E lucevan le stelle

[oscar.bearherrera]

What is the better "E lucevan le stelle " sung by Mario?

Bel Canto Trio - CONCERTI 1947-1948 ?
The commercial records?

Or Opera Arias & Duets?

Oscar

[Den]

Hi Oscar
I like the performance from the Hollywood Bowl August 1947
Also I like very much the one broadcast on the 2nd Shower of Stars
October 1954
Dennis

On May 7, 2:39 am, "oscar.bearherrera" <oscar.bearherr...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Sam]

I personally don't think Mario ever did a "bad" E lucevan le stelle.
Even the late one in 1958 is excellent.

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

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Oscar: Just to clarify a couple of things: first, sadly, we don't
have any recordings of Lanza singing E Lucevan le Stelle at one of his
Bel Canto Trio concerts. The closest we have to that is his 1947
Hollywood Bowl concert, at which his Bel Canto colleague Frances Yeend
also sang. Second, there is no rendition of E Lucevan le Stelle on the
CD Opera Arias and Duets.

There are 12 complete Lanza versions of E Lucevan le Stelle, which
makes it his second most-recorded aria after Vesti la Giubba (with 16
renditions). And like Vesti, the Lanza recordings of E Lucevan le
Stelle span an 18-year period -- from 1940 to 1958. It's also the aria
that we have the greatest number of live versions of by Lanza
(Hollywood Bowl, Shower of Stars, Royal Variety, Sunday Night at the
London Palladium, Albert Hall, plus the live radio versions from the
1940s).

The two renditions that I play most often are the 1950 RCA version and
the 1947 Hollywood Bowl performance. I love the latter for the
achingly sweet sounds that Mario produces, particularly in the opening
phrases, and its beautiful legato line. It's a gloriously lyrical
performance, and would probably please even the most strident of
Lanza's detractors. But for sheer excitement, not to mention the best
phrasing with which Lanza ever sang this aria, the 1950 version is
hard to beat. It's just a shame (as Armando points out in his book)
that Callinicos' conducting is so uninspired here. The orchestra is
half-asleep, and Lanza's having to do all the work!

[Joe Fagan]

I agree with Sam: they are ALL terrific to me. I kinda lean towards the
London Palladium one ( maybe because I can watch him)

[Muriel]

As proof that Mario would have owned the role of Cavaradossi in Tosca,
we have consistently beautiful recordings of E Lucevan le Stelle. The
aria seemed to flow from his throat as seamlessly as the soaring of an
eagle in full flight. Surely, it was a favorite of his as well as
ours. If you don’t have chills as he builds to the climax, “E non ho
amato mai tanto la vita!”. I have only feelings of sadness that music
obviously cannot stir your inner soul.

My most listened-to and favorite is the 1950 commercial recording as
Derek has also chosen. I cannot think of a more perfect and moving
rendition. Yes, his Hollywood Bowl is not to be discounted either. Any
of his solos and duets from the 1947 concert have to be considered
classic operatic interpretations. I’m also fond of the partial
recording as seen in TGC film. It would have been terrific to see the
whole aria on film. As it’s such a short one, I cannot figure out why
they chose to include only the very last part. Seeing him in costume
would have only added to the concept that he was meant to play Mario
Cavaradossi on the operatic stage!!

I loved his singing of it on the Second Showers of Stars Show. While
it isn’t the very best, it probably is the most emotionally charged of
all his deliveries. I feel the same about Some Day from that evening,
but I will listen to his Coca Cola recording when I want his most
impressive performances.

Whichever recording you have at hand, you’ll not be disappointed. What
is important is: listen to Mario sing this incredibly remarkable aria
to you, and savor it!! You can’t ask for anything better in life….

Ciao from Muriel

[Muriel]

Hi Oscar: I have the double record LP set, "Mario Lanza sings Opera's
Greatest Hits". This E Lucevan *is* the 1950 commercial recording that
Derek and I have singled out as our favorites. Incidentally, I am
always amused by the comment on the back cover that Mario knew 50
complete operatic roles at age twenty!! Now there's an optimistic
writer for a change! Of course, we know he stated to Jinx Falconberg
in 1949 that he knew six complete roles, which was closer to the
truth. Can anyone name those six roles?

I went back to read Mr. Cresswell's article and he also used the 1950
recording for his comparison of the various tenors' versions of the
aria. Mario was, indeed, the winner of that competition. If anyone
finds a better one, then I'd love to hear it!!

Ciao for now....Muriel

On May 8, 9:36 pm, "oscar.bearherrera" <oscar.bearherr...@gmail.com>
wrote:
> Excuse me! It is the rendition on the LP Doble Mario Lanza Sings
> Opera's Greatest Hits RCA.
> I would  like to remember the article by Peter Cresswell (http://
> solohq.solopassion.com/Articles/Cresswell/Italian_Idol.shtml), who
> compare the rendition of Mario with the other
> tenors. There's no quetion,  Mario is far the better in that aria.
>
>      Oscar

[Den]

Hi Muriel
The six roles that Mari said that he knew are.....
Andrea Chenier
Madama Butterfly
Tosca
Cavalleria Rusticana
La Boheme
The Merry Wives of Windsor
I think that these are the six
Dennis

[Muriel]

Hi Dennis: Yes, you are correct! Mario listed those as the roles he
knew entirely. Isn't it interesting that he didn't include I
Pagliacci? As he recorded Vesti la Giubba most often during his
lifetime, you'd think he'd have studied that opera as well. I wonder
if he ever did?

In this particular interview, he stated that he was invited to sing
Andrea Chenier at La Scala the following year. Too bad that didn't
take place as it might have changed the entire course of his career. I
understand the La Scala audiences are tough, and if he had *wow-ed*
them, he'd have had it made, don't you think? His desire was to sing,
for his first role at the Met, La Boheme, with Enzio Pinza and Licia
Albanese. At least he did fulfill part of his wish: singing with Licia
in Serenade. She loved him so.

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

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Muriella: I'm sure that the role of Canio in Pagliacci was in
Mario's repertoire -- possibly not in 1949, when he listed those six
roles that he knew completely, but certainly he would have studied it
at some stage. My hunch is that he wouldn't have agreed to sing Canio
at the Rome Opera if it weren't already a role that he knew inside
out.

Wasn't it nice that Jinx Falconberg actually asked Lanza what operatic
roles he knew? After all, it was always so ridiculously rare for any
of his interviewers to ask him something related to music! It's
curious, though, that he neglected to mention that he had already sung
the role of Pinkerton. That makes me wonder if he simply forgot to
mention Canio as well.

Cheers
Derek

[Armando]

Hi Muriel and Derek: Canio was part of his repertoire. Collier’s
magazine article September 3, 1949.

[Derek McGovern]

Thanks, Armando. I'd completely forgotten about the Collier's article.
Although it contains a few glaring inaccuracies, it's well worth a
read:

http://www.rense.com/excursions/lanza/celluloid.html

It's hard not to feel sad, though, while reading it. This is the Lanza
of 1949: a man with everything possible going for him and determined
-- more than anything else -- to become a great opera singer.

[Vince Di Placido]

The 1950 RCA version gets my vote, Mario is in great form, I listened
to this on my Ipod while walking home from work today (actually I
listened to it several times) what I love about this recording, & the
main reason it is my favourite, is Mario's absolute involvement in the
aria he IS Mario Cavaradossi, it is a beautiful compelling
performance. One positive thing about Callinicos & the orchestra, they
do sync perfectly with Mario on the line "E non ho amato mai tanto la
vita!" so someone was paying attention...
This aria was almost made for Mario, I also love his Hollywood Bowl &
Shower of Stars performances, but it is in his RCA recording that
singer & actor come together perfectly. Mario loved the dramatic, this
is the reason he loved & is so successful in arias like Vesti la
giubba, The Improvviso & Dio mi potevi, they allowed him to indulge
one of his greatest gifts, being a great actor-singer, this along with
his glorious voice is just a perfect match. Mario really is the
complete package because along with the beautiful sounds there is
dramatic, convincing sustance to his performances & even in the case
of Che gelida manina he conveys Rodolfo's pure, dreamy, poetic &
romantic outpourings better than any other tenor, Mario breathed life
into the arias & songs he sang, if they were mediocre he raised them
to a higher level with his talent & artistry, sometimes doing a song a
favour that it had no right getting, if they were great pieces to
begin with then you have those great classic recordings that we all
know & love.

On May 7, 2:39 am, "oscar.bearherrera" <oscar.bearherr...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Derek McGovern]

Great post, Vince! You've singled out some of Lanza's best operatic
performances and beautifully encapsulated their unique qualities.

I've always found (and I mention this in my essay "Voice in the
Night") that the 1950 E Lucevan le Stelle makes the perfect
introduction to Mario. It contains all of his trademarks: power,
terrific phrasing, intensity, poetry -- and the aria itself, as you
say, could have been written for him. Lanza and Puccini make a
terrific match, and I only wish that Mario had recorded much more of
the latter's work (eg, Manon Lescaut, La Fanciulla del West, and the
thrilling Il Tabarro, plus arias such as Non Piangere, Liu from
Turandot and Firenze 'e Come un'Albero Fiorito from Gianni Schicchi).
Still, I'm grateful that he found time in such a short career to
perform superb renditions of not only E Lucevan le Stelle, but Che
Gelida Manina, Recondita Armonia (an almost-neglected recording that
we must talk about in more depth one of these days!), and Vogliatemi
Bene, and fine (Hollywood Bowl) performances of Nessun Dorma and O
Soave Fanciulla.

It's often been said that Lanza had the ability to involve even those
listeners uninterested in opera, and his recording of E Lucevan is a
great example of that talent. A couple of years back, an acquaintance
of mine -- a young fellow with no previous knowledge of opera -- was
overwhelmed by the visceral qualities of Mario's singing here. Here's
what he wrote to me: "I must say, I didn't expect the reaction to be
*physical*. In the moments when he stretches and swells a note, I feel
my chest expand and what I can only describe as my soul lift."

Actually, I've only ever experienced one negative reaction to this
recording, and that from a French horn player who was put off by the
playing of the oboeist at the beginning of the aria!

[Savage]

It's hard to imagine a more beautiful rendition than Mario's 1950
recording. From "o dolci baci" to the final notes you can hear some of
the most glorious tenor sound ever captured on recording equipment.
The final passages still give me goosebumps after all these years.


David

On May 6, 9:39 pm, "oscar.bearherrera" <oscar.bearherr...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Mike McAdam]

Wow, from both Vince and Derek's detailed descriptions to David's
encapsulated overview I can only say....right on!
This 1950 studio recording is nigh unto perfect (notwithstanding the
mediocre orchestration and soloist). I am confident that now, with
today's studio wizardry, if BMG/Sony would designate this piece an
archival work, that the RCA Orchestra could be digitally removed from
same and a world-class ensemble could be assembled by the boffins to
accompany the new voice-only track. Then, this could truly be a
recording for the ages, wot?

The other versions of 'E Lucevan' which are both visually and aurally
outstanding, to me, are the 2nd 'Shower of Stars' and the 'London
Palladium' outings. I especially like the way Mario plants one foot
behind him, leans back and seems to propel the final bars out from
that mighty chest in the Palladium performance. Great moments for
television (and there are precious few of them these days).
M.

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Mike: I also love both of the live performances you mention. The
Shower of Stars rendition is by far the more emotionally rendered of
the two; in fact, the Palladium version is probably his most
restrained version ever. Vocally, though, I'd give the edge to the
Palladium performance: as you pointed out, the voice just pours out of
him as he stands there in classic recitalist pose, and everything is
perfectly produced. He does go quite sharp at one point, but that's
neither here nor there. I always remember the eyewitness account of
Lindsay Perigo's singing teacher -- a tenor himself who sang in the
London production of My Fair Lady with Rex Harrison & Julie Andrews --
describing how the audience's collective jaws dropped in astonishment
at the size and quality of the voice. Little wonder!

Incidentally, in my opinion, a lot of singers ruin the final "la
vita!" by overdoing the melodramatics. (Mario himself goes grandly
over the top here on his Shower of Stars performance.) That's yet
another one of the unique qualities of his 1950 version: he gets the
despair exactly right without even a hint of hamminess.