defend such slaughter. Neither Swift nor especially Nabokov were taken in by tyrants and the slobbering adulators who are too stupid to think for themselves and support them. In fact their contempt for the dumb fellow travelers like you and I assume your hero(ine) was terrifying. It seems to me that you and the fool you admire are moral nonentities and that is far worse than loving Behrens.

So please ignore me or join in with your hero (ine) — fools belong in peepods where being empty above they can at least keep their cockles warm.

I realize you are not writing in your native language; that might impel someone self-aware and intelligent not to criticize others’ rhetoric or reading abilities.

BTW, did Signor di Stefano tip you after his meal when you gave him back the keys to the Alfa Romeo you brought from the parking lot?