Jacques Mehler

When I was in Cambridge, MA. I was miserable. But I had no reason to be miserable. When I met Ursula Bellugi things became better. She knew Luciano and she is the one who invited us both and we became friends. Notice that he was eleven years older than I, but we had a great time. Indeed, once, when he was done with the rehearsal of Laborintus II, at the theater in Brattle Street, we got into Luciano’s car and in a few blocks we saw three big crooks beating up another guy who was on the floor. They were punching and kicking the guy. Luciano stopped the car and asked me to go to the driver’s seat and he ran in the direction of the crooks. He got to them as a dart and he hit two of them. While the victim on the floor got up and ran away, Luciano jumped into the car and I drove away as quickly as I could. There I found out that Luciano was courageous and loved justice. We were happy, and a few blocks later we stopped and got two glasses of wine. Luciano had a gaze that I still remember.

I also remember when we went to Baden-Baden when Boulez was the Director at IRCAM. The discussion was interesting and we were quite happy. Then we went to eat at Hitler’s preferred restaurant, which was very large and silent. The silence seemed as if Hitler was present and looking if there were humans whom he wanted to destroy: more Jews, Roms and intellectuals. I still remember how Luciano and I looked with incomprehension.

Once I went to Radicondoli staying in a lovely little house. I was with N.S. and we were playing cards with Luciano. Suddenly we heard that communism was over: when Gorbachev was dismissed and Yeltsin took power. Communism and post-communism seems going from bad to worth. I remember Luciano’s eyes.

I remember when Marina and I went to see Luciano in his home studio in Firenze. We talked and we were all happy to be with Luciano who was working. Finally he came down and we had a discussion about linguistics. Clearly Luciano had pain and little time. That was the last time I saw him.

I am sure that I will always remember Luciano with affection.

Jacques Mehler