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John McCormack--Ireland's Greatest Tenor
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Mario Lanza--Hollywood's Romantic Tenor
Sergio Franchi--Italy's Romantic Tenor
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He brought opera to the masses via his records and popular music films, and to this day, fifty years after his death at age 38, his recordings and films re-released on compact disc and DVD still are best sellers. |
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"The Magic Mario" was released in 1956, Lanza's "comeback" year after several years of inactivity due to health issues. This album contains radio airchecks from the Coke show, recorded in 1951/52. It was an immensely popular album, with a most-attractive cover, showing Mario as the "King of Hearts!" 16 songs, including "Wanting You," "One Alone," "Roses of Picardy," "Parla mi d'amore, Mariu," "The Trembling of a Leaf," "When You're in Love," "None But the Lonely Heart," and "Tell Me Tonight." In Great Britain a "Magic Mario" fan club was created. This is Mario's most-famous photo, from, I believe, 1949. The next Lp featured has a slight variation from the same "shoot." I call them dark suit/tie #1 and #2. Both photos have appeared countless times in publicity and on various RCA Victor Lanza records and CDs. |
"The Touch of Your Hand" from Kern/Hammerstein's "Roberta" is the dazzling opening song in this wonderful Coca-Cola Show compilation of 16 songs released in 1955. Lanza did not record between June, '53 and summer, '55, and RCA released three Coke Show (all done in '51/'52) Lps of air-checks to help get him out of tax problems. Other songs include "Day In, Day Out," "I've Got You Under My Skin," "The Desert Song," "You Are Love," "O Nights of Splendour," "Look for the Silver Lining" and "The Hills of Home," and eight more. As usual with the Coke Show airchecks, the singing is dynamic, romantic, sweet and all the things we enjoy with Lanza's voice, but sometimes a little rough around the edges. Wrong words, etc. But these were not meant to be commercially released. In the mid 1960s three more Coke Show albums were released. Flaws here and there or not, I love these albums. They comprise a good chunk of the Great American Songbook featuring melodies by Porter, Kern, Bloom, Romberg, Herbert, and others, in large, attractive orchestrations with lots of strings and brass, conducted by Ray Sinatra. |
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Mario's first stereo recording for RCA Victor was done in Nov./Dec. 1958, and released in 1959, before his death. I think I read once it was done for his beloved mother, Maria, and had many of her favorite songs. Lanza is at his near-best, featuring the darker, more burnished tone of '58 and '59, still with ample power. The 12 songs on "MARIO!" are familiar Italian and Neopolitan classics such as "Funiculi, Funicula;" "Tu che nun chiagne;" "Santa Lucia luntana;" and "Passione." The cover photo is from the dressing room scene early in his 1958 film "For the First Time." Terrific sound, also, on Lp or CD. Marvelous singing! Savor with a glass of chianti or lambrusco! |
One of my very favorites, this album entitled "A Cavalcade of Showtunes" catches Lanza in August 1956 sounding as good as his earlier records from 1949-1953. Henri Rene gives him marvelous support in the orchestra with some unusual arrangements. Fantastic mono sound, also. Some of the best of the 12 songs are "Thine Alone;" "Yours Is My Heart Alone;" "Giannina Mia;" and "The Donkey Serenade." It's obvious Mario was in a good and expansive mood during the week he laid down these twelve tracks. Now re-issued on CD. Buy it! Incidentally, the cover shot is from a "Serenade" photo shoot, probably in late 1955; it is the outfit he wears in the "Met Opera" rehearsal scene for "Otello." |
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Lanza's very last album, recorded in summer of 1959, and released in 1960, after his death. At times the voice is dark and heavy--I don't care for "The Riff Song," at all, or even "One Alone"--but several selections from this beloved 1920s Romberg/Hammerstein romantic operetta "The Desert Song" features Mario in sterling voice, akin to his prime years. "The Desert Song," "One Flower in Your Garden" and "Azuri's Dance" are superb. The sound quality varies, and it certainly does not qualify for the prestigious RCA Red Seal "Living Stereo" title. He had been ill that summer and overdubbed his part to a pre-existing soundtrack. Then the other singers and chorus were added even later, in NYC! I expecially enjoy this stunning cover, showing the tenor as the Red Shadow in a very romantic painting, holding the heroine close to heart, with a starry desert night above. Terrific graphics. Good stuff, for the most part! |
This 1952 soundtrack to the M-G-M version of Romberg's "The Student Prince" is indispensible to any Lanza fan! This was the film from which Mario was fired after disagreements with the director and producer. The lawsuit was settled when Mario agreed to let them use his voice in these tracks for the film, and to be "sung" by actor Edmund Purdom. The songs are evergreen romantic classics of youthful love and longing passion. At age 31 Mario's sweet tenor never sounded better. "Serenade;" "Golden Days;" "The Drinking Song" and "Deep in My Heart, Dear" all evoke the springtime of romance. The film also includes three new Brodsky/Cahn songs: "Summertime in Heidelberg;" "Beloved" and a song forever associated with Lanza, "I'll Walk With God." To fill out the Lp the first use of Coke Show air-checks took place: "Romance;" "If I Loved You" and several others feature our tenor in great voice. I think this was his best-selling Lp, at least in the 1950s. This has just been reissued on again on CD. A must-have. And there's that famous pose, #1, again! |
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The film "Serenade," based very loosely on the novel by James Cain, was Mario Lanza's comeback picture in 1956. Filmed in California and Mexico in 1955, Lanza displays a somewhat weightier sound albeit with somewhat tight high notes in some selections. The best from the 12-band Lp, in my opinion, are Rossini's "La Danza," de Curtis' "Torna a Surriento," and the arias "Amor ti vieta," "Di rigori armato," "Lamento di Federico" and "O Paradiso." Schubert's "Ave Maria" gets a soupy rendition, but it is heartfelt. I prefer the one in his last film. Many Lanza fans think the long duet from Verdi's "Otello" to be his ultimate recorded operatic achievement. I find the "La Boheme" duet "O soave fanciulla" and "Il Trovatore" aria "Di quella pira" heavy going; indeed, I am not terribly convinced by his version of the ever-popular "Nessun Dorma" from "Turandot," either. Two songs by the "Lanza team" of Brodsky/Cahn, "Serenade" and "My Destiny," had some brief impact on the pop charts in 1956 and they are typical Lanza operatic pop ballads, by the same team that gave him the film hits "Be My Love" and "Because You're Mine," as well as the previously-mentioned songs added for "The Student Prince" film. There is an alternative "Serenade" that was not used, that I like just as well. It is on the CD release. "Serenade" is, in my opinion, one of Lanza's two best films, giving him a chance to shine dramatically as well as vocally. The Cd release improves upon the often-cavernous sound from the original Lp. |
This is the original early-1950s cover for this compilation of 1949-50 RCA studio recordings. Some of his best are here: "Be My Love," "My Song, My Love," "Marechiare," "a vucchella," "Because" and "For You Alone" with six more. Here's that photo, again. Reissued in 1958 as "Love Songs and a Neapolitan Serenade," it then featured a statuesque female model in flowing gown on the cover. Again, note the famous pose, #2. |
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The title song "A Kiss" makes this compilation of 1951-52 Coke Show airchecks worth the price. Also "Night and Day," "Begin the Beguine," "Siboney," "The Night is Young and You're So Beautiful," "My Romance" and his matchless rendition of "Without a Song" and 11 others make this Lp/CD a "must!" Avoid fake stereo versions of the Coke Show albums issued in the '60s and70s--seek out good copies of the original 50s Lps. Check Ebay or reliable vinyl Lp dealers. This is a rarity in that there is no photo of the tenor on the cover. |
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