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#6   Non Ti Scordar di Me (Radio Show, 1952)

Mario Lanza recorded this 1935 Italian song on 3 April 1952 for his weekly radio show, with  Constantine Callinicos conducting. "Non Ti Scordar di Me" (De Curtis-Furnò) was originally written for tenor Beniamino Gigli, who sang it in his 1935 film of the same name.

This recording was first released by BMG in 1993, and is currently available on the 2009 Sony CD Serenade: A Mario Lanza Songbook.

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#7  Vaghissima Sembianza (RCA, 1959)

Mario Lanza recorded Stefano Donaudy's 1892 song in June 1959 (exact date unknown), barely four months before his death. The conductor and arranger was Paul Baron. "Vaghissima Sembianza" was first released on CD in 1989 on BMG's The Great Caruso/Caruso Favorites. The sheet music can be viewed here.

Sidenote: The Sicilian-born Donaudy (1879-1925) was reportedly just thirteen when he composed this song, for which his even younger brother, Alberto (1880-1941), wrote the (Italian) lyrics.

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Non Ti Scordar di Me!

Partirono le rondini dal mio paese freddo e senza sole,
The swallows have left my cold and sunless land,
cercando primavere di viole,
searching for spring and violets,
nidi d'amore e di felicita'.
nests of love and happiness.
La mia piccola rondine parti'
My little swallow has left,
senza lasciarmi un bacio,
without leaving me a kiss,
senza un addio parti'.
without  a goodbye, she left.

Non ti scordar di me!
Don’t forget me!
La vita mia legata e' a te!
My life is bound to you!
Io t'amo sempre piu',
I will always love you,
nel sogno mio rimani tu.
you remain in my dreams.
Non ti scordar di me:
Don’t forget me:
la vita mia legata e' a te.
My life is bound to you.
C'e' sempre un nido
There's always a nest
nel mio cor per te.
in my heart for you.
Non ti scordar di me!
Don't forget me!


Vaghissima Sembianza

Vaghissima sembianza…
Very vague semblance
D'antica donna amata,
of my formerly loved woman,
Chi, dunque, v'ha ritratta
who, then, has portrayed you
Con tanta simiglianza
with such a likeness
Ch'io guardo, e parlo,
that I gaze, and speak,
e credo d'avervi
and believe to have you
A me davanti come ai bei dì d'amor?
before me as in the beautiful days of love?

La cara rimembranza
The cherished memory
Che in cor mi s'è
Which in my heart has been
destata sì ardente
awakened so ardently
V'ha già fatta rinascer la speranza,
has already revived hope there,
Che un bacio, un voto, un grido d'amore
so that a kiss, a vow, a cry of love
Più non chiedo che a lei
I no longer ask except of her
che muta è ognor.
who is forever silent.