Agnus Dei

[Derek McGovern]

Hi, everyone: If you haven't already done so, I suggest you take a
moment to listen to Mario's live rendition of Agnus Dei in our Files
section (the link is currently showing under "Files" on our home
page). It's the best reproduction of this performance I've ever heard,
and Lanza is in glorious form here. Enjoy!

[mort...@gmail.com]

Hello Derek and Happy New Year to you and to all the members of the
Mario Lanza group..

What a GOLDEN voice; I cried when I listened Mario singing this
rendition of Agnus Dei..
However, who is the author of this Agnus Dei? and
according to you, Derek, with your encyclopedic knowledge about all
the Mario'work, was Mario sung the Charles Trénet song 'La Mer' (in
english : Beyond the See')?

Bruno from France



On Dec 31 2007, 9:54 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[am...@ruc.dk]

Hi Bruno.
The French composer Georges Bizet is credited for this wonderful
piece.
I have always though is was a part of a requiem like Mozart's, which
also contains an 'Agnus Dei', but in my search for more info on it, I
came across this website which says that it is based on the Intermezzo
from the L'Arlesienne Suite No. 2, taken from Bizet's 1872 incidental
music to Alphonse Daudet's play. And that a close friend of Bizet's,
Ernest Guirard, added the Latin text of Agnus Dei to it after Bizet's
death.
You can read more about it here:

http://www.answers.com/topic/agnus-dei-for-voice-piano-or-orchestra-intermezzo-from-l-arl-sienne-suite-no-2-6-arranged-by-ernest-guirard?cat=entertainment

Mario's rendition is indeed very very beautiful.
I also found the lyrics for it and a translation.

Agnus dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere, miserere nobis.
Agnus dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere miserere
miserere nobis.

Agnus, agnus dei,
que tollis pecatta mundi,
Agnus, agnus dei,
que tollis pecatta mundi,
dona nobis pacem
Agnus dei,
dona pacem
Agnus dei,
dona nobis pacem
dona nobis
dona pacem

Lamb of God,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy, have mercy upon us.
Lamb of God,
that takest away the sins of the world,
have mercy, have mercy,
have mercy upon us.

Lamb, lamb of God,
that takest away the sins of the world,
Lamb, lamb of God,
that takest away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.
Lamb of God,
grant peace
Lamb of God,
grant us peace
grant us
grant peace.

It actually makes a very appropriate New Years wish, doesn't it? "Take
away the sins of the world and grant us peace."
Ann-Mai

> > and Lanza is in glorious form here. Enjoy!- Skjul tekst i anførselstegn -
>
> - Vis tekst i anførselstegn -

[Vince Di Placido]

I LOVE this performance! My favourite Agnus Dei.
Gigli's recording was my introduction to this piece & it was always a
favourite but when I discovered Mario's Hollywood Bowl performance I
was delighted, Mario is fantastic despite Miklos Rosza's overindulgent
slow tempo, Mario's breath control is well tested here but as we all
know breath control was one of Mario's strongest qualities, come to
think of it all of his vocal attributes were strong that is what is so
great about Mario, it all comes together for the perfect voice.
The mood Mario sets up in this performance & the build up to the
climaxes are just wonderful.
& Derek this recording does sound fantastic, what's the source?

On Dec 31 2007, 8:54 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Muriel]

Hi Vince: It's nice to see you here again!! We've missed you! This
*is* a lovely recording by Mario, isn't it? Derek has a new program on
his computer to adjust speeds, so he might have done a little
something to this one.... How are things in beautiful Ireland? I'll
bet it's pretty at Christmas time...Bella..M

On Jan 2, 6:26 pm, Vince Di Placido <vincent.diplac...@gmail.com>
wrote:

> > and Lanza is in glorious form here. Enjoy!- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Vince: Great to see you posting again.

You were asking what the source of the Agnus Dei was. Actually, I'm
not sure! It was simply one of many recordings on a tape that I'd had
for about 10 years (possibly from Armando??), and one that I sent to
Muriella nearly four years ago. She recently had the tape transferred
to CD for convenience, and very sweetly sent me a copy. Well! I was
bowled over by how much better the Agnus Dei sounded - particularly at
the beginning. On other tapes I've heard of this performance, Mario
sounds quite distant at first.

So I didn't change the recording in any way whatsoever; I simply made
an MP3 from the CD of the tape! But what wouldn't I give to hear
Nessun Dorma from that same concert in similar sound!! (Sadly, it
wasn't on the tape I sent Muriella.)

I'm completely snowed under with thesis work this week, but as soon as
I get a spare half-hour, I'd love to comment more on this beautiful
rendition of Agnus Dei.

[Vince Di Placido]

Muriel, sure Ireland looks pretty all time : - )
I've just looked at the cds you sent (would you believe I haven't had
the chance until now!) & have noticed that this Agnus Dei is on there
so thank you for that, it does sound fantatsic.
I've missed posting & hope to have more time now, I was just so very
busy.

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

[Muriel]

Caro Derek: I'm very sorry Mario's HB Nessun Dorma wasn't on the tapes
as well. I've just listened to it and I think it's his best one and
who knows, maybe, with a bit of adjusting, a definitive Lanza
recording!! The "vincero(s)" are quite exhilarating, to say the
least!! Mario had a classic one in him, but didn't have time to bring
it to us.
I'm sure, had he lived longer, we'd have a whole collection of
inspirational arias from him.

Is that chapter coming together for you? I'm sending my most positive
thoughts your way, no ti preoccupare!! Con amore, Muriella

On Jan 2, 10:49 pm, "Derek McGovern" <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi Vince: Great to see you posting again.
>
> You were asking what the source of the Agnus Dei was. Actually, I'm
> not sure! It was simply one of many recordings on a tape that I'd had
> for about 10 years (possibly from Armando??), and one that I sent to
> Muriella nearly four years ago. She recently had the tape transferred
> to CD for convenience, and very sweetly sent me a copy. Well! I was
> bowled over by how much better the Agnus Dei sounded - particularly at
> the beginning. On other tapes I've heard of this performance, Mario
> sounds quite distant at first.
>
> So I didn't change the recording in any way whatsoever; I simply made
> an MP3 from the CD of the tape! But what wouldn't I give to hear
> Nessun Dorma from that same concert in similar sound!! (Sadly, it
> wasn't on the tape I sent Muriella.)
>
> I'm completely snowed under with thesis work this week, but as soon as
> I get a spare half-hour, I'd love to comment more on this beautiful
> rendition of Agnus Dei.
>

> On 1/3/08, Vince Di Placido <vincent.diplac...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > I LOVE this performance! My favourite Agnus Dei.
> > Gigli's recording was my introduction to this piece & it was always a
> > favourite but when I discovered Mario's Hollywood Bowl performance I
> > was delighted, Mario is fantastic despite Miklos Rosza's overindulgent
> > slow tempo, Mario's breath control is well tested here but as we all
> > know breath control was one of Mario's strongest qualities, come to
> > think of it all of his vocal attributes were strong that is what is so
> > great about Mario, it all comes together for the perfect voice.
> > The mood Mario sets up in this performance & the build up to the
> > climaxes are just wonderful.
> > & Derek this recording does sound fantastic, what's the source?
>
> > On Dec 31 2007, 8:54 pm, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> > > Hi, everyone: If you haven't already done so, I suggest you take a
> > > moment to listen to Mario's live rendition of Agnus Dei in our Files
> > > section (the link is currently showing under "Files" on our home
> > > page). It's the best reproduction of this performance I've ever heard,

[Lou]

Welcome back, Vince! I, too, find the tempo of Lanza's recording
unusually slow, but not even that can detract from the emotional
charge I get listening to his resplendent tenor storming heaven, as it
were, with an impassioned plea for peace and mercy. (Incidentally,
there is on YouTube a Caruso rendition of this song that, to my ears,
sounds just as sluggish if not more so.)

Lanza's magnificent voice and the intense passion with which he
delivered it are the common denominator in his most thrilling and
affecting performances, whatever the genre. There is, however, an
additional, indefinable quality to his rendition of religious songs
that gives me the feeling that his singing reflects his own faith
experience. His readings of Agnus Dei, The Lord's Prayer, the two Ave
Marias, and especially I'll Walk with God have the ring of thorough
understanding and absolute conviction that solidly connects and leads
listeners to experience something beyond themselves. Indeed, these
recordings are a delight to ear and soul. Personally, I think Mario
couldn't have sung these songs of faith with such reverence and depth
of feeling unless he was drawing, consciously or otherwise, from some
personal wellspring of spirituality. Either that or he was an
infinitely better actor than he had been given credit for.


On Jan 3, 7:26 am, Vince Di Placido <vincent.diplac...@gmail.com>
wrote:

[Muriel]

Hi Lou: I have to agree that Mario's singing of these songs sound
genuine to me as well. As I said a while ago, I was distracted enough
while listening to his Ave Maria to drive off my intended route. As he
lived only around the corner from St. Mary Magdalen De Pazzi Church,
I'm sure it played an important part in his early life. He probably
did go in at times to enjoy its peaceful atmosphere. Chruches were
always open in those days, but sadly, they are not now.

To give closure to a previous topic - the presence of a red light
always burning in the church, I have to tell you something. Do you
recall my saying that my church does not have one? I recently asked
our pastor, "Where is our red light"? He told me it doesn't have to be
red and can be any color, and pointed out a white candle sitting
beside the tabernacle up on the altar. Ahhhh, so, I'm relieved to know
I'm not crazy after all!

Now, all I have to locate is my Muse, which seems to have disappeared.
I'll bet Santa Claus took her Christmas Eve night along with the
cookies...hmmmmmm.. Perhaps he'll realize I need her and will return
her shortly.

Ciao........Muriel

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

[Muriel]

Sorry, I meant his singing sounds genuine. That mistake caused me to
be removed from the members list..Ahime!

I'm currently reading a book that will supposedly help me find my
essence as well. Things are so disorganzied here that I seem to be
totally invisible.

[Derek McGovern]

I've just been listening to this thrilling performance again. (Many
thanks for finding the words & translation, by the way, Ann-Mai! There
were just a couple of *tiny* errors, which I've corrected below :-))

For me, the defining moment here is Mario's fourth "Agnus
dei" (capitalized below). The vocal "attack" on this line is just
wonderful, and it reveals a young tenor with all the assurance in the
world. "Storming heaven" indeed, as Lou put it in her delightful post
a few messages back. And just listen to the way Lanza has to sustain
the very difficult "mundi" in the next line with Miklos Rosza's
mournful tempo! The other part that particularly touches me is the way
he sings the first "miserere". I can't really put it into words, but
there's a very special quality in his voice and approach here.

If this is how Mario sounded just three months earlier at the New
Orleans Opera House, then little wonder the critics raved about his
"exceptionally beautiful voice".

Agnus dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere, miserere nobis.
Agnus dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
miserere miserere
miserere nobis.

Agnus, Agnus dei,
qui tollis peccata mundi,
AGNUS, AGNUS DEI,
qui tollis peccata mundi,

[Derek McGovern]

Here's another thread well worth revisiting

Some of our newer members may be unaware that there's a magnificent
reproduction of Lanza's Agnus Dei from this concert in our Photos &
Recordings section. The sound is **significantly** better than on any
other reproduction I've heard of this performance, which until now has
always been foggy and muted. Here, it's the aural equivalent of having
a layer of gauze removed from the recording. Mario's voice is much
more forward - and, goodness, he's on fire here! I know that
practically everyone (except Lindsay Perigo) loves his Nessun Dorma
from this same (2nd Hollywood Bowl) concert -- and quite rightly too
-- but this performance is, in some ways, even more sensational.

Do check it out!!

[leeann]

Derek, I listen to Lanza's Agnus Dei over and over and never tire of
it--actually, more positively, it becomes a profound moment for me.
Lou says it beautifully in her earlier post.

I went on this time to listen to Gigli with a chorale and orchestral
introduction and the more rapid tempo, and splendid "qui tollis
peccata mundi, ."

Kind of spotty sound, but here it is on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KG6gym7YUew

And then here's Caruso--with an well--contemporary? introduction. The
music starts at 58 seconds. We are back to a slower tempo. A bit of a
musical change toward the end for me, I think, breaks the reverential
plea.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DOFEZjxIbY

Best, Lee Ann

Corelli's represented too, but out of respect for the sensibilities of
our moderator, he gets a mention only in the afterthought of a
postscript without comment. As my mother always said, "if you can't
say something nice, don't say anything at all." :-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8DOFEZjxIbY

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Gill: I've converted the Agnus Dei to a high quality MP3, which you
can play or download here:

http://www.4shared.com/audio/LdtGnLOo/Agnus_Dei.html

It really does sound quite wonderful, and better than any reproduction
I've heard of this performance. If only we could get the Nessun Dorma
from the same concert with the same audio quality!

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann:

Thanks a lot for providing those links. It's actually quite
instructive to compare Lanza's performance with the recordings of
Caruso, Gigli, and Corelli, as I feel our 27-year-old stripling
effortlessly outshines them all here. Now that's something I wasn't
expecting. What's more, Mario's is a live performance, while the
others' are all studio recordings!

I found Gigli's voice the most appealing after Lanza's, but I thought
his singing was pretty rough in places. His vocal line certainly
wasn't as even as Mario's. The first "Miserere" was choppy, and he
barked his way through the rendition at times. He was also
surprisingly wobbly on "pacem."

The Caruso recording was running slow, unfortunately (and what an
idiotic introduction that was from the person who uploaded it!!), but
regardless of that, this wasn't Enrico at anywhere near his best. The
sudden increase in tempo (as you pointed out) didn't help matters
either. (Speaking of which, I thought the tempo was far too jaunty on
Gigli's recording. I'm beginning to appreciate Miklos Rosza's
extremely slow tempo on Mario's version!)

As for Corelli, well, what can I say? When he's not singing in full
voice, his timbre is just plain ugly (to my ears), and some of his
notes aren't properly supported. I thought the beginning was quite
poor. Yes, he goes on to produce some ringing high notes, but there's
a lot more to singing than having a gleaming top. And am I the only
person who thinks Corelli sounds mournful on every single thing he
sings? Sorry, Corelli fans!

By the way, here's the correct link to the Corelli recording:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXbE7uXz6Ks

Cheers
Derek

[Vince Di Placido]

I just listened to quite a few recordings of "Agnus Dei" in the last
half hour, I played Mario 3 times, it is just a fantastic performance
& even more impressive is that it is a live recording... As I said
earlier in this thread I had an old 78 of Gigli's recording when I was
a young lad & I always loved the recording & the piece itself, I even
got the sheet music & tried my hand at it in my late teens, I'll tell
you it's a tricky piece to sing, I never really got it right... But
Mario's is by far my favourite performance I was thrilled when I was
about 14 when I got the tape of his Hollywood Bowl performances
through the British Mario Lanza Society & saw this piece listed. He
really was fantatsic at all his Hollywood Bowl appearances, well done
our boy! :-)
I do like the choral work on Gigli's recording but it is just too
fast, a bit of a shame...

[Vince Di Placido]

Here is a link to a very good quality recording of Gigli's recording
of "Agnus Dei", I found the Youtube version quite poor...

http://www.4shared.com/audio/J6cIzKOb/Agnus_Dei.html

[Armando]

Lanza’s Agnus Dei is not only magnificent singing, it’s also a lesson
in vocal placement! And listen to the splendid High B flats compared
to Caruso’s less than effortless ones

I find Gigli’s mannerisms unbearable, and Corelli sounds as if he is
singing with a mouth full of marbles.

[Derek McGovern]

"A mouth full of marbles"! That's exactly what I hear too, Armando. I
was going to mention Corelli's awful diction in my previous post, but
then I decided that I'd already beaten him up enough :-)

I think the diction problem is partly due to his lisp, which is
particularly noticeable on this recording.

[Armando]

Hi Derek: Aside from the lisp, the main problem with Corelli, just as
in Del Monaco’s case, is that it’s a totally fabricated voice. The
Melocchi method of singing adopted by these two tenors enabled them to
emit a constant, relentless volume of sound with stunning high notes
and little else. Compare them with the natural voices of Gigli,
(mannerisms not withstanding) or Di Stefano and Carreras ( regardless
of poor singing techniques) and the difference is monumental. In the
latter, just as in Lanza’s case, you have superb voice colour and
natural emission coupled with appropriate voice placement and
diaphragmatic support. This enables them to be convincing in singing
not only opera but also songs, something which is beyond both Corelli
and Del Monaco simply because their method of voice production,
particularly in Del Monaco’s case, results in singing which is hard,
with little variety, and is basically inexpressive.

My test of a great opera singer is and has always been his or her
ability to sing a song appropriately. This requires a lot more than a
constant relentless volume of sound being directed at the listener-
what is needed is imagination, colouring, and, above all,
interpretation.

Listen to what Schipa does with a song, albeit with a limited and not
particularly beautiful voice, and compare it to either Corelli or Del
Monaco and you’ll see what I mean.

Then again, it’s not always solely a case of the particular singing
method applied. Take the case of Pavarotti -excellent natural voice,
very solid technique, but almost totally lacking in interpretive
skills. With few exceptions, such as Rondine al Nido, I find
Pavarotti’s singing of songs both monotonous and superficial.

Having said all this, there have always been sufficient listeners for
whom volume and high notes are all that matters and what they derive a
thrill from. How else can one explain the considerable success
achieved not only by Corelli and Del Monaco, but of many other
disciples of the Melocchi method such as Cecchele, Martinucci,
Limarilli, Giacomini and countless others?

[Derek McGovern]

Fascinating post, Armando.

I remember as a teenager -- long before I'd ever heard of the Melocchi
"lowered larynx" technique -- listening to Del Monaco and hating the
way that he sang. There was no attempt to sing with any tenderness or
vocal poetry, though I didn't know then that the ability to sing with
sweetness and colour was usually the first casualty of mastering the
Melocchi technique. Yes, "hard" and "inexpressive" is exactly how I
felt about it, and still do. Yet it amazes me that so many opera
lovers love the sound of a manufactured voice, which, let's face it,
is basically bereft of personality. As Corelli himself stated,
"Melocchi’s tenors all came to resemble Del Monaco in tone color,
range and style." Yet Corelli still insisted that the technique was
the right one for the opera house, claiming that "with today’s louder
and more brilliant orchestras, singers need the power and steel that
come from the lowered larynx."

I'm sure that Lanza, Bjoerling, Gigli, and other great non-Melocchian
singers would have disagreed :-) They may not have had voices as large
as those of Corelli and Del Monaco, but they had no trouble thrilling
their audiences.

Incidentally, I've always felt that you perfectly explained the
difference between a manufactured voice and a natural voice in this
post of a few years back:

"Singing should be as natural as speaking but, obviously, with the
addition of technique. The line 'Come sei bella piu bella stasera
Mariu,' for example, should not sound like, 'Cooome say bhella pio
Bhella sthasera Mariooo.' [Note from Derek: That's exactly how I hear
Corelli!] Anyone who sounds that way has a manufactured sound.

"This must not be confused with building the upper register of the
voice which is a frequent necessity, since few singers start out with
a 2 octave range. Caruso, for example, had a short voice (he used to
crack regularly on A flat) and had to sweat blood in order to extend
his range. Although he never really mastered a high C, his B and B
flat were fantastic.

"Summing up, listen to how closely the singing resembles the spoken
word. The closer it is, the more natural the voice. Among tenors, good
examples are Gigli, Bjorling, Lanza, Di Stefano, and Carreras."

Great stuff.

If anyone's bewildered by all this technical talk, I highly recommend
Armando's article on vocal placement:

http://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/web/vocal-placement-an-introduction-by-armando-cesari

And don't forget our thread on "Technical Aspects of Singing." I found
this incredibly helpful (thanks again to Armando, and his knack of
shedding light on a difficult subject):

http://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/browse_thread/thread/caa102f4d39a22e1/e790513cfc8c7b26?lnk=gst

And here's the transcript of the Corelli interview I quoted from
above. It's quite interesting, and he's surprisingly candid in it
about his early vocal difficulties, as well as the pros and cons of
the Melocchi technique:

http://www.belcantosociety.org/pages/corellipage3.html

Cheers
Derek

[Armando]

Hi Derek: One of the interesting things about Corelli is, that unlike
Del Monaco, he was not only aware of his shortcomings but was willing
to admit to them.

No such modesty from Del Monaco the supreme megalomaniac who went
around telling anyone who cared to listen, and I quote, “I am the
greatest tenor of all time , there’s never been anyone better than me-
perhaps Caruso might have been my equal.”

Someone should have reminded him that when he first started out he was
offered only comprimario roles. He subsequently attempted to sing some
lyric parts, among them Enzo in La Gioconda, and fell flat on his
face. In a panic, he adopted the Melocchi method and went on screaming
for the next forty years.

> http://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/web/vocal-placement-an-intr...

>
> And don't forget our thread on "Technical Aspects of Singing." I found
> this incredibly helpful (thanks again to Armando, and his knack of
> shedding light on a difficult subject):
>

> http://groups.google.com/group/mariolanza/browse_thread/thread/caa102...

[leeann]

Thank you, Derek and Armando, for explaining Corelli's sound and for
the various links. Corelli has been an enigma; his voice is difficult
for me to listen to, but given the breadth of his career and acclaim,
I figured it was simply my lack of knowledge about voice and music.
The power of his voice is compelling, and I love that, but quite often
in his recordings of individual arias I'm engaged by phrases, by those
powerful sections, rather than by the totality of an entire selection,
if that makes sense. So often he reminds me of a pole vaulter--it
sounds as if there's a need to gather momentum, to take a couple of
intermediate steps, in order to move into that grand tone. And that
buildup seems to fragment or negate any interpretive continuity.
Although I guess Armando would say there's not much interpretive
anything going on anyway. And yes, the diction is kind of off-
putting, or at best, a distraction.

That said, I loved the interview, love his transparency, and wonder if
he is a tenor better experienced on the stage than on CD. He seems to
have a personableness, charisma, and a sense of drama that must enfold
an audience.

Since we've been discussing Lanza biographies on another thread, I
also wanted to ask if there are biographies of other tenors that you
all might recommend. Best, Lee Ann

[Thelma]

Sorry, I have never "gotten" Corelli."

[Derek McGovern]

Lee Ann wrote:

> Since we've been discussing Lanza biographies on another thread, I
> also wanted to ask if there are biographies of other tenors that you
> all might recommend.

Hi Lee Ann: I've actually read far more *auto*biographies of singers
than biographies: The Gigli Memoirs, Carreras' "Singing from the
Soul," Domingo's "My First 40 Years," etc. I enjoyed all of these, but
the one that stood out for me was Tito Gobbi's ghostwritten "My Life."

Armando has the most extensive library I've ever seen on singers, so
I'm sure he'll have a few recommendations for you :-)

Cheers
Derek

[Armando]

Hi Lee Ann:

As well as the books listed by Derek, I can recommend Enrico Caruso –
My father and My Family by Enrico Caruso Jr. Jussi, by his wife Anna
Lisa, Richard Tucker by James A. Drake, and The Bluebird of Happiness –
The Memoirs of Jan Peerce by Alan Levy.

There are also two excellent books which are not biographies but
critical assessments.
They are: Placido Domingo by Cornelius Schnauber, and Luciano
Pavarotti The Myth of the Tenor by Jurgen Kesting. Both are
translations of the original German editions.

You might be able to find them at you local library, otherwise they
are all available at reasonable prices on Amazon.

Good luck!

Armando

[Derek McGovern]

Yesterday Armando alerted me to a newly discovered second recording of Lanza singing "Agnus Dei." I was amazed! After all, who would ever have thought that a new version would show up 72 years after it was recorded?!

This is almost certainly a rehearsal from the same day as the Hollywood Bowl concert of 24 July 1948. Mario's singing is very similar to the evening performance (which can be heard in our discography here), but with subtle differences here and there. And---this time!---he sings the words correctly near the end ("dona nobis" rather than "nobis dona"), as Armando's discerning ears immediately detected. 

I've just uploaded the new version here.

Heartfelt thanks to the redoubtable Roberto Scandurra of the website mariolanza.it for discovering this recording among his possessions and for then sharing it with the world via YouTube. (It would be a nice gesture, by the way, to award him some "likes" for this remarkable discovery.)

Enjoy!!

[Palmarola2012]

Dear Derek. 

Thank you and Armando for another treasure. I wish we could find more like this especially of new arias and songs I am sure he sang. 

One that always comes to mind is Mamma. To hear Mario sing it would be the experience of a lifetime. I am certain he sang it for his mother or sang it on Mother's Day. It was a very popular song starting in the 1930s when Benjamin Gigli first sang it. 

Discovering a version sung by Mario would be like finding a crown jewel. 

All the best. 

Emilio. 

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From: derek.m...@gmail.com Sent: 16 May 2020 12:48 PM To: mario...@googlegroups.com Reply to: mario...@googlegroups.com Subject: [Mario Lanza] Re: Agnus Dei

Yesterday Armando alerted me to a newly discovered second recording of Lanza singing "Agnus Dei." I was amazed! After all, who would ever have thought that a new version would show up 72 years after it was recorded?!

This is almost certainly a rehearsal from the same day as the Hollywood Bowl concert of 24 July 1948. Mario's singing is very similar to the evening performance (which can be heard in our discography here), but with subtle differences here and there. And---this time!---he sings the words correctly nearly the end ("dona nobis" rather than "nobis dona"), as Armando's discerning ears immediately detected. 

I've just uploaded the new version here.

Heartfelt thanks to the redoubtable Roberto Scandurra of the website mariolanza.it for discovering this recording among his possessions and for then sharing it with the world viaYouTube. (I'm sure he would appreciate receiving some "likes" for this gem-like discovery.)

Enjoy!!

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[Barnabas Nemeth]

By all means, this is very interesting. I feel, his voice was not mature enough for this piece yet. A couple of years later it would have been even more exiting.

Derek McGovern <derek.m...@gmail.com> ezt írta (időpont: 2020. máj. 16., Szo 12:48):

Yesterday Armando alerted me to a newly discovered second recording of Lanza singing "Agnus Dei." I was amazed! After all, who would ever have thought that a new version would show up 72 years after it was recorded?!

This is almost certainly a rehearsal from the same day as the Hollywood Bowl concert of 24 July 1948. Mario's singing is very similar to the evening performance (which can be heard in our discography here), but with subtle differences here and there. And---this time!---he sings the words correctly nearly the end ("dona nobis" rather than "nobis dona"), as Armando's discerning ears immediately detected. 

I've just uploaded the new version here.

Heartfelt thanks to the redoubtable Roberto Scandurra of the website mariolanza.it for discovering this recording among his possessions and for then sharing it with the world via YouTube. (I'm sure he would appreciate receiving some "likes" for this gem-like discovery.)

Enjoy!!

On Tuesday, July 13, 2010 at 11:37:40 AM UTC+9, Armando wrote:

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[Derek McGovern]

I am very disappointed to have to report that the newly discovered second recording of Agnus Dei is a fake. It has been skillfully edited and manipulated to make it seem as though it's a different performance, but on closer inspection the deception is obvious.

Still, at least we have this authentic performance of Agnus Dei to cherish (and it's never sounded better than in this reproduction):

https://www.mariolanzatenor.com/latin-german-french-spanish-recordings.html   

[Steff Walzinger]

Hi Derek,
That's hard to believe. This means that someone even went to the trouble of correcting the lyrics (from "nobis dona" to "dona nobis"! How far have we come? Shame on the person who did this! Thank you for debunking that fake!
Steff

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: Yes, it is unbelievable that a person would do that, though (as we know) it's by no means the first time that someone in the Lanza world has brazenly tampered with Mario's recordings. 

This particular act of deception was more skillful than most. But, ironically, it was the correcting of the lyrics you singled out that ultimately tipped me off. In an effort to improve the sound, I had isolated the clearer right channel of the recording on my audio programme, and it was that extra clarity that then revealed the edits after "dona" and "nobis" at the end. Obviously, the perpetrator had taken the original recording and rearranged those two words---and, even more cleverly, corrected Mario's double "n" mispronunciation of "dona" in the process. He also made a few other subtle changes to the recording just to throw us off the scent.

I'm just annoyed that I fell for this deception! 

Cheers,

Derek        

[Vincent Di Placido]

I am beyond disappointed that someone would try to trick people this way, I have listened again at great volume & yes it is an edit to switch the "Nobis Dona" to Dona Nobis" once it is pointed out you can hear the "Dona" delivery is the same as the recording we've always known.

By the way I reread this entire thread & it reminded me of the amazing material that is here, a treasure trove Derek & Armando, your comments on Corelli & Del Monaco & just singing in general was fantastic.

Anyway what I do know is Mario gave me my favourite "Agnus Dei" that July night in 1948 in Hollywood.

[Steff Walzinger]

Vince, I lack the technical knowledge, so I wonder how it is possible to extract the text from the singing in order to reverse "nobis dona" to "dona nobis." This boggles my mind. If these were only spoken words (without the singing) I would of course understand that an edit is easily possible.

Steff

[Vincent Di Placido]

I had to clear my head of this unpleasantness & I put this together.
https://youtu.be/tPWj012JfHw

[Vincent Di Placido]

It’s easy really Steff, each word uses the same notes & rhythm, so they are interchangeable, other than Mario’s leaning on “doNA”, Which showed up the edit for me once it was pointed out.

[Steff Walzinger]

Now I understand. Thank you, Vince!

[Derek McGovern]

Bravo, Vince!

That's a great video. Beautiful photos from the actual event and the sheet music in perfect sync with Mario's singing: you've spoiled us!

[Armando Cesari]

The intended hoax is obviously the work of a sick mind! Or could it be someone craving adulation? Either way, it says a lot about the perpetrator!

On Thu, 21 May 2020 at 12:23, Derek McGovern <derek.m...@gmail.com> wrote:

Bravo, Vince!

That's a great video. Beautiful photos from the actual event and the sheet music in perfect sync with Mario's singing: you've spoiled us!

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[Vincent Di Placido]

Thanks Derek! I just had to do it, couldn’t stop myself, I was putting it together before I was even thinking of what I was going to do with it. I used our “My Italian Soul” release.