Lanza at the London Palladium

[Derek McGovern]

The following is a post from Tony. My own comments to follow shortly.

Hello Folks,
This weekend I was listening to some Lanza I have buried in my
computer and I came across this "work in progress" - it's the Sunday
Night At The Palladium performance.  I had ripped the audio some time
ago in hopes of somehow getting a better quality audio.  There's not a
whole lot to work with there but I gave it a try.  In all events
here's the link, see what you think.  No doubt that electronic wizard,
audio genie Mike McAdam will hear this and wince in agony - sorry
Mike, I did the best I could.

http://www.4shared.com/audio/q8eiAD7q/Sunday_Night_At_The_Palladium_.html

Ciao, Tony

[Derek McGovern]

Many thanks for taking the time to convert the London Palladium video
to an audio version, Tony. I'm not sure that you could have done much
better with the sound without compromising Lanza's vocals, as the
surviving kinescope is severely lacking in dynamic range. Mario's B-
flat at the end of Because You're Mine, for instance, is *very*
compressed. But to the people who were actually there, the sound he
produced that evening was astounding. Lindsay Perigo's singing teacher
(a fine tenor who later sang the role of Freddy Eynsford Hill in the
London production of My Fair Lady) was there, and recalled how
everyone's "jaws dropped" at the quality and size of the voice. Sadly,
we only get a hint of that in the E Lucevan le Stelle, where we can
hear the voice reverberating magnificently around the theatre.

I'm hopelessly pressed for time right now, but I'd love to comment on
Mario's actual singing that night when I get a chance. In the
meantime, I hope others will post their thoughts here.

And courtesy of the indefatigable Vince, here's the video link to the
London Palladium concert (24 November 1957):

http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/video-television-appearances.html#palladium

One further thought: Some of you may not have heard Lanza's earlier
performance at the Palladium (18 November 1957), when he sang for
Queen Elizabeth II as part of the Royal Variety Show. Here's his E
Lucevan le Stelle from that evening. He was terribly nervous, as
you'll probably tell, and a couple of his notes are "off", but this is
quite an impassioned performance (more so than than the one six days
later):


http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/audio-concert-performances--private-recordings.html#lucevan

(More comments later.)

[norma]

Thank you for the link to Mario singing at the Royal Variety
performance.It was certainly passionate .I prefer it to the one on
Sunday Night at the Palladium.Is there any chance of a link to the
other two songs at the Royal show?
 
Thanks again for your wonderful
forum
Norma

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: Sadly, a recording of the first number that Lanza sang at
the Royal Variety Show (Because You're Mine) hasn't emerged. The Show
wasn't broadcast live (nor was it ever shown on TV, and the sole
record we have of it is from an audio "highlights" version that was
broadcast on British radio a few days later. That programme only
featured E Lucevan le Stelle and the third number that Lanza sang --
Loveliest Night of the Year.

I don't have a copy of the Royal Variety Loveliest Night with me here
in Korea, but I have listened to it. The performance is very similar
to that of the Sunday Night at the London Palladium version of six
days later. In a couple of spots (especially near the beginning), it's
*slightly* better than the second performance, with Mario singing a
smoother line, but his final note is a little strained, and he cuts it
short compared with the other performance. Not that the audience
minded! There's huge applause at the end.

But considering that Lanza had been on a drinking binge until the day
before the Royal Variety Show, his singing here is nothing short of
amazing. Mario was deathly pale and visibly shaking before he went
onto that stage -- and anyone who's ever performed (regardless of
whether they're a singer or an actor) knows how crucial it is to have
their nerves under control when they're on stage. Obviously, without
steady nerves, a performer's breath control goes to pieces. In short,
this performance could have been an absolute disaster -- like a kind
of live equivalent of the Lanza on Broadway album! -- and the press
would have been brutal. "Lanza Botches Royal Performance": I can just
see the headlines. But instead of falling on his feet, Mario sings
well. It's not Lanza at his very best, as Terry Robinson (who wasn't
even at the concert!) has written, but to the people who were there
that night and applauded him wildly, he more than delivered the vocal
goods. As the Show's musical coordinator, Cyril Ornadel, recalled in
1974, the quality of Mario's voice was "absolutely gorgeous" -- "He
was amongst the greats" -- and the usually "stuffy" audience of
royalty, aristocracy, and the well-heeled temporarily forgot its
pretensions, roaring its approval.

Of the two 1957 E Lucevan le Stelle performances, I prefer the second
one. He's not as much in control of his voice at the Royal Variety
Show as he is at the second performance. I think it boils down to
nerves. You can hear that he's not fully relaxed on the Royal Variety
E Lucevan le Stelle in the way he cuts a few phrases short and
produces a less consistent tone (that first "disperato" isn't up to
his usual standard, for example). But what the heck: it's a thrilling
live rendition. I actually prefer it to the Albert Hall version of two
months later:

http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/audio-concert-performances--private-recordings.html#lucevan

I'd be very interested in knowing how other members here rate Mario's
three live E Lucevan le Stelles from 1957-58.

Cheers
Derek

[Vince Di Placido]

I don't doubt that Mario was nervous singing at The Royal Variety
performance but his "E Lucevan le Stelle", which I had never heard
before by the way, was better than on The Palladium... I don't know
how I haven't heard this before (or have I forgotten I have heard it?)
but Mario sells it completely, a very moving performance...
I just wish we had better quality recordings of these historic
appearances!!! It is heartbreaking that we have to see past the awful
fidelity... I love that even though Mario had his demons & he may have
made the life of those around him hell before these stressful moments
he still managed to pull himself together & give memorable
performances... I just wish he had pulled himself together more... No
other career has so many ifs buts & what ifs...

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Vince: I take back what I wrote earlier about preferring the Sunday
Night at the London Palladium version of E Lucevan le Stelle! Proof of
the pudding: over the last week or so, I've found myself regularly
returning to the Royal Variety version -- to the point where the
second performance now strikes me as just a little too tepid (& even a
bit perfunctory) by Mario's standards. (I never thought I'd say
that!!) Vocal blemishes aside, the Royal Variety version is definitely
the much more thrilling of the two. As you say, he really sells it --
and it *is* a very moving performance. What a shame we don't have
video of it!!

[Derek McGovern]

Here's a new post from Tony regarding Lanza's second appearance at the London Palladium (the best reproduction of which can be seen here), which I'm transferring from another thread. (There is also a separate discussion thread on this performance here.) 

It's very interesting to watch the Sunday Night At The London Palladium video and see how very nervous he is, right from the beginning.  His body language betrays him totally and the close ups of him when he speaks, show a man clearly nervous, perhaps somewhat agitated and anxious.  But watch him once he starts singing.  Watch his body language then.  When he speaks after "Because You're Mine" it's almost uncomfortable for you can tell, as I say, nerves are getting the better of him.  He then introduces "E lucevan le stelle."  Even through the brief instrumental intro he shuffles his feet, puts his hands on his hips but then, when he starts to sing it is a totally differernt person.  He is completly caught up, transported to the Castel Sant'Angelo and the dawn of his last day.  It's amazing to watch!  Then, just as quickly, he comes out of it.

 

[Derek McGovern]

I was sorting out my computer files just now, and chanced upon the Royal Variety performance of "Loveliest Night of the Year." I'd forgotten what a lovely rendition this is! While the ending is not quite as good as the televised "Sunday Night at the London Palladium" performance of six days later (24 November 1957), in all other respects this is the better rendition: smoother and more beautifully phrased. And that's from someone who doesn't even care for the song!

Lanza's (understandable) nerves that night may have marginally affected his breath control---as suggested by his slightly truncated high notes, both here and on his moving rendition of "E Lucevan le Stelle"---but he was certainly in beautiful voice and interpretive mode. Oh, I wish this performance had been televised! I'd also love to hear his "Because You're Mine" from the same evening. 

Here's the Royal Variety "Loveliest Night." 

Cheers

Derek 

[Derek McGovern]

Since things are currently so quiet around here, I thought I'd revive this old thread.

[norma]

I much prefer the Royal Command version. The Sunday Night Palladium version has always sounded to me out of tune in parts. Am I wrong?

            Norma

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Norma: I think the reason the Sunday Palladium performances sometimes sound a little out of tune is that the recordings are affected by a fair amount of wow. By "wow," I mean those disconcerting variations in pitch that you hear, say, from an LP when it's slightly warped or buckled. Orchestras usually fare the worst when wow afflicts a recording, and that's certainly true here. (Listen to the wonky-sounding clarinet at the beginning of "E lucevan le stelle," for example.)

Of course, it doesn't help matters in the case of "Loveliest Night of the Year" that the arrangement is a poor one, with Mario pretty much left to his own devices (in terms of melodic guidance) until he gets to the line "Waltzing along in the blue." It's a pity they didn't stick with the much-superior arrangement on his 1951 RCA recording!

Cheers

Derek