Once again we watched on our home screens Georgy Danelia’s I’m Taking a Stroll in Moscow, an old Soviet comedy with a very funny scene at a store selling old record albums. A salesgirl (Galina Polskikh) was pestered by customers asking for Robertino Loretti records. A handsome young man (Nikita Mikhalkov) fell in love with her and, to ward off the crowd, explained the absence of the records by the fact that Robertino Loretti has grown up.
Robertino Loretti did indeed grow up, and the mystery shrouding his name in the former USSR kept more than a generation of listeners in suspense for decades. Much was written about the Italian boy with an angel’s voice that had conquered the world. The Soviet press insisted that the accursed capitalist sharks had exploited the poor boy so much he had lost his voice, because they would not let it settle into the course of natural mutation; that he had now to earn a living singing in back-street cafes and restaurants; that he was broke. The obvious inference was, see how real talent is ruthlessly exploited in the West! But what did actually happen to Robertino, said to have been favored by Nikita Khrushchev? Signor Roberto Loretti’s current concert tours take him to different countries, and he has visited Ukraine twice. Not so long ago, he was in Kyiv on a private visit.
The Day: Maestro Roberto, what do you do these days and where do you live?
R. L.: I live in Rome. I love the city. I often appear in concerts, but my main occupation is breeding horses. Singing is my hobby, I have a stud farm not far from Rome with several dozen thoroughbred racers. Quite frankly, this business pays much better than singing.
The Day: Looking at you, one is tempted to use the old familiar first name Robertino. How was the transition to adult life and the first name Roberto?
R. L.: We all have familiar first names when we are small, but childhood comes to an end, so I’m Roberto now. I have married twice and have two children from my first marriage. My second wife, Maura, is a dentist and we have a boy, he is nine and his name is Lorenzo. It’s hard to say what profession he will choose. I would like him to become a singer, because he has an ear for music and a good voice. My wife thinks he should be a doctor. Well, he will make his mind as he grows up.
The Day: The Soviet press wrote at one time that you had lost your voice.
R. L.: That’s libel. I never lost my voice. And all those rumors appeared in the press because of a well-known woman journalist. She had long tried to get an interview and something prevented my agent from meeting with her. She was insulted and wrote that I had lost my voice. Yet there is no smoke without fire. My voice began to change in my teens, so I had to stop singing for two years. Then I started again, but it was as a baritone, not tenor. Could I have kept my tenor? Not likely. Small boys have it, but as a rule one’s voice deepens in adolescence. It’s only natural. I have gone on very many concert tours and publicity came my way when I was just a child. But I must say that I never lost my head. I’m fond of singing, yet I like my business even better. The reason must be my family. We were very poor and when I grew up I swore that my family would never live in misery. I love horses so much, and what I’m doing is both business and pleasure.
The Day: Robertino Loretti was extremely popular in the Soviet Union, especially in the 1960s. Melodiya Records put out several million LPs with your songs. You must have earned a lot of money.
R. L. Melodiya put out 51 million records, to be precise, and I didn’t get a single kopeck. I was mostly known in the Soviet Union for two songs: Ave Maria and Jamaica. I had a vast repertoire, hundreds of songs and operatic arias. I’m still proud of many of these. At concerts I try to give various renditions, and I had a big dream of visiting Jamaica, as I sang about it so often. Somehow, I’ve never got around to it; Jamaica has never been part of my concert tours.
The Day: Our famous singer Anatoly Solovyanenko was among your friends. Where did you meet?
R. L.: I am happy I was destined to meet your nightingale Solovyanenko. We met in Rome and later met frequently. We even appeared in concerts together. And yes, about four years ago, there was a classical music soiree in Odesa, with Sviatoslav Belza as emcee. Anatoly Solovyanenko performed popular arias, and I did Italian songs. It was at the Odesa Opera, and the audience responded warmly. After the concert Anatoly and I went for a walk downtown and people would recognize us in the street and ask for our autographs. My interpreter wasn’t around, so Anatoly did the translating. Imagine! An operatic star of such caliber and absolutely devoid of ambition, so easy and pleasant to deal with! When I learned about his death two years ago I was so badly shaken that I remained depressed for several days. Just to think that this brilliant singer will never again appear on stage.
The Day: You were on the jury of the Slavic Bazaar Festival and attended concerts by Ukrainian performers. Who did really impress you?
R. L.: I was really impressed by Katia Buzhynska. She won the Grand Prix. Her voice is strong and beautiful, and she has stage presence. I don’t understand Ukrainian, but I could understand her songs, she was so emotional. And I liked Tayisiya Povaliy; she is a real pop prima. I’m happy to know that songs from my repertoire are still performed and are popular in Ukraine. I enjoy recalling Dmytro Lytvynets. His Ave Maria was really captivating. They call him the Ukrainian Robertino Loretti. He is already sustaining natural mutation, so he doesn’t sing. I hope that after the transition period he become another pop star. And you know, listening to Ukrainian singers, I feel I’m back in Italy, because Ukrainian is such a melodious tongue.
