Miscellaneous Lanza-Related Comments (January-March)

[leeann]

Please use this thread for any general posts related (vaguely or otherwise) to Mario Lanza that you feel don't warrant their own separate discussion. For general posts not related to Lanza, please use the current Off-Topic Chat Thread instead.

(Since our esteemed moderator's been awfully busy with the stupendous A Mario Lanza Musical Who's Who, I figured I'd go ahead and make a thread for the new year--thereby, I hope, saving Derek the time of moving posts!) Cheers, Lee Ann

[leeann]

Some time ago in a thread about favorite non-operatic singers, Gary pointed out that one of his all-time favorites, Roy Orbison, is called The Caruso of Rock and Roll.

Orbison's vocal range and unique phrasing helped create the analogy.   And this Caruso of Rock and Roll appellation has grabbed hold of the public and serious music critics alike, but according to a fascinating biography of Orbison, the singer didn't grow up in an environment where he was exposed to much classical music of any kind. When he talked about music he liked, Orbison stuck to Mantovani, Dean Martin, and other popular musicians

"many of whom were really despised as being particularly tasteless, middle -brow artists. And, it was not Caruso whom Orbison admired but Mario Lanza, and this long before the recent reevaluation of Lanza as a serious musician." (p. 58)

Peter Lehman, who included that statement in Roy Orbison: the Invention of  an Alternative Rock Masculinity, is Director of the Center for Film, Media and Popular Culture at Arizona State University. His book is built on many points of analysis about Orbison which, despite the seemingly substantial disparity between the two singers and voices, apply awfully well to discussions about Lanza.

I've appreciate reading sections of his work because of his exposition of broad concepts about what makes a singer endure, what makes a singer great. Neither Lanza nor Orbison fit into  the norms of their times, and Lehman introduces those ideas with  "...there are...ways to recognize the importance of individual artists within history, culture and ideology and to study both what distinguishes their work from that of others and why it has outlasted that of their peers. In any generation there are a handful of musicians, whether they make classical or popular music, who achieve that status, and it is important for us to know why."  Sounds quite familiar.  Cheers, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann: Those are very interesting observations from Peter Lehman!

 

Apart from the fact that it's gratifying to read yet another acknowledgement that Lanza is today taken seriously as an artist, I couldn't agree more that it's only a handful of musicians/singers who ever achieve enduring popularity. And every now and then I have to remind myself just how extraordinary Lanza's hold on successive generations has been. For despite any number of attempts by critics and other taste-makers to dismiss Lanza, he simply refuses to go away. Is there any musical artist who's been gone as long who continues to inspire such fervor---whether it's the neverending tributes from leading singers, the many biographies, the forums and web sites, and so forth?

 

I'm not surprised that Orbison admired Lanza, and, yes, I do feel that both men were outside the norms of their times. That would certainly help to explain their timelessness.     

 

I suspect, by the way, that the list of popular musicians and singers inspired by Lanza would rival that of the operatic artists who admire him. Only a few weeks back, Steff sent me this music video of rock singer Bono (of the massively successful group U2) in which the latter is seen performing with a photo of Lanza in the background. Bono grew up with Lanza's recordings, it turns out, and was inspired by them. And I'm not surprised one jot!

 

(I was tempted to make Bono's admiration for Lanza the subject of a trivia question, but then I realized that probably only a few people here, yourself included, were likely to have even heard of him :))

 

Cheers

Derek

 

 

[George Laszlo]

Some of you may know that we have a public radio station here in New York called WNYC. A few years ago they also took over the famous classical station WQXR. Fortunately, they also inherited the WQXR archives.

The archives are run by Andy Lanset who I have now contacted and asked to dig through whatever he has related to Mario. I will send more about this as I receive it.

For now, here is a teaser to all of you. It's a piece by Sara Fishko who has a regular program here called the Fishko files.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/fishko/2012/nov/01/

I would also suggest that you go to the WNYC web site (www.wnyc.org) and just type Mario Lanza into the search box. Beware, you will also get back some references to the recent Sandy Hook murders.

Enjoy!

[Steff]

Secret sketcher AJW becomes part of the Black Country Legends exhibition at The Public

http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/whats-on/films/secret-sketcher-ajw-becomes-part-1321026

 

 

“A film about a secret sketcher who has been leaving drawings of a dead opera star throughout the Black Country for 50 years is featured as part of a new exhibition. Alison Jones spoke to its maker, Barney Snow.” (click on link above to read article in full length)

 

http://www.thepublic.com/exhibitions/mystery-ajw-barney-snow

„The Mystery of AJW by Barney Snow”

“For half a century the mysterious ‘ghostwriter’, known as AJW, has been baffling locals by leaving sketches of 1940s Hollywood star Mario Lanza throughout the region. Over the years thousands of legendary doodlings of the American Tenor have been drawn on to beer mats, postcards and scraps of paper, and left across the Black Country in pubs, shops, libraries and public buildings.

This February, we will be exhibiting some of his (or her) artworks and screening a short film, in a special exhibition curated by AJW enthusiast and professional documentary film maker Barney Snow.” (click on link above to read in full length)

Steff

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: I'm always found this "secret sketcher" one of the more bizarre characters in Lanza "folklore." (Still, nothing beats the woman in the US who claimed she had the ghost of Mario Lanza living in her vacuum cleaner :)) One would think that since he/she's been leaving these mysterious sketches in pubs for fifty years, the artist must be a fair age by now!  I'm willing to bet that more than one pub owner knows who the person is, but of course it would ruin everyone's fun if "AJW"'s identity were ever revealed...

 

Cheers

Derek 

[Steff]

Hi Derek,

 

Wasn't there also "Golden Girl" Bea Arthur with a crazy Lanza story?

As for AJW, I could imagine that there are a lot of copycats .... However, a little promotion for Mario is not bad, isn't it?

 

Steff

[George Laszlo]

I must admit that I hesitated contributing the following quotes from movie reviews by David Thomson and Jay Robert Nash. Like me, I am sure you will find many of them hateful, vicious, sarcastic or just nasty. But, the fact remains that they were and are out there for all to see. Of course, most people will never see these comments. I found them by serendipity while walking down an aisle in the University of Scranton (Pennsylvania, USA) library while doing research on a totally different subject. This particular aisle was devoted to film and theater so Mario immediately popped up in my brain. Curiosity can be dangerous!

In an case, I look forward to your evaluation and comments of these quotes.

Also, and if anyone is interested, I have the complete movie reviews from which these quotes are extracted. I will be happy to post them here or send them by email.

Jay Robert Nash & Stanley Ralph Ross

The Motion Picutre Guide: 1927-1983

Cinebooks, Inc.

Chicago, 1985

ISBN 0-933997-00-0

That Midnight Kiss (1949)

"Lanza burst into national prominence with this movie. He was an average Joe with a sensational voice and he took the country by storm."

The Toast of New Orleans (1950)

"This was an even bigger hit than That Midnight Kiss, with several operatic arias as well as a good score by Sammy Cahn and Nicholas Brodszky which includes the Oscar-nominated "Be My Love"…"

The Great Caruso (1951)

"Despite the egotistical rampages of star Mario Lanza on the set, The Great Caruso was completed, released and became a huge hit for MGM."

"While The Great Caruso plays fast and loose with the facts, the appeal of the film lies in Lanza's stunning performance as Caruso and, of course, the incredible 27 musical numbers that play practically nonstop during the 109 minute running time."

"This was Lanza's third and best film, and the singer's ego was as big as his waistline; during shooting he often declared, "I am Caruso!"

"On the set Lanza proved himself to be an absolute terror by making ridiculous demands, refusing to bathe, relieving himself without bothering to find a toilet, and other vulgarities that caused tension and loathing on the set."

"In the film Lanza is superb. His voice, according to a few critics, was equal to, if not better than, Caruso himself. Lanza, of course, knew he was better than Caruso and took great pains to remind everyone of that."

"… and walk out during the production of The Student Prince, which forced the studio to replace him with Edmund Purdom…" [So, what's the real story here? Did he walk out or they decided not to use him to begin with? - George]

Because You're Mine (1952)

"Sammy Cahn and Nicholas Brodzsky garnered an Oscar nomination for the title song that Lanza warbles, but that's about it for this clunky, trite musical featuring the Golden Throat."

"Lots and lots of singing, perhaps too much, where there might have been story."

"A few good lines and some fine music but it's nowhere near THE GREAT CARUSO for excitement."

The Student Prince (1954)

"… a pleasant trifle with some good songs that were sung by Mario Lanza, but came out of the mouth of Purdom. Lanza had been scheduled to play the German prince, but his weight was always fluctuating, and when his temper began to rise and fall with the speed of his avoirdupois the decision was made to toss him out and use Purdom."

"…the sound of the round tenor tones coming out of Purdom's slim chest did seem ludicrous…"

"Unrequited love is the theme and 1954 audiences liked their love requited, so the picture didn't fare as well as the studio had hoped."

"The editing by Ruggiero was a standout and Pan's choreography was properly rousing, but the time had passed for such corn by 1954."

Serenade (1956)

"If you love Mario Lanza, you'll love this film…"

"Lanza gets the chance to exercise his pipes for the first time in three years."

"The James Cain story concerned a homosexual relationship between a singer and his benefactor but that was tossed aside in favor of this more conventional telling."

For the First Time (1959)

"This turned out to be Lanza's final film as he died the same year, at age thirty eight, of a heart attack in a Rome clinic."

*****

David Thomson

A biographical dictionary of film

3rd Edition

Borzoi Book; Alfred Knopf, Inc.

1994

ISBN 0-394-58165-2

"Maybe it was all a dream. Did a corpulent Mamma's boy from Philadelphia named Alfred grow up to be a remarkable tenor, to perform with Koussevitsky at the Tanglewood Festival, to break into the movies at the age of twenty-eight and make eight films in ten years, to sell tens of millions of records, to die at the age of thirty-eight, and to go on being famous and adored, or famous and derided (or famous and loathed - he had a bizarre habit of urinating in public, on the set, in plain view of Kathryn Grayson) thirty five years after his death?"

"… a tame version of James Cain's Serenade in 1956, with Joan Fontaine, and purportedly directed by Anthony Mann, but surely that's a dream, too."

"A 'comeback' in 1958 with The Seven Hills of Rome, in which he impersonates various other singers, including (won't somebody wake me up?) Louis Armstrong."

"But, he remains a larger-than-life figure - a weird mixture of Nelson Eddy, John Travolta, and John Gotti, a man with a big musical gift but no taste, restraint, or discipline; a pampered little boy pretending to be a ladies' man; a truck driver pretending to be an opera star."

"In the winter of 1994, the great Spanish tenor Jose Carreras gave a Mario Lanza Memorial Concert at Radio City Music Hall. The dream goes on."

 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi George: I don't have a lot to say on these two books, except to note that they reveal more about their authors' lack of research and glaring prejudices than they do about Mario Lanza.

 

Just a few quick observations:

 

Lanza didn't behave badly on the set of The Great Caruso---in fact, its associate producer, Jesse Lasky, went out of his way in his 1957 autobiography to emphasize how cooperative Lanza had been on the set. The film was made quickly, and with minimum fuss.

 

The editing by Gene Ruggiero in The Student Prince was "a standout"? What planet are these so-called film experts living on? The screenplay deserved far more praise than the editing, which is merely competent.

 

I find David Thomson's description of Lanza as "a weird mixture of Nelson Eddy, John Travolta, and [mobster] John Gotti" not only offensive and unprofessional, but laughably inaccurate. As a performer (and even as an actor), Lanza was about as far removed from Nelson Eddy as an artist could possibly be. Then there's the absurd Gotti reference, which suggests to me that Thomson has a problem with Italian-Americans. As for the widely disproved "truck driver" reference, that really tells us all we need to know about Thomson's research skills.  

 

I don't mind criticism of Lanza's singing or of his films, as long as it's well considered and not coloured by an intense dislike of the man. But these authors simply can't help themselves with their gratuitous and (largely) unfounded comments about Lanza the person.

 

As for why Lanza didn't appear in The Student Prince, I briefly go into the reasons here, but I recommend that you get hold of Armando Cesari's Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy for the most comprehensive and well-searched explanation of what happened.  

 

Cheers

Derek

            

[Armando]

I am familiar with David Thompson caustic comments, not only about Lanza but many other film personalities. He obviously thinks of himself as ever so clever – contributor to The Guardian , New York Times, etc.- but a little less prejudice and a lot more adherence to the facts would perhaps lend greater credibility to his utterings. In his book, Have You Seen ….. ? Mr.Thompson states “Without this film [A Night at the Opera] opera wouldn’t be where it is in America.”   Really, Mr. Thompson – have you ever heard of The Great Caruso? 

Armando

[Armando]

P.S. Speaking of accuracy- it’s Thomson not Thompson.

Armando   

[Steff]

Here’s an interesting video which I spotted just yesterday.  It is a broadcast from French TV (1984) on the occasion of Luciano Pavarotti singing in “Tosca” in Paris.

 

http://www.ina.fr/video/CAB8402101301/pavarotti.fr.html

 

It is in French, so maybe here’s someone on the forum to help out with the correct translation, as it is quite a while (thousands of moons ago!!)  that I had French lessons at school. Here are a few snippets of the most essential comments which I was able to understand. Sadly, I was not able to figure out what was said about Mario Lanza, so if there’s someone out there who speaks French, feel free to jump in!

I understand that Pavarotti mentions Caruso, Gigli and Mario Lanza as THE “model tenors” to interpret Cavaradossi in “Tosca”.

 

Pavarotti: “The voice is an instrument that everybody would like to have, and that might be the reason that those who possess a voice are envied by the entire world.”

 

Tosca probably is the fetish role of the Italian tenor in all the tenor’s history.

 

Pavarotti: “Caruso was the first singer to sing in full voice. He was the true Pope among the Italian tenors.”

 

Pavarotti: “Gigli had one of the most beautiful voices, one of the supplest and the most complete that opera ever has had.”

 

Pavarotti: “In the cinematographic field Mario Lanza …….” (here I failed with the translation, sorry!)

 

Steff                                                                                                                                                                          P.S.: Hope you like the photo of Mario, which is from the video. I suppose it was taken upon his arrival in Naples, what think you?

 

 

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff

 

Thanks for sharing that. Nice! All I could really make out was that Pavarotti said that, through his films, Lanza had been a great help to opera. (I might have understood more if the narrator hadn't talked over him :)) Yes, it'd be nice to know what the narrator then added about Lanza.

 

Although the item was very brief, it's always a pleasure to see old Mario being discussed in the same breath as Caruso and Gigli. And, yes, I do think the photo included is from his arrival in Naples in May 1957. If I could see more of his tie, then I'd be able to say for sure---but no doubt Armando can confirm.

 

Cheers

Derek 

[Armando]

Hi Derek/Steff: The photo is from his arrival in Naples in May, 1957.

[leeann]

Hi, here's a quickie English translation of the 1984 interview with Pavarotti. Obviously, it's a bit stiff in parts and, sadly, missing an important phrase in the Lanza section--which, for some reason, got stuck in my head the wrong way and refuses to move to English--I either I forgot it or never knew it or whatever. Anyhow, perhaps someone else can kick in on the awkward bits, but here's more or less what the interview was about in the meantime.

Translation:

Announcer: And the voice that is the dream of men and women across the world is that of Luciano Pavarotti who is in Paris where he’ll sing Tosca by Giacomo Puccini, and it seems that people are buying tickets on the black market, that the whole world wants so much to hear him sing Tosca.

Introduces reporters.

The voice makes you stop in your tracks. It is that of Luciano Pavarotti, for many, the greatest tenor of the world, a voice that makes him a true myth.

Pavarotti: “The voice is the instrument that everybody would like to have, and because of that, perhaps whoever has a voice is a person greatly envied.”

Reporter: The role of Tosca is perhaps a lucky charm for Italian tenors throughout its history, a history which one would be able to tell (arbitrarily and freely) among three singers: Caruso, Gigli, and Lanza.

Pavarotti: Caruso is the point of reference because he was the first performer to sing in full voice.

Reporter: The true guru of Italian tenors even now, the Neapolitan Caruso , his first record dates to 1900, opera became popular, Caruso left for the United States. He played the part of Tosca there. (Caruso sings)

Pavarotti: Gigli had one of the most beautiful, most flexible, most complex voices opera has ever had.

Reporter: Gigli, the son of a shoemaker (Gigli sings) during the thirties. He stayed at the Metropolitan Opera in New York for twelve years, always when he performed Tosca, he fully earned his nickname, “tenor of grace.”

It was particularly through the field of movies that Mario Lanza gave a boost to opera. Mario Lanza played the role of Caruso in a film during the Fifties. Lanza , like Pavarotti today, became the [something that might mean star, idol, top gun--something good] of the Americans; his Tosca, for that matter, is close to that of Pavarotti.

Question to Pavarotti, “And what if, one day, you no longer have a voice?”

Pavarotti: “Well then, good night.”

[Derek McGovern]

Many thanks for going to the trouble of translating that for us, Lee Ann. I'm impressed that even though Lanza never sang the role of Cavaradossi on stage, the producers of that clip (and/or Pavarotti) saw fit to include him in the discussion.

 

I have to give credit to Pavarotti for acknowledging his admiration of Lanza at a time when it was still unfashionable to do so. Even more than Domingo, he consistently praised Lanza in interviews the late 70s/early 1980s. In fact, he stated on one occasion that he'd be happy to contribute "one-tenth" of what Lanza achieved in bringing opera to the masses.

 

Cheers

Derek 

 

[Steff]

Thank you Armando,

 

I see I was correct.  I was not quite sure but then I focussed on the man standing behind Mario (one can only see a bit of his face) and he looked very Italian. It's a beautiful close-up shot!

 

Steff

[Steff]

Hi Lee Ann,

 

Thank you for this ... I just didn't manage to separate all of Pavarotti's remarks in Italian from the French translation. If it had been German instead of French, maybe I would have been more successful. 

The meaning of the video is clear to me now.

 

Steff

[Steff]

A short but very special comment about Mario Lanza by Jack White:

 

“Still at puberty I was raving. Mario Lanza also was one of those superstars and in my late childhood days another role model for me [note from Steff: another one was German tenor Rudolf Schock]. I knew each of his songs. His music, to me, was the ultimate religion of the Western World.”

 

Jack White (born 1940) is a German music producer, who produced not only for the German market but also for international stars such as Paul Anka, Engelbert, Tony Christie, David Hasselhoff and Al Martino.

The comment about Mario is from his autobiography "Jack White - Mein unglaubliches Leben," (My Incredible Life), released 2010.

Steff

 

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: "The ultimate religion of the Western World": that's certainly the most extravagant description I've come across in connection with Lanza!

 

Cheers

Derek

[Derek McGovern]

While browsing through YouTube today, I happened to come across Lanza's recording of "A Kiss"---accompanied by Vince's very creatively edited collection of film clips and stills:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0U4Nnx7rRHw  

 

I know I've said it before, but it never ceases to amaze me how the combination of Lanza's truly ravishing vocal form here and his almost-naive sense of wonder & enchantment make this song work. The lyrics (and I don't know whether Ray Sinatra or his collaborator Jack Brooks was to blame) are embarrassingly bad, but somehow Mario redeems them with his unique vocal alchemy. It's a gorgeous piece of singing, coupled with a spectacular climax ("it all dePENDS on whom you kiss") that few would be able to pull off.

 

Do check out Vince's video if you've never seen it! He really is a very clever fellow.

 

Cheers

Derek         

 

[Derek McGovern]

Since it's still March 5th in North America, I thought I'd mentioned that today marks the 65th anniversary of Lanza's memorable concert with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra at Massey Hall, Toronto. According to the reviewer in the Toronto Daily Star the next day, there was "curtain call after curtain call," and the applause was so insistent that Lanza had to repeat one of his encores.

 

One of the highlights from that concert was this magnificently tender rendition of E' la Solita Storia (Lamento di Federico), which can be heard in our Multimedia section:

 

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

 

Cheers

Derek 

 

[Steff]

Has anybody already seen this you-tube video?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzrafcyNRyo

“History of Vocal Art in Quotes, part 7 Rosati, Gigli, Lanza (To cover or not to cover)”

About Rosati, Gigli’s and Lanza’s voice teacher it is mentioned:                                                                       “Rosati was e very demanding teacher and always had a way to make his students to work hard.”

 

Mario is only mentioned briefly (with picture) as one of Rosati's students.

 

Steff

[Steff]

A special rendition of "The Loveliest Night of the Year," sung by Roberto Alagna.

 

It is from his concert in the French city of Pau (February 28, 2013): 

Roberto Alagna and Big Band in concert: Little Italy," which is part of a concert tour throughout France.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE21pZTKA6k

 

"Le grand Mario Lanza qui fu "Le Grand Caruso," as Alagna introduces "The Loveliest Night of the Year."

 

 

And don't miss: "Softly as a Morning Sunrise:"

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSB0FD4gETA

 

Steff

 

 

 

 

 

[Armando]

Interesting- even though Gigli flooded my study with his crying!

[Armando]

 

 

 Pretty bad! The sort of singing and accompaniment one hears at wedding receptions!

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

I'm sorry, Steff: I couldn't bear to listen to more than a minute of those two Alagna performances :( I know he's a Lanza admirer---and possibly thought he was paying appropriate homage to his idol here---but he sounds dreadfully hoarse and strained, and the cheesy accompaniment is all wrong! One would never guess from these performances that 49-year-old Alagna enjoys a career as a leading tenor at the Met and Paris Opera! 

 

Cheers

Derek

 

[Derek McGovern]

Nice to see that The Great Caruso is getting a free public showing in the beautiful city of Williamsburg, Virginia, at the end of this month:

 

http://www.vagazette.com/news/va-vg-music-films-in-march-at-williamsburg-library-20130218,0,3489474.story 

 

[Derek McGovern]

A few posts back, I mentioned that March 5th marked the 65th anniversary of Lanza's memorable concert in Massey Hall, Toronto.

 

Apologies to our Canadian friends, but I hadn't realized until now what a venerable theatre Massey Hall is! So many celebrated musical personalities (as well as non-musical notables, such as Winston Churchill) have appeared there: Callas, Elgar, Toscanini, Caruso et al, and the theatre itself is larger than I thought: originally holding 3500 patrons, but later 2765 after renovations in the 1940s.

 

Quite a venue for a 27-year-old stripling to be singing in! I'm not surprised now that the first half of the concert was broadcast.  

[Michael McAdam]

Heck Derek,

When I saw the apology to your Canadian friends, I thought for a moment that Ben Affleck had posted! ;-))

Seriously, as a guy who has visited or resided in most Canadian provinces and has had the opportunity to attend concert venues where serious (usually folksy) musicians played and/or sang, I don't think I've heard acoustics as stellar as those of my hometown Massey Hall. Halifax's Rebecca Cohn Auditorium might be a close second.

Our Canadian 'Folk Laureate' Gordon Lightfoot has performed a set of sell-out annual concerts at Massey Hall since 1968. He's even recorded there. Great venue.

Mike

(I deleted my original reply as I had accidentally included Derek's entire post; including the picture!)

[Steff]

 

Hi Derek and Armando,

 

I agree with you that Alagna's renditions on those you-tube videos are not everybody's cup of tea (but as you see he had quite an enthusiastic French audience). As for me, I prefer a classical (traditional?) musical arrangement for songs like "Loveliest Night of the Year" or "Softly, As in A Morning Sunrise," rather than this -at times- very noisy big band or jazz sound. :)

 

Incidentally, I've just opened a new thread "Roberto Alagna" to post some excerpts from his biography in which he speaks about Mario Lanza.

 

A lovely tribute, I think.

 

 

Steff

 

[Steff]

I am not sure if we have any readers here on the forum from Vienna, Austria.

 

I just read on "Stretta," an (online?) journal published by the "Freunde der Wiener Staatsoper" (Friends of Vienna State Opera), that there will be given a lecture titled "Mario Lanza/Misterioso," on April 9, 2013 at the "Haus der Musik."

 

It will be presented by Magister Rudolf Wallner, who I understand is kind of "factotum," a trained opera singer, an interpreter, a city and music tour guide, an author and an organizer .  Mr. Wallner did already give a few lectures about Mario in the past (in Austria). He will speak about Mario's voice, career and his private life, and of course Mario's recordings will be played.

 

Steff

 

 

 

 

[Barnabas Nemeth]

I"ll be curious about the outcome and the manner of his lecture. Please, give us a feedback, if you can. Thanks,....Barnabas

2013/3/19 Steff <Stefanie....@t-online.de>

 

 

 

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[Derek McGovern]

Good to see such positive references to Lanza in this article!

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/18927154-421/joseph-calleja-the-latest-tenor-to-pay-homage-to-mario-lanza-on-cd.html

[Barnabas Nemeth]

Really nice, honest and sincere guy. I appreciate him....Barnabas

2013/3/21 Derek McGovern <derek.m...@gmail.com>

Good to see such positive references to Lanza in this article!

http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/18927154-421/joseph-calleja-the-latest-tenor-to-pay-homage-to-mario-lanza-on-cd.html

[Steff]

This is an article from 1957 which I found in a Spanish newspaper.When I read it I was remembered that José Carreras was born in Barcelona (1946), so he might well have been one of the "admirers" who gathered at the pier to watch out for Mario Lanza. But of course he would have mentioned ....

 

I hope my English translation is correct.

 

Steff

 

 

Mario Lanza arrives in Barcelona on the way to Italy.

Not able to leave the ship due to his sickness.

Barcelona, 26, coming from New York, the transatlantic, Italian “Giulio Cesare” had a stopover at this harbor. On the ship, which was on the way to Europe, was the American movie actor and singer Mario Lanza, accompanied by his family.

Mario Lanza did neither leave the ship for the press and radio people nor for the autograph hunters and the admirers who in large numbers had gathered at the pier. His relatives alleged, that as a result of poor health,  he had not left his cabin during the complete passage, and that he even had planned  to give a concert that, late on Saturday, had to be cancelled  for the same reason, much to the regret of the passenger.  There were 700 passengers on the Giulio Cesare,  one hundred of them disembarked in Barcelona. 300 went to the bullfight at the Plaza Monumental. The remaining ones made excursions to Montserrat, Sitges and the surroundings of Barcelona.

At dawn the ship continued its journey to Naples, Cannes and Geneva.

 

From "Imperio," May 28, 1957

 

 

 

 

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Steff: I find it very hard to believe that an out-of-condition Lanza would have agreed to perform a concert while en route to Italy. Sounds like journalistic invention to me!

 

Cheers

Derek

 

[leeann]

It's been a while since I've checked in on who's reading what on Amazon. It was very exciting to see that Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy by Armando Cesari ranks in the ninth position for sales in its category tonight, Friday, March 22.  Amazon's rankings are quite up-to-the minute; that's an awfully impressive place to be.

I was curious about what books kept company with An American Tragedy. They are Astrid Varnay's autobiogrpahy, an impressive Bach Reader, a commentary on the death of classical music in North America, biographies of (in order) Beethoven, Heifetz, Verdi, Renee Fleming, and the quartet Il Divo. Then there's Mario Lanza via Armando's book. A rather noteworthy group. Cheers, Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

That's very encouraging about Armando's book, Lee Ann---and much deserved!

 

I also love the fact that it's part of Baskerville's Great Voices series, sitting alongside some of the most celebrated names in opera:

 

http://www.baskervillepublishers.com/catalog/great-voices/

 

Cheers

Derek

 

[leeann]

I almost didn't share this recent article from the New York Times, "Shrines for Locals Who Made Good."  Statements about Lanza are rather half-hearted and certainly barely, narrowly, represent his legacy--even within an article focused more on small museums themselves than on the people they commemorate.

But there it is, and what a contrast to the depth and breadth of Lanza coverage accompanying Joseph Calleja's tribute CD his concerts, and performances  that Derek cited above. Lee Ann

[Derek McGovern]

Hi Lee Ann: This is a highly subjective article by Robert Strauss! How does he know that Lanza is virtually forgotten today? The sheer fact that every time a leading operatic tenor records a tribute to Lanza, he ends up selling more copies of the CD than any of his previous recordings---and Calleja's the most recent example---is surely proof that the Lanza name still means something. It's the same thing with these concert tributes, starting with Carreras in the 1990s. They're an easy sell with the Lanza name attached. (How many other operatic singers receive such tributes?)

 

No, Strauss has missed the real story here---as far as Lanza is concerned, at least. For an artist who's been dead since 1959, he remains astonishingly influential, and is hardly likely to be forgotten anytime soon.

 

Cheers

Derek   

 

[leeann]

Sadly, this article wouldn't have had me adding the museum to my tourist itinerary anytime soon! It sounds kind of sad, depicted without the enthusiasm of the Emmet Kelly and Mayberry museums. And it's rather odd to juxtapose a small museum in a major metropolitan center with the others Strauss covered--small museums in small towns, which, according to the article, actually appear to have rather larger visitation than the Lanza museum.

Too bad there's no commenting option. Oh well.

 

[Steff]

 

Here's a brandnew interview  (from March 26) with Joseph Calleja from WFMT Radio station:

 

http://blogs.wfmt.com/impromptu/2013/03/26/joseph-calleja/

 

 

"Tenor Joseph Calleja performs arias from his recent CD’s “The Maltese Tenor” and “Be My Love A tribute to Mario Lanza” live on this Impromptu from the Levin Performance Studio. Lisa Flynn hosts.

 

Music List
Forse la soglia attinse…Ma se M’e forza perderti,
from Un ballo in maschera
Be My Love, Brodsky; Cahn
A vucchella, Tosti, arr. Mercurio; D’Annunzio
Because, D’Hardelot, arr. Mercurio; Teschemacher

Calleja is currently singing Rudolfo in "La Bohème" alongside Anna Netrebko as Mimi,  at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, with the final of six performances taking place tomorrow night.

Needless to say that there's some talk about Mario Lanza during the interview!

Steff

[Steff]

Happy Easter to all!                                                                                                                                                  

And thank you for all the discussions the past two years, that I joined this forum.

Steff

 

One last article:

"Mario Lanza Heads Easter Seal Sales"

Mario Lanza has been named honorary motion picture chairman for the 1956 Easter Seal campaign on behalf of crippled children; it was announced by Theodore H. Wegener, president of the National Society for Crippled Children and Adults.

In spearheading Hollywood’s annual efforts in the campaign, Lanza will film this year’s motion picture appeal on behalf of Easter Seals for theatres and television. He will also be active in other phases of the drive for which Gov. Joe Foss of South Dakota, former Marine flying hero, is 1956 National Chairman.

The famous singing star has just completed his starring picture ‘Serenade’ for Warner Bros, said he is “humbly grateful” for being named to head the motion picture effort for Easter Seals.                             “I can think of no finer and more satisfying privilege,” he stated, “than the opportunity to help crippled children.”

The 1956 annual Easter Seal appeal opens March 10 and continues through April 10, sponsored by the National Society for Crippled Children and Adults and its 1,700 Easter Seal affiliates.

(From ‘Cumberland Times,’ 29 January 1956)

 

 

 

[leeann]

Philadelphia's Broad Street extends into the city for over ten miles. Two landmarks to Mario Lanza are among the countless places along the way that both reach back into Philadelphia's history and showcase the life of the city today.

We often talk about the gigantic mural to Mario Lanza on the corner of Broad and Reed, part of the city's Mural Arts Program. (Here's a 1997 article written when artist Diane Keller was creating the work.) The Lanza mural isn't on the prettiest section of Broad Street. To the outsider, it seems like an eclectic, but worn-out neighborhood with pockets of renewal. But the diversity of the area seems an appropriate site  for a tribute to a man whose voice spoke to everyone,  "A man who is bringing great music to the kids, the farms, the ghettos, and the palaces," as Armando quotes Lawrence Tibbett, baritone in An American Tragedy.

The other Lanza tribute on Broad Street seems to come up less: it's his plaque on the Walk of Fame on the section of Broad Street called Avenue of the Arts. If you've been to Philly, you know the name fits; it's lined with theaters,  concert halls, and dozens of performing arts groups call it home, including the oldest opera house in the country (Academy of Music).

And it's the site of plaques embedded in the sidewalk to over 100 people who put Philadelphia on a map of artistic greatness. From pop stars and blues singers to composers, conductors, classical singers, the honorees highlight Philadelphia's vibrant artistic history and core. (Here's a fairly current list of who  is there.)

I didn't know that Lanza was in the first group of ten inducted into Philadelphia's Walk of Fame in December 1987, almost thirty years after his death. Three among that first group were classical artists: Lanza, Marian Anderson, and Leopold Stowkowski. (The other seven were  jazz musicians John Coltrane and Dizzy Gillespie; blues singer Bessie Smith; entertainer Pearl Bailey; and rock-and-rollers Chubby Checker, Bill Haley and Bobby Rydell.)

It seemed appropriate to bring up this tribute to Lanza's legacy as this forum, a current tribute, takes a new direction. Best, Lee Ann

[Joseph Fagan]

Good for you Lee Ann on bringing up this active part of the Lanza legacy which is still with us today. Also, the Lanza Museum is a real treat and not many blocks away in south Philadelphia. A very worthwhile visit but also much in need of financial support ( check out its website). A fund raising luncheon is being held at the High Note Cafe in Philly on April 28th. Fun, great food and music and Lanza fans; hope some of you will attend!......  Joe Fagan