Mario Lanza: LPs and Selected CDs
by Derek McGovern
The following article provides commentary on the majority of Mario Lanza's RCA LPs, as well as offering specific CD recommendations.
For a complete list of every known Lanza recording, including outtakes, home rehearsals and concert material, see our Discography.
For a complete list of every known Lanza recording, including outtakes, home rehearsals and concert material, see our Discography.
Note: Only LPs released on official RCA/BMG/Sony CDs are included here.
The Great Caruso
This non-soundtrack album, released to capitalize on the release of the 1951 film, was the first classical LP to sell a million copies. Surprisingly, it features a mere eight selections—-all arias recorded in May 1950 for RCA. Only four of these were actually in the film: "Vesti la giubba," "E lucevan le stelle," "Cielo e mar," and "La donna è mobile." The remaining four arias on the album are "Recondita armonia," "Questa o quella," "Parmi veder le lagrime," and "Una furtiva lagrima." Although Lanza is in great voice throughout, with the two Tosca arias especially memorable, some of his singing is stylistically below par, and there are pitch problems at times, most notably on the otherwise well-sung "Cielo e mar." Lanza is also hindered by some poor conducting, with the orchestra often either sluggish (e.g. "E lucevan le stelle") or the tempos too fast (e.g. "Questa a quella," "Parmi veder le lagrime"). [CD: The Great Caruso and Other Caruso Favorites.]
The Student Prince
The full title of this classic 1954 album is the long-winded Mario Lanza Sings the Hit Songs from The Student Prince and Other Great Musical Comedies. The best selling of all Lanza's LPs, Side 1 contains RCA's mono mixes of the tenor's magnificent MGM soundtrack recordings of The Student Prince (recorded in 1952, with one remake in 1953). Side 2 comprises six songs from Lanza's 1951-52 radio show, including the beautifully rendered "Romance," "If I Loved You," and "One Night of Love." Note: for contractual reasons, RCA replaced soprano Ann Blyth with Elizabeth Doubleday on two duets: "Summertime in Heidelberg" and "Deep in My Heart, Dear." The result on the latter song is an awkward hybrid, with Doubleday singing some of the Prince's lyrics, while Lanza sings only the introduction. [CD: Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics.]
Serenade
The soundtrack album of Lanza's fifth film, Serenade (1956), this LP features some of the tenor's finest operatic singing—-"Amor ti vieta," "O paradiso," "Di rigori armato," Lamento di Federico, and the Monologue from Verdi's Otello—--together with a splendid rendition of the Neapolitan song "Torna a Surriento." The album also features the long Act III duet from Otello, "Dio ti giocondi," which Lanza sings impressively with the Metropolitan Opera soprano Licia Albanese. The remaining highlights are a sensitive rendition of Schubert's "Ave Maria" and a fine version of Rossini's "La Danza." Note: the orchestral version of "My Destiny" is not from the actual soundtrack, and the opening phrases of the "Ave Maria" differ from the film. [CD: Serenade/A Cavalcade of Show Tunes. However, the full Otello duet is only available on the CD Opera Arias and Duets.]
The Touch of Your Hand
Released in 1955, this was the second album to be drawn exclusively from the tenor's Coca-Cola-sponsored radio show of 1951-52. A very poorly compiled LP, it features only a handful of well-sung selections—-e.g. "Love Is The Sweetest Thing" and "Look for the Silver Lining"—-and many substandard renditions, including "The Desert Song," which vies with "Diane" (available on the equally substandard 1993 CD Don't Forget Me) as the worst of Lanza's radio output in English. [CD: Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics.]
Lanza Sings Christmas Carols
This delightful 1956 compilation combines Lanza's earlier (1951) album of Christmas carols ("Silent Night," "O Holy Night," "Away in a Manger," etc) and religious-themed material, including Malotte's "The Lord's Prayer" and Harpo Marx's "Guardian Angels," with newly (1956) recorded renditions of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen," "O Christmas Tree," and five other carols. The album was reissued under a variety of covers. [Best CD representation: O Holy Night: Christmas with Mario Lanza.]
Cavalcade of Show Tunes
Released in 1957, this was the second of two concept albums recorded by the tenor in 1956. A collection of operetta and Broadway songs from the early decades of the 20th Century, this well-recorded album featured intermittently quirky arrangements and Lanza in ravishing vocal form, with his upper register thrillingly on display throughout. [CD: Serenade/A Cavalcade of Show Tunes.]
Seven Hills of Rome
This 1958 release included most of the rather uninspiring (and poorly recorded) soundtrack of Lanza's penultimate film, Seven Hills of Rome, and assorted singles made between 1955 and 1957 ("Never Till Now," "Love in a Home," etc). Note: Lanza's rendition of "Questa o quella" featured here is not the Seven Hills soundtrack version, but an earlier recording from his album The Great Caruso. [CD: Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics.]
You Do Something To Me
Arguably the best of Lanza's compilation albums, this 1958 release included outstanding material previously unreleased on LP, including "Some Day," "Song of India," and "O Tu che in seno agli angeli." Other selections included "Beloved" and "Che gelida manina." [CDs: You Do Something to Me and the "twofer" Christmas Hymns and Carols/You Do Something to Me.]
Mario!
This 1959 release of twelve Neapolitan songs (recorded in December 1958) was the tenor's first studio album for RCA in stereo, and one of his finest achievements. Franco Ferrara of Rome's National Academy of Saint Cecilia conducted the album (magnificently), and the excellent arrangements were by Carlo Savina and Ennio Morricone. [CD: Mario! Lanza At His Best.]
For the First Time
This Grammy-nominated soundtrack album of Lanza's final film, For the First Time, was recorded in stereo in September-November 1958. The LP features the tenor in fine vocal and interpretive form, and includes excellent renditions of "Vesti la giubba" and the Otello Death Scene. Note: The "I Love Thee" and Schubert "Ave Maria" featured here are different takes, while the outstanding Trio from Mozart's Così Fan Tutte from the movie is not included. [CD: For the First Time/Caruso Favorites.]
Lanza Sings Christmas Carols
Arguably the tenor's worst album after the 1956 Lanza on Broadway, this stereo remake from May 1959 of most of the material featured on his 1956 Christmas album (see above) is mostly lacking in charm and (for once) commitment. Although not in bad voice per se, Lanza often sounds tired, and the sound quality—-at least on his singing—-is poor. [Available on CD under the same title.]
Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites
Posthumously released in 1960, this collection of songs popularly associated with Caruso is by far the best of Lanza's five 1959 albums. Good arrangements and conducting complement a restrained Lanza's often impressive and sensitive renditions, although the sound quality is disappointing at times. [CDs: The Great Caruso and Other Caruso Favorites and For the First Time/Caruso Favorites.]
Double Feature
A 1960 compilation that conveniently brings together arias, duets, and four songs recorded by Lanza in 1949 and 1950 for the RCA (non-soundtrack) versions of his movies That Midnight Kiss and Toast of New Orleans. In two instances ("Core 'ngrato" and a magnificently sung "Che gelida manina"), the selections were never part of either film. The album features good sound, particularly on Side 1 (That Midnight Kiss), and for many years was the only LP to include Lanza's outstanding RCA renditions of "Mamma Mia, Che Vo' Sape?" and "M'apparì." [CD: Mario Lanza in Hollywood.]
The Desert Song
This 1960 release comprises Lanza's final recordings, made in August-September 1959. Although Lanza sounds understandably tired on much of the album, having been hospitalized for pneumonia shortly after the sessions had begun, his singing is stirring on "Azuri's Dance" and the demanding "One Flower Grows Alone in Your Garden," and inescapably moving on "One Alone." The contributions of the chorus, soprano Judith Raskin, and other soloists on the album were recorded separately in 1960. [CD: The Student Prince and The Desert Song.]
A Mario Lanza Program
A recording of most of Lanza's recital of 16 January 1958 at London's Royal Albert Hall, this 1961 album was released in defiance of the tenor's earlier wishes. It is easy to understand why Lanza was opposed to its release: his singing is far from perfect here, and by all accounts he often sang better at other recitals on his 1958 tour. Still, as an exhibition of what one reviewer on the tour described as "a vocal superman," the album seldom disappoints. At times, however, Lanza's extraordinary vocal dynamics prove too much for the LP's sound engineering. [CD (in much-improved sound): Live from London.]
The Vagabond King
Recorded in July 1959, a month before sessions began on The Desert Song, this LP was not released until 1961, a year after the later album was issued. Perhaps the delay was due more to concerns about the poor recording quality (with Lanza often sounding as though he were singing inside a vast tunnel) than the ailing tenor's obvious tiredness at times here. Sound issues aside, however, the album arguably contains more highlights than The Desert Song. As with the latter album, soprano Judith Raskin and the chorus recorded their contributions to the album separately in 1960. [CD: Mario! Lanza At His Best.]
I'll Walk With God
A mix of religious-themed songs (the title track, "O Holy Night," etc), inspirational songs (e.g. "Through the Years"), love songs ("The Trembling of a Leaf," "Because"), and the Addio alla Madre from Cavalleria Rusticana, good tracks outnumber poor selections on this 1962 album. The chief low points are a badly sung "None But the Lonely Heart" and a rough (and often piercingly sharp) 1950 version of "I Love Thee." [CD: Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics.]
The Best of Mario Lanza
For an album purporting to represent the best of Lanza, this 1964 compilation falls well short of the mark. It includes the weakest tracks from the otherwise highly regarded Mario! and Caruso Favorites albums, the below-par "And This Is My Beloved" from the Lanza on Broadway album, and the 1959 version of Serenade from The Student Prince, as opposed
to the tenor's classic 1952 version. Ten of the album's 12 tracks were featured in RCA's first Lanza CD in 1987. [CD: The Legendary Tenor.]
to the tenor's classic 1952 version. Ten of the album's 12 tracks were featured in RCA's first Lanza CD in 1987. [CD: The Legendary Tenor.]
Lanza Sings His Favorite Arias
This 1967 album consists of twelve previously unreleased renditions of arias from Lanza's 1951-52 radio show. A decidedly mixed bag, the compilation ranges from substandard renditions of "Che gelida manina" (at a ridiculously fast tempo), "Una furtiva lagrima," and several other arias, to fine renditions of "Testa adorata" from Leoncavallo's seldom-heard La Bohème, "Cielo e mar," "Un tal gioco," and "Come un bel dì di maggio." Reviewers were surprisingly kind to the album (see Lanza and the Press: Albums). [CD: Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics.]
The Mario Lanza Collection
A 5-LP set released in 1981, this is a very good introduction to Lanza's English-language recordings in often-excellent sound. Operatic selections are limited, however, to just seven in this 61-track collection, while Neapolitan songs, an important part of the Lanza
legacy, are similarly under-represented. Interestingly, though, the collection features different (1950) takes of several of the operatic numbers, including "Vesti la giubba" and the Flower Song. [CD: The Mario Lanza Collection.]
The Student Prince
(1959 version)
(1959 version)
Oddly, this lesser stereo remake of Lanza's most famous album displaced the earlier LP for 13 years in RCA's catalog. Poorly recorded in April 1959, the album features an obviously tired Lanza (he was unwell during the sessions), with a slightly raspy vocal quality at times. Nevertheless, he gives good renditions of most of the songs, particularly the poignant "Thoughts Will Come Back to Me," which was not part of the earlier album. [CDs: The Student Prince, RCA Japan release only; also this very good quality unofficial release from Sepia Records.]
Note: Although much of the material on these LPs has been released on assorted Lanza CD compilations, none of these albums has been released in its entirety on any individual RCA/BMG/Sony CD. Not included here are any of the various posthumous compilations of previously released material (e.g. Younger than Springtime, Lanza Sings Caruso).
Love Songs and a Neapolitan Serenade
An early 1950s compilation of English love songs and Italian and Neapolitan ballads—-long available and re-released with a different cover—-for many years, it was the only LP that featured Lanza's first million-selling single, "Be My Love." With the exception of the RCA version of "Toselli's Serenade," everything on this album has been released on various official CDs.
A Kiss and Other Love Songs
The first and best compilation of songs taken exclusively from Lanza's 1951-52 radio show, this fine 1954 album—-like all of the "Coke" Show material issued in the 1950s—-did not acknowledge the source. Most of the songs here are readily available elsewhere, with the exception of "My Heart Stood Still" (only available on a subsidiary label release).
Magic Mario
The third compilation of songs taken exclusively from Lanza's 1951-52 radio show, this 1956 release was an improvement on the previous year's The Touch of Your Hand, and featured good renditions of "Ay-Ay-Ay" and "The World Is Mine Tonight," among other highlights. Only one of its tracks has not been released on a mainstream RCA/BMG/Sony CD: "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise."
Lanza on Broadway
The nadir of Lanza's recording career, this 1956 collection of Broadway standards suffers from poor arrangements, bad conducting, and mostly appalling singing from the tenor, who alternately strains, bellows and mis-pitches. Fully two-thirds of the album is unlistenable, except for those who are tone deaf. Mercifully unreleased in its entirety on CD, with the exception of an obscure UK budget disc issued in 1987 under the ironic title Sixteen Top Tracks.
I'll See You in My Dreams
The fourth compilation of songs taken exclusively from Lanza's 1951-52 radio show, this 1964 album inadvertently included one previously released recording, "I'll See You Again" from the "B" side of the 1954 Student Prince album. Overall, a fairly lightweight compilation; only two of its tracks have not been released on mainstream BMG CDs: "Cosi Cosa" and the dullish title song.
If You Are But a Dream
Yet another compilation of material taken exclusively from Lanza's 1951-52 radio show, this 1965 album of English love songs features two recordings that have not been released on official CDs: "Play Gypsies, Dance Gypsies" (only available on the 1994 Reader's Digest set The Very Best of Mario Lanza), and "A Kiss in the Dark." The album's highlights are arguably "Where or When", the title track, and "You and the Night and the Music."
Overall, Lanza has been poorly served on CD by Sony/BMG. Too often, songs and arias have been chosen purely because they contain popular titles (e.g. "Nessun dorma," "Funiculì Funiculà"), or because they were previously unreleased—-irrespective of whether they should have remained that way.
The following are arguably the best of the BMG/Sony "official" Lanza CDs, together with CDs released on subsidiary labels and one excellent CD from Rhino Records of MGM soundtrack material.
Clicking on the image of any of these CDs will take you directly to Amazon.com. Please note, however, that we receive no income for these referrals; these links are offered purely for convenience.
The following are arguably the best of the BMG/Sony "official" Lanza CDs, together with CDs released on subsidiary labels and one excellent CD from Rhino Records of MGM soundtrack material.
Clicking on the image of any of these CDs will take you directly to Amazon.com. Please note, however, that we receive no income for these referrals; these links are offered purely for convenience.
Christmas With Mario Lanza
A fine Christmas compilation, bringing together the tenor's 1950-1956 Carol recordings, together with "The Lord's Prayer," "I'll Walk With God" and other religious-themed material. It also includes (for the first and only time) Eudice Shapiro's violin solo on Lanza's RCA recording of the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria." The sole unfortunate choice is the inclusion of "Pieta', signore" from the tenor's first Albert Hall recital.
PLEASE NOTE: This now-discontinued CD has been surpassed by the 2025 O Holy Night: Christmas With Mario Lanza, which offers essentially the same tracks (and more) in stereo for the first time.
PLEASE NOTE: This now-discontinued CD has been surpassed by the 2025 O Holy Night: Christmas With Mario Lanza, which offers essentially the same tracks (and more) in stereo for the first time.
Mario Lanza in Hollywood
The liner notes are a little unfair to Lanza, but otherwise this is a good release of the material recorded by the tenor for the RCA versions of his first two films. It includes Lanza's magnificent renditions of "Che gelida manina," "Mamma Mia, Che Vo' Sape?" and "M'apparì," together with well-sung versions of English love songs (e.g. "Be My Love," "Bayou Lullaby," and the rarely heard "Toast of New Orleans").
Opera Arias and Duets
Incredibly, the only all-operatic Lanza CD yet issued by BMG/Sony, this release is by no means an attempt to present a definitive compilation of the tenor's recordings of arias and duets. Indeed, it juxtaposes lesser radio versions of "Amor ti vieta," "Celeste Aida," the Flower Song from Carmen, "Vesti la giubba" and the Lamento di Federico with such excellent material as the Otello Act III duet "Dio ti giocondi" (with Licia Albanese), and the Monologue that follows it, "Testa adorata," "M'apparì," and two magnificently sung arias from Andrea Chénier.
Mario! Lanza At His Best
A splendid reproduction of Lanza's 1958 album Mario!, coupled with the best reproduction to date of the poorly recorded Vagabond King LP, this 2006 hybrid Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) can be played on conventional CD and SACD players alike. Highly recommended, despite the odd coupling of Neapolitan songs with operetta.
Please note: Sadly, this CD is no longer being produced, and consequently is often sold at exorbitant prices. The less-impressively reproduced (1995) non-SACD version of the CD is still available, however.
Please note: Sadly, this CD is no longer being produced, and consequently is often sold at exorbitant prices. The less-impressively reproduced (1995) non-SACD version of the CD is still available, however.
Serenade/A Cavalcade of Show Tunes
This BMG UK "twofer" CD comprises the Serenade and Cavalcade of Show Tunes LPs, and also includes, as a bonus track, a previously unreleased song called "Serenade." Due to space constraints, however, only a brief extract from Serenade's Act III Otello duet is included (although the Monologue that follows is featured in its entirety); for the full 10-minute duet, see the CD Opera Arias and Duets.
Encore: Greatest Arias and Operatic Favorites
A two-CD set of fifteen operatic arias & duets, fourteen Italian & Neapolitan songs and the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria." Many of these selections are in better sound than available elsewhere, and there are relatively few poor choices. The five selections taken from the Caruso Favorites LP are a revelation sound-wise, particularly "Ideale" and "Serenata." A difficult-to-find set, but highly recommended when available at a reasonable price.
The Mario Lanza Collection
A 3-CD version of the 5-LP set of the same name (see LPs on CD section). Excellent sound quality, and a good choice for those looking for a substantial collection of Lanza's English-language recordings. Note: A single-CD version of this set, Mario Lanza: Greatest Hits, is a superior introduction to the tenor than the various misleadingly titled "Ultimate Lanza" and "Definitive Lanza" collections that BMG has released.
When Day Is Done
A pleasant compilation of love songs from Lanza's 1951-52 radio show in beautifully remastered sound. While it begins unpromisingly with a poorly sung "One Alone," the bulk of the CD features excellent reproductions of such memorable "Coke" recordings as "Begin the Beguine," "I'll See You Again," "The Moon Was Yellow," and "Yesterdays."
Live from London
A much better reproduction of Lanza's first recital at the Royal Albert Hall than the 1961 LP A Mario Lanza Program, this CD also features the tenor's entire program for the first time. Three additional numbers are heard: "Lasciatemi morire," "Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise," and "La donna è mobile." Of special note is the thrilling reproduction of the opening number, "È la solita storia" (Lamento di Federico), which captures Lanza's extraordinarily vibrant, ringing tenor in all its glory.
The Best of Everything
This generously priced 2017 Sony 2-CD compilation offers a mostly well-chosen overview of Lanza's 10-year commercial recording career. The inclusion of ten arias is a welcome departure from Sony/BMG's usual approach, and the set also includes "Passione" and the 1951 "Some Day"---two masterpieces overlooked on previous "best of" compilations. There are also a number of new-to-CD recordings, the best of which is arguably a 1951 radio version of "Silent Night."
Be My Love: Mario Lanza's Greatest Performances at MGM
A 1998 CD issued by MGM's Rhino Records, and promptly withdrawn from the market after an injunction by RCA. This historically valuable CD contains soundtrack recordings and previously unreleased outtakes from Lanza's first four films (notably a different take of "Celeste Aida" for The Great Caruso), plus two outtakes from The Student Prince ("Beloved" and "Deep in My Heart, Dear") and the "Serenade" in stereo from that film, with an extended orchestral introduction.
For the First Time/Caruso Favorites
This 2004 "twofer"of the 1958 For the First Time soundtrack and the 1959 Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites is an intelligent coupling of fine "late" Lanza. Note: For the First Time had previously been released on the 1991 CD Double Feature (not to be confused with the 1960 LP of the same name), coupled with the tenor's RCA version of That Midnight Kiss, but this CD features marginally better sound of the 1958 soundtrack, while the selections associated withThat Midnight Kiss are better reproduced on Mario Lanza in Hollywood (see above).
Christmas Hymns and Carols /You Do Something To Me
An excellent introductory CD to Lanza, comprising a "twofer" of an enjoyable RCA Camden collection of 1950-56 recordings of Christmas and religious music and the splendid 1958 compilation LP You Do Something to Me. As such, it provides examples of Lanza at his best in multiple genres: religious music (the 1951 RCA "Lord's Prayer"), Italian song (the 1949 "Lolita"), operetta (the 1951 "Some Day"), opera (the 1949 "Che gelida manina;" the "Song of India" from Sadko) and love songs (the 1953 "Beloved;" the title track). Note: The contents of almost all of this 2-CD set can now be heard in stereo for the first time on the Sepia Records CDs Golden Days (2024) and O Holy Night: Christmas With Mario Lanza (2025).
The Student Prince and The Desert Song
This 1989 coupling of the MGM recording of The Student Prince and the The Desert Song is a logical enough coupling in that it brings together two Romberg operettas. However, for those who wish to hear the pristine mono pressing of the 1954 Student Prince album, as opposed to the stereo "effect" heard here, the 2009 5-CD set Mario Lanza: Original Album Classics includes an excellent reproduction of the original LP, complete with its "B" side of love songs from the tenor's radio show. Alternatively, the DVD of the film offers the full Student Prince soundtrack in excellent stereophonic sound. Note: Lanza's haunting rendition of "One Alone" from The Desert Song is heard to better effect on the Legendary Tenor CD, while the impressive "One Flower Grows Alone in Your Garden" is best heard on the "raw" studio master featured on Sepia Records' 2021 CD The Immortal Voice of Mario Lanza.
The Great Caruso and Other Caruso Favorites
This 1989 "twofer" of The Great Caruso and Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites brings together two albums made at opposite ends of Lanza's brief recording career, and offers an interesting juxtaposition of his development as an artist. The sound is a little on the thin sound, however, and it is obvious that no remastering has been carried out. For better sound quality of The Great Caruso LP arias and eight of the twelve Caruso Favorites songs (together with other material), Mario Lanza: The Legendary Tenor: Historical Recordings 1949-1959 is probably a more satisfying choice, although, annoyingly, it omits four of the highlights from the latter LP. A further possibility is the excellent Encore CD (see above).
In 2014, frustrated by Sony's apparent indifference to Lanza, I approached the UK-based company Sepia Records with a proposal for an outstanding all-operatic compilation. (I had been impressed by Sepia's remastering of Lanza's 1959 stereo remake of The Student Prince.) Happily, Sepia agreed, and the result was Mario Lanza: Greatest Operatic Recordings (see below). A follow-up operatic compilation appeared six months later, together with a CD comprising the best of Lanza's Italian and Neapolitan song recordings (My Italian Soul). Since then, a further 13 releases have been produced: two devoted to English-language recordings (Never Till Now and One Alone), a Christmas disc (O Holy Night), a DES stereo CD of the MGM version of The Student Prince, and nine multi-genre compilations: Poetry and Passion, All the Things You Are, Classics, The Immortal Voice of Mario Lanza: A Centennial Celebration, The Undiscovered Mario Lanza: Rare Recordings and Hidden Gems, The Electrifying Mario Lanza: Rarities and Restored Recordings, Mario Lanza: The Quintessential Tenor, Mario Lanza: Golden Days, and the 2-CD set Night and Day.
Sepia uses original (pre-1963) vinyl, reel-to-reel tapes and acetates for its releases, and thanks to the expertise of its remastering engineer, Robin Cherry, the results are often more vibrant than reproductions released by Sony/BMG. Sepia also lavishes great care on its CD booklets, which are generously filled with detailed liner notes and (often rare) photos.
My aim and that of my fellow compilers (Lanza biographer Armando Cesari, Vincent Di Placido, Carmel Parisi, and Lee Ann Cafferata) has been to present Mario Lanza at his consistent best in multiple genres. On the five most recent releases (The Quintessential Tenor, Golden Days, Night and Day, O Holy Night, and The Definitive Student Prince) we have also been assisted in terms of sound quality by Stephen Cutler, a skilled DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) engineer. I should add that we have not received any financial reward for these CDs, which have been strictly a labour of love for all of us.
Sepia uses original (pre-1963) vinyl, reel-to-reel tapes and acetates for its releases, and thanks to the expertise of its remastering engineer, Robin Cherry, the results are often more vibrant than reproductions released by Sony/BMG. Sepia also lavishes great care on its CD booklets, which are generously filled with detailed liner notes and (often rare) photos.
My aim and that of my fellow compilers (Lanza biographer Armando Cesari, Vincent Di Placido, Carmel Parisi, and Lee Ann Cafferata) has been to present Mario Lanza at his consistent best in multiple genres. On the five most recent releases (The Quintessential Tenor, Golden Days, Night and Day, O Holy Night, and The Definitive Student Prince) we have also been assisted in terms of sound quality by Stephen Cutler, a skilled DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) engineer. I should add that we have not received any financial reward for these CDs, which have been strictly a labour of love for all of us.
Mario Lanza: Greatest Operatic Recordings
This compilation was released in February 2015. It brings together for the first time arguably the best of Lanza’s live and studio operatic recordings, beginning with the tenor’s forays into lighter, lyric parts, then moving gradually into heavier spinto territory and, finally, dramatic roles. For more information on this release, click here.
Never Till Now
An all-English songs compilation. Released in February 2016.
Click here for more
information.
All the Things You Are
Released in June 2019, this successor to the 2018 Poetry and Passion is another multi-genre compilation. Click on the CD image for full details.
Released in June 2019, this successor to the 2018 Poetry and Passion is another multi-genre compilation. Click on the CD image for full details.
Classics This 2020 release features Lanza's biggest hits and a sampling of his finest recordings from multiple genres. Click here for details.
The Immortal Voice of Mario Lanza
This 2021 centennial release covers the entirety of Lanza's professional career from 1945 to 1959. Click here for details.
The Undiscovered Mario Lanza
Released in March 2022, this CD consists of never-before-heard complete versions of four arias and a superb outtake of “My Destiny,” among other rarities. Click on the CD image for full details.
Released in March 2022, this CD consists of never-before-heard complete versions of four arias and a superb outtake of “My Destiny,” among other rarities. Click on the CD image for full details.
The Electrifying Mario Lanza
This July 2022 release includes a number of new-to-CD restored acetates from Lanza's film and studio work, together with superb reproductions of the Act III Otello duet with Licia Albanese and the Otello Monologue. Click on the CD image for full details.
This July 2022 release includes a number of new-to-CD restored acetates from Lanza's film and studio work, together with superb reproductions of the Act III Otello duet with Licia Albanese and the Otello Monologue. Click on the CD image for full details.
The Quintessential Tenor
Released in April 2023. Click on the above CD image for full details.
Released in April 2023. Click on the above CD image for full details.
Golden Days
Released in April 2024, this sonically magnificent compilation of some of Lanza's finest recordings from the monaural period of his career is the first all-DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) Lanza CD.
Click on the image for full details.
Released in April 2024, this sonically magnificent compilation of some of Lanza's finest recordings from the monaural period of his career is the first all-DES (Digitally Extracted Stereo) Lanza CD.
Click on the image for full details.
Night and Day
This 2-CD multi-genre set was released by Sepia in January 2025. All 49 of the originally mono recordings are offered in Digitally Extracted Stereo (DES) for the first time. Click on the image for further details.
This 2-CD multi-genre set was released by Sepia in January 2025. All 49 of the originally mono recordings are offered in Digitally Extracted Stereo (DES) for the first time. Click on the image for further details.
O Holy Night
This CD was released by Sepia in September 2025. It comprises the best of Lanza's 1950-56 recordings of Christmas Carols---all in stereo for the first time here---together with other religious and devotional material. Click on the image for further details.
This CD was released by Sepia in September 2025. It comprises the best of Lanza's 1950-56 recordings of Christmas Carols---all in stereo for the first time here---together with other religious and devotional material. Click on the image for further details.
The Definitive Student Prince
Released in May 2026 (directly from Sepia Records) and available from June 5 elsewhere. The original Lanza Student Prince recordings in stereo at last!
Click on the image for further details, including a video promo featuring musical samples from the CD.
Released in May 2026 (directly from Sepia Records) and available from June 5 elsewhere. The original Lanza Student Prince recordings in stereo at last!
Click on the image for further details, including a video promo featuring musical samples from the CD.