MARIO LANZA - ARIE DA OPERE ITALIANE
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ARIE DA OPERE ITALIANE
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LATO 1 UNA FURTIVA LACRIMA CIELO E MAR CELESTE AIDA QUESTA O QUELLA PARMI VEDERE LE LAGRIME LA DONNA È MOBILE |
LATO 2 CHE GELIDA MANINA RECONDITA ARMONIA E LUCEVAN LE STELLE UN DI' ALL'AZZURRO SPAZIO COME UN BEL DI' Di MAGGIO MAMMA, QUEL VINO E' GENEROSO |
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UNA FURTIVA LACRIMA | ||
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CIELO E MAR | ||
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CELESTE AIDA | ||
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QUESTA O QUELLA | ||
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PARMI VEDERE LE LAGRIME | ||
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LA DONNA È MOBILE | ||
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CHE GELIDA MANINA | ||
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RECONDITA ARMONIA | ||
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E LUCEVAN LE STELLE | ||
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UN DI' ALL'AZZURRO SPAZIO | ||
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COME UN BEL DI' Di MAGGIO | ||
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MAMMA, QUEL VINO E' GENEROSO | ||
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1 / SIDE 1 ELISIR D'AMORE Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) Atto II : UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA. Amilcare Ponchielli (1834-1886) LA GIOCONDA Atto II: CIELO E MAR Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) AIDA Atto I: CELESTE AIDA RIGOLETTO Atto I: QUESTA O QUELLA Atto II: PARMI VEDERE LE LAGRIME Atto III: LA DONNA È MOBILE LATO 2 / SIDE 2 |
Mario Lanza, tenore |
| MARIO LANZA: ARIE DA OPERE ITALIANE Time tends to erase the image of the 'actor Lanza — but when it comes to the singer Lanza, we find that his records are sold in a steady flow. Whoever saw films like "The Toast of New Orleans", "Serenade" and "The Great Caruso" will remember that his voice always played the major part, while his dramatic abilities were hardly ever considered at all. Mario Lanza's 'entrée' into the cinema world came about quite suddenly — and unexpectedly — in 1947. At the time, he was giving a concert at the famous 'Hollywood Bowl', and amongst the spectators were Louis B. Mayer and Ida Koverman, two great names at MGM. The next day, Lanza was signing a long-term contract with the great film company. This event — more than Lanza's meeting with Koussevitzky — was. the factor which started him on his short artistic career, a brilliant but short career — for it lasted only twelve years. His rise to stardom however, was aided by two powerful factors: the movies and records. His cinema début came about in 1949, with Kathryn Grayson and Ethel Barrymore. From that moment on, films came one after the other, in which the theme was always practically the same thing, since it was only a pretext to enable the young tenor to show his extraordinary vocal gifts. These films were "Toast of New Orleans". "The Great Caruso", "Because You're Mine", "Serenade", up to the last films shot in Italy: "Come Prima" and "Arrivederci Roma". "The Great Caruso" is considered his best film. It was produced with great means, and it tells the story — a rather romanticised one, at that — of the life of the most famous tenor that ever lived. Naturally, a lot of the film comprised singing, and in the greatest opera houses in the world. The film's success was tremendous and may still be seen in some cinemas. Excerpts taken from great operas were found to appeal even to those who had never given opera a though-t. From this fact, Lanza was to acquire the worship of fans throughout the world. Then records smoothed over the sharp edges. A contract which made RCA exclusive recorders of his voice enabled Lanza to immortalise his voice with the latest discoveries in the field of modern recording, including stereophonic sound. The similarities between Lanza's art that of the great Neapolitan ten-or, Caruso, were not always of benefit to-the former The opera fans for instance, reproached him for never taking part in proper opera, on the stage of the opera houses. Mario Lanza, in fact, never took part in a real opera, except fora performance of "The Merry Wives of Windsor". in 1942, at the Tanglewood Festival. On Koussevitzky's invitation, he had frequented the Berkshire Mus,c Centre, in the neighborhood of Tanglewood, and he had been awarded a scholarship. There were :'.also two performances of "Madame Butterfly", in which he sung Pinkerton, at New Orleans. His name never appeared on the' posters of the great opera houses. There are those who say that Lanza's eccessive nervous tension would never have permitted him to take part in a full-length opera. But we must also remember that Hollywood offered him great sums of money for relatively short periods of work. I remember that, after the showing of the film "The Great Caruso" two opposité parties were formed: those 'for' and those 'against' Mario Lanza's voice. Those who opposed him based their opinion on that of 'the experts, who maintained that a positive opinion could not be expressed until they had heard Mario Lanza 'in the skin'... Nonetheless, putting aside these comments, we must agree that, in certain instances, Mario Lanza'., voice recalled that of the great Caruso, the singer whom Lanza did his best to Imitate from the very first moments of his musical career. Lanza has Caruso's power and passionate temperament. Sometimes he went a bit too far in his search from dramatic effects .and his performance would therefore seem a bit too emphatic. But it must be borne in mind that in the cinema world these 'faults' are in fact imperative; proof of it is the fascination with which the singer is held by the public. Let us also add that Mario Lanza's figure was just what -the cinema required in order to conquer the hearts of the movie audiences, looking for sheer thrills and simple excitement. Mario Lanza's repertory is very vast, passing from opera to the 'romanza da camera', from Neapolitan 'songs to the American musical comedy. Unsurpassed interpreter of some operettas such as "The Student Prince", "Rosemarie" and "The Vagabond King", Lanza did not overlook Naples and its songs and here are recorded his renderings of "Parlami d'amore Mariù", "Come Prima" and "Arrivederci Roma". This is the first Long-Playing record dedicated exclusively to Mario Lanza's rendering of Italian opera arias and Italian songs. It is extremely comprehensive in its covering of the singer's activity in this field, and it is to be recommended to all of Lanza's fans and lovers of Italian melodrama. "Parmi veder le lacrime" is published now for the first time in Italy. Another three "Recondita Armonia", "E lucevan le stelle" and "Cielo e mar" come back on •the morket after an absence of some years. The remaining seven items, however, are presented for the first time on a 33 r.p.m. record. Notes by PASQUALE SANTOMARTINO
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