Rate These Recordings: 'Na Sera 'e Maggio (1952 and 1958 versions)

[Derek McGovern]

Time for another round of "Rate This Recording" --- and one of my favourite Neapolitan songs, 'Na Sera 'e Maggio (One Evening in May).

There are two Lanza versions commercially available of this song, and both can be heard and rated here:

http://www.mariolanzatenor.com/na-sera-e-maggio.html

After you've evaluated them, I hope you'll come back to this thread and share your thoughts on the two recordings.

Cheers
Derek

[Savage]

Derek,

     The 1958 version is for me the definitive rendition of this wonderful song.  I rated it as a masterpiece and the Coke version as excellent in spite of its flaws. Vocally, Lanza is impressive in both recordings.  The later version is, however, an artistic masterpiece of brilliant phrasing and musicality.

                                                                                                                                                   David

[Anita]

I like both versions but for different reasons.  I prefer the voice in the 1952 version and the emotion in the 1958 version.

[Barnabas Nemeth]

I might be wrong but some part of the 1952 version seems to me a bit false, the voice is fresh but not totally integrated. A little bit I feel it unnatural, especially compared to it Mario's capability.

 

At the same time, the 1958 version is a masterpiece. The voice is round and baritonal even though having very stable high notes. His reading is very-very mature. Goosebumping for me! I'm unable to listen to it enough.

 

Sorry.

 

Barnabas

[JOE]

I probably will go a little against the flow here, but I loved both versions. I did feel some differences in emotion (real or imagined?)... In the ’52 version, I thought Mario was very believable and he really did sound heartbroken. BUT, I also detected something else that was not as prominent in the ’58 version (at least to my untrained ear); I heard some anger in his voice. He was a little ticked off at his lover…that didn’t come through as well in the latter version. However the ’58 version was simply stunning and beautifully sung. How could any tenor improve over this…simply not probable. His voice here is much richer and baritonal.  While I did not hear as much anger, the tone was palpable with sadness right from the get-go.

Thus, I rate the ’52 version as excellent 4/5 and I just can’t see how any tenor could improve over the 58 version, so I gave it a 5/5 masterpiece.

The two versions really seem to boil down to a great, passionate singer maturing in both style and richness of tone, as he aged.

[Vincent Di Placido]

It's 1958 all the way for me, as fresh & lovely as the 1952 voice is,
Mario's warm, golden, baritonal 1958 voice is stunning & oh! what
phrasing especially on the start of the 2nd verse...
St'uocchie tuoje nun só sincere
comm'a quanno mme 'ncuntraste,
comm'a quanno mme diciste:
"Voglio bene sulo a te."
that "Voglio bene sulo a te." line breaks my heart every time "I love
only you." Mario sings that line with such heartfelt heartbreak &
pathos, absolutely beautiful singing acting...
On top of all this the Italian RCA engineers are on top form the
"sound" is spot on aside from the Franco Ferrara & the orchestra being
in perfect sync with Mario of course
Mario doesn't sound completely comfortable with the song in 1952 & if
you have heard the outtakes it did take them quite a few attempts to
even get a complete take, but what a great revisiting he gave it in
1958, a masterpiece!!!

[Omar]

Hola amigos Lanzistas, si me lo permiten,  por primera vez participo en este foro, y en mi modesta opinion, la version de 1958 es sencillamente unica y conmovedora, es un Mario inspirado, metido completamente en la piel de ese corazon desventurado,  presa de una desoladora melancolia por ese primer amor que cree no correspondido. Como se nota que este trabajo de Mario fue cuidadosamente preparado y ejecutado...hubiera sido muy interesante presenciar los ensayos de ese album con las indicaciones y supervision de Franco Ferrarara.  Me pregunto si por milagro de Dios sobrevive algun registro de esos ensayos. Gracias Derek y saludos a todos los amigos foristas.  Omar.     

[leeann]

Perhaps it's the phrasing in the 1952 version that seems a bit choppy from place to place; maybe it's just that the orchestration seems a little heavy and thumpy in the backbeat and maybe that the instrumentation sounds a little fragmented, I'm not sure.

This seems miles better (to me) than many of the earlier versions of songs on Mario! that Lanza recorded--far, far more polished than, say,  the cowboyish early version of "Dicitencello vuie" for example--but the 1958 is just incomparable, for all the reasons people have pointed out. I love that his reprise of "e mo tiene 'o curaggio 'e mme lassà!" on the finale is so vocally breathtaking, yet in service to emotion and totally in-step with what has gone before.

Omar, it was nice to read your first post on this forum (in translation)! It was beautiful. Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Some lovely posts---and welcome, Omar! I can more or less understand written Spanish, but it's nice to have the instant Google translation service available on this forum (even if it didn't quite do justice to the poetry of your post).

Omar: The only real information we have about the background to the making of these recordings is a brief interview that Armando Cesari held with Franco Ferrara in 1977. Amazingly, considering how much in sync (as Vince puts it) singer and conductor are on this album, Ferrara and Lanza only went over the songs a couple of times at the latter's home before they recorded them. We don't know how many takes there were, or even the exact dates of the sessions---other than the one that took place on the evening of 19 December 1958. (Some sources incorrectly state the recording month as November, but Lanza was still working on For the First Time then.) RCA Italiana was very bad at keeping details of Lanza's studio recordings!

For my money, the 1958 'Na Sera 'e Maggio is one of four masterpieces on the Mario! album (can you guess my other three? :)) I simply can't imagine a better interpretation of the song, and Lanza's voice---although not as fresh or youthful-sounding as on the over-wrought 1952 version---is extremely beautiful here. Supple yet rich. In fact, its maturity adds poignancy to the recording, since it conveys true loss rather than the adolescent whining we hear on the badly conceived 1952 version, with its atrocious arrangement.

Couldn't agree more with Vince and Lee Ann about the phrases they singled out on the 1958 take.

Cheers
Derek

[Omar]

Hola Lee Ann: Gracias por tus calidas palabras de bienvenida. Mis
mejores deseos para ti.

On 29 ene, 21:37, leeann <leeanngha...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Tal vez es la redacción en la versión 1952, que parece un poco picado de la
> un lugar a otro, tal vez es sólo que la orquestación parece un poco pesado
> y en el ritmo de fondo thumpy y tal vez que la instrumentación suena un
> poco fragmentada, no estoy seguro.
>
> Esto parece kilómetros mejor (para mí) que muchas de las versiones anteriores de canciones
> sobre Mario! que Lanza registrada - mucho, mucho más pulido que, por ejemplo, el
> cowboyish versión temprana de "vuie Dicitencello", por ejemplo -, pero es el 1958
> simplemente incomparable, para todas las razones por las que hemos señalado. Me encanta que
> la repetición de "correo electrónico de Lassa meses TIENE 'o curaggio' Madame!" en el final es tan
> vocal impresionante, sin embargo, en el servicio a la emoción y totalmente con el paso de
> lo que ha pasado antes.
>
> Omar, que era agradable para leer el primer post en este foro (en la traducción)!
> Fue hermoso. Mejor, Lee Ann

[Michael McAdam]

Derek: no one answered your 'guess' question. I would wager that your other three masterpiece picks on the Mario! album are: 1.) Tu Ca Nun Chiagne, 2.) Passione,  and 3.) Funiculi, Funiculà*.

 

M.

(* heh, heh! Voce 'e Notte, of course)

[Barnabas Nemeth]

My guess are rather the following: Passione, Voce 'e Notte, and Fenesta beyond 'Na Sera 'e Maggio. These are three other favourites, though.

Barnabas

[leeann]

I'll guess Derek's other three favorites are Canta Pe' Me , Passione, Voce 'e Notte.  Are there prizes?  Best, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

You're bang on, Lee Ann! I hereby present you with the inaugural Ferrara Voice of Steel and Warmth Award :)

[leeann]

Oh NO! Was that my red carpet moment? Because I was in jeans and muddy shoes. However to quote Lanza to daughter Colleen, "mmmm, thank you my public."

I know conductor Franco Ferrara's December 1958 quote about Lanza's voice pops up in a lot of places: "vocally extraordinary," with a voice that combined "both steel and warmth." But it's particularly nice tucked in Derek's article, "The Final Years: An Overview of Lanza's 1958-1959 Recordings." where he discusses changes in Lanza's voice and his approach to his music. (And Mike thinks it would've been a good idea if Lanza had hung out with Franco Ferrara a little bit longer in "Musings on the 'Mario!" Album"!) I'm chuffed. :-)Best, Lee Ann

[Michael McAdam]

I'm not chuffed right now, Lee Ann! Namely because my fairly detailed post (plagiarised in part from my aforementioned 'musings' essay, disappeared when posting it along with the less important answer to Derek's "which other three songs" question.

Moral here: don't post more than one reply at a time on the same thread....g-r-r-r-r!

 

Anyhoo, I gave the 1952 version a 3/5 and the 1958 a 5/5 plus. Derek, I still say your third pick in that threesome would be Tu Ca Nun Chiagne, not Canta Pe' Me. You just don't know it yet! ;-)

 

Mike

(P.S for Lee Ann: "Chuffed: to be imbued with chuffery, to exhibit chuffiness, to radiate a wealth of chuff".  I'm now going to get chuffed! ;-))

[gary from NS]

Hi everyone..This is a most  wonderful Neapolitan song,and Mario sings it most beautifully.

I rated the 52 version as very good, but for me the 58 version is a real Masterpiece. Here Mario's phrasing is excellent and his musicality excellent as well,in wonderful voice.

The earlier version is damned fine as well,but, not on par to the later recording.

The 58 album is a favourite of mine and is played so often both at home and in the car.

ps love the new word on my vocabulary..chuffed..it rolls around in my brain non stop.ha,I am easily amused methinks.

Cheers

Gary

[Omar]

Hola Derek, antes que nada, permiteme felicitarte,porque es que este
sitio es MAGNIFICO y merecidamente hace justicia a la memoria de este
gran artista. Tus analisis, comentarios y aportes investigativos, asi
como los de otros destacados foristas, son dignos de reconocimiento y
admiracion. Totalmente de acuerdo contigo: la madurez y las
circunstancias de esta etapa de su vida, creo que son determinantes
para producir un resultado autentico y por tanto convincente del " Na
Sera....." de 1958. Tus otros tres favoritos de MARIO!:?....tal
vez... Passione, voce e notte y Fenesta?; a lo que me gustaria
agregarle la deliciosa Comme Facette Mammeta. Gracias por tu
interesante respuesta sobre los ensayos de Mario con Franco Ferrara.
Saludos!.

On 31 ene, 05:03, Derek McGovern <derek.mcgov...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Algunos mensajes hermosos --- y bienvenida, Omar! Puedo entender más o menos
> el español escrito, pero es bueno tener en el instante de traducción de Google
> servicio disponible en este foro (aunque no acababa de hacer justicia a la
> la poesía de su mensaje).
>
> Omar: La única información que tenemos acerca de los antecedentes de la toma de
> de estas grabaciones es una breve entrevista que celebró con Armando Cesari
> Franco Ferrara en 1977. Sorprendentemente, teniendo en cuenta la cantidad de sincronización (como Vince
> lo pone) el cantante y director de orquesta son en este álbum, Ferrara y Lanza sólo
> se acercó a las canciones un par de veces en la casa de este último antes de que
> las grabó. No sabemos cuántos se había, o incluso la exacta
> fechas de las sesiones --- las demás que la que tuvo lugar en la tarde
> de 19 de diciembre de 1958. (Algunas fuentes incorrectamente declarar el mes de grabación como
> Noviembre, pero Lanza se sigue trabajando en * Para el * Primera vez en cuando.) RCA
> Italiana era muy malo en mantener los detalles de las grabaciones de estudio de Lanza!
>
> Para mi dinero, e el 1958 "Na Sera 'Maggio es una de las cuatro obras maestras de
> Mario *! Álbum * (¿puedes adivinar mis otros tres? :)) Simplemente no puedo
> imaginar una mejor interpretación de la canción y la voz de Lanza --- a pesar de
> no es tan fresco o juvenil que suena, como en la versión más forjada 1952 --- es
> muy bonito. Supple y rico. De hecho, su madurez, añade
> intensidad a la grabación, ya que conllevan a una pérdida real en lugar de la
> adolescentes que oímos quejarse sobre la mal concebida la versión 1952, con su
> disposición atroz.
>
> No se puede estar más de acuerdo con Vince y Ann Lee acerca de las frases que singulariza
> a cabo en el 1958 tomar.
>
> ¡Salud
> Derek

[Derek McGovern]

Hola Omar: Yes, I agree that Comme Facette Mammeta is a wonderful piece of singing. Definitely a 5/5!

 

Omar: Can I ask a favour? You write so beautifully, but I suspect that many of our forum visitors and members are not able to understand your posts. (The Google "Translate this post" option isn't available to everyone.) Would you be able to post in English in future? I'm perfectly happy to translate your posts for you in advance if you don't feel comfortable writing in English. You can always write to me privately by clicking on "Reply to author" on any of my posts.

 

Cheers

Derek 

[Derek McGovern]

Mike wrote a few posts back:

 

Derek, I still say your third pick in that threesome would be Tu Ca Nun Chiagne, not Canta Pe' Me. You just don't know it yet! ;-)

 

Hi Cheeky Mike: The 1958 "Tu Ca Nun Chiagne" is a terrific piece of singing---a masterpiece of interpretation---but what makes "Canta Pe' Me" extra special for me is that it combines a perfect interpretation of the song with a voice that's in sparkling shape. Artistry and unmatched vocalism! There's a youthful freshness and vocal agility on "Canta Pe' Me" that's really quite something, and I also hear those same qualities on "Voce 'e Notte," "Passione," and "'Na Sera 'e Maggio." On the days that Mario recorded these songs, I get the sense that he could have done anything with his voice.

 

I'd put money on "Tu Ca Nun Chiagne" having been recorded on the same day as "Maria Mari'" and "Fenesta che Lucive." On all three, the recording quality is not quite as pristine as elsewhere on the album (there's a sandy quality, for one thing), and Lanza sounds just a smidgen tired. But as performances? All three are wonderful, especially "Tu Ca Nun Chiagne" and "Fenesta." (In fact, the latter is one of the most moving pieces of singing dear old Mario left us.)

 

Cheers

Derek 

 

[Derek McGovern]

A quick question for our members: is it worth my continuing with this series (which is time-consuming to put together), or would you rather we simply discussed individual recordings without the rating feature? I ask this because there seems to be dwindling interest in the idea of listening to the recordings, rating them and then coming back to this forum to discuss them. Only 19 people (and that probably includes non-members, since anyone can vote) rated the 1958 'Na Sera e Maggio, for example, and even fewer commented on it here. 

So what do you think: is it time to put this series to rest? 

Cheers

Derek

[Joseph Fagan]

I love the feature but I DO understand your position. It has 2b very frustrating for you, so come on guys...be up front and either commit or say otherwise! It isn't fair to our tireless leader...........Joe

[leeann]

This is a tricky question.

It's easy to be torn between imposing on your time, Derek, and just cheering flat out in favor of this feature.

It's always interesting to read what people like and why, and there've been some great discussions around the selections. Maybe some of the most informative are those where there's been disagreement about how the pieces should be sung and whether Lanza hit the target (I'm thinking Nessun Dorma here).

Website statistics show that 144 people VISITED the 'Na Sera 'e Maggio page since January 29 (and maybe ten times that number visited the forum pages on the website--and since doesn't include people who access the forum from Google, well, it hints at a not-bad-at-all readership).

And many of us practiced our new vocabulary word (the chu...word). :-)  Best, Lee Ann

[Michael McAdam]

Well, Derek....knowing how hellishly busy you are at the University and how you are such a tireless and totally-involved moderator, it would seem selfish if I encouraged you to continue this series.

 

In light of the plethora of alternate subjects you originate on this Forum ( a fraction of which can keep the rest of us multi-tasked afficionados busy), I would say...put it to rest. It's had a good innings.

 

Mike

(I notice the reply window now includes a chunk of the post being reponded to. My settings, perhaps?)

[Derek McGovern]

Thanks for your thoughts, Joe, Lee Ann and Mike.

Yes, I guess from the evidence of our website's stats, people do enjoy visiting our Rate These Recordings pages, but the great majority obviously prefer not to take part in either the evaluations or discussions---which was the whole point of creating this feature in the first place! :) I find that a bit odd; after all, one only has to go to YouTube to find hundreds of people only too happy to express their opinions on Mario's recordings.

Not to worry, though. As Mike points out, the feature's had a good innings. And, yes, Lee Ann, it's certainly provoked some stimulating conversation! The "Nessun Dorma" discussion was a humdinger.

The polls for each of the recordings will remain open indefinitely, in any event, as will the "favourite Lanza film" poll (which I see has finally received votes for Seven Hills of Rome, That Midnight Kiss and Because You're Mine).

Cheers
Derek

P.S. Mike: the reply window has always shown the previous post when I've used it, though until recently the text of the earlier post didn't actually appear on the forum in one's reply. (You could only see the earlier post by clicking on "show quoted text.") That was a good thing too, as posts that include masses of previous text---or even multiple earlier posts---aren't very easy on the eye. But don't worry if things seem a little odd with the Google Groups features in the short term; these are growing pains while the old version of Google Groups is being phased out. I'm sure these technical niggles will be sorted out soon. In the meantime, I trust everyone's now using the new version of this forum!