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Derek Mannering, author of Mario Lanza: Singing to the Gods, has announced that a new Lanza documentary will be released on DVD in the UK in March 2017. The 82-minute documentary, Mario Lanza: The Best of Everything, has been written, produced and directed by Alan Byron of Screenbound Entertainment, a group specializing in bios of various musical personalities. 

Derek Mannering, who was closely involved with the production, has provided this link to the impressive-looking teaser trailer.

Great to see that leading tenor Joseph Calleja is featured in this documentary. 

UPDATE (31 January 2017): Derek Mannering has further announced that a 2-CD set of songs and arias, also entitled Mario Lanza: The Best of Everything, will be released by Sony in conjunction with the DVD in March.

Here are the track details:

MARIO LANZA: THE BEST OF EVERYTHING
DISC 1
  1. BE MY LOVE (RCA)
  2. LA BOHÈME: CHE GELIDA MANINA (RCA)
  3. SOME DAY (from THE VAGABOND KING) (Coke Show)
  4. BESAME MUCHO (Coke Show) ­ INTRODUCED BY LANZA
  5. GUARDIAN ANGELS (Coke Show)
  6. RIGOLETTO: QUESTA O QUELLA (RCA)
  7. SONG OF INDIA (RCA)
  8. DANNY BOY (Coke Show) ­ INTRODUCED BY LANZA
  9. DRINK, DRINK, DRINK (from THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
  10. YOU AND THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC (Coke Show)
  11. CARMEN: FLOWER SONG (RCA ­ take 2)
  12. MY ROMANCE (Coke Show)
  13. MATTINATA (RCA)
  14. NIGHT AND DAY (Coke Show)
  15. SERENADE (from THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
  16. BECAUSE (RCA)
  17. ’A VUCCHELLA (RCA)
  18. TOSCA: RECONDITA ARMONIA (RCA)
  19. WITHOUT A SONG (Coke Show)
  20. I’LL WALK WITH GOD (from the film THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
BONUS TRACKS:
  1. IF YOU WERE MINE (RCA) ­ PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ALTERNATE TAKE
  2. THE LOVELIEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR (RCA Rome) ­ FIRST TIME ON CD

DISC 2
  1. BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE (RCA)
  2. MARTHA: M’APPARI (RCA)
  3. BELOVED (from the film THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
  4. NONE BUT THE LONELY HEART (Coke Show)
  5. FEDORA: AMOR TI VIETA (“Serenade” soundtrack)
  6. GRANADA (RCA)
  7. THINE ALONE (Coke Show) ­ INTRODUCED BY LANZA
  8. GOLDEN DAYS (from THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
  9. AIDA: CELESTE AIDA (RCA)
  10. ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE (“Cavalcade of Show Tunes”)
  11. RIGOLETTO: LA DONNA E MOBILE (RCA)
  12. ARRIVEDERCI ROMA (RCA Rome ­ English version)
  13. I PAGLIACCI: VESTI LA GIUBBA (“For the First Time”)
  14. AVE MARIA (Schubert ­ “For the First Time”)
  15. PASSIONE (RCA Rome)
  16. ONE ALONE (from THE DESERT SONG) (RCA Rome ­ as recorded, no chorus)
  17. TURANDOT: NESSUN DORMA (“Serenade” alternate take) ­ PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
  18. SIGN OFF from MARIO LANZA (“May I wish you the very best of everything in life always…”) ­ PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
BONUS TRACKS:
HISTORICAL RECORDINGS FROM “THE MARIO LANZA SHOW”
1. BE MY LOVE ­ PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
2. THE LORD’S PRAYER ­ PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
3. Drigo SERENADE ­ PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
4. SILENT NIGHT ­ PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED

This is easily the best compilation that Derek Mannering has produced to date, and it's pleasing to see a sampling of highlights from Lanza's entire recording career this time.

More information about both the CD release and the DVD is available here.

The CD set is available from UK Amazon for pre-ordering now. 
9 Comments
Steff Walzinger - 9 years ago
Derek, a little bit of information can be found here:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6305428/?ref_=fn_al_tt_2

Steff
Patricia Povah - 9 years ago
This new DVD is Region 2 and cannot be played outside Europe, of little use if one lives in New Zealand or Australia
Derek McGovern - 9 years ago
That's true; however, as a New Zealander I know that many people in my country own a multi-region DVD player. They're very common these days.

Computers can also play DVDs from any region if you download the free VLC Player. That's what I use in South Korea, where I currently live.
Martin Glew - 9 years ago
Hi There,

Just wanted to tell you of the update for the link for Mario Lanza dvd

http://www.classicfilmsdirect.com/product/mario-lanza-the-best-of-everything

Thanks
Martin
Steff Waltzinger - 9 years ago
Screenbound Pictures has put some teasers on you-tube to promote the upcoming DVD release of the Lanza documentary ("The Best of Everything")


Steve Hackett:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jZaDWHDCV0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68Wya3xt6CQ


Joseph Calleja:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSbKjNs7wpc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90BKI-nQhdY


Russell Watson:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaBKx3P2oMc


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yZnnQb6GfE


Derek Mannering about the upcoming Sony double CD release going along with the documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o5-5rk9Yle0

Steff
Derek McGovern - 9 years ago
Many thanks for those links, Steff. The comments from famed rock guitarist Steve Hackett and tenor Joseph Calleja, in particular, are wonderful.

Cheers,
Derek
JOHN HUTTON - 9 years ago
will a movie ever be made of Mario Lanza's life story. After all this time you would think that one would be made?
Derek McGovern - 9 years ago
Hi John: Since the early 1960s, there have been numerous reports of proposed film projects on Lanza's life, but none has ever eventuated.

If you copy and paste this link, you'll find an interesting discussion on our Lanza forum about a film biography:

http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/forum.html?place=msg%2Fmariolanza%2FzfqKDp8yFqU%2FDTDLYX8VHIUJ

Regards,
Derek McGovern
Derek McGovern - 9 years ago
I've just watched "The Best of Everything," and can heartily recommend it. Aside from some wonderfully astute musical observations from Joseph Calleja, Lesley Garrett and Anthony Wade (aka "Dr. Voice"), plus touching reminiscences from Ellisa Lanza and excellent biographical commentary from Derek Mannering, what I loved about it is that Mario often serves as the doco's co-narrator. He's telling his own story, and the doco makes great use of the Christopher Show and other interviews that he gave.

I've also never seen the Palladium performance in better quality, and the extra visual detail makes one appreciate all the more just how expressive Mario was when singing live.

Sure, there are things we can quibble about in the doco, such as the paucity of film clips or the brevity of the actual singing examples, but the positives (for me, anyway) greatly outweighed the negatives.

It's a balanced documentary, and ultimately a very moving one. Congratulations to all involved.
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Derek McGovern is a New Zealander living in Busan, South Korea, where he works as an English literature professor at Pukyong National University.