Mario Lanza: Greatest Operatic Recordings

First, the good stuff:These 19 selections, compiled by Armando Cesari and Derek McGovern represent only the very best of Mario Lanza, the "operatic singer". Thanks to their tireless efforts, and countless hours of sifting through every available studio, live, and acetate recording in existence, we are at last treated to a compilation of the absolute creme-de-la-creme of the great tenor's recorded work in this area. Actually, there was even enough "creme"left over to spill over into an equally impressive "Volume Two", and I highly recommend that as well. But for now, I'll cover the first volume here.So what makes these selections so special? Simply, they all catch Lanza the singer at the absolute top of his game. And that is a VERY important distinction to make here. Why? .Well, the fact is, this man, for all of his undeniable talent, and God-given vocal endowment, was not the most consistent behind the recording mic. One had to catch him on the right day, to get him at his best. And the reason is well known: As great as Lanza, the singer was, Mario, the PERSON was...well, not so good to himself, especially physically. He sometimes walked into his sessions the worse for wear from nights of heavy drinking, exacerbated by some pretty extreme mood swings that kept him up and away from his bed, until the wee small hours. Sometimes, he did not sleep at all. It is safe to say the man had many personal demons-as those in close contact with him have attested, time and again.And so, there are whole albums and "Best of.." collections out there that capture Mr. Lanza in-shall we say-fairly uneven form. It is a matter of record that most distribution companies, when putting together their own Lanza sampler CDs, will make no attempt to sift through and listen to what they've got, much less separate the wheat from the chaff. And even when they do manage to serendipitously cobble together a lot of the good stuff, there is still, by and large, NO attempt to apply any quality control to the transfers-and their sources. So we end up with a lot inferior-sounding tracks that sound like they came off a 30 year old cassette from somebody's attic.Not all Lanza reissues and sampler compilations are that bad. Some are actually pretty decent, overall. But it's hard to know for sure, until you've already spent the money on it, and taken it home. Luck of the draw, as they say.Which is why this landmark release, and its accompanying collections, represent a crucial and very important step in bringing the recorded work of Mario Lanza into the 21st century. Here we have the very best recorded performances of the great tenor, lovingly remastered and sounding as clean and warm and brilliant as we have ever heard-or likely, will ever hear in our lifetimes. The choices of arias, duets, scenes, etc., are also superlative, giving us a very well-rounded and memorable document of Mario Lanza, the operatic singer. And the sequencing of tracks, from the younger, lighter-voiced Mario in the beginning, to the heavier spinto tenor towards the end, gives us added insight into the development and evolution of Lanza's voice and "style" over the years. In short, this is the king of all opera samplers dedicated to the work and art of the great tenor. Nothing else even comes close!One more note on the remaster quality of the tracks: The job done on the more obscure live and acetate (and private) recordings are no less impressive than what we hear on the "official" releases. The former keep some of the low-fi quaintness and grainy-ness of sound (some things you can't "remaster" out), but for all of that, they still manage to come through nicely, with plenty of warmth and beauty and are, in their own way, just as thrilling to hear as the rest. And it is a real treat to hear some of this unearthed treasure for the very first time!In short, I cannot recommend this collection enough. If you're a fan, or even just a curious skeptic, you owe it to yourself to check this fine release out!Okay, now that I've delivered all the accolades I could think of, here is my only criticism:Though every single track shows Mario Lanza at his vocal best, not all of them show him at his finest as an interpreter of the music. He is often known to take a one-size-fits-all approach to different opera arias from completely different styles of composer/tradition. For this reason, I wouldn't have started off this otherwise magnificent collection with "M’Apparì" by German composer Friedrich von Flotow. This mid-19th century aria is, musically-speaking-a light, airy piece that is really a kind of musical throwback to the days of Weber, Mendelssohn, or Spohr. Lanza, however, delivers it like it came straight out of Verdi's "La Forza"! I mean, what can you say? Lanza will be...Lanza. But in light all the excellence that follows, one can forgive very easily, moments like these (which are very much in the minority throughout both volumes of the opera collection). But it was a bit odd to me to start the whole album with that one track. It's a little bit like an honored guest showing up at the beginning of a costume party wearing the wrong suit, but who, thankfully, goes and changes, and reemerges looking perfect for the rest of the night's festivities. You scratch your head for a moment, but then, hey, all is good!So, one more time, for the record: this is an absolutely brilliant and VERY important collection that should set the record straight, once and for all. Mario Lanza, the "movie star", was also a formidable talent as an operatic singer, and the best of his recorded work can stand toe-to-toe with any other great tenor of his time. Again, many thanks and props to Mr. Derek McGovern, Armando Cesari, and, of course Vince di Placido for their excellent work here on behalf of one of the 20th century's greatest-and most inadequately assessed-singing stars!

At long last a recording compilation devoted to the opera singer Mario Lanza. And make no mistake, this man was an opera singer. This unique collection is compiled with a great deal of thought, care and in depth research. Sonically, the album is both a joy and a wonder. Many of the recordings were taken from live performances. These are the true showpieces for they illustrate the magnificence of the voice and settle the question; was Mario Lanza truly born to sing opera. The answer? A resounding yes - beyond any doubt. During his lifetime the tenor sang the role of Fenton in THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR while at the Berkshire Music Festival and some years later, after WWII, he essayed the role of Lt. B.F. Pinkerton in MADAMA BUTTERFLY for the New Orleans Opera. Both performances garnered him praise from the press of that time and the music critics in both Tanglewood and New Orleans prophesied a full and successful career for Lanza on the opera stage. As we know, Hollywood intervened and that was turning point in Lanza's career. The moment when he took the road less traveled and this (to quote the poem) made all the difference. The difference was a pivitol one for it moved the tenor ever farther from his dream of a career in opera. This is not to say that Lanza's carrer in films and records was in any way a failure. Mario Lanza was that oh so unique artist who could bridge the idioms of popular and classical music. No other singer, before or since has ever been as successful and appealed so widely to the general public. With the release of the movie GREAT CARUSO, the general public embraced grand opera as never before. And the soundtrack sold well into the millions. A successful concert tour followed and the public reception was far greater than had been expected. Coined the "Lanza Bonanza" it broke all box office records of the day and turned everyday fans into opera lovers. With the release of this current offering, GREATEST OPERATIC RECORDINGS, Mario Lanza the operatic artist can finally be heard as what he was; the finest tenor of his time.

I thought I already reviewed this but I always look for a chance to talk about Mario. These operatic examples are just a tidbit of all the works he has done. I went to Philadelpia to go to Little Italy where his museum is but the tour did not take us there & it was printed in their brochure. Needless to say I was angry but I always have CDs like this I play all the time. what more can one say about his wonderful voice, or I should say magnificent voice & he has many depending on which type of music he is singing. These arias are sharp, his musicality is always present, his diction is clear & sharp whether he sings opera or modern & each one is a joy to hear. One can detect how his voice developed deeper as he aged...but 38 is not "aging" as I know it. Not one aria is better than the other & one can not hear a bad note & you do not have to be a musician to hear how marvelous he was. He was the best & no one will ever hear anything like it again. Perhaps that is why he left us so young. God wanted us to realize what we had & He will never please us again. We are to remember his greatness although Mario never boasted except to say he knew he was better by far than Caruso....his idol & the voice he first heard that determined him to become an opera songer as well as modern because he wanted to reach out to all the masses. You will not regret getting this from Amazon even if you do not understand opera always sung in a foreign lamguage. Without a doubt God even out did Himself by molding this young boy into a marvel we will never hear again.

I'd prefer the CD to have the recordings start at the beginning of the music and singing without a spoken introduction. Also the overall impact of the recordings was a little less than what I had hoped, and not just because the recordings (and performances) were naturally made when the technology was very different to modern times.

The greatest Opera SINGER of the 20th Century (notice I did not say "Opera STAR" to avoid "nit-picking" from those poor opinionated SOULLESS people who wait to pounce on those of us who recognise a true natural voice and talent...whether in an Opera house or not) proves yet again thatthere are few that could come close to his tone, vocal ability and talent.Experience the evident ease, style and passion of his singing (3 qualities that are often lacking from many an "accomplished" present day Opera House Tenor....BUT these qualities HAVE to be there to enable a voice to be great )Just buy the CD if you wish to find out the difference between a singer who works on his voice and makes the best of his talent....and a singer like Lanza who was born with a gift and merely had to polish and refine it.....you wont be disappointed.

Yet another review by a middle seventies old boy who became interested in opera when his mother took him to the local cinema to see ML in his Hollywood movies! I guess I eventually went off him when some critic or another labelled him as nothing more than a 'shouter' with no refinement.I'm certainly no opera 'buff' preferring arias and highlights to complete works and over the years have accumulated albums by Caruso, Gigli, Schipa, Bjoerling, 'the three tenors' and Carlo Bergonzi, of these Bergonzi is my favourite.I cannot say why but I recently saw this album advertised, thought that 40 or so 5* amazon reviews looked very interesting and purchased it.The album is indeed quite superb and for the first time I found myself loving the Othello arias, where previously I was not enamoured by other tenors singing this role. I would agree with another reviewer and I know this is nitpicking but I do believe Cilea's Lamento di Federico could have been sung with less gusto but hey, it still makes the hair on my neck stand up.Thanks to Sepia records and Derek McGovern for this fine testament to ML, now I must seek out vol.2!

Lanza opera recordings have always brought a lot of mixed reactions. I fell in love with his voice some 60 years ago and still love to hear him - but I am not deaf to his faults when he sings opera. On the first track you hear him begin the aria with a beautiful mezza voce but then its full steam ahead. Sometimes as in the Rosenkavalier he can sound wonderfully apt (it is supposed to be a poke at Italian tenors after all) and I doubt if Turiddu's farewell has ever sounded so richly and dramatically voices. His Chenier (apart from some white tones) is superb as is his Rodolfo but how are you expected to react to Federico's lament from Cilea's L'Arlesiana supposedly sung at the side of a sleeping child when the volume Lanza injects in to it would waken the dead? The Pagliacci is superb testimony to the glory of his voice while remaining dramatically at odds with the composer's intentions. Canio's world has collapsed as a result of seeing his wife in the arms of another. He is crushed, despairing and full of self pity. Lanza's Canio sounds murderously angry - too early in the opera to have itsw full effect later on.The Otello excerpts are indeed impressive though yet again at a crucial moments the tenor gets it wrong. Calling Desdemona a vile harlot with the voice rising suddenly to a high C it is scored for the note to be just touched, like a musical slap. Lanza holds it til his breath runs out. It's a great note but totally in the wrong place. The whole duet is with Gloria Boh who is an anaemic soprano unsuited to the role. It was originally issued as a duet with soprano Licia Albanese where some judicious splicing from one version to another was performed . I would dearly love to hear the Lanza-Albanese original! Lanza has a place in the history of recorded opera. When he gets it right he can be stunning. There is much to enjoy here and much to wish for. I saw him in 1958 in recital and the voice was thrilling. It is a voice I love dearly and so I give 4 stars - 'I like it.' If you love Lanza you will buy it anyway. If you love the tenor voice but have never heard him then as I said, there is much power and beauty for you discover. Try the Boheme with a stunning and glorious climax. Then you will know whether or not he is a tenor for you, as he is for me.

The great Mario in a programme of many of his lesser known recordings of Operatic arias. Many live performances too, which can rival any singer that I have ever heard including Caruso, and many other tenors of note. There is also a second version of his great Otello duet which was featured in the film Serenade and a different soprano partnering him. And there is at last available the Mozart aria from Cosi Fan Tutte known as the laughing aria. Any Lanza lover would be delighted with this collection of the great tenor's work. And this is Mario at his very best with wonderful early live performances and some of his greatest in later life from his last films.