The Student Prince

[Joe Fagan]

I have never quite understood *why* Mario made a second album of
this ( I believe in Europe ), after making the lush, incomparable
film track recordings a few years earlier. Even Lanza himself could
not compete with his virtually perfect recordings! I recognize that
the arrangements were different ( and not as exciting), but it beats
me why in the world would one would prefer the latter over the sound
track recordings! Is there some explanation of this? Moreover, I
have to believe the sales of the album had to be insignificant
compared to the best selling " Student Prince" soundtrack. One seldom
hears the later -made album anyway ( which is a good thing!)

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Joe: The idea to re-record The Student Prince would surely have
come from RCA, not Lanza, and was nothing more than an attempt to
capitalize on the new demand for stereo LPs. For the same reason, RCA
wanted Mario to re-record his Great Caruso album in 1960 -- a
ridiculous concept, when you think about it, since even the original
album only contained four arias that were actually featured in the
film.

According to a letter from Lanza's agent John Coast, Mario was
originally scheduled to re-record The Student Prince in the summer of
1958 with Anna Moffo. Now that might have been something! After all,
Lanza was in great voice that year, and if he'd been able to sing with
the same superb sense of style that we hear on the best of the For the
First Time soundtrack and the Mario! album, anything could have been
possible, especially with the sublime Anna at his side in the studio.
(It would have been a travesty if they'd recorded their parts
separately!) But the voice would still have been too dark in 1958 for
the appropriate sound of a youthful prince. Of course, it's highly
unlikely that this would have occurred to anyone at RCA -- and even if
it had, I doubt that it would have dissuaded them from going ahead
with the remake.

Incredibly, though, RCA actually withdrew the original soundtrack
album from the market for quite a number of years after the stereo
remake was released in 1959. One could still buy the original versions
of I'll Walk With God and Beloved on the compilation albums I'll Walk
With God and You Do Something to Me, respectively, but other classic
recordings such as the immortal Serenade and Drink! Drink! Drink!
weren't available, as far as I know, throughout the 1960s. Even the
1964 "Best of Mario Lanza" album featured the 1959 version of Serenade
(not to mention other unfortunate choices such as Funiculi'
Funicula'). What a ridiculous situation!

I do maintain, though, that if we'd never heard the soundtrack album
of The Student Prince, then we'd regard the 1959 version with much
more favour. For a man who had just suffered a heart attack -- or who
was just about to suffer one -- (the recording dates aren't known),
some of the singing isn't bad at all on this album, and some of it is
very good indeed. Thoughts Will Come To Me, for example, is, in many
ways, what Ideale is to the Caruso Favorites album -- a restrained but
hauntingly memorable performance. I also like Just We Two and
Summertime in Heidelberg.

[Derek McGovern]

Just a PS to the above: of all Lanza's five 1959 albums, The Student
Prince suffers from the worst possible combination of cirumstances:
terrible sound quality, bad arrangements (in most instances, anyway),
a tenor in the worst physical shape of his life, and a soprano of
indifferent quality (she sounds old enough to be barmaid Kathy's
mother!). Add to the above mix a conductor -- Paul Baron -- with whom
Mario didn't enjoy much of a rapport (though somehow this didn't
matter in the case of their Caruso Favorites album), and you have the
recipe for a disaster on the scale of the Lanza on Broadway album. And
yet somehow it wasn't a debacle; in fact, it wasn't even the worst
album that Lanza recorded in 1959; that particular "honour" goes to
the Christmas LP, in my opinion.

[Derek McGovern]

Just revisiting this older thread, here's a link to the "raw" 1959
version of Summertime in Heidelberg (without the overlaid contribution
of soprano Norma Giusti):

http://www.4shared.com/file/51425706/85ced551/Summertime_in_Heidelberg__raw_version_.html

Mario's not half bad here! While this rendition isn't perfect (eg, his
intonation is a little shaky on "The fragrant breeze" -- though he's
hardly helped by the arrangement), he produces some attractive soft
singing here in an irresistibly suave voice. What's more, the slight
rasp in his voice that mars his few attempts at mezza voce on the
Christmas album a month later is more or less absent here. I like this
performance.

[Joe Fagan]

just lovely Derek!. To Me, his voice was at his best during this
period..,,i.e,, "the Student Price era". I realize his voice became darker,
richer and more baritonal ( is there such a word? ) in later years....but
this was his pure "velvet gold" voice. Thanks for this!...ciao....Joe

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Joe: I'm just slightly confused by your post -- you do realize that
this recording was made in April 1959, don't you? While I agree with
you that Lanza's voice is "velvet gold" here, I have the feeling that
you've mistakenly assumed it was an outtake from the original Student
Prince sessions of seven years earlier. (I can understand that,
though, as the Mario we hear on *this* 1959 recording, at least,
sounds a lot more like the romantic Lanza of yore.)

[Joe Fagan]

yep, sorry , my goof! but it *did* sound like the younger lanza, did it
not?

----- Original Message -----
From: "Derek McGovern" <derek.m...@gmail.com>
To: <mario...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2008 5:54 PM
Subject: Re: The Student Prince (1959 version)

>

[Muriel]

Hi Derek: I am quite taken with this later Summertime. I don't
consider comparing it with the early recording, but rather, think of
it in this way: Because of the absence of a singing partner, I picture
an older prince, in a nostalgic mood, strolling around in his palace
garden in the evening as the stars first begin to show their twinkling
lights. He is reminiscing about an earlier time in his life (perhaps
the happiest time in his life), and he begins to sing softly to
himself. To me, the tone of the song has a faraway flavor and Mario
doesn't rush through it, but seems to find contentment in reprising
the lyrics. It is familiar to him as he (as the prince) has probably
been transported repeatedly back in time to that enchanted time of his
youth. As he enunciates clearly and deliberately, I can also relive
with him, that very precious experience.

Some of my favorite lines are: ".....strolling underneath the sun...",
"all the frauleins wear flowers in their hair....", "....but have a
care, or someone there, may steal your heart away....", "Strange
things happen on a summer night, when the bells begin to chime. It
could happen to----someone *just like you*....." . Yes, we can truly
recall the sound of the earlier prince in those lines. Was it only a
few years ago?

It is a moment like this that brings the brevity of Mario's career
home to me- barely more than half a decade separates these two
recordings. I cannot complain about the quality of this particular
rendition....very nice....

On Jun 15, 4:16 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Just revisiting this older thread, here's a link to the "raw" 1959
> version of Summertime in Heidelberg (without the overlaid contribution
> of soprano Norma Giusti):
>

> http://www.4shared.com/file/51425706/85ced551/Summertime_in_Heidelber...

[Derek McGovern]

Lovely post, Muriella! You've identified my favourite moments of Lanza
phrasing on this rendition. Very elegantly done, and with incredible
depth in the voice.

It's interesting that this was actually the first song he recorded for
the album. It was followed -- presumably on the same day -- by Just We
Two and Thoughts Will Come to Me. Now when you consider that these
three renditions are arguably the best singing that Mario does on the
album, not to mention the fact that he sounds much better *vocally* on
these tracks as well, the 1959 Student Prince sessions actually
started out promisingly. His good vocal condition here makes me wonder
if these tracks were recorded a couple of weeks before his heart
attack on April 17th, with the remaining tracks recorded either
immediately before it (when he was probably feeling dreadful) or
during the period in which he was recuperating from the attack. That
would certainly explain the harshness in his timbre that suddenly
intrudes on the next recordings he made for the album (Golden Days and
I'll Walk With God). Of course, how he could even be singing in such a
condition is beyond me!

> > performance.- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Jan Hodges]

Thank you for this track Derek.How do you keep coming up with these gems? Jan

[Maria Luísa]

Just beautiful. Thank you very much for the precious link, Derek.
Mario's voice is still wonderful if we have in account the previous or
subsequent heart attack he suffered immediately before or right after
this recording. Incredible really. A few minutes ago I tried to send a
post on this exact subject, his still supreme quality of voice by
1959, but once again 'not delivered, try again later'. A pity as I
think I wrote a few interesting things, excuse my immodesty. Let's see
if I'll be able to send it later.
I asked in the post if it was possible for you to leave links to the
other recordings of this album you mentioned about which you stated
some imperfections on Mario's voice. Speaking for myself I just would
love to listen to them. Thank you again Derek. Luísa

On Jun 15, 9:16 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Just revisiting this older thread, here's a link to the "raw" 1959
> version of Summertime in Heidelberg (without the overlaid contribution
> of soprano Norma Giusti):
>

> http://www.4shared.com/file/51425706/85ced551/Summertime_in_Heidelber...

[Sam]

Derek,
The recording gave me goose bumps! Incredibly beautiful and
positive proof that Mario's voice was not worn out by 1959 as some
recordings from that period would have you believe. About the only
difference I can detect between this one and the earlier one is that
the voice is a tad darker here and the lowest notes seem to come
easier to him. Now I am quite anxious to hear the other two tracks
made on the same day. Hope you can supply those!

[Muriel]

Hi Sam, do you have the DLP CDs, I'll Walk With God and One Alone? If
so, you can hear these recordings. Serenade, Golden Days, Thoughts
Will Come To Me and I'll Walk With God are on I'll Walk With God, and
Just We Two, Drink, Drink, Drink and Summertime in Heidelberg are on
the One Alone CD.
Mario sounds so strained on the ending of Serenade that I want to
cry.....
The poor man was obviously in distress at that point...

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Luísa and Sam: Glad you enjoyed the recording. Actually, there was
never any suggestion from those who were working with Lanza in 1959
that his voice had begun to deteriorate; rather it
was the man himself whose health was so obviously in decline. Even the
highly unsympathetic Paul Baron -- the conductor on these recordings
-- made that point to me in 1982, pounding his coffee table with his
hand as he said it! But obviously a singer's voice reflects his/her
current physical condition, so it's not surprising that Mario sounds
strained and tired on some of the other tracks -- especially those
recorded closest to the time of his first heart attack. It would be
nice, though, if we knew the exact session dates (RCA Italia was
always very lax about these things); all we know is that the album was
recorded at some point in April, with the unfortunate Christmas album
made the following month.

For legal reasons, I can't upload the other recordings from the 1959
Student Prince (as I understand it, they're still protected by
copyright outside of the US until next year), but I can offer you a
link to what I consider Lanza's finest performance on the album, the
indescribably haunting Thoughts Will Come To Me:

http://www.4shared.com/file/51560610/7d76ae45/Thoughts_Will_Come_Back...

I don't think I've ever heard this recording sound better than it does
here. This is Lanza in the same vocal and interpretive form as we find
him on his sublime Ideale of two months later.

Enjoy!
Derek

[Joe Fagan]

just beautiful, and so touching, Derek!. Thanks for this. I could visualize
Mario singing this to US as his last song on earth ( I know it wasn't, but
for some reason it popped into my head).....Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: "Derek McGovern" <derek.m...@gmail.com>

To: "The Mario Lanza Forum" <mario...@googlegroups.com>

Sent: Monday, June 16, 2008 4:19 PM
Subject: Re: The Student Prince (1959 version)

[Sam]

Derek,
Thanks for uploading another winner. Passionate and incisive,
this is a great job.

Muriel,
Thanks for noting the DLP CD's. I have all of them. It is just
that Derek's uploads are somehow more clear. The DLP tracks are
distorted and fuzzy. Who would have thought we would all the enjoying
and praising some of the 1959 Student Prince when the 1953 recordings
are considered golden around here....except to me, as I prefer the
richer voiced Lanza in this case.

> Derek- Hide quoted text -

[Maria Luísa]

Thank you very much Derek for the link, again the magic voice of
Mario. Although and not understanding much about the techniques of a
voice except recognizing its intrinsic beauty of tone, phrasing and
amplitude and the three touching your soul, excuse me to ask this:
isn't Mario's voice in this recording, its famous amplitude much lower
(if this is the correct word) than for example his extraordinary,
fabulous state of voice in the same year, 1959 - or was it 1958? -
when he made his last film? For me the quality of his unique voice,
both in arias and songs, in his last film is absolutely supreme and
unforgettable. Thanks again Derek. Luísa

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Luísa: The For the First Time recordings were made over a three-month period in the latter half of 1958, beginning with the four operatic selections with orchestra (at the Rome Opera House) at the end of August. Lanza was in excellent voice and great stylistic form throughout all of the sessions, with the only exception being his oddly strained rendition of La Donna e' Mobile in September.

The voice we hear on The Student Prince of April 1959 is generally a darker, heavier sound than that of the Mario! album sessions of December 1958 and the FTFT soundtrack. It simply reflects the fact that Lanza's health had worsened in the intervening months. But the interesting thing is that on a few of his final recordings (eg, Azuri's Dance, Riff Song, and One Flower Grows Alone in Your Garden), which were made in August 1959, his voice is actually lighter again. The same thing happened in 1956, with the Cavalcade of Show Tunes album revealing a more lyric sound than that heard on the Serenade soundtrack of 1955.

Sam: I'm glad you found the sound quality pleasing. I use lots of different sources, and in many cases the DLP CDs run at the wrong speed or feature substandard sound. Take the home rehearsal of the Improvviso, for example, in our Files section -- that's not from DLP, and it's not only a longer version of the rehearsal, but one featuring better sound quality. You may also enjoy this:

http://www.4shared.com/file/51702617/8b93a7c6/Summertime_In_Heidelberg.html

[Derek McGovern]

Incidentally, I take back what I wrote yesterday on the other "1959"
thread about the '59 Student Prince Serenade being marred by a certain
harshness in Lanza's timbre. This morning I listened to this recording
on both the commercial CD (which is available from BMG Japan) and the
"I'll Walk With God" CD put out by Damon Lanza Productions (DLP) --
the latter being the "raw" version without all the added echo.
(Frustratingly, however, it also runs slow.) Although the sound is
much better overall on the commercial CD, I discovered that the
echo-less DLP version features none of the harshness that spoils
Mario's rendition from "Soft in the trees sighs the echo of my
longing" onwards.

As a piece of singing, the 1959 Serenade is also much better than I'd
remembered it. True, Lanza is sloppy with his line both times on
"Nothing is heard but the song of a bird", and there are one or two
other blemishes, but he's hardly helped by the threadbare
accompaniment. (We were certainly spoiled on the immortal MGM version
by Maurice de Packh's wonderfully lush arrangement!) In other
respects, it's an impressively *emotional* rendition of this song,
with Lanza holding nothing back, and singing with plenty of "ring" in
his voice. The B-flat at the end is also exciting.

Verdict: Not bad at all!

[Derek McGovern]

I listened to the 1952 Summertime in Heidelberg today, and to my
surprise I found myself preferring the 1959 version. This may seem
like sacrilege to those who regard everything about the MGM Student
Prince recordings as perfect (and indeed most of them are, in my
book), but I've always thought that Summertime in Heidelberg was not
up to the standard of the other songs in the film score. It's pleasant
enough -- and Lanza envelops it with all his usual warmth -- but now
that I've become used to the 1959 version, I find the earlier
rendition by comparison too fast, and, frankly, sentimental to the
point of being a little gooey :-) And to be honest, Mario doesn't sing
it quite as well as I'd remembered. His lower register lets him down
here. The 1959 version, on the other hand, is a very *sensual*
rendition, helped, of course, by the depth of Lanza's wonderfully well-
supported lower register. The only part of this rendition that I feel
is superior on the 1952 take is the middle section from "The fragrant
breeze" to "But have a care".

Don't just take my word for it, though! Here's the "classic" 1952
version:

http://www.4shared.com/file/52997569/10004bf1/Summertime_in_Heidelberg.html

And here's the 1959 version again:

http://www.4shared.com/file/51702617/8b93a7c6/Summertime_In_Heidelberg.html

I suggest listening to them one after the other. It'll be interesting
to see if anyone else here prefers the 1959 version...

Cheers
Derek

[Joe Fagan]

I must admit Derek, you opened up my eyes on this one ( I guess I should say
open up my ears...lol). Indeed, the 1959 version WAS very nice...much better
than I remembered. It is very difficult, in fact, to choose between
them....however, I will still go with the earlier version ( even thought it
is a faster arrangement). I always favor the more lyric Mario , I guess. Did
I hear a few signs of hoarseness on the later version?

Was the marriage of Rhomberg's music and Mario's throat made in heaven, or
what?? Just beautiful! .....Joe

----- Original Message -----
From: "Derek McGovern" <derek.m...@gmail.com>
To: "The Mario Lanza Forum" <mario...@googlegroups.com>
Sent: Friday, June 27, 2008 4:52 PM
Subject: Re: The Student Prince (1959 version)

>

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Joe: There's no doubt that Lanza was ideally suited to Romberg's
music (or, for that matter, to that of Romberg's contemporary Friml),
and it's inconceivable that anyone could ever surpass his MGM
renditions of Serenade and the Drinking Song from The Student Prince.
But don't forget that Summertime in Heidelberg was actually composed
by Lanza's friend Nicholas Brodszky. In fact, Brodszky's other two
contributions to the film -- Beloved and I'll Walk With God -- are
arguably as good as anything in Romberg's score, especially in Mario's
hands.

I also feel that Maurice de Packh's arrangements of all the Romberg
numbers in The Student Prince film were improvements on the originals!
(Just listen, for example, to the magical effects he creates with the
orchestral lead-ins to both Serenade and Deep in My Heart, Dear.) It
would have been fascinating to hear the results if Lanza had used De
Packh's arrangements on his 1959 Student Prince sessions. I think it's
telling, though, that on the rewritten Overture that we hear on the
1959 version, it starts with the dramatic Beloved theme by Brodszky.
It's a very dark opening (and a long way indeed from the fairytale
world of Romberg), thus suggesting that the entire 1959 recording was
conceived as a much more dramatic take on The Student Prince than
anything that had been heard before.

Yes, there's a hint of a rasp (for want of a better word) in Lanza's
voice on the 1959 Summertime in Heidelberg, but it doesn't bother me
at all.

> >http://www.4shared.com/file/52997569/10004bf1/Summertime_in_Heidelber...

>
> > And here's the 1959 version again:
>

> >http://www.4shared.com/file/51702617/8b93a7c6/Summertime_In_Heidelber...

>
> > I suggest listening to them one after the other. It'll be interesting
> > to see if anyone else here prefers the 1959 version...
>
> > Cheers

> > Derek- Hide quoted text -

[Lou]

Hi Derek: Mine is almost an eenie, meenie, miney moe choice because I
love both versions, but I find the fresher, more lyrical voice of the
younger Lanza, as well as the faster tempo, better suited to the
lighthearted lyrics. I don't want to be a wet blanket, but the tempo
of the 1959 version initially reminded me of a lullaby. Of course, the
sensual quality to Lanza's darkened, deepened voice soon put it out of
my mind.

On Jun 27, 1:52 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I listened to the 1952 Summertime in Heidelberg today, and to my
> surprise I found myself preferring the 1959 version. This may seem
> like sacrilege to those who regard everything about the MGM Student
> Prince recordings as perfect (and indeed most of them are, in my
> book), but I've always thought that Summertime in Heidelberg was not
> up to the standard of the other songs in the film score. It's pleasant
> enough -- and Lanza envelops it with all his usual warmth -- but now
> that I've become used to the 1959 version, I find the earlier
> rendition by comparison too fast, and, frankly, sentimental to the
> point of being a little gooey :-) And to be honest, Mario doesn't sing
> it quite as well as I'd remembered. His lower register lets him down
> here. The 1959 version, on the other hand, is a very *sensual*
> rendition, helped, of course, by the depth of Lanza's wonderfully well-
> supported lower register. The only part of this rendition that I feel
> is superior on the 1952 take is the middle section from "The fragrant
> breeze" to "But have a care".
>
> Don't just take my word for it, though! Here's the "classic" 1952
> version:
>

> http://www.4shared.com/file/52997569/10004bf1/Summertime_in_Heidelber...

>
> And here's the 1959 version again:
>

> http://www.4shared.com/file/51702617/8b93a7c6/Summertime_In_Heidelber...

[Sam]

Hi Derek,
As you know I am one of the very few who is not a fan of the
1952 SP. I have always felt that it is "Lanza lite". The voice is not
rich enough to my ears and that is odd considering that the Coke show
songs from the same period have a much richer quality. Did he lighten
his voice on purpose? I can't see why....especially in a dramatic song
like the Drinking Song. At times the voice almost sounds constricted.
Yes, the voice is lyrical and beautiful---but doesn't this role demand
a darker sound? Well, then, it goes without saying that, like you, I
now prefer the 1959 version. There are two exceptions that I like very
much on the 1952 album. They are Beloved and I'll Walk With God. These
sound more like his best Coke output. I do realize that Beloved was
made a year later.

> > Derek- Hide quoted text -

[Mike McAdam]

Hey, there’s a coincidence! I had just had time for only a quick
glance at the “Summertime in Heidelberg” thread and ….whaddya know?
Derek took the words out of my mouth: the 1959 version is better than
the 1952 boyish-voiced version….most of it, that is!
I had just finished mucking about (as usual) with a juxtapositioning
of lines and/or bars from the two versions and cobbling a mélange of
both together in my music editing program.
So, with Derek’s post (and your responses), my efforts seem quite à
propos in retrospect.

Give a listen and see what you think? Here’s the link to the rapidly-
top-heavying :-) music directory on my site:

http://www.macadamedia.com/music/Lanza_Heidelberg52&59.mp3

As for the “raspy” comments viz-a-vis 1959’s outing…I thought it was
the voice of a smoker, for sure. But, what overtones, what velvet,
what richness…ahh, Mario, your best was yet to come…sigh!
M.

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Derek McGovern]

Delightful, Mike! It's fascinating being taken back and forth between
the two versions, and I loved the little duet between the two Marios
at the end. Thanks for all your hard work in concocting this!

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Sam: There's no doubt that Lanza opted for a more appropriately
lyric tone on his 1952 Student Prince recordings. He would have been
conscious of wanting to sound as youthful as possible, and he
certainly succeeded. But we also hear this lighter voice on quite a
few of the Coke Shows from this period -- think of his 1952 recordings
of A Kiss and Senza Nisciuno, for example.

I don't think Lanza sounds constricted at all on the RCA/BMG mix of
Drink! Drink! Drink! -- to my ears, he's magnificent here -- but I
agree that on the film soundtrack itself, his voice doesn't ring out
quite as freely. (This is despite the fact that it's the same
recording.) But it's funny you should say that Mario's voice isn't
rich enough on the 1952 Student Prince. My own partner made the same
comment the other day about the '52 Serenade, adding that Mario's
voice production was slightly nasal. (Actually, it *is* at one point,
but it doesn't bother me at all; the recording's a masterpiece as far
as I'm concerned!) It's interesting, though, that in my experience,
most younger listeners to whom I play Lanza prefer his later, richer
voice. A work colleague of mine can't stop raving over the darkness
and depth of the 1958 Vesti la Giubba, for example, and my own partner
feels that the voice we hear on the 1958 "Mario!" album is much
superior to that of the MGM Student Prince. But for me, the Student
Prince recordings of 1952-53 reveal a singer in peak vocal and
stylistic form who is every bit as great as the artist we encounter on
the "Mario!" album and the For the First Time soundtrack.

> > - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

[Ann-Mai]

Hi Mike.
Thanks for sharing yet another great mélange of yours. I’m glad you
picked the line "It could happen to someone just like you" from the
1952 version. :-) I just love his slightly shake on the word "someone"
– thrills me every time. And the ending duet is brilliant.

Derek: The musical intro to the 1959 version sure is neat, and Mario
adds some nice touches to it, but as a whole I still prefer the
earlier version. When I hear it, I find myself floating on a pink
cloud. I can physically feel my temperature rise, listening to this
wonderful warm and velvet voice of the ‘young’ Mario.
And I much prefer Ann’s voice over the two other ladies. It is not my
cup of tea when *songs* are sung in an operatic manner, it is way too
solemn (save it for the operas).

> > - Show quoted text -- Skjul tekst i anførselstegn -
>
> - Vis tekst i anførselstegn -

[Muriel]

Michael, what a busy boy you've been!!! These "cobbling" excursions
are so precious! It would be too marvelous to have them all on a
CD... I am amazed at the difference in the voices after only a
relatively few years. I usually tend to choose the *later* voice , but
that lilting lyric one popping in here and there, makes for an
enchanting experience. I must look for that fudge recipe....

Thanks a million!!!

[Jan Hodges]

I have just listened to Summertime in Heidelberg and I prefer the 1959 version. I think for me it is merely a matter of taste as I prefer Mario's later voice with the increased depth and warmth . It just seemed more controlled with a more even tone. However I prefer Ann Blyth to the soprano on the later version. She just seems a bit too operatic for this light song. A very nice "melange "Mike. When I listen I am reminded of The Cobbler's Song and I think of you at your computer etc......"Cobble all night and cobble all day and I sing as I cobble this tuneful lay". You have certainly cobbled a "tuneful lay" here. Just speculating but if Mario had regained his health and been able to set his demons at rest I think we would have heard a voice and performances that would have been completely untouchable and he would have received the plaudits that he so richly deserved. Ah well..It wasn't to be. I am still grateful for what we have. Jan

[Vince Di Placido]

Great piece of work, Mike!
I do love Mario's youthful lighter voice, it really was one of the
most beautiful, exciting sounds that ever came from a human being, but
I always thought that the 1952 Summertime in Heidelberg lacked a
little richness from Mario in the lower notes, it's almost like he is
just getting there, it is the trade-off, I suppose, for such a
beautiful, lyric romantic sound from Mario on these Student Prince
sessions. There is no lack of richness on the 1959 recording, it is a
lovely piece of warm, romantic singing, I love it.
As for Mario being nasal, I think the Because you're mine soundtrack
contains his most nasally, constricted singing.

[Derek McGovern]

On 6/30/08, Vince Di Placido <vincent....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> As for Mario being nasal, I think the Because you're mine soundtrack
> contains his most nasally, constricted singing.

That's an interesting comment, Vince. I'd certainly agree that Mario
sounds constricted on the soundtrack versions of The Song Angels Sing
and the Addio alla Madre. Then again, the recording quality may have
something to do with it. The sound is boxed in and lacking in any kind
of dynamic range, and there's little resonance in it. Lanza's
soundtrack rendition of Granada suffers badly from this (poor Mario --
his 1949 Granada was poorly recorded as well!). I've read that the
making of the Because You're Mine soundtrack coincided with dramatic
changes to the way that MGM did its recordings, and certainly the
sound quality is very different from what we hear on The Great Caruso.

[Maria Luísa]

I did not thank you Derek for your answer of the 18th and I'm sorry
for it, the reason is I overlooked it somehow witch is strange since I
read all comments, but I did. I agree with you, is most true that the
59 version of S. In Heidelberg is more like the Mario we know and is a
pity for otherwise and as you say I, like most, find the rest of his
singing in S.P. absolutely superb, his voice is at its utmost
brilliance in every aspect, I think. Precious links of both versions
you left to us to be very much thanked for.
For Muriel: Yesterday I lost a post where I congratulated you for the
judicious way you described One Alone and how so very acutely you
pointed out some phrases and words of that song you particularly love
and how Mario so beautifully pronounces and sings them and I could
not agree more. Some time ago I read several of your comments with the
same detailed loving analysis on songs and was a delightful reading.
Very beautiful.

On Jun 27, 9:52 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I listened to the 1952 Summertime in Heidelberg today, and to my
> surprise I found myself preferring the 1959 version. This may seem
> like sacrilege to those who regard everything about the MGM Student
> Prince recordings as perfect (and indeed most of them are, in my
> book), but I've always thought that Summertime in Heidelberg was not
> up to the standard of the other songs in the film score. It's pleasant
> enough -- and Lanza envelops it with all his usual warmth -- but now
> that I've become used to the 1959 version, I find the earlier
> rendition by comparison too fast, and, frankly, sentimental to the
> point of being a little gooey :-) And to be honest, Mario doesn't sing
> it quite as well as I'd remembered. His lower register lets him down
> here. The 1959 version, on the other hand, is a very *sensual*
> rendition, helped, of course, by the depth of Lanza's wonderfully well-
> supported lower register. The only part of this rendition that I feel
> is superior on the 1952 take is the middle section from "The fragrant
> breeze" to "But have a care".
>
> Don't just take my word for it, though! Here's the "classic" 1952
> version:
>

> http://www.4shared.com/file/52997569/10004bf1/Summertime_in_Heidelber...

>
> And here's the 1959 version again:
>

> http://www.4shared.com/file/51702617/8b93a7c6/Summertime_In_Heidelber...

[Mike McAdam]

I was remarking to Derek privately that it is immediately apparent
upon first listen that the 'miking' methodology used for Mario's
sessions with RCA differ markedly from those used on the MGM
soundstage. While Lanza's approach to his vocals was always
"different" than when he was in the RCA studios (and that's a topic
for a whole other discussion!), the MGM recordings are absolutely
'dry'; not an ounce of resonance or reverb. Mario must have been
esconsed within a booth with fibreboard and papier-maché egg cartons
on every surface. I think the 1959 miking techniques and eqpt really
brought out Lanza's instrument far better than in the 1952 timeframe
(you can hear the marked contrast in my 52/59 interspersed bits here
in this thread). Although RCA was using the best studio ribbon mikes
back in '52 (they can be observed in various photos of the period) the
tape eqpt was not full-frequency-range high fidelity and the mastering
process was definitely more rudimentary back then (as we've witnessed
on a number of occasions).

And, on that note, let us pray that some boffin, some day will pull
the sound out of those 1959 recordings that the savvy Harvest 'Encore'
engineers did. Any chance we can ferret out their identities and
perhaps contact them to plant a seed here?

Another query (which only Mario Lanza could answer): Why the ultra-
lyric, boyish voice on most of those Student Prince soundtrack
recordings (with a couple of notable exceptions)? Had Bernhardt given
him food for thought after the 'Beloved' fiasco? You listen to his
Coke renditions of the 'Serenade' and 'Deep In My Heart, Dear', which
were recorded only a couple of months before, and his approach there
was almost operatic (and stylistically off the mark). I realize he was
"singing to the Gallery" in the Coke shows, as we've witnessed on many
of his song endings, but wasn't it amazing how Mario could seemingly
change his instrument at will? I know that the sweet, tasteful, lyric
approach on the soundtrack was a pleasant surprise to my mother and
grandmother who dragged this eight-yr old in to see the 1954 film. I
always remember her comment to my mother..."oh, I do hope he doesn't
shout!" She wasn't disappointed in that respect but how she reacted to
Mario's tenor emanating from tall, suave baritone-voiced Edmund
Purdom? Well, you can guess.

Enough digression. Off to dabble with another musical mélange on this
Canada Day (the garden weeds can wait!)
M.

> > Derek- Hide quoted text -

[Armando]

I always thought that Lanza saw the role of the prince as a supremely
romantic one and approached the recording of the soundtrack numbers
accordingly by employing a lighter, more lyrical colouring which, in
my opinion, is perfectly suited to the filmed version of the operetta.
And this, by the way, includes the much discussed Summertime in
Heidelberg, which I find not only beautifully sung, but also
appropriately tender considering that in the filmed sequence the
prince is only inches away from Kathy’s head.

The 1959 recording is an entirely different story. Here the approach
is decidedly operatic and is, in fact, similar to that of other
singers who have either sung the role on stage or recorded the
original Romberg score. In his 1961 recording, for example, Jan
Peerce’s interpretation is completely operatic. His Serenade has even
less light and shade than Lanza’s, in fact hardly any. And lets face
it; after listening to Peerce’s constricted sound the Lanza voice,
even as heavy as it is, comes as a relief. I find his rendition of the
Serenade particularly pleasing with some lovely touches such as on the
line ‘only you can tell it how- beloved’, and there’s the splendid B
flat ending.

In fact, the only real problem I have with the 1959 album is Beloved.
Here the poetry of the earlier, brilliant recording is totally
missing. Lanza’s interpretation sounds laboured and, for once, he
fails to convey the romance of the lyrics. The fact that it’s sung in
far too low a key and in a rather dreadful arrangement does not help
matters.

[Derek McGovern]

On 7/2/08, Mike McAdam <macad...@ns.sympatico.ca> wrote:
>
> I was remarking to Derek privately that it is immediately apparent
> upon first listen that the 'miking' methodology used for Mario's
> sessions with RCA differ markedly from those used on the MGM
> soundstage. While Lanza's approach to his vocals was always
> "different" than when he was in the RCA studios (and that's a topic
> for a whole other discussion!), the MGM recordings are absolutely
> 'dry'; not an ounce of resonance or reverb. Mario must have been
> esconsed within a booth with fibreboard and papier-maché egg cartons
> on every surface. I think the 1959 miking techniques and eqpt really
> brought out Lanza's instrument far better than in the 1952 timeframe
> (you can hear the marked contrast in my 52/59 interspersed bits here
> in this thread). Although RCA was using the best studio ribbon mikes
> back in '52 (they can be observed in various photos of the period) the
> tape eqpt was not full-frequency-range high fidelity and the mastering
> process was definitely more rudimentary back then (as we've witnessed
> on a number of occasions).

Hi Mike: I must say that I never thought I'd see the day when someone
would praise the recording quality on any of Lanza's 1959 albums! But
you're right about Summertime in Heidelberg, which along with a
handful of other 1959 recordings, does have pretty good sound. I do
feel, though, that none of the 1959 material was as well recorded as
the Mario! album (as heard on the SACD version, at least).

As far as the 1952-53 Student Prince is concerned, I still think that
when BMG finally gets around to issuing a decently remastered version
of it, we'll all be delighted with the results. The problem with their
1989 CD release (the disc that's coupled with The Desert Song) is that
they've misguidedly used the early 1970s "stereo effect" version of
The Student Prince as their source. But if you listen to I'll Walk
With God on the later BMG CD You'll Never Walk Alone, you'll hear a
much-superior reproduction of that recording, thus revealing the type
of superior sound quality they can achieve when they put their minds
to it. (Beloved, too, sounds much better on the 3-CD Mario Lanza
Collection than it does on the 1989 Student Prince CD.)

Mike also wrote:

> And, on that note, let us pray that some boffin, some day will pull
> the sound out of those 1959 recordings that the savvy Harvest 'Encore'
> engineers did. Any chance we can ferret out their identities and
> perhaps contact them to plant a seed here?

Well, I suppose we could always write to Harvest Music! I certainly
would love to know how they -- a humble subsidiary of BMG -- were able
to achieve much-superior results on virtually all the recordings on
their 2-CD Encore set. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their
restoration of Ideale and Serenata, in particular.

[Derek McGovern]

Thanks for a most interesting post, Armando. I've inserted a few
comments of my own below

On 7/2/08, Armando <cesa...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> I always thought that Lanza saw the role of the prince as a supremely
> romantic one and approached the recording of the soundtrack numbers
> accordingly by employing a lighter, more lyrical colouring which, in
> my opinion, is perfectly suited to the filmed version of the operetta.
> And this, by the way, includes the much discussed Summertime in
> Heidelberg, which I find not only beautifully sung, but also
> appropriately tender considering that in the filmed sequence the
> prince is only inches away from Kathy's head.

Yes, I completely agree that in the context of the film, the 1952
Summertime in Heidelberg works beautifully. Comparing the two
versions, though -- simply as performances in their own right -- I now
find myself drawn more to the 1959 version, which is not something
that I'd ever thought I would say! One is sweet; the other is sensual
-- so I guess it's nice to be spoilt for choice.

> The 1959 recording is an entirely different story. Here the approach
> is decidedly operatic and is, in fact, similar to that of other
> singers who have either sung the role on stage or recorded the
> original Romberg score. In his 1961 recording, for example, Jan
> Peerce's interpretation is completely operatic. His Serenade has even
> less light and shade than Lanza's, in fact hardly any. And lets face
> it; after listening to Peerce's constricted sound the Lanza voice,
> even as heavy as it is, comes as a relief. I find his rendition of the
> Serenade particularly pleasing with some lovely touches such as on the
> line 'only you can tell it how- beloved', and there's the splendid B
> flat ending.

I've never heard Peerce's 1961 recording, but I can well imagine how
it must sound. His voice was never a romantic one, and at 57 he would
hardly have been able to summon up the sound of a youthful prince.

I'm glad you singled out Lanza's handling of "only you can tell it how
- beloved"; that's also one of my favourite moments on his 1959
version.

[Derek McGovern]

With all this recent talk of the 1959 Student Prince, I've been listening to the album again, and, as always, one recording stood out: "Thoughts Will Come to Me."

I actually feel that this is one of Lanza's best recordings---and certainly among his most moving renditions of a song. (It's also by far the best recorded number on the album.) Listen to what he does with lines such as "Still I hear the words of sad and solemn truth/On this day I bid farewell to you" and "Freedom and the joy of life forever flown." I can't fault this singing! Wonderful phrasing, great breath control, and capped by a rich, velvety voice of almost unbearable pathos.

Definitely a lump-in-the-throat experience.

Cheers
Derek

[leeann]

Dear Derek, I appreciate your highlighting this recording. It took a bit of mental gymnastics to hear it as a stand-alone consummate performance. I tried to listen to this as if I weren't so familiar (now) with Lanza's work, with the incomparable earlier Student Prince, and as if I were perhaps hearing him for the first time.

I don't know that I'd say it's "among his most moving renditions of a song." I'm not quite there, in spite of your explanation, but in addition to the parts you cite, I was profoundly moved with "farewell to youth. To joy. To truth. ...Weary in the path, I walk alone."  Beyond gripping. Wow.

What I do know is that, to me, the tone of his voice, the depth, seems totally expressive of a mature vision. It's not a young prince moving into adulthood. Lanza turns it into something really different. Because of the profundity and maturity of his voice, he gives us a different character in a different context that, I guess, because there's no accompanying movie or theatre, I have to imagine. 

Perhaps the whole thing about the 1959 Student Prince recording is simply that this is NOT the persona of 1952 at all, and it took me a while to figure that out; it's just not the re-creation of the earlier recording. Lanza was not the same; his voice was not the same. He brings a new point of view; it's a different man at a different time with a different perspective on life and experience. Cheers, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann: In the cold light of day, perhaps I was getting slightly carried away when I described "Thoughts Will Come to Me" as one of Lanza's "best" recordings---after all, there's some amazing competition in his legacy for that description!---but I'd certainly place it in his Top 100. It's extremely well sung, and, really, I couldn't ask for a more convincing portrayal of loss. As I've written elsewhere, it's this album's equivalent to Caruso Favorites' "Ideale" in its quietly devastating way. The two recordings even sound as though they could have been recorded on the same day---although two months actually separate them. 

But while Lanza "looked in the best of health" in June 1959 (according to one eyewitness) at the time of recording Caruso Favorites, to a young British fan, Elsie Sword, who visited him at Easter of that same year---just days before he started recording The Student Prince---he appeared "not at all well," with his skin "a strange sort of yellow colour." Lanza was, of course, just nineteen days away from suffering a minor heart attack. It's a miracle then that he sounds as great as he does on "Thoughts Will Come to Me."

But, yes, it is a different voice---even from four months earlier, when he recorded the great Mario! album---and a very different interpretation of the Prince from 1952/53. Isn't it amazing, though, that a mere four months later, on Lanza's final album, The Desert Song---coincidentally, also interrupted by illness---a more youthful sound returns on some tracks. I've often wondered how Mario might have fared if he'd recorded The Student Prince in August rather than in April. The orchestra wouldn't have been as good (Baron coaxes some fine playing from his musicians at times), but I think there would have been more of a smile in Lanza's voice. Happily, though, none of that matters on "Thoughts Will Come to Me."

Cheers
Derek