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I'm delighted to announce the imminent arrival of UK-based Sepia Records' latest Lanza compilation, The Immortal Voice of Mario Lanza: A Centennial Celebration. This is the ninth Lanza CD that Sepia has released since January 2015, and it was compiled by a small group of aficionados: Armando Cesari (author of Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy), Vincent Di Placido, Carmel Cesari, and me. (I should add, as always, that none of us has any financial involvement in this CD, or with any of its illustrious predecessors.)
Every track on this 76-minute CD has been remastered by Sepia's resident sound engineer, Robin Cherry, and the results are often electrifying.
Every track on this 76-minute CD has been remastered by Sepia's resident sound engineer, Robin Cherry, and the results are often electrifying.
A case in point is the magnificent 1950 recording of the Improvviso ("Un dì all’azzurro spazio") from Giordano's Andrea Chénier, which has never sounded more vibrant. There are numerous other surprises too, particularly among the lesser known (or, in some quarters, less appreciated) late-career gems such as "Just We Two" (from Lanza's 1959 remake of The Student Prince) and the "Drinking Song" from The Vagabond King, both of which now feature a more vital-sounding tenor than heard on previous releases.
Here is a description of the CD's contents from my liner notes:
"This CD celebrates Mario Lanza’s centenary with a collection spanning the tenor’s entire professional career, from his first radio broadcasts to a quartet of studio gems from the last months of his brief but indelible life. Four of the selections are making their first appearance on a commercial CD; they include a spectacular rehearsal of “Some Day” and extended versions from Lanza’s own archives of material recorded for The Great Caruso. Other rarities include live performances of duets from The Student Prince and Verdi’s Otello. Throughout the CD, Lanza’s celebrated versatility is on full display, with every musical genre in which he excelled represented here."
UPDATE (12 June 2021): The Immortal Voice of Mario Lanza: A Centennial Celebration is now available directly from Sepia Records for immediate delivery, and will be released in the US on July 16. Here is the Amazon US link for preorders. The Mario Lanza Institute and Museum is also offering this CD (and all of the previous Lanza CDs on the Sepia Records label).
Here is the full track list of the CD:
THE IMMORTAL VOICE OF MARIO LANZA:
A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
1 Cavalleria Rusticana: Brindisi
Recorded August 23, 1950 [longer version of the extract featured in The Great Caruso]
2 Ergo Bibamus
Recorded August 7, 1952 [acetate recorded for the film The Student Prince]
3 Just We Two (from The Student Prince) [with Norma Giusti, soprano]
Recorded April 1959
4 If I Loved You (from Carousel)
Recorded February 15, 1952 [with spoken introduction by Lanza]
5 Long Ago (and Far Away)
Recorded July 13, 1951
6 Some Day (from The Vagabond King)
Recorded October 28, 1954 [previously unreleased television rehearsal]
7 Trees
Recorded November 20, 1951
8 The Virgin’s Slumber Song
Recorded May 29, 1950
9 Neapolitan Love Song (from Princess Pat)
Recorded November 29, 1951
10 La Spagnola
Recorded May 9, 1952
11 Core ’ngrato
Recorded May 5, 1949
12 Marechiare
Recorded August 9, 1950 [complete (one-verse) film take for The Great Caruso]
13 Torna a Surriento
Recorded June 30, 1955
14 Santa Lucia Luntana
Recorded December 1958
15 L’Alba Separa dalla Luce l’Ombra
Recorded at June 1959
16 Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba
Recorded September 1958
17 Andrea Chénier: Improvviso (Un dì all’azzurro spazio)
Recorded May 18, 1950
18 Tosca: E lucevan le stelle
Recorded July 22, 1950 [a much longer version of the recording featured in snippet form in The Great Caruso) 19 Otello: Già nella notte densa (Verdi-Boito) [with Jean Tennyson, soprano]
Live CBS broadcast on November 14, 1945
BONUS TRACKS
20 Golden Days (from The Student Prince) [with Robert Weede, baritone]
Live CBS broadcast on February 20, 1946
21 Summertime in Heidelberg
Recorded April 1959 [revelatory solo version taken from Lanza's private acetate]
22 Drinking Song (from The Vagabond King)
Recorded July 1959
23 Without a Song
Recorded August 14, 1951
Here is a description of the CD's contents from my liner notes:
"This CD celebrates Mario Lanza’s centenary with a collection spanning the tenor’s entire professional career, from his first radio broadcasts to a quartet of studio gems from the last months of his brief but indelible life. Four of the selections are making their first appearance on a commercial CD; they include a spectacular rehearsal of “Some Day” and extended versions from Lanza’s own archives of material recorded for The Great Caruso. Other rarities include live performances of duets from The Student Prince and Verdi’s Otello. Throughout the CD, Lanza’s celebrated versatility is on full display, with every musical genre in which he excelled represented here."
UPDATE (12 June 2021): The Immortal Voice of Mario Lanza: A Centennial Celebration is now available directly from Sepia Records for immediate delivery, and will be released in the US on July 16. Here is the Amazon US link for preorders. The Mario Lanza Institute and Museum is also offering this CD (and all of the previous Lanza CDs on the Sepia Records label).
Here is the full track list of the CD:
THE IMMORTAL VOICE OF MARIO LANZA:
A CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
1 Cavalleria Rusticana: Brindisi
Recorded August 23, 1950 [longer version of the extract featured in The Great Caruso]
2 Ergo Bibamus
Recorded August 7, 1952 [acetate recorded for the film The Student Prince]
3 Just We Two (from The Student Prince) [with Norma Giusti, soprano]
Recorded April 1959
4 If I Loved You (from Carousel)
Recorded February 15, 1952 [with spoken introduction by Lanza]
5 Long Ago (and Far Away)
Recorded July 13, 1951
6 Some Day (from The Vagabond King)
Recorded October 28, 1954 [previously unreleased television rehearsal]
7 Trees
Recorded November 20, 1951
8 The Virgin’s Slumber Song
Recorded May 29, 1950
9 Neapolitan Love Song (from Princess Pat)
Recorded November 29, 1951
10 La Spagnola
Recorded May 9, 1952
11 Core ’ngrato
Recorded May 5, 1949
12 Marechiare
Recorded August 9, 1950 [complete (one-verse) film take for The Great Caruso]
13 Torna a Surriento
Recorded June 30, 1955
14 Santa Lucia Luntana
Recorded December 1958
15 L’Alba Separa dalla Luce l’Ombra
Recorded at June 1959
16 Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba
Recorded September 1958
17 Andrea Chénier: Improvviso (Un dì all’azzurro spazio)
Recorded May 18, 1950
18 Tosca: E lucevan le stelle
Recorded July 22, 1950 [a much longer version of the recording featured in snippet form in The Great Caruso) 19 Otello: Già nella notte densa (Verdi-Boito) [with Jean Tennyson, soprano]
Live CBS broadcast on November 14, 1945
BONUS TRACKS
20 Golden Days (from The Student Prince) [with Robert Weede, baritone]
Live CBS broadcast on February 20, 1946
21 Summertime in Heidelberg
Recorded April 1959 [revelatory solo version taken from Lanza's private acetate]
22 Drinking Song (from The Vagabond King)
Recorded July 1959
23 Without a Song
Recorded August 14, 1951
- Published on
The Great Caruso---Mario Lanza's most successful and influential film---is now available on Blu-ray, and has been given the long-overdue remastering that it richly deserves.
Here is an extract from a very informative post about the Blu-ray at mariolanza.net by film aficionado Sam Samuelian:
"What is noticeable immediately is that there are little color swatches all over the movie frames that stand out as never before. For example, a red rose, bricks, foliage. Watching the film is incredibly pleasant since there is not one scratch, dirt, or specks in the picture. It is as pure as can be, plus there is no graininess at all.
"Lanza’s voice rings out better than ever. His speaking voice has better clarity too. In addition to this, all of the music---orchestral or otherwise---has a deep end that is a first for The Great Caruso. You can crank up your sound with as much volume as your ears can take, and there is not a speck of distortion."
My own comments will follow soon, but in the meantime this glowingly reviewed Blu-ray is now available from Amazon and other online sellers.
UPDATE (15 March 2021): The indefatigable Vince Di Placido has just posted the following side-by-side comparison of the DVD and Blu-ray. A must-watch! (See below) I have also posted my own comments on the Blu-ray here.
Here is an extract from a very informative post about the Blu-ray at mariolanza.net by film aficionado Sam Samuelian:
"What is noticeable immediately is that there are little color swatches all over the movie frames that stand out as never before. For example, a red rose, bricks, foliage. Watching the film is incredibly pleasant since there is not one scratch, dirt, or specks in the picture. It is as pure as can be, plus there is no graininess at all.
"Lanza’s voice rings out better than ever. His speaking voice has better clarity too. In addition to this, all of the music---orchestral or otherwise---has a deep end that is a first for The Great Caruso. You can crank up your sound with as much volume as your ears can take, and there is not a speck of distortion."
My own comments will follow soon, but in the meantime this glowingly reviewed Blu-ray is now available from Amazon and other online sellers.
UPDATE (15 March 2021): The indefatigable Vince Di Placido has just posted the following side-by-side comparison of the DVD and Blu-ray. A must-watch! (See below) I have also posted my own comments on the Blu-ray here.
- Published on
Vincent Di Placido has just uploaded a documentary he has made about another pivotal moment in Mario Lanza's career: the tenor's triumphant return to live performing after a long absence from the concert stage and a two-year period of professional turmoil.
Vince's documentary is partly based on my article Confounding the Enemy, but he takes my essay to a whole new level with his superb (and often moving) editing of audio and visuals, while also providing a powerful introduction that provides genuine historical context to this event.
A must watch!
Vince's documentary is partly based on my article Confounding the Enemy, but he takes my essay to a whole new level with his superb (and often moving) editing of audio and visuals, while also providing a powerful introduction that provides genuine historical context to this event.
A must watch!
- Published on
Vince Di Placido is an indispensable member of the online Lanza community---as highly regarded for his superb video presentations of Lanza's legacy as he is for his musical knowledge and the intelligence he brings to discussions on the tenor.
All of these qualities are to the fore in his latest video: a magnificent in-depth tribute to the great Mario! album of Neapolitan songs that Lanza recorded in December 1958.
All of these qualities are to the fore in his latest video: a magnificent in-depth tribute to the great Mario! album of Neapolitan songs that Lanza recorded in December 1958.
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In January 2020 the London-based CD company Sepia Records will be releasing its latest Mario Lanza compilation: Classics. Starting with its best-selling Greatest Operatic Recordings in January 2015, this will be Sepia's eighth Lanza release in five years.
As with Sepia's previous seven Lanza CDs, the selections on this disc were chosen by a small group of Lanza aficionados: tenor Vincent Di Placido, biographer Armando Cesari, Carmel Parisi, Lee Ann Cafferata, and myself. This project was a labour of love, and none of us has any financial involvement with the CD.
As with Sepia's previous seven Lanza CDs, the selections on this disc were chosen by a small group of Lanza aficionados: tenor Vincent Di Placido, biographer Armando Cesari, Carmel Parisi, Lee Ann Cafferata, and myself. This project was a labour of love, and none of us has any financial involvement with the CD.
The commercial recordings on this 74-minute CD were sourced from the best-available pre-1963 vinyl releases that Vince Di Placido and I could find, while the two non-commercial recordings featured here—--"Granada" and "Because"—--were drawn, respectively, from the optical track of a late 1950s film print of Because You're Mine and a 1959 RAI radio programme ("La Mia Vita per il Canto"). All have been lovingly remastered by Sepia's resident sound engineer, Robin Cherry.
The CD also includes a generously filled booklet of detailed liner notes and several rare photos.
Mario Lanza: Classics is available from 7 February 2020 at Amazon and all the other usual online outlets. This is the link for Amazon UK and here is the US Amazon link.
The following is a description of the CD, taken directly from my liner notes:
This CD brings together Lanza’s most popular recordings, including his three million-selling singles (all making their first appearance on this label), his Top 20 chart successes in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and the highlights from his two best-selling albums, The Great Caruso and The Student Prince. It also includes a representative sampling of the tenor at his vocal and stylistic zenith in multiple genres, with definitive renditions of everything from an Edwardian parlour song (“Because”) to five Neapolitan classics. As such, this CD serves as both the perfect introduction to the art and voice of Mario Lanza and—for his existing admirers—an unusually convenient compilation of many of his greatest recordings.
MARIO LANZA: CLASSICS
1 Granada (Lara) (Lanza's 3rd and final version, recorded in 1951)
2 Be My Love (Brodszky-Cahn)
3 Because (d’Hardelot-Teschemacher)
4 The Loveliest Night of the Year (Aaronson-Webster-after Rosas)
5 Some Day (Friml-Hooker)
6 The Lord’s Prayer (Malotte) (RCA)
7 Because You’re Mine (Brodszky-Cahn) (RCA)
8 Serenade (from The Student Prince) (Romberg-Donnelly-Webster) (MGM)
9 Drink! Drink! Drink! (Romberg-Donnelly) (MGM)
10 Beloved (Brodszky-Webster) (1953 version)
11 Mamma Mia, Che Vò Sapé? (Nutile-Russo) (RCA)
12 Voce ’e Notte (De Curtis-Nicolardi)
13 Canta pe’ Mme! (De Curtis-Bovio) (RCA)
14 ’Na Sera ’e Maggio (Cioffi-Pisano) (RCA)
15 Sadko (adapted): Song of India (Rimsky-Korsakov; adapted Mercer)
16 Tosca: Recondita armonia (Puccini-Giacosa-Illica) (RCA)
17 La bohème: Che gelida manina (Puccini-Giacosa-Illica) (RCA)
18 Martha: M’apparì (Von Flotow-Riese)
19 Tosca: E lucevan le stelle (Puccini-Giacosa-Illica) (RCA)
BONUS TRACKS
20 Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) (RCA)
21 Serenade (Drigo) (RCA)
22 Tell Me, Oh Blue Blue Sky (Giannini-Flaster) (Live from the Royal Albert Hall) 23 Passione (Tagliaferri-Valente-Bovio)
The CD also includes a generously filled booklet of detailed liner notes and several rare photos.
Mario Lanza: Classics is available from 7 February 2020 at Amazon and all the other usual online outlets. This is the link for Amazon UK and here is the US Amazon link.
The following is a description of the CD, taken directly from my liner notes:
This CD brings together Lanza’s most popular recordings, including his three million-selling singles (all making their first appearance on this label), his Top 20 chart successes in both the United States and the United Kingdom, and the highlights from his two best-selling albums, The Great Caruso and The Student Prince. It also includes a representative sampling of the tenor at his vocal and stylistic zenith in multiple genres, with definitive renditions of everything from an Edwardian parlour song (“Because”) to five Neapolitan classics. As such, this CD serves as both the perfect introduction to the art and voice of Mario Lanza and—for his existing admirers—an unusually convenient compilation of many of his greatest recordings.
MARIO LANZA: CLASSICS
1 Granada (Lara) (Lanza's 3rd and final version, recorded in 1951)
2 Be My Love (Brodszky-Cahn)
3 Because (d’Hardelot-Teschemacher)
4 The Loveliest Night of the Year (Aaronson-Webster-after Rosas)
5 Some Day (Friml-Hooker)
6 The Lord’s Prayer (Malotte) (RCA)
7 Because You’re Mine (Brodszky-Cahn) (RCA)
8 Serenade (from The Student Prince) (Romberg-Donnelly-Webster) (MGM)
9 Drink! Drink! Drink! (Romberg-Donnelly) (MGM)
10 Beloved (Brodszky-Webster) (1953 version)
11 Mamma Mia, Che Vò Sapé? (Nutile-Russo) (RCA)
12 Voce ’e Notte (De Curtis-Nicolardi)
13 Canta pe’ Mme! (De Curtis-Bovio) (RCA)
14 ’Na Sera ’e Maggio (Cioffi-Pisano) (RCA)
15 Sadko (adapted): Song of India (Rimsky-Korsakov; adapted Mercer)
16 Tosca: Recondita armonia (Puccini-Giacosa-Illica) (RCA)
17 La bohème: Che gelida manina (Puccini-Giacosa-Illica) (RCA)
18 Martha: M’apparì (Von Flotow-Riese)
19 Tosca: E lucevan le stelle (Puccini-Giacosa-Illica) (RCA)
BONUS TRACKS
20 Ave Maria (Bach-Gounod) (RCA)
21 Serenade (Drigo) (RCA)
22 Tell Me, Oh Blue Blue Sky (Giannini-Flaster) (Live from the Royal Albert Hall) 23 Passione (Tagliaferri-Valente-Bovio)
- Published on
I'm delighted to announce that Sepia Records, a UK-based company justly renowned for the quality of its historical releases, will be releasing the CD Mario Lanza: All the Things You Are in June 2019.
This will be the seventh Lanza compilation that Sepia has released since its best-selling Greatest Operatic Recordings in February 2015, and like its predecessors, all of the recordings on the CD were selected by a small group of dedicated Lanza aficionados: Vincent Di Placido, biographer Armando Cesari, Carmel Parisi, Lee Ann Cafferata, and yours truly. (I should add that none of us has any financial involvement with this CD.)
This will be the seventh Lanza compilation that Sepia has released since its best-selling Greatest Operatic Recordings in February 2015, and like its predecessors, all of the recordings on the CD were selected by a small group of dedicated Lanza aficionados: Vincent Di Placido, biographer Armando Cesari, Carmel Parisi, Lee Ann Cafferata, and yours truly. (I should add that none of us has any financial involvement with this CD.)
The commercial recordings on this generously filled CD were sourced from the best-available pre-1963 vinyl releases that Vince Di Placido and I could find, while the remaining recordings were drawn from a variety of sources, including Lanza's own private archive and radio transcriptions. All of them have been remastered with great care by Sepia Records' engineer Robin Cherry, and many of them sound better than ever. (These include the four 1959 recordings featured here.) And as with all of Sepia Records' CD releases, the accompanying booklet is immaculately presented, with extensive notes and an interesting assortment of photos.
The CD will be available on July 12, 2019, from all the usual online outlets, including Amazon and ProperMusic.com, and from Sepia Records' own web site at this link from June 7, 2019. (Purchasing directly from Sepia Records' own site is probably the cheapest option.)
UPDATE (17 July 2019): This glowing review of the CD by Lanza aficionado Martin ("Martino") Ilaqua is particularly worth reading, as it goes into considerable detail about the disc.
Lindsay Perigo's equally glowing review for Amazon can now be read here.
The CD will be available on July 12, 2019, from all the usual online outlets, including Amazon and ProperMusic.com, and from Sepia Records' own web site at this link from June 7, 2019. (Purchasing directly from Sepia Records' own site is probably the cheapest option.)
UPDATE (17 July 2019): This glowing review of the CD by Lanza aficionado Martin ("Martino") Ilaqua is particularly worth reading, as it goes into considerable detail about the disc.
Lindsay Perigo's equally glowing review for Amazon can now be read here.
MARIO LANZA
ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE
1 Bésame Mucho Introduced by Lanza
2 And Here You Are
3 My Wild Irish Rose
4 Love Is the Sweetest Thing
5 Do You Wonder?
6 Love in a Home
7 Lover, Come Back to Me!
8 Gypsy Love Song (Slumber On, My Little Gypsy Sweetheart)
9 All the Things You Are (1956 version)
10 Mamma Mia, Che Vò Sapé? With Giacomo Spadoni on piano
11 Lolita (1949 version)
12 Ciribiribin Introduced by Lanza
13 Vieni sul Mar
14 La Mia Canzone
15 Musica Proibita (1959 version)
16 Fedora: Amor ti vieta (1955 version)
17 Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba Live from Massey Hall, Toronto
18 La bohème: O soave fanciulla Live from the Hollywood Bowl (with Kathryn Grayson)
19 La gioconda: Cielo e mar! (1950 RCA version)
20 Andrea Chénier: Come un bel dì di maggio (1952 radio version)
BONUS TRACKS
21 Ah, Moon of My Delight Live radio performance
22 One Flower in Your Garden Revelatory “raw” acetate
23 Wer einmal nur in München war
24 Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba Rare version from Lanza’s archives
25 Summertime in Heidelberg With Ann Blyth (partial outtake)
ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE
1 Bésame Mucho Introduced by Lanza
2 And Here You Are
3 My Wild Irish Rose
4 Love Is the Sweetest Thing
5 Do You Wonder?
6 Love in a Home
7 Lover, Come Back to Me!
8 Gypsy Love Song (Slumber On, My Little Gypsy Sweetheart)
9 All the Things You Are (1956 version)
10 Mamma Mia, Che Vò Sapé? With Giacomo Spadoni on piano
11 Lolita (1949 version)
12 Ciribiribin Introduced by Lanza
13 Vieni sul Mar
14 La Mia Canzone
15 Musica Proibita (1959 version)
16 Fedora: Amor ti vieta (1955 version)
17 Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba Live from Massey Hall, Toronto
18 La bohème: O soave fanciulla Live from the Hollywood Bowl (with Kathryn Grayson)
19 La gioconda: Cielo e mar! (1950 RCA version)
20 Andrea Chénier: Come un bel dì di maggio (1952 radio version)
BONUS TRACKS
21 Ah, Moon of My Delight Live radio performance
22 One Flower in Your Garden Revelatory “raw” acetate
23 Wer einmal nur in München war
24 Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba Rare version from Lanza’s archives
25 Summertime in Heidelberg With Ann Blyth (partial outtake)
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I'm delighted to report that London-based Sepia Records will soon be releasing another Mario Lanza CD compilation: its sixth (!) in three years.
Titled Poetry and Passion, this CD differs from the previous five Sepia compilations in that it doesn't focus on one particular musical genre. Instead, it offers examples of Lanza in top form in every genre in which he excelled: opera, operetta, musical theatre, Neapolitan song, and popular song. An eclectic compilation, to be sure, but one that's full of surprises and consistently rewarding, delivering exactly what its title promises.
As with the previous five Sepia releases, the CD was compiled (for love, not money) by Armando Cesari, Vince Di Placido, Carmel Parisi, Lee Ann Cafferata and yours truly, and expertly remastered by Robin Cherry. Indeed, many of the recordings have never sounded better, despite being sourced from an assortment of vinyl, private tapes and acetates. The same care has gone into the CD booklet, which is beautifully presented with copious notes and several rare photos.
Poetry and Passion is now available directly (and economically for those outside of the UK) from Sepia Records, and will be released by Amazon and other online sellers on February 9, 2018.
UPDATE (5 Feb 2018): Lindsay Perigo has posted this glowing review of the CD on his web site.
MARIO LANZA: POETRY AND PASSION
1 Earthbound (Taylor-Richardson-Musel) Recorded 10 August 1956
2 Wonder Why (Brodszky-Cahn) 21 August 1951
3 The Bayou Lullaby (Brodszky-Cahn) 29 June 1950
4 Beautiful Love (King-Young-Van Alstyne-Gillespie) 24 April 1952
5 Tell Me Tonight (Spoliansky-Eyton) 15 February 1952
6 The Rosary (Nevin-Rogers) 23 August 1951
7 The Song Angels Sing (Aaronson-Webster, adapted from Brahms) 24 July 1952
8 The Thrill Is Gone (Henderson-Brown) 29 November 1951
9 My Destiny (Brodszky-Cahn) 21 July 1955 [Introduced by Lanza]
10 Younger Than Springtime (Rodgers-Hammerstein) 7 November 1957
11 Thoughts Will Come Back to Me (Romberg-Donnelly) April 1959
12 Nocturne (Friml-Hooker-Post) July 1959
13 Lygia (Rózsa-Webster) 16 December 1951
14 Come Prima (For the First Time) (Di Paola-Taccani-Ram) September 1958
15 ¡Ay, ay, ay! (Freire) 3 December 1951
16 Maria Marí’ (Di Capua-Russo) December 1958
17 Ave Maria (Schubert) 18 August 1955 [film outtake with piano]
18 L’Arlesiana: È la solita storia (Cilea-Marenco) 16 Jan. 1958 [live: Royal Albert Hall]
19 Otello: Niun mi tema (Verdi-Boito) September 1958
BONUS TRACKS
20 Pagliacci: Un tal gioco (Leoncavallo) May 1952 [private recording]
21 Andrea Chénier: Un dì all’azzurro spazio (Giordano-Illica) April 1952 [private recording]
22 I’m Falling in Love with Someone (Herbert-Young) 18 January 1958 [live performance: British TV]
23 Only a Rose (Friml-Hooker-Post) July 1959 ["Raw" acetate: a revelation!]
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On the evening of July 4, 2017, a new Fiat commercial premiered on Italian TV channels, and was reportedly seen by almost 11 million viewers that night alone. The ad celebrates 60 years of the Nuova Fiat 500 series of automobiles, and features Mario Lanza's 1958 recording of "Come Prima" on its soundtrack. In fact, the song and the Lanza movie it comes from (the 1959 For the First Time) are part of the plot of the commercial as well. Not only does the ad's star, Academy Award-winning American actor Adrien Brody (right), listen contentedly to the song on his record player and whistle and hum to it, but he also later hears it playing in a street market and then passes a cinema in which For the First Time is being screened (see above).
The ad, which is titled See you in the Future, is a romantic piece of time travel whimsy, in which Brody's character emerges from his 1959 apartment in Milan to find himself in a present-day version of the city, where he is soon smitten with a young woman, played by Italian actress Anna Manuelli.
There are currently three versions of the ad, ranging in length from 2 minutes and 20 seconds to more than 4 and a half minutes. The ad is being screened not only on TV in a two-and-a-half-minute version, but also on the internet, in cinemas, and in public places and on public transportation in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, Portugal and Poland. In short, its potential audience is massive.
Lanza's only surviving child, Ellisa Lanza Bregman, gave her permission for her father's recording to be used in the ad.
There are currently three versions of the ad, ranging in length from 2 minutes and 20 seconds to more than 4 and a half minutes. The ad is being screened not only on TV in a two-and-a-half-minute version, but also on the internet, in cinemas, and in public places and on public transportation in France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Spain, the United Kingdom, Austria, Portugal and Poland. In short, its potential audience is massive.
Lanza's only surviving child, Ellisa Lanza Bregman, gave her permission for her father's recording to be used in the ad.
Update (9 July 2017): My friend Stefanie Walzinger of Germany has just alerted me to a completely different 30-second ad, in which the characters played by Brody and Manuelli attend a screening of For the First Time together. This latest ad cannot be viewed outside of Europe, unfortunately (though it's worth keeping an eye out for on YouTube).
- Published on
I'm thrilled to announce yet another Sepia Records Lanza CD compilation: Mario Lanza: One Alone.
A follow-up to Sepia's 2016 release Never Till Now, this compilation features more of Lanza's finest English-language recordings, and, not surprisingly, it's a stunner. Aside from the consistently great singing on display here, many of the commercial recordings (such as "Sylvia," "I'll See You Again," and the 1958 "I Love Thee") have never sounded richer or more vibrant, despite their vinyl origin. (Even jaded aficionados will be surprised!) In short, Sepia Records have once again done Lanza proud, and that extends to the accompanying booklet, which is a work of art in itself.
A follow-up to Sepia's 2016 release Never Till Now, this compilation features more of Lanza's finest English-language recordings, and, not surprisingly, it's a stunner. Aside from the consistently great singing on display here, many of the commercial recordings (such as "Sylvia," "I'll See You Again," and the 1958 "I Love Thee") have never sounded richer or more vibrant, despite their vinyl origin. (Even jaded aficionados will be surprised!) In short, Sepia Records have once again done Lanza proud, and that extends to the accompanying booklet, which is a work of art in itself.
The material for this CD was chosen by Armando Cesari, Vincent Di Placido, Carmel Parisi, Lee Ann Cafferata and yours truly. As with the previous Sepia CDs we have worked on (Greatest Operatic Recordings, Vol. 1 and 2, My Italian Soul, and Never Till Now), none of us has any financial involvement in this project; it was strictly a labour of love.
One Alone will be available from all the usual online outlets on 10 February 2017.
UPDATE (10 January 2017): One Alone is available now from Sepia Records for between £7.99 and £8.99 (postage included) for PayPal users. For those wishing to purchase the CD from other online sellers, such as Amazon, the release date is still 10 February.
MARIO LANZA: ONE ALONE
1 They Didn’t Believe Me (Kern-Reynolds) Recorded (day/month/year) 23/8/49
2 The World Is Mine Tonight (Posford-Marvell) 10/7/51
3 Wanting You (Romberg-Hammerstein-Mandel-Schwab) 20/7/51
4 I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Porter) 24/7/51 [with previously unreleased spoken introduction]
5 Night and Day (Porter) 14/8/51 [with previously unreleased spoken introduction]
6 Roses of Picardy (Wood-Weatherley) 29/11/51
7 One Night of Love (Schertzinger-Kahn) 5/12/51
8 Your Eyes Have Told Me So (Blaufuss-Kahn-Van Alstyn) Early December 1951
9 Sylvia (Speaks-Scollard) Early December 1951
10 I’ll See You Again (Coward) 29/1/52
11 Romance (Leslie-Donaldson) 1/2/52 [with spoken introduction]
12 The Trembling of a Leaf (Green-Lawrence) 4/3/52
13 Yesterdays (Kern-Harbach) 6/3/52
14 The Moon Was Yellow (Ahlert-Leslie) 20/3/52 [with previously unreleased spoken introduction]
15 Golden Days (Romberg-Donnelly) 31/7/52
16 Will You Remember? (Romberg-Young) 27/8/56
17 Behold! (Moore-Reed) 15/4/57
18 Arrivederci Roma (Rascel-Sigman) 7/11/57 [English-language version]
19 I Love Thee (Grieg) September 1958
20 One Alone (Romberg-Harbach-Hammerstein-Mandel) September 1959 [remastered "raw" acetate]
BONUS TRACKS
21 The Lord’s Prayer (Malotte) Performed live on 19/12/48 (NBC radio broadcast)
22 Tell Me, Oh Blue, Blue Sky (Giannini-Flaster) Recorded sometime in 1952 [private home recording]
23 Love Me Tonight (Friml-Hooker) July 1959
24 Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life (Herbert-Young) 27/7/51 [with spoken introduction]
One Alone will be available from all the usual online outlets on 10 February 2017.
UPDATE (10 January 2017): One Alone is available now from Sepia Records for between £7.99 and £8.99 (postage included) for PayPal users. For those wishing to purchase the CD from other online sellers, such as Amazon, the release date is still 10 February.
MARIO LANZA: ONE ALONE
1 They Didn’t Believe Me (Kern-Reynolds) Recorded (day/month/year) 23/8/49
2 The World Is Mine Tonight (Posford-Marvell) 10/7/51
3 Wanting You (Romberg-Hammerstein-Mandel-Schwab) 20/7/51
4 I’ve Got You Under My Skin (Porter) 24/7/51 [with previously unreleased spoken introduction]
5 Night and Day (Porter) 14/8/51 [with previously unreleased spoken introduction]
6 Roses of Picardy (Wood-Weatherley) 29/11/51
7 One Night of Love (Schertzinger-Kahn) 5/12/51
8 Your Eyes Have Told Me So (Blaufuss-Kahn-Van Alstyn) Early December 1951
9 Sylvia (Speaks-Scollard) Early December 1951
10 I’ll See You Again (Coward) 29/1/52
11 Romance (Leslie-Donaldson) 1/2/52 [with spoken introduction]
12 The Trembling of a Leaf (Green-Lawrence) 4/3/52
13 Yesterdays (Kern-Harbach) 6/3/52
14 The Moon Was Yellow (Ahlert-Leslie) 20/3/52 [with previously unreleased spoken introduction]
15 Golden Days (Romberg-Donnelly) 31/7/52
16 Will You Remember? (Romberg-Young) 27/8/56
17 Behold! (Moore-Reed) 15/4/57
18 Arrivederci Roma (Rascel-Sigman) 7/11/57 [English-language version]
19 I Love Thee (Grieg) September 1958
20 One Alone (Romberg-Harbach-Hammerstein-Mandel) September 1959 [remastered "raw" acetate]
BONUS TRACKS
21 The Lord’s Prayer (Malotte) Performed live on 19/12/48 (NBC radio broadcast)
22 Tell Me, Oh Blue, Blue Sky (Giannini-Flaster) Recorded sometime in 1952 [private home recording]
23 Love Me Tonight (Friml-Hooker) July 1959
24 Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life (Herbert-Young) 27/7/51 [with spoken introduction]
- Published on
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
DISC 2
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.
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
- BE MY LOVE (RCA)
- LA BOHÈME: CHE GELIDA MANINA (RCA)
- SOME DAY (from THE VAGABOND KING) (Coke Show)
- BESAME MUCHO (Coke Show) INTRODUCED BY LANZA
- GUARDIAN ANGELS (Coke Show)
- RIGOLETTO: QUESTA O QUELLA (RCA)
- SONG OF INDIA (RCA)
- DANNY BOY (Coke Show) INTRODUCED BY LANZA
- DRINK, DRINK, DRINK (from THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
- YOU AND THE NIGHT AND THE MUSIC (Coke Show)
- CARMEN: FLOWER SONG (RCA take 2)
- MY ROMANCE (Coke Show)
- MATTINATA (RCA)
- NIGHT AND DAY (Coke Show)
- SERENADE (from THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
- BECAUSE (RCA)
- ’A VUCCHELLA (RCA)
- TOSCA: RECONDITA ARMONIA (RCA)
- WITHOUT A SONG (Coke Show)
- I’LL WALK WITH GOD (from the film THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
- IF YOU WERE MINE (RCA) PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED ALTERNATE TAKE
- THE LOVELIEST NIGHT OF THE YEAR (RCA Rome) FIRST TIME ON CD
DISC 2
- BECAUSE YOU’RE MINE (RCA)
- MARTHA: M’APPARI (RCA)
- BELOVED (from the film THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
- NONE BUT THE LONELY HEART (Coke Show)
- FEDORA: AMOR TI VIETA (“Serenade” soundtrack)
- GRANADA (RCA)
- THINE ALONE (Coke Show) INTRODUCED BY LANZA
- GOLDEN DAYS (from THE STUDENT PRINCE) (MGM)
- AIDA: CELESTE AIDA (RCA)
- ALL THE THINGS YOU ARE (“Cavalcade of Show Tunes”)
- RIGOLETTO: LA DONNA E MOBILE (RCA)
- ARRIVEDERCI ROMA (RCA Rome English version)
- I PAGLIACCI: VESTI LA GIUBBA (“For the First Time”)
- AVE MARIA (Schubert “For the First Time”)
- PASSIONE (RCA Rome)
- ONE ALONE (from THE DESERT SONG) (RCA Rome as recorded, no chorus)
- TURANDOT: NESSUN DORMA (“Serenade” alternate take) PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
- SIGN OFF from MARIO LANZA (“May I wish you the very best of everything in life always…”) PREVIOUSLY UNRELEASED
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.
