Future BMG compilations
Derek McGovern
"off-topic chat" to "Future BMG compilations"; this subject is too
important to be buried under a miscellaneous title! I'll create a
separate chat thread later.
How did Mannering get a foot in the door? Simply by being in the right
place at the right time, I would say. When his first book came out in
the US in 1993, he was really the first "respectable" Lanza biographer
since Callinicos in 1960, and this - coupled with the fact that he was
not only living in the States, but was close friends with Ellisa Lanza
- probably gave him the necessary clout with BMG. His first effort
(for BMG UK) "The Ultimate Collection" sold very well, thus cementing
his credibility, and from then on there was no looking back for him.
I've noticed that he's careful to acknowledge Daniel Guss of BMG Head
Office in his latest books - and it's presumably Mr. Guss who gives
the green light to all Lanza releases.
The Mannering compilations include When Day is Done, My Romance,
You'll Never Walk Alone, Opera Arias and Duets, The Ultimate
Collection (BMG UK), and The Definitive Collection (BMG UK). He also
wrote the liner notes for the Albert Hall Live From London CD, and
picked - of all things! - the Coke Lamento di Federico to represent
Lanza on a BMG compilation of great operatic singers.
How much money would it cost to put out our own CD(s), as Rense has
done? Hard to say, really. His first disc was brought out under
licence to BMG Special Products (I think), but I'd say the main reason
it cost him so much was because he was using the services of a retired
BMG producer, plus a sound engineer, to go back into the vaults,
unearth material, and then remaster it. Now if we were ever able to
bring out our own compilations - not bootlegs, of course, but under
licence to BMG - we could probably put together some superb
collections without having to gain access to the BMG vaults or use a
professional engineer. (We already have our own sound experts among
us!)
Food for thought...
On 2/5/08, Muriel <mawsco...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> Welcome back, Michael. I was beginning to worry that your computer was
> beyond repair! I heartily agree with your assessment of Derek's post.
> See, I gave it 5 stars for both of us! I am grieving along with you as
> I so desperately want BMG to read and take action on Derek's
> suggestions. Who on earth gave Mannering free rein on the Lanza CD
> compilations? How did this begin? Obviously, once his foot was in the
> door, BMG closed their minds to alternate ideas. How sad is this? It
> certainly doesn't say much for their wanting to achieve a goal of
> excellence for the Lanza legacy.
>
> How much money is involved in making up a CD as Rense has done? Have
> any idea?
>
> I'll write a response to Derek's post in a bit. I'm in the middle of
> something right now....Ciao, Muriel
Derek McGovern
>
> Derek, I can think of no greater pity In the Lanza world than the fact
> that your honest insight, good taste, musicality & Love of Mario isn't
> being used by BMG on top class Lanza releases. I wish I could do
> something about it.
Thanks for your kind words, Vince. Honestly, though, you and your Papa
could no doubt come up with equally good compilation ideas. You know,
I can't imagine a more delightful opportunity than being able to
choose the selections for a Lanza CD. But, of course, with that
opportunity comes a heck of a responsibility. The compiler gets to
"play God" to the extent that his or her choices influence the way
that Lanza will be assessed by the more intelligent members of the
general public. That's why it's so important to get the selections
right! With so many Lanza bootleg CDs currently flooding the UK market
(often with appalling selections), and - amazingly - selling very well
there, almost anything that BMG cared to bring out right now would
probably do well in Britiain. I think they should therefore seize the
initiative and bring out a truly magnificent Lanza collection.
Muriel
should find out what a license would cost and then make a list of what
is needed after that. I know this is a bad time for you, but keep the
idea open and let us know if it is feasible. I'm willing to contribute
as much as possible, both physically and monetarily. I need a project
like this and it's something I'd love to see in my lifetime!
A few comments on your previous post: Never would I take any post of
yours as an ill-tempered rant! You are not capable of that.
Does Mannering work with BMG US or UK? I think you said both? I'd not
be in favor of approaching him directly either, as it might give him a
false sense of importance. I was disappointed in Mark Kidel as he had
corresponded with you and you generously gave him much information. He
also could have leaned more on Armando's comments than those of Babs
Diner, Al Teitelbaum, Terry Robinson, and Murray Garrett. Well, he
could have if he had wanted to convey Mario's serious place in the
music world. I'll bet if you took a poll of individuals after viewing
the documentary, they'd have said they weren't impressed with the
trashy parts. People want to know Mario for his music, not for stories
about insignficant details.
There again, they leaned toward Mannering and company, much to my
dismay. When I look at him and listen to his dismissals of Mario's
operatic potential, I don't get a true sense of a person who should be
considered a reliable torch bearer. He gives me no reason to trust
him. That's my personal feeling.
If he does, indeed, come out with a Mediterranean CD, I'm positive it
will be just as you described - all Coca Cola and more non-definitive
material.
Let's try and do our own thing, okay? Then we'll know the very best
compilation will happen!! What do others think about this?
>
>
>
>
>
> > Welcome back, Michael. I was beginning to worry that your computer was
> > beyond repair! I heartily agree with your assessment of Derek's post.
> > See, I gave it 5 stars for both of us! I am grieving along with you as
> > I so desperately want BMG to read and take action on Derek's
> > suggestions. Who on earth gave Mannering free rein on the Lanza CD
> > compilations? How did this begin? Obviously, once his foot was in the
> > door, BMG closed their minds to alternate ideas. How sad is this? It
> > certainly doesn't say much for their wanting to achieve a goal of
> > excellence for the Lanza legacy.
>
> > How much money is involved in making up a CD as Rense has done? Have
> > any idea?
>
> > I'll write a response to Derek's post in a bit. I'm in the middle of
>
> - Show quoted text -
Muriel
comes out, that means there is a market open to such a project. Now,
it is great that many new folks are learning about Mario, but what we
have to consider is: Mario Lanza for the ages! A *truly* definitive
compilation must be available so that future listeners will know he
had what it took to make an authentic operatic performer. This could
be touted on the opera forums and I'll bet many would change their
thinking quickly. It should also follow with his other genres as
well. Does this make sense?
Derek McGovern
I'd settle for a single operatic CD of consistently great
performances, though if it were possible to locate the Lanza/Boh Dio
Ti Giocondi duet in good sound from the vaults, a double CD would be
even better. (That way, the duet with Albanese could also be
included.) We have to bear in mind, though, that BMG would not be
interested in using any non-commercial recordings or MGM soundtrack
material from the first four films.
An operatic CD with beautiful covers (Armando's extraordinary photo
collection would come in handy here!), great liner notes, and, above
all, *superb selections* would find a ready market among discerning
listeners and fans alike, and an excellent critical response. I can
see it being reviewed enthusiastically in Opera News and the like. The
time is right for such a release.
In fact, if I were in a position of influence at BMG, I would look at
making such a CD the start of a "Lanza Re-evaluation" series, for want
of a better term. The next CD could then be Neapolitan/Italian songs
(the best of the Mario! album and other assorted recordings), followed
by a double CD dedicated to the English songs.
I don't actually object to the idea of BMG eventually releasing
*everything* that Lanza recorded on one boxed set. That way, the
erratic stuff could be placed in its proper historic context, and the
good would still outweigh the bad. But when it comes to individual
compilations, as I'm proposing, the compiler obviously has to tread
extremely carefully, and there simply isn't any excuse, given the
wealth of great material available, for any substandard selections
whatsoever. Those fans who continue to call for the release of
inferior Coke versions of various Neapolitan songs, or dubious
renditions of English songs (eg, The Touch of Your Hand), are only
thinking of themselves; they don't consider the damage that the
relentless release of substandard recordings does to Lanza's legacy.
And that's really my main complaint about BMG's decision to make the
Coke Show recordings dominate their Lanza CD releases ever since Don't
Forget Me in 1993. We all know that Mario was, at times, an erratic
performer, but by concentrating on one crazy 11-month period of his
life in which he was being pulled in all directions - and artistic
endeavour was the last thing on the minds of those around him - BMG
has misrepresented him as a much more inconsistent singer than he
really was. If you look at the other periods of his life when he was
properly prepared and in the right frame of mind, his singing, on the
whole, was not nearly as erratic.
Jan made a valid point the other day when she observed that Lanza,
were he alive today, would have been furious at the release of so much
substandard material. With the exception of the uneven Coke LP The
Touch of Your Hand, which was released in 1954 (at a point when
Lanza's financial situation was precarious), most of the Coke material
that he approved for release on LP was of a pretty high standard.
What's more - for good reason! - he never authorized the release of
any of the Coke arias or Neapolitan song renditions. If only his
wishes had been respected.
On 2/5/08, Muriel <mawsco...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
Muriel
sounds great. It could be the "go-to" set for serious Lanza followers.
We have to think beyond today, to the time when we are no longer here
to constantly point out why certain songs, duets, and arias are better
than others.
So, if the complete catalog *is* one day released, the best will
already be in existence. Gee, perhaps people years from now will be
comparing various recordings as we do right now. Yes, there could be a
double operatic set, a double love song set and even the Italian/
Neapolitan songs as well. You know how we always have more love songs
than space for a single CD.
I agree that Mario would be furious at some of the releases. I'm sure
he thought he'd be around to make better recordings and control his
own legacy. Recording whole operas was within his reach if he had
lived only a few more years...
Let's keep these ideas going and talk more as we have time...The
covers and liner notes are easily taken care of. We have our wonderful
sound guys to count on...don't we??? Hmmm, I could even write a
little blurb describing a few songs??
I like this more and more.....
Mike McAdam
oar into this particular flow :-)
It grieves me (as it does most of us, I'm sure) that Derek's spot-on
observations/opinions WRT a first-class Operatic CD release will
likely be discounted by those who hold
court and influence the decisions at Mr. Lanza's record company. We
have
travelled this road before; viz: the lengthy, detailed letter I wrote
in support of Derek's wonderfully-worded plea to Clive Davis and other
top officers at BMG (how long ago was that, Derek?).
To answer Jan's earlier question: yes...Derek and I had put a
formidable list of top-notch Operatic recordings together a year or so
ago which, if (and it's a big if) it were released as the "Best of
Lanza in Opera" would snap many an unknowing neck around and
undoubtedly burn a permanent niche for Mario Lanza in the annals of
great Operatic singing. If only because we would only pick what we are
unanimous on WRT his very best outings in the recording studio.
I firmly believe that such a collection, showcasing the results of
Lanza's initial Operatic training and the pre-Hollywood direction
that
his recording catalogue was headed, could (and would) forever
silence the still-very-active naysayers.
Wouldn't it be grand if we could work our way into the BMG/Sony
networking loop of Messrs Rense and
Mannering and had the funds to accomplish this. And, what kind of
funding, fees etc. would we be looking at? Vince and I probably have
the technical chops and required software to streamline and enhance
any sound files we were entrusted with, I'm sure. We have the photos,
could develop some serious artwork and have three or four other
members who could inject any liner notes with some riveting
readability. With our group's Mr. McGovern driving such a project,
what a smashing disc set it would surely be.
M.
>
> read more »- Hide quoted text -
jora...@comcast.net
I first fell in love with the voice of Mario as a young teenager. I
had never heard such glorious, rich tones and with such power. His
recordings simply blew me away. Mind you, all of this from 45 and 33
1/3 RPM vinyl records played on a portable 'suitcase" phonograph
using metal needles. I would work at part-time jobs saving up the
required $3.98 to purchase albums. I can plainly recall walking home
quickly , proudly holding onto a recent purchased LP of
Lanza~~~hoping not to bump into any of my gang buddies (I'd never hear
the end of wasting good cigarette money on "long-haired" music). I
loved everything he recorded even though most of it was brand new to
my ears...operatic arias and songs etc. I looked forward to hearing
his high C endings that had become kind of a Lanza signature. He was
the Rambo of singers!
Forgive my verbosity here to make my point ( almost there, promise!).
Back then, I had no way of knowing that these recordings were, for the
most part, never intended to be recorded for POSTERITY ( coming from
his radio show)..and that many of them did NOT do justice to his
majestic instrument because of the rushed recordings and the lack of
proper preparation. All that mattered to this teenager was: IT was my
hero's magnificant voice singing great melodies.
Fast forward to our adult tastes, where we NOW know what other tenors
sound like and indeed, what Mario sounds like doing a "proper" take of
some of these same arias and songs. Our tastes have grown up but the
compilations have NOT matured with them!
It is to *this* level that any compilation should be directed to! not
only to better serve the Lanza legacy but to better satisfy his
fans...and to WIN over new ones! BMG and Mannering are still catering
to that unsophisticated fan. WE want and deserve MORE, especially
since they are sitting on "better" takes. They owe it to us to pick
the gems from the stones and they also know where to go to get the
help to sort this out. Very frustrating , indeed. I guess that while
the new compilations sell well, nothing will change. BUT what happens
if a poorly packaged compilation does NOT do well? Will they suspect
the compilation, or will they conclude Lanza's popularity is fading
and maybe not worth pursuing. THIS is the real danger here and WHY his
legacy deserves better!
>
>
>
>
>
> > Welcome back, Michael. I was beginning to worry that your computer was
> > beyond repair! I heartily agree with your assessment of Derek's post.
> > See, I gave it 5 stars for both of us! I am grieving along with you as
> > I so desperately want BMG to read and take action on Derek's
> > suggestions. Who on earth gave Mannering free rein on the Lanza CD
> > compilations? How did this begin? Obviously, once his foot was in the
> > door, BMG closed their minds to alternate ideas. How sad is this? It
> > certainly doesn't say much for their wanting to achieve a goal of
> > excellence for the Lanza legacy.
>
> > How much money is involved in making up a CD as Rense has done? Have
> > any idea?
>
> > I'll write a response to Derek's post in a bit. I'm in the middle of
Muriel
you...Thank you, I hope this kind of CD happens.....M
On Feb 4, 11:26 pm, "jorain...@comcast.net" <jorain...@comcast.net>
wrote:
Derek McGovern
that "Our tastes have grown up but the
compilations have NOT matured with them!" Spot on!
On Feb 5, 5:26 pm, "jorain...@comcast.net" <jorain...@comcast.net>
wrote:
Sam
he spent countless hours in the studio cleaning up the sound, removing
every pop and click imagineable,etc. The amount of money he spent
(personal) was staggering to me. But the effort was worth it, as the
CD's show.
Sam Samuelian
Derek McGovern
singled out Rense for praise in your comments, I feel I have to say
*something*.
Regardless of how much time and money Jeff Rense lavished on those
recent CDs of his, the fact that Lanza's singing has been tampered
with on them not only cancels out any benefits that the improved
sound
brings to these discs, but commits a genuine injustice against the
man's legacy. I'm not referring to the removal of clicks and pops,
etc, but to the fact that virtually every high note on every track
that I've heard so far has been lengthened - in some cases by several
seconds.
Vince first raised this matter on the Rense forum some months back,
and Rense himself quickly jumped in and denied that he had made any
changes, insisting that the tapes "came to him that way". I wasn't in
a position to comment at the time, but now that I've heard these CDs
for myself (a friend recently sent them to me), I simply cannot
accept
that by some mysterious coincidence virtually every track that Rense
happened to stumble upon when assembling his discs featured
*significantly* longer-held high notes than had ever been heard
before. These include even RCA recordings. I don't know whether Rense
told his engineer to extend those notes or the engineer did this of
his own volition, but, either way, the tampering is completely
unacceptable.
Here are some examples (and bear in mind that I haven't listened to
all three CDs yet):
Nessun Dorma: the high B on the second syllable of "vincero" has been
lengthened by several seconds.
Lamento di Federico: again the high B has been lengthened - in this
case, by at least a couple of seconds.
La Donna 'e Mobile: the high B on "pensier" has been lengthened by
approximately two seconds.
You Do Something To Me: the second-to-last note has been extended by
several seconds.
O Sole Mio is now five seconds longer than it was on Rense's first CD!
On *many* other tracks, including If I Loved You and Long Ago & Far
Away, there have been more subtle extensions - a second or two added
here and there to give Lanza a more impressive line.
Tellingly, even the photos on the CD covers have been tampered with!
For some reason, Rense has decided to give Lanza more hair (as if the
man ever needed any help with those curly locks!). But sadly, Lanza's
"hair extensions" are an appropriate forewarning of the *vocal*
extensions that we find on these discs.
No doubt I'll find more egregious examples of tampering as I continue
to listen to these discs. But I'm appalled that Lanza's actual
performances have been altered. It's one thing to improve the sound -
and there's no doubt that Rense's engineer has done a very good job
in
that respect - but changing history by making certain notes that were
quite spectacular enough in the first instance *even more
spectacular*
is an insult both to Lanza's legacy and his admirers.
I wonder if Ellisa Lanza is aware of this tampering?
Jana
I don't know Mr.Rense, but perhaps he meant it well? It would be nice
to hear these songs improved, but not "improved". I think it is a
dangerous fashion, to alter the actual performance, not only the
recording's quality, don't you think? If you say some notes are longer
for several seconds--that's a lot. Once this is started, where will it
end? How will we know whether a performance is genuine? As a result,
Mr. Rense (or whoever played with these recordings) will do more harm
than good with such effort, which he may not be aware of. If this
becomes normal practise, nobody will enjoy the impressive long high
notes. Let alone, this is the last thing we need if we want to
persuade the "naysayers" that Mario's voice didn't need a mike and
that he was able to sing (more than) an aria in one take. What do you
think?
>
> číst dál >>- Skrýt citovaný text -
>
> - Zobrazit citovaný text -
Sam
The sound quality of these recordings is so superior and clear
that I didn't even notice the tampering because I was so enthralled by
the sound of the music and especially Mario's voice. That being said,
I agree that tampering with original recordings should not be done and
could be a dangerous thing ultimately. I can't say for sure, but I
think Jeff got so caught up in the studio with the process of
improving the master tapes that he went a bit overboard.
I gues we can look at these CD's as an interesting experiment
that probably should not be attempted again in the future. As I wrote
privately to Derek, Mario's high notes were extended even during his
life. For example, in the scene in "The Great Caruso" when he washes
down the flour in his throat with booze and then lets loose with a
high note. That note has a splice in it and was extended. But the
difference is that this is the original performance and not something
that was done today!
>
> read more »- Hide quoted text -
Jana
I think the main difference between an aria and the "washing down the
flour" scene is that the latter is just fun. You're right this
shouldn't be done with original recordings. Nevertheless, this is an
interesting topic. Which high notes were extended during Mario's life,
that you know of?
Derek McGovern
recordings. As I wrote to you privately, what's next: a five-second
extension to the high A at the end of Lanza's Passione?!
I also agree that the practice is a dangerous one. Given that Rense's
earlier CD (the 2001 I'll See You in My Dreams) served as the sound
source for a number of the recordings on Mannering's 2004 Definitive
Collection for BMG UK, what's to prevent these tampered recordings
from being similarly used on future BMG compilations? And if that
happens, then how on earth will listeners be able to distinguish
between doctored Lanza performances and undoctored ones?
Sam: I see this as a much more serious issue than just "an interesting
experiment." It actually strikes at the very credibility of Lanza's
recordings. I know that some will pooh-pooh that, but in my opinion
the minute that intelligent music lovers start listening to his Coke O
Sole Mio, for example, and questioning whether this or that sustained
note is truly authentic, then the man's legacy is immediately
undermined.
Derek McGovern
notes needs to be clarified here. To the best of my knowledge, it only
happened twice: the extension of the B-flat ending to Celeste Aida and
the extended high note in the "too much flour in the throat" scene,
both in The Great Caruso. While it's unfortunate that MGM did this -
and very clumsily too! - as even the highly critical Time magazine
article noted in 1951, any studio tampering with Lanza's recordings
was a rare event.
Vince Di Placido
On Feb 10, 9:54 pm, "Derek McGovern" <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
"In my opinion
Sole Mio, for example, and questioning whether this or that sustained
note is truly authentic, then the man's legacy is immediately
undermined."
Mario faced during his lifetime were very unfair & detracted from his
many great genuine achievements in the recording studio. It is sad to
think that after all these years that this kind of tampering is now
being played out by a fan with some spare cash. The one artist that
you should definitely not tamper with is Mario Lanza, his legacy is
already delicate or at the very least misunderstood, people already
have suspicious pre conceived notions of his abilities, unfairly we
know, but lets not provide ammunition by creating altered & extended
versions of his recordings, the worst example being lengthened high
notes, This is madness!
Muriel
distorted by these unnecessary modifications. And why were they done
in the first place? To satisfy one man's whim? If he wanted to play
God with Mario's voice, then fine, but keep such trickery to himself.
I didn't know a BMG compilation (Definitive Collection) was sourced
from Rense's former CD. Surely, they should be made aware that what
they are releasing in the future could be essentially counterfeit
material. This would add even more tragedy to his musical story.
Heaven knows, his glorious voice needs no enhancements - not any, not
ever!!! If this isn't enough to make his family upset, I don't know
what they need to open their eyes. They should want to protect the
very legacy that has provided them with a comfortable income all these
years. If I were one of his heirs, I would be on the warpath! It's bad
enough that they have been so passive about learning all they can
about their father's musical genius, but this could lead to genuine
mistrust of how he is perceived in the future.
I stated previously in this thread that the future is what we should
be concerned about. That can't be overstated. Now I'm even more
convinced we should try to produce some CDs ourselves. Just look what
he did to the ending of Roses of Picardy, making us think there was a
different take recorded. I don't know how many times I listened to
that track, trying to find other differences and it drove me crazy
when I couldn't find any. Was it just his idea of a joke?
I'm sorry, but one cannot alter Mario's recordings when he isn't here
to defend himself. How many times have we said that very thing about
some of the material in his biographies? I have been furious when
people accuse Armando of writing untruths, when his whole book is
filled with footnotes backing up his sources of information. This
musical tampering is no different from an author writing lies about
Mario. I'd hate to think his talent might be discounted as people
discover discrepancies in his recordings. I am truly upset.....Muriel
On Feb 10, 4:54 pm, "Derek McGovern" <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Sam: I'm relieved that you don't condone any tampering with Lanza's
> recordings. As I wrote to you privately, what's next: a five-second
> extension to the high A at the end of Lanza's Passione?!
>
> I also agree that the practice is a dangerous one. Given that Rense's
> earlier CD (the 2001 I'll See You in My Dreams) served as the sound
> source for a number of the recordings on Mannering's 2004 Definitive
> Collection for BMG UK, what's to prevent these tampered recordings
> from being similarly used on future BMG compilations? And if that
> happens, then how on earth will listeners be able to distinguish
> between doctored Lanza performances and undoctored ones?
>
> Sam: I see this as a much more serious issue than just "an interesting
> experiment." It actually strikes at the very credibility of Lanza's
> recordings. I know that some will pooh-pooh that, but in my opinion
> the minute that intelligent music lovers start listening to his Coke O
> Sole Mio, for example, and questioning whether this or that sustained
> note is truly authentic, then the man's legacy is immediately
> undermined.
>
Mike McAdam
some very salient points here.
I should wait a while before writing this as I am really annoyed all
over again. I am in the middle of a big photo shoot/web design job
but I've dropped that onto the taskbar for a while as I'd like to jump
in here without delay.
As for the spot-on adjectives, nouns phrases you stalwarts have used
to describe these "improved" recordings: 'one man's whim',
'counterfeit', 'play God', 'more tragedy', 'legacy already delicate,
misunderstood', 'pre-conceived notions', 'dangerous
practise'........bloody right!
You've mentioned 'future legacy' and 'intelligent music lovers'. These
are the folk we are after as these people will pass *the word* on to
others in their circle(s). (God help us not to have a 'Mario Lanza
Story' filmed with a 3rd tier Billy Zane miming to some Canadian
tenor's version of Lanza's recordings .....this is the latest that I
hear)??
I had a friend send me that "Roses of Picardy" cut in question from
the Rense CD she bought. It was so bogus that I took my LP version and
did a digital copy and subsequent removal of the 'warble' in that
closeout "...ha-ah-ah-eart". It sounded fine as an experiment and I
played it for Muriel over the phone and she agreed. Just an
illustration of what Rense could easily have done. Likewise, my ending
of the RCA "The Lord's Prayer"; the '..ah-hah-men-nuh' removed
seamlessly but only on *my* recording, not for sale to anyone in Lanza-
land (and future Lanza-land!!).
Even though I haven't been privy to the bulk of these tampered-with
recordings. I don't know if I wish to buy them now. Maudit!
M.
Derek McGovern
just been listening to yet another manipulated recording on one of the
Rense CDs - this time the 1948 Cosi Cosa, which (predictably enough)
has had its climactic note extended.
Yes, it's difficult not to get extremely angry over this whole
business. In his liner notes, Rense even boasts about one of the
recordings that's been manipulated here: "a superb alternate version"
of You'll Never Walk Alone. You won't find *this* recording anywhere
else, he tells us. And for good reason: it's a fake! It was *never* an
alternate take in its own right. "The beautiful sustained high note at
the end" that he singles out here consists of two separate takes of
the same note spliced (audibly) together. When questioned over this
recording on his forum by Vince, Rense tried vaguely to justify the
end result by saying that it was simply "better Lanza" this way.
And achieving "better Lanza" seems to have been the motive for all of
this tampering. Not content with the original performances - many of
which were splendid enough to begin with - the perpetrators have
opted, in true Frankenstein mode, to create a kind of "Lanza-plus"
with which to dazzle the more undiscriminating fans. How they ever
thought that Lanza aficionados wouldn't detect such tampering baffles
me, though.
And what of Derek Mannering's involvement here? "All Mario Lanza
compilations should be this good," he writes - without apparent irony
- in his liner notes. The fact that he singles out the "great pains"
that Rense and his engineer have taken to ensure that the 1948 Nessun
Dorma is now "simply breathtaking" makes it clear that he has indeed
listened to the recording. How then could he not have been aware that
this rendition - one of his favourite Lanza performances - had been
tampered with? But even if he didn't happen to notice that the final
"Vincero'" on this recording was now startlingly longer than it had
ever been before, he certainly knew about it once Vince had blown the
whistle on this - and other tampering. (E.g., the outrageous
lengthening of the penultimate note on You Do Something To Me.) As
chief compiler of BMG's Lanza compilations, why then did he not
dissociate himself from these discs? Instead, he did the opposite. He
even threw in a red herring, bringing up the business of the altered
ending to Celeste Aida in The Great Caruso. But surely he wasn't
implying that that particular case of tampering (during Lanza's
lifetime, and therefore with his tacit approval) somehow justified any
posthumous manipulation?
This whole business is utterly bizarre to me!
Muriel
because I had heard they had excellent sound. They do, and no one can
fault any Lanza follower for wanting to hear him in the best sound
possible. What disturbed me to the extent of writing last night was,
the fact that no one has thought what might happen to Mario's musical
value in the future when a supposed same recording sounds different
from one CD to another.
Michael has changed a few quirks, yes, but it was in response to some
of our "what-if" discussions. He has no intention of making these
available for public hearing. Such things can be done and we see this
very clearly now. I would be thoroughly discouraged if BMG ever
released anything because they blindly trusted a compiler they had
become accustomed to. This could cost the Lanza legacy dearly.
Many many times in the past I've said Mario's voice should be
available as long as there's music on this earth and ears to hear it.
But I have to add this to my wish: may it be his voice as *only* he
could sing......Ciao bella....Muriella
Derek McGovern
Yes, you're right about the sound being excellent on these CDs. That's
one of the most frustrating aspects in all this: that these *should*
have been CDs to recommend and to treasure, particularly in the case
of the live performances disc. Instead, the only people likely to end
up being satisfied with them are fans who can't tell the difference
between a three-second high B and a six-second one, and those
encountering these recordings for the first time (though, even then,
they may become suspicious about *some* of the notes, especially after
hearing the tell-tale splice on You'll Never Walk Alone).
I'm especially annoyed that the wonderful 1948 Nessun Dorma has been
ruined by the tampering. The sound is so much improved here that it
breaks my heart that I can't enjoy or recommend it as an authentic
representation of Lanza's singing that evening. I certainly hope it
doesn't find its way on to youtube and the like. Then what are we
supposed to do: keep our mouths shut about it being a doctored
performance, or tell the truth and risk casting doubt on some of
Lanza's spectacular *authentic* recordings?
Vince described this technological meddling as "madness" - and he's right.
Jana
compilation. I totally agree, this idea has come to my mind, too, but
I don't see into all those legal issues. Would we have to come to an
agreement with BMG, or would we have to buy the rights? I guess the
most radical solution would be establishing a company which would buy
all the rights for Lanza's recordings from BMG, becoming the only
subject holding them :-) For my part, I must say that things have gone
too far to accept, if there is a serious danger these manipulated
recordings would become a source for future BMG projects. I hate
helplessness. Can we do *anything*?
On 12 Ún, 02:55, "Derek McGovern" <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Muriella: Just a couple of afterthoughts from me as well.
>
> Yes, you're right about the sound being excellent on these CDs. That's
> one of the most frustrating aspects in all this: that these *should*
> have been CDs to recommend and to treasure, particularly in the case
> of the live performances disc. Instead, the only people likely to end
> up being satisfied with them are fans who can't tell the difference
> between a three-second high B and a six-second one, and those
> encountering these recordings for the first time (though, even then,
> they may become suspicious about *some* of the notes, especially after
> hearing the tell-tale splice on You'll Never Walk Alone).
>
> I'm especially annoyed that the wonderful 1948 Nessun Dorma has been
> ruined by the tampering. The sound is so much improved here that it
> breaks my heart that I can't enjoy or recommend it as an authentic
> representation of Lanza's singing that evening. I certainly hope it
> doesn't find its way on to youtube and the like. Then what are we
> supposed to do: keep our mouths shut about it being a doctored
> performance, or tell the truth and risk casting doubt on some of
> Lanza's spectacular *authentic* recordings?
>
> Vince described this technological meddling as "madness" - and he's right.
>