Lanza's films: from a vocal perspective
282 views
Skip to first unread message
Armando
Jan 1, 2009, 5:42:45 PM1/1/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
A few days back I viewed some of the musical highlights from Lanza’s
films.
There is certainly a wealth of exciting material to choose from, but
for me what really stood out was the Serenade soundtrack. In this one
Lanza is not only in superb voice but the singing in most of the
selections is outstanding. I was again astounded by the enormous
palette of colours that he was able to access in order to mold his
voice to whatever he wanted it to do.
To be able to switch convincingly from the weight of Otello to the
tenderness of the Ave Maria is nothing short of miraculous. In Amor ti
Vieta he leaves the big names for dead, but what really impresses me
is that he makes it look all so easy. For example, Di Rigori Armato,
with its incredibly difficult tessitura and repeated B flats and B
natural is a killer and yet he tosses it off with amazing facility.
Believe me, if anyone can sing this aria as impressively as Lanza did
he can sing anything.
The Otello monologue has been discussed here on more than one occasion
so all I need to say is that it’s one of Lanza’s supreme
achievements.And, of course, there’s the outstanding O Paradiso, the
spectacular, if not correctly approached, Arlesiana aria, which he
could easily have sung as it should be had he chosen or had Spadoni or
Heindorf pointed it out.
But getting back to the variety of colours at his disposal, just
compare the lyric tone he uses in Mamma Mia Che Vo Sape’, with the
dark dramatic one in Una Furtiva Lagrima, both in That Midnight Kiss.
Colouring that would have been appropriate for Celeste Aida, which
(unlike his commercial and Great Caruso soundtrack recordings) he
sings in a totally lyric way. In fact the line is the best thing in
TMK Celeste Aida – the tempo is far too fast.
Coming immediately after Serenade, the voice doesn’t sound quite as
fresh in For the First Time, but apart from the forgettable La Donna e
Mobile the remaining numbers are all good. The outstanding one is
Vesti la Giubba which, in my opinion, is superior to the two Great
Caruso takes, and those are not bad at all.
For me the standout things in TGC are all the montage snippets, (what
a Manrico, Cavaradossi and Turiddu he would have been! Let alone
Rodolfo.) Because, Ave Maria, M’appari, the Marta finale and Che
Gelida Manina which, although a little fast, is tremendously
exciting.
One thing is certain- this was a voice without equal! But it was more
than the voice. Watching the various clips I was more than ever aware
that this was the whole package. Great musicality, clear diction, good
looks, tons of charisma, tremendously expressive, total involvement
and feeling for whatever he was singing- a voice charged with
passion!
Are there other tenors that combine all these attributes? None that I
know.
films.
There is certainly a wealth of exciting material to choose from, but
for me what really stood out was the Serenade soundtrack. In this one
Lanza is not only in superb voice but the singing in most of the
selections is outstanding. I was again astounded by the enormous
palette of colours that he was able to access in order to mold his
voice to whatever he wanted it to do.
To be able to switch convincingly from the weight of Otello to the
tenderness of the Ave Maria is nothing short of miraculous. In Amor ti
Vieta he leaves the big names for dead, but what really impresses me
is that he makes it look all so easy. For example, Di Rigori Armato,
with its incredibly difficult tessitura and repeated B flats and B
natural is a killer and yet he tosses it off with amazing facility.
Believe me, if anyone can sing this aria as impressively as Lanza did
he can sing anything.
The Otello monologue has been discussed here on more than one occasion
so all I need to say is that it’s one of Lanza’s supreme
achievements.And, of course, there’s the outstanding O Paradiso, the
spectacular, if not correctly approached, Arlesiana aria, which he
could easily have sung as it should be had he chosen or had Spadoni or
Heindorf pointed it out.
But getting back to the variety of colours at his disposal, just
compare the lyric tone he uses in Mamma Mia Che Vo Sape’, with the
dark dramatic one in Una Furtiva Lagrima, both in That Midnight Kiss.
Colouring that would have been appropriate for Celeste Aida, which
(unlike his commercial and Great Caruso soundtrack recordings) he
sings in a totally lyric way. In fact the line is the best thing in
TMK Celeste Aida – the tempo is far too fast.
Coming immediately after Serenade, the voice doesn’t sound quite as
fresh in For the First Time, but apart from the forgettable La Donna e
Mobile the remaining numbers are all good. The outstanding one is
Vesti la Giubba which, in my opinion, is superior to the two Great
Caruso takes, and those are not bad at all.
For me the standout things in TGC are all the montage snippets, (what
a Manrico, Cavaradossi and Turiddu he would have been! Let alone
Rodolfo.) Because, Ave Maria, M’appari, the Marta finale and Che
Gelida Manina which, although a little fast, is tremendously
exciting.
One thing is certain- this was a voice without equal! But it was more
than the voice. Watching the various clips I was more than ever aware
that this was the whole package. Great musicality, clear diction, good
looks, tons of charisma, tremendously expressive, total involvement
and feeling for whatever he was singing- a voice charged with
passion!
Are there other tenors that combine all these attributes? None that I
know.
Joe Fagan
Jan 1, 2009, 8:34:59 PM1/1/09
to mario...@googlegroups.com
a GREAT summary! As always, you nailed it Armando!
Joe
Joe
ShawDAMAN
Jan 1, 2009, 9:53:36 PM1/1/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Nice essay!
One clip I've watched repeatedly is his "Addio alla madre" scene in
"Because your mine." The films' poor script had been well documented
but vocally he's in great shape. In this particular scene the singing
is thrilling and his acting, in my opinion, is excellent. I like this
rendition even better than his commercial recordings, to be honest.
What a shame he never put an entire operatic role on film.....
One clip I've watched repeatedly is his "Addio alla madre" scene in
"Because your mine." The films' poor script had been well documented
but vocally he's in great shape. In this particular scene the singing
is thrilling and his acting, in my opinion, is excellent. I like this
rendition even better than his commercial recordings, to be honest.
What a shame he never put an entire operatic role on film.....
Armando
Jan 2, 2009, 12:08:20 AM1/2/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
I entirely agree with your assessment of Addio Alla Madre from Because
You’re Mine, Shawn. The reason I made no reference to that particular
movie is because at the time that I compiled the DVD with the various
selections I mentioned (mostly taken from laser discs) I didn’t have a
VHS of BYM running at the right speed.
On PAL the pitch is a semitone higher.
I have since been given a copy of the VHS in NTSC and, of course, the
difference is significant.
As well as the Cavalleria aria, Lanza does well with the two versions
of BYM with Doretta Morrow, The Lord’s Prayer, the uninspiring Lee Ah
Loo, and the Addio Addio with the ordinary Peggy Bonini. The standout
singing, however, is represented by Addio Alla Madre and the roof
rising Granada.
You’re Mine, Shawn. The reason I made no reference to that particular
movie is because at the time that I compiled the DVD with the various
selections I mentioned (mostly taken from laser discs) I didn’t have a
VHS of BYM running at the right speed.
On PAL the pitch is a semitone higher.
I have since been given a copy of the VHS in NTSC and, of course, the
difference is significant.
As well as the Cavalleria aria, Lanza does well with the two versions
of BYM with Doretta Morrow, The Lord’s Prayer, the uninspiring Lee Ah
Loo, and the Addio Addio with the ordinary Peggy Bonini. The standout
singing, however, is represented by Addio Alla Madre and the roof
rising Granada.
ShawDAMAN
Jan 2, 2009, 10:32:14 AM1/2/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Yes. I'll say it again, it's a crime that all his films have not been
released on good quality DVD's. :-/
At least the MGM ones.
but heres a link to that clip in pretty good quality, if anyone wants
to see it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDSHXz1d3jU
The 'Cavalleria ' clip starts at 7:36. ;-)
released on good quality DVD's. :-/
At least the MGM ones.
but heres a link to that clip in pretty good quality, if anyone wants
to see it : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDSHXz1d3jU
The 'Cavalleria ' clip starts at 7:36. ;-)
Derek McGovern
Jan 2, 2009, 7:10:11 PM1/2/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Terrific opening post, Armando.
There's no doubt in my mind that, vocally and musically, Serenade is
Lanza's finest film. While Mario is in superb voice in The Great
Caruso, with the exception of the Ave Maria, Vesti la Giubba and the
superbly rendered Because in that film, there are few complete
renditions of individual numbers that stand out for me. It's mostly
snippets of things that make the strongest impression, including the
Marta Finale that you singled out, Armando. (Speaking of which,
Lanza's voice and phrasing on the lines "più gentil ride il giorno/
manda il sole più splendor" are simply beautiful beyond compare.) I
mustn't forget the thrilling ending to Cielo e Mar either, as it
easily surpasses any of Mario's other versions.
Serenade, on the other hand, in addition to featuring the more
demanding operatic programme of the two films, offers far more
*complete* renditions of various arias than MGM would have ever dared
provide -- notably the Otello Monologue, Amor Ti Vieta, and O
Paradiso, all of which are among Mario's greatest recordings -- and
much of the soundtrack represents Lanza at his very best, both vocally
and stylistically.
Yes, there are some lesser performances in the film (Nessun Dorma, Di
Quella Pira, O Soave Fanciulla and the second rendition of Serenade),
but with the exception of the title song, none of these is downright
bad. (They're also better than anything in Mario's next film, The
Seven Hills of Rome!) It's just that this trio of operatic renditions
inevitably suffers in comparison with the many *outstanding* musical
moments in the film: Ave Maria, La Danza, Torna a Surriento, Lamento
di Federico, the Act III Otello duet (admittedly represented only in
an extract here), Di Rigori Armato (what a shame they couldn't include
the whole thing!)...and, of course, the three arias mentioned above.
What a programme, and, as Armando points out, what astonishing
versatility Lanza displays here.
For me, the quality of the singing in For the First Time isn't far
behind, as long as one can hear it in a decent reproduction. Forget
the commercial CD with its gritty, laboured sound; the VHS soundtrack
is the way to go.
I'd rate Because You're Mine as the fourth best of Lanza's seven
films, vocally speaking. But for me, the greatest number recorded for
that film is, ironically, the one that was never included in the final
result: All the Things You Are. It's among Lanza's best romantic
recordings -- as good as anything in The Student Prince. The other
highlights from Because You're Mine, to me, are The Lord's Prayer, the
first Because You're Mine with Doretta Morrow, Granada...and the Addio
alla Madre that Shawn has just been praising.
Shawn: While I still prefer Mario's RCA version of this aria for sheer
thrills, the BYM version is impressively sung. It's also nice to hear
him interacting with his "mother", for once. What a shame the sound is
so tinny, though, especially around "O, nulla! È il vino che mi ha
suggerito!" There's also an alternative *complete* take recorded for
the film: http://www.4shared.com/file/78638967/fb727d83/Addio_alla_Madre__BYM__-_complete_version.html
(The final part of the recording is the same take as in the film,
however.)
Cheers
Derek
There's no doubt in my mind that, vocally and musically, Serenade is
Lanza's finest film. While Mario is in superb voice in The Great
Caruso, with the exception of the Ave Maria, Vesti la Giubba and the
superbly rendered Because in that film, there are few complete
renditions of individual numbers that stand out for me. It's mostly
snippets of things that make the strongest impression, including the
Marta Finale that you singled out, Armando. (Speaking of which,
Lanza's voice and phrasing on the lines "più gentil ride il giorno/
manda il sole più splendor" are simply beautiful beyond compare.) I
mustn't forget the thrilling ending to Cielo e Mar either, as it
easily surpasses any of Mario's other versions.
Serenade, on the other hand, in addition to featuring the more
demanding operatic programme of the two films, offers far more
*complete* renditions of various arias than MGM would have ever dared
provide -- notably the Otello Monologue, Amor Ti Vieta, and O
Paradiso, all of which are among Mario's greatest recordings -- and
much of the soundtrack represents Lanza at his very best, both vocally
and stylistically.
Yes, there are some lesser performances in the film (Nessun Dorma, Di
Quella Pira, O Soave Fanciulla and the second rendition of Serenade),
but with the exception of the title song, none of these is downright
bad. (They're also better than anything in Mario's next film, The
Seven Hills of Rome!) It's just that this trio of operatic renditions
inevitably suffers in comparison with the many *outstanding* musical
moments in the film: Ave Maria, La Danza, Torna a Surriento, Lamento
di Federico, the Act III Otello duet (admittedly represented only in
an extract here), Di Rigori Armato (what a shame they couldn't include
the whole thing!)...and, of course, the three arias mentioned above.
What a programme, and, as Armando points out, what astonishing
versatility Lanza displays here.
For me, the quality of the singing in For the First Time isn't far
behind, as long as one can hear it in a decent reproduction. Forget
the commercial CD with its gritty, laboured sound; the VHS soundtrack
is the way to go.
I'd rate Because You're Mine as the fourth best of Lanza's seven
films, vocally speaking. But for me, the greatest number recorded for
that film is, ironically, the one that was never included in the final
result: All the Things You Are. It's among Lanza's best romantic
recordings -- as good as anything in The Student Prince. The other
highlights from Because You're Mine, to me, are The Lord's Prayer, the
first Because You're Mine with Doretta Morrow, Granada...and the Addio
alla Madre that Shawn has just been praising.
Shawn: While I still prefer Mario's RCA version of this aria for sheer
thrills, the BYM version is impressively sung. It's also nice to hear
him interacting with his "mother", for once. What a shame the sound is
so tinny, though, especially around "O, nulla! È il vino che mi ha
suggerito!" There's also an alternative *complete* take recorded for
the film: http://www.4shared.com/file/78638967/fb727d83/Addio_alla_Madre__BYM__-_complete_version.html
(The final part of the recording is the same take as in the film,
however.)
Cheers
Derek
ShawDAMAN
Jan 2, 2009, 10:06:18 PM1/2/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Thanks for the link. Yes, it's a shame it's so tinny. I love the RCA
version too, but for me the BYM version just seems to have greater
urgency and flow. And of course it's nice to see him acting it in
costume ;-)
The lines you mentioned "più gentil ride il giorno/ manda il sole più
splendor" from TGC are indeed, tear-jerkingly beautiful. I put that
duet/chorus on continuous loop on my mp3 player once... Kirsten sounds
beautiful there too and IMO was his best vocal compliment by far.
It is a shame there isn't more complete renditions, as you say, in
TGC. For instance I would have loved complete renditions of "O terra
addio" and the Miserere duet from Trovatore.
I would have to agree that Serenade is his most accomplished film,
vocally.
Thanks all!
SDM
> the film:http://www.4shared.com/file/78638967/fb727d83/Addio_alla_Madre__BYM__...
version too, but for me the BYM version just seems to have greater
urgency and flow. And of course it's nice to see him acting it in
costume ;-)
The lines you mentioned "più gentil ride il giorno/ manda il sole più
splendor" from TGC are indeed, tear-jerkingly beautiful. I put that
duet/chorus on continuous loop on my mp3 player once... Kirsten sounds
beautiful there too and IMO was his best vocal compliment by far.
It is a shame there isn't more complete renditions, as you say, in
TGC. For instance I would have loved complete renditions of "O terra
addio" and the Miserere duet from Trovatore.
I would have to agree that Serenade is his most accomplished film,
vocally.
Thanks all!
SDM
Derek McGovern
Jan 3, 2009, 1:29:32 AM1/3/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Shawn wrote:
> It is a shame there isn't more complete renditions, as you say, in
> TGC. For instance I would have loved complete renditions of "O terra
> addio" and the Miserere duet from Trovatore.
Hi Shawn: Here's a slightly extended version of the Miserere scene
> It is a shame there isn't more complete renditions, as you say, in
> TGC. For instance I would have loved complete renditions of "O terra
> addio" and the Miserere duet from Trovatore.
with Lucina Amara:
http://www.4shared.com/file/78698036/b4639a7e/Miserere.html
...and more of the exciting Cavalleria Rusticana duet ("Bada Santuzza!
Schiavo Non Son!") with Marina Koshetz:
http://www.4shared.com/file/78698120/45d9643d/Cav_Duet.html
No extended version of O Terra Addio, I'm afraid! And we're still
waiting for the unused Great Caruso soundtrack recording of the
Improvviso to surface!
Cheers
Derek
Maria Luísa
Jan 3, 2009, 11:36:32 AM1/3/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Derek your first link, Miserere, is above sublime if there is such
possible stage. The quality if his voice in this beautiful aria is
something for which do not exist enough praising words. In this film
his voice was at its utmost perfection, but then it was in practically
all of them with very few exceptions, recordings included. Both links
are very, very good, but the first is simply exceptional. My God, what
a voice! With that kind of a voice a man just had to have the world at
his feet, as in fact Mario had. Thanks Derek.
possible stage. The quality if his voice in this beautiful aria is
something for which do not exist enough praising words. In this film
his voice was at its utmost perfection, but then it was in practically
all of them with very few exceptions, recordings included. Both links
are very, very good, but the first is simply exceptional. My God, what
a voice! With that kind of a voice a man just had to have the world at
his feet, as in fact Mario had. Thanks Derek.
Sean Glass
Jan 3, 2009, 12:29:59 PM1/3/09
to mario...@googlegroups.com
Thanks for the goodies! :D and the info.
ShawDAMAN
Jan 3, 2009, 4:40:40 PM1/3/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
BTW I understand that the "Qual occhio al mondo" outtake from Serenade
was to be acted by Mario in the film as well (as per the picture in
the photos/recordings section.) Does any actual footage of that scene
exist, or just audio?
Crazy question, I know-
THanks :)
was to be acted by Mario in the film as well (as per the picture in
the photos/recordings section.) Does any actual footage of that scene
exist, or just audio?
Crazy question, I know-
THanks :)
Message has been deleted
Derek McGovern
Jan 3, 2009, 6:27:19 PM1/3/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
It's not a crazy question, Shawn!
Armando's book shows photos from four scenes in Serenade that were
filmed but subsequently cut from the release print -- and I'm sure
there were other deleted scenes as well, such as those showing Mario's
character's growing infatuation with Joan Fontaine's Kendall Hale.
Qual Occhio al Mondo (from Tosca) was one of the four scenes; another
was Ci Lasceremo alla Stagion dei Fiori (from La Bohème) with Jean
Fenn. These were obviously intended to be part of a musical montage.
The other two cut scenes were non-musical: one with Sarita Montiel in
the church in Mexico, and one with Joan Fontaine, backstage before the
Lamento di Federico aria.
Your guess is as good as mine as to whether any of these scenes are in
the Warner Bros. vaults. If they do exist, the eventual DVD release of
Serenade would be the obvious time to release them. That is, if anyone
at Warner Bros. cares enough about Lanza's legacy to do the necessary
detective work! In any case, the snail's pace with which which they've
released his films so far on DVD suggests that by the time they get
around to Serenade (and the plan supposedly is to release his films in
chronological order -- an odd decision!), the technology itself will
have changed :-( (In fact, with Blu-ray now on the scene, it already
has.)
The pathetic biographical description of Lanza on TCM/Warner's site
may offer some insight as to why his films have been neglected:
"Opera singer turned romantic lead who appeared in a number of films
manufactured to exploit his overripe voice and pseudo-Latin sex
appeal. Lanza's short-lived career ran aground in the mid-1950s,
partly due to drugs, alcohol and conspicuous weight problems."
Among other errors, it also claims that Mario's father was from Naples
and his mother was from Madrid!
While I'm on the subject of the TCM/Warner Bros site, don't forget to
cast your votes for the release of Lanza's films on DVD. (I know I've
mentioned this many times before but...) Currently, Serenade, with
just 144 votes, stands at a miserable #460 on the rank of Requested-
but-not-on-DVD-yet titles:
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=15970
Surprisingly, The Student Prince, at #222 with 464 votes, is way ahead
of The Great Caruso (rank #306). Because You're Mine, meanwhile,
languishes at #447, but ahead of For the First Time at #463 and Seven
Hills of Rome at #486.
Armando's book shows photos from four scenes in Serenade that were
filmed but subsequently cut from the release print -- and I'm sure
there were other deleted scenes as well, such as those showing Mario's
character's growing infatuation with Joan Fontaine's Kendall Hale.
Qual Occhio al Mondo (from Tosca) was one of the four scenes; another
was Ci Lasceremo alla Stagion dei Fiori (from La Bohème) with Jean
Fenn. These were obviously intended to be part of a musical montage.
The other two cut scenes were non-musical: one with Sarita Montiel in
the church in Mexico, and one with Joan Fontaine, backstage before the
Lamento di Federico aria.
Your guess is as good as mine as to whether any of these scenes are in
the Warner Bros. vaults. If they do exist, the eventual DVD release of
Serenade would be the obvious time to release them. That is, if anyone
at Warner Bros. cares enough about Lanza's legacy to do the necessary
detective work! In any case, the snail's pace with which which they've
released his films so far on DVD suggests that by the time they get
around to Serenade (and the plan supposedly is to release his films in
chronological order -- an odd decision!), the technology itself will
have changed :-( (In fact, with Blu-ray now on the scene, it already
has.)
The pathetic biographical description of Lanza on TCM/Warner's site
may offer some insight as to why his films have been neglected:
"Opera singer turned romantic lead who appeared in a number of films
manufactured to exploit his overripe voice and pseudo-Latin sex
appeal. Lanza's short-lived career ran aground in the mid-1950s,
partly due to drugs, alcohol and conspicuous weight problems."
Among other errors, it also claims that Mario's father was from Naples
and his mother was from Madrid!
While I'm on the subject of the TCM/Warner Bros site, don't forget to
cast your votes for the release of Lanza's films on DVD. (I know I've
mentioned this many times before but...) Currently, Serenade, with
just 144 votes, stands at a miserable #460 on the rank of Requested-
but-not-on-DVD-yet titles:
http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title.jsp?stid=15970
Surprisingly, The Student Prince, at #222 with 464 votes, is way ahead
of The Great Caruso (rank #306). Because You're Mine, meanwhile,
languishes at #447, but ahead of For the First Time at #463 and Seven
Hills of Rome at #486.
ShawDAMAN
Jan 3, 2009, 7:50:02 PM1/3/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Very interesting, thanks.
That TCM/Warner description- ugh. Pitiful. I'm sorry you told me, lol.
I cast my votes. ;-)
That TCM/Warner description- ugh. Pitiful. I'm sorry you told me, lol.
I cast my votes. ;-)
Maria Luísa
Jan 4, 2009, 7:23:55 AM1/4/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
What do they mean, this TCM/Warner site, "pseudo-Latin sex appeal"?!?
Pseudo???! Are they joking?!? What do they mean, was Mario inventing a
sex appeal he did not have?! Or, said differently, was he "showing" a
sex appeal he did not possess whatsoever, so all that comes through
the screen was simply "introduced" on him or "poured" (like powder or
spray) over him by the studio "just" for the sake of his looking ultra
sexy in his films?!? Frankly! Please!This people must be either
kidding or dreaming to write such a silly thing. If they are not,
worse still, they are totally mad.
Note: Could it be that the persons who described Mario so miserably be
still the same "kind beautiful" people who worked side by side with
him in the studios back then? They must be but if not they do sound so
all right. They surely studied in the same "old school" the others
did...
Pseudo???! Are they joking?!? What do they mean, was Mario inventing a
sex appeal he did not have?! Or, said differently, was he "showing" a
sex appeal he did not possess whatsoever, so all that comes through
the screen was simply "introduced" on him or "poured" (like powder or
spray) over him by the studio "just" for the sake of his looking ultra
sexy in his films?!? Frankly! Please!This people must be either
kidding or dreaming to write such a silly thing. If they are not,
worse still, they are totally mad.
Note: Could it be that the persons who described Mario so miserably be
still the same "kind beautiful" people who worked side by side with
him in the studios back then? They must be but if not they do sound so
all right. They surely studied in the same "old school" the others
did...
Mike McAdam
Jan 7, 2009, 9:21:13 AM1/7/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
After Armando's great opening post in this thread, I thought I'd drag
out this old post on The Student Prince that I offered in a previous
Forum. If only because it talks about the film music and is still
quite readable (at least to me, my own worst critic!:-))
With respect to the music: what a non-stop songfest! Not counting the
Overture (Part Callinicos, part Stoll) over the opening and closing
credits and the Waltz/Can Can music in the Carnival sequence, I
counted no less than 22 musical numbers. Some with Mario Lanza alone,
Mario Lanza/Ann Blyth or with Ann Blyth alone*; the remaining
selections with just the Student Chorus.
While it was fun to compare the Film Recording Log with the selections
on-screen there were a couple of big anomalies. Namely: the Student's
Marching Song (Chorus) leading into Ann Blyth's keynote opening number
*"Come, Boys (Let's All Be Gay, Boys:-)". Both are missing from the
log even though it covers the main recording period from July to
August, 1952 and Mario's "Beloved" redux in 1953. A couple of other
non-log numbers sung by the Chorus were old German Beerhall songs,
sung in Deutsch (for Heidi) and "Kathie, Queen Of the Corps". Plus, an
Ann Blyth reprise of "Summertime in Heidelberg's last verse. I've
heard two takes of the full song with Lanza & Blythbut only one shows
on the log.
Armando will likely have some comments re the Recording Log anomalies?
I don't know how many out there are musical hardware fanatics like me
but I had the Rhino and DLP versions of the song cued up while I had
the movie framed up to the "Deep in My Heart, Dear" sequence. I
managed to do a fair juggling job of jumping between/among all three
with some interesting findings (all bored members can jump to the next
post now?:-)
I had been curious for a l-o-n-g time as to which version (DLP or
Rhino) they used in the film. Answer: neither!
The best I can tell, Mario's opening solo was the familiar part. When
Ann comes in to join Mario at the bridge it seems to be the DLP
version. The reprise afterward to the end is from neither version.
There are subtle differences in Mario's delivery in the actual
soundtrack version from this point on. Also, the closing refrain
"....of you" is not flat and is more extended. Yeah, I know...you have
to be a bit of a Lanza fanatic [not having seen the film in its
entirety since I was eight (1954), it's amazing how much my crusty
brain recalled in detail].
The musical and dance numbers were marvellously staged (Hermes Pan),
the orchestrations impeccable (don't blame Callinicos:-) and the
singing....sublime.
I still say this was Lanza's finest hour, lyrically.
Ciao, M.
out this old post on The Student Prince that I offered in a previous
Forum. If only because it talks about the film music and is still
quite readable (at least to me, my own worst critic!:-))
With respect to the music: what a non-stop songfest! Not counting the
Overture (Part Callinicos, part Stoll) over the opening and closing
credits and the Waltz/Can Can music in the Carnival sequence, I
counted no less than 22 musical numbers. Some with Mario Lanza alone,
Mario Lanza/Ann Blyth or with Ann Blyth alone*; the remaining
selections with just the Student Chorus.
While it was fun to compare the Film Recording Log with the selections
on-screen there were a couple of big anomalies. Namely: the Student's
Marching Song (Chorus) leading into Ann Blyth's keynote opening number
*"Come, Boys (Let's All Be Gay, Boys:-)". Both are missing from the
log even though it covers the main recording period from July to
August, 1952 and Mario's "Beloved" redux in 1953. A couple of other
non-log numbers sung by the Chorus were old German Beerhall songs,
sung in Deutsch (for Heidi) and "Kathie, Queen Of the Corps". Plus, an
Ann Blyth reprise of "Summertime in Heidelberg's last verse. I've
heard two takes of the full song with Lanza & Blythbut only one shows
on the log.
Armando will likely have some comments re the Recording Log anomalies?
I don't know how many out there are musical hardware fanatics like me
but I had the Rhino and DLP versions of the song cued up while I had
the movie framed up to the "Deep in My Heart, Dear" sequence. I
managed to do a fair juggling job of jumping between/among all three
with some interesting findings (all bored members can jump to the next
post now?:-)
I had been curious for a l-o-n-g time as to which version (DLP or
Rhino) they used in the film. Answer: neither!
The best I can tell, Mario's opening solo was the familiar part. When
Ann comes in to join Mario at the bridge it seems to be the DLP
version. The reprise afterward to the end is from neither version.
There are subtle differences in Mario's delivery in the actual
soundtrack version from this point on. Also, the closing refrain
"....of you" is not flat and is more extended. Yeah, I know...you have
to be a bit of a Lanza fanatic [not having seen the film in its
entirety since I was eight (1954), it's amazing how much my crusty
brain recalled in detail].
The musical and dance numbers were marvellously staged (Hermes Pan),
the orchestrations impeccable (don't blame Callinicos:-) and the
singing....sublime.
I still say this was Lanza's finest hour, lyrically.
Ciao, M.
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Message has been deleted
Derek McGovern
Jan 7, 2009, 11:08:33 PM1/7/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Hi Mike
The Student Prince recording logs you're referring to (http://
www.rense.com/excursions/lanza/recordinglogs3.html) are presumably
RCA's version of the logs -- hence the MGM/RCA comparison shown on
them. The reason I think this is that they only include the recordings
for which they were subsequently given the right to release, ie, those
tracks featuring Lanza. It's too bad they didn't include all of them
on the eventual LP, but RCA was probably mindful of the fact that
there weren't enough Lanza tracks on their own to make up an entire
"Student Prince" album. In the end, of course, they opted for eight
sung numbers and one overture for a very long Side A, and various Coke
songs to fill up Side B. I can see the logic to this (though they
could have got Doubleday to sing a couple of solos if they'd wanted an
all-Student Prince album, I suppose).
Ah, Deep in My Heart, Dear! Of all the tracks that RCA released, this
is by far the most unsatisfying, since all we get of the original
recording is Lanza's opening solo -- which is then clumsily repeated
at the end. Few listeners at the time would have been unaware of this
major piece of editing "deception." I realise that RCA didn't have a
lot of choice, though, given that Ann Blyth's singing (for contractual
reasons) wasn't available to them -- and that Lanza's attempt to re-
record the songs (with Gale Sherwood replacing Ann Byth) in December
1953 had ended in failure.
Or, at least, we're *told* by Callinicos that the December 1953 re-
recordings were a disaster. They probably were, but -- even so -- I'd
still like to hear the two things that Lanza recorded that day:
Summertime in Heidelberg (with Sherwood) and I'll Walk with God. It's
a wonder they haven't turned up.
Getting back to Deep in My Heart, Dear, though, one thing that puzzles
me about the hybrid recording that we ended up with on the RCA album
(with Elizabeth Doubleday singing both Kathy's lyrics and the
Prince's) is why Doubleday couldn't simply have replaced Ann Blyth's
vocals. After all, MGM almost certainly recorded Blyth's vocals on a
*separate* audio track -- remember that it was a multi-track stereo
recording -- and one would think that RCA could have easily
substituted Doubleday's vocals over Ann's singing without listeners
being any the wiser. At least that way, we would have ended up with a
genuine duet rather than a strange mixture of Lanza, then Doubleday,
then Lanza.
But as for the soundtrack version with Blyth, when you look at the
logs and see the numerous partial takes of the duet that she and Lanza
recorded on August 12, 1952, it's amazing how seamless the final
result was in the film. As far as Mario's singing goes, MGM
definitely chose the right takes! Ann doesn't fare quite as well --
she goes off-key at one point -- but it's a beautiful recording
nonetheless. I remember playing the film version of the duet to a
friend who had previously always thought of Lanza as a rather unsubtle
singer. Well! He was amazed by the delicate, magical tenderness of
Mario's rendition here -- especially in the opening part ("Fresh under
starlight"; "Our paths may sever," etc) -- and declared, "He runs
rings around any lieder singer!"
The Student Prince recording logs you're referring to (http://
www.rense.com/excursions/lanza/recordinglogs3.html) are presumably
RCA's version of the logs -- hence the MGM/RCA comparison shown on
them. The reason I think this is that they only include the recordings
for which they were subsequently given the right to release, ie, those
tracks featuring Lanza. It's too bad they didn't include all of them
on the eventual LP, but RCA was probably mindful of the fact that
there weren't enough Lanza tracks on their own to make up an entire
"Student Prince" album. In the end, of course, they opted for eight
sung numbers and one overture for a very long Side A, and various Coke
songs to fill up Side B. I can see the logic to this (though they
could have got Doubleday to sing a couple of solos if they'd wanted an
all-Student Prince album, I suppose).
Ah, Deep in My Heart, Dear! Of all the tracks that RCA released, this
is by far the most unsatisfying, since all we get of the original
recording is Lanza's opening solo -- which is then clumsily repeated
at the end. Few listeners at the time would have been unaware of this
major piece of editing "deception." I realise that RCA didn't have a
lot of choice, though, given that Ann Blyth's singing (for contractual
reasons) wasn't available to them -- and that Lanza's attempt to re-
record the songs (with Gale Sherwood replacing Ann Byth) in December
1953 had ended in failure.
Or, at least, we're *told* by Callinicos that the December 1953 re-
recordings were a disaster. They probably were, but -- even so -- I'd
still like to hear the two things that Lanza recorded that day:
Summertime in Heidelberg (with Sherwood) and I'll Walk with God. It's
a wonder they haven't turned up.
Getting back to Deep in My Heart, Dear, though, one thing that puzzles
me about the hybrid recording that we ended up with on the RCA album
(with Elizabeth Doubleday singing both Kathy's lyrics and the
Prince's) is why Doubleday couldn't simply have replaced Ann Blyth's
vocals. After all, MGM almost certainly recorded Blyth's vocals on a
*separate* audio track -- remember that it was a multi-track stereo
recording -- and one would think that RCA could have easily
substituted Doubleday's vocals over Ann's singing without listeners
being any the wiser. At least that way, we would have ended up with a
genuine duet rather than a strange mixture of Lanza, then Doubleday,
then Lanza.
But as for the soundtrack version with Blyth, when you look at the
logs and see the numerous partial takes of the duet that she and Lanza
recorded on August 12, 1952, it's amazing how seamless the final
result was in the film. As far as Mario's singing goes, MGM
definitely chose the right takes! Ann doesn't fare quite as well --
she goes off-key at one point -- but it's a beautiful recording
nonetheless. I remember playing the film version of the duet to a
friend who had previously always thought of Lanza as a rather unsubtle
singer. Well! He was amazed by the delicate, magical tenderness of
Mario's rendition here -- especially in the opening part ("Fresh under
starlight"; "Our paths may sever," etc) -- and declared, "He runs
rings around any lieder singer!"
Derek McGovern
Dec 26, 2009, 7:38:50 PM12/26/09
to The Mario Lanza Forum
Here's a discussion from almost a year ago that is definitely worth
revisiting. And Emilio: the final paragraph of Armando's brilliant
opening post provides as good an answer as any to your question "Why
does Mario Lanza matter?"
revisiting. And Emilio: the final paragraph of Armando's brilliant
opening post provides as good an answer as any to your question "Why
does Mario Lanza matter?"
Message has been deleted
Derek McGovern
Oct 27, 2012, 5:44:10 AM10/27/12
to mario...@googlegroups.com
I've just been listening to a homemade compilation of the finest musical moments from The Great Caruso, and was reminded of this excellent thread.
No matter how often I return to the movie, I'm always blown away by the colour of the 29-year-old Lanza's voice here. It's ravishing beyond compare. Just listen to his voice (without the visual distraction of the ailing Enrico) in the attached Martha Finale. The beauty of the sound (and the immaculate phrasing) is astonishing, and for once I find myself agreeing with Jeff Rense, whose observation about the inadequacy of the English language to do descriptive justice to that quality is so true here.
Derek McGovern
Oct 27, 2012, 5:53:41 AM10/27/12
to mario...@googlegroups.com
And I can't resist sharing one more: perhaps my favourite complete rendition in The Great Caruso: "Because." Not only is it (by far!) Lanza's best-sung version of the song, delivered with the perfect balance of passion and tenderness, but there's a "noble" quality in his voice that does me in every time.
George Laszlo
Dec 18, 2012, 2:05:37 PM12/18/12
to mario...@googlegroups.com, cesa...@yahoo.com
For what it's worth, I'm attaching a review of the movie "Serenade" by John McCarten in the March 31, 1956 issue of the New Yorker. You will need Acrobat Reader to see it. I found the description of the book on which the movie is based quite interesting. Mr. McCarten is right that the original story would not have gone over too well in that decade. Maybe 10 years later it would have been OK. I'll let all of you decide whether you agree or not with his review of Mario's performance.
leeann
Dec 18, 2012, 2:43:30 PM12/18/12
to mario...@googlegroups.com, cesa...@yahoo.com
Hi, George. That is EXACTLY the review I would've expected of The New Yorker! There's no way, especially in that era, that the critics of that magazine could've given a stamp of approval to the movie, but "rusty pipes" and "pleasant." No, I can't agree there. Lanza's voice is not among the weaknesses of the film. I might have expected the magazine at least to cut Vincent Price's script and comedic delivery a little more slack, though.
You might enjoy threads about Serenade that have gotten pretty analytical at times here on the forum. It would be really interesting to hear your point of view as well: Serenade the novel vs. Serenade the film is one of them; Anthony Mann and Serenade, another (and there are more)! Best, Lee Ann
You might enjoy threads about Serenade that have gotten pretty analytical at times here on the forum. It would be really interesting to hear your point of view as well: Serenade the novel vs. Serenade the film is one of them; Anthony Mann and Serenade, another (and there are more)! Best, Lee Ann
Message has been deleted
Derek McGovern
Dec 19, 2012, 9:05:36 PM12/19/12
to mario...@googlegroups.com
Hi George and Lee Ann: I vaguely remember reading that New Yorker review, and the bit that triggered my memory was the assertion that Vincent Price's lines in Serenade aren't funny. (Well, maybe they aren't everyone's cup of tea, but then neither is John McCarten's sardonic brand of humour!)
Poor old Serenade. It really stood little chance of being taken seriously in 1956, especially by the likes of the self-consciously highbrow New Yorker---but the same could be said of other melodramas of the same period. Think of director Douglas Sirk's Magnificent Obsession, All That Heaven Allows, Written in the Wind, etc. Those melodramas were trashed by the critics of the mid-1950s as sentimental, overblown, low-brow nonsense, yet today they're often applauded by reviewers and included in film retrospectives. (And Serenade may yet be accorded some respect, I feel. It just takes a few influential film writers to award it "cult status," and then before you know it, the movie will be subjected to learned academic analyses :))
A couple of things about that review: McCarten manages to get key details about the novel Serenade wrong: it's not about a tenor---the "hero" is a baritone---and the murder of his nemesis doesn't restore his voice; that happens much earlier in the story. Sloppy research, Mr. McCarten! But I didn't get that he was criticizing Lanza's voice as "rusty." I took that comment as a reference to the plot. In fact, Lanza's singing of arias is the only thing he seems to (vaguely) approve of in the film. I even agree with him that the two songs "Serenade" and "My Destiny" are weak in comparison with the operatic material (a point also made by other reviewers at the time).
But I do hope McCarten didn't review Seven Hills of Rome. He would have had a field day with that film's banalities!
Cheers
Derek
Derek McGovern
Apr 5, 2014, 9:51:32 PM4/5/14
to mario...@googlegroups.com
Here's a great thread that is well worth reading/revisiting, especially for Armando's brilliant opening post:
norma
Apr 6, 2014, 10:55:03 AM4/6/14
to mario...@googlegroups.com
What does Armando mean when he talks about the line of a song?
Norma
Norma
Derek McGovern
Apr 7, 2014, 8:47:05 PM4/7/14
to
Hi Norma: I presume you mean Armando's reference to the Midnight Kiss rendition of "Celeste Aida"?
When Armando praises Lanza's "line" on that rendition, I'm sure he's referring to the smooth, even flow of his singing; in other words, Mario's beautiful legato.
Cheers
Derek
Armando
Apr 8, 2014, 4:01:01 AM4/8/14
to mario...@googlegroups.com
Hi Norma: I’m a little late posting, as I’m in the midst of finalising our overseas trip. In any case I see that Derek has already answered you –correctly. Vocal line does, indeed, constitute an even, smooth delivery. Combined with correct phrasing and appropriate light and shade, when required--these are the marks of a great singer.
Cheers
Armando
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages