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Post by Oksana on Aug 16, 2005 18:18:18 GMT
I was reading Natasha's thread on male crossover singers and I found the name Mario Lanza -- went on Amazon to sample his CDs and -- WOW!! What an amazing voice. I'll have to order one of his albums. Just by listening to the samples, he's already surpassed all of my other favourite male artists.
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Aug 16, 2005 20:29:59 GMT
Yep, I think mentioned him as beating Russell, Andrea... the lot. Look how his biography at www.allmusic.com starts: "Dubbed by Arturo Toscannini "the greatest voice of the 20th century," Mario Lanza was one of America's most successful singers and movie stars in the years immediately following World War II." (Arturo Toscannini was one of the greatest orchestral conductors of the 20th Century, with a 40 year career.) To call Mario Lanza's voice "magnificent" would be an understatement - and I mostly prefer female singers. What a pity he died in 1959, some of his best recordings were made before the invention of true hi-fi sound recording. His death was suspected to be a Mafia assassination. New compilations of his old material regularly reach the top of the UK classical charts (and I'm sure the US charts too) - and sometimes enter the pop charts, nearly 50 years after his death. I am shocked... but delighted that "someone" as young as you can enjoy Mario Lanza half a Century after I, as a small child, first heard him... my mother played him constantly! I hope you do indeed get one of his albums, and enjoy!
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Post by roger on Aug 16, 2005 21:31:45 GMT
Keith? Gerrit? Where is that amazing story about Holly singing along to his record? And the date on which it happened? I think that would be of interest to Someone. Roger
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Post by gareth on Aug 16, 2005 22:01:40 GMT
Hi Roger, since you ask, here is an excerpt from an interview I conducted with Holly via e-mail just in two years ago .... I think I can justifiably claim to have started the first Holly website run by a fan ever - it was an MSN Group where this story was published first of all Here is Holly's story: I enjoy singing very much and want to be a good singer when I am older. I begged my mum for singing lessons. My mum searched for the best singing teacher and found 'Irene' who told me I have a gifted voice. I was asked to explain how it came about that I am associated with Mario Lanza on this CD. It all came about when my grandmother and I were watching my first Mario Lanza film on TV. I heard him sing the "Ave Maria" in a church. I felt so overawed that I started to cry, the Aria was so beautiful that I immediately hoped that I would one day sing with that same feeling as Mario Lanza did. My grandmother gave me a Mario Lanza CD with the "Ave Maria" on it and I immediately came home, went up to my room and started to practise my vocals. I had already been learning "Ave Maria" with Irene. I put on Mario's CD on for inspiration. I started to sing along with the instrumental part but I could not resist continuing on when Mario came in. I felt more confident. My mum and dad had been listening and came to my room. They had tears in their eyes. They told me it was beautiful and asked me whom I was singing with. After my dad regained his composure, we all sat and listened to the rest of Mario's CD. My dad started reading the inlay booklet from Mario's CD and noticed that Mario recorded the Ave Maria on 11 May 1950 and the day I first sang with Mario was 11 May 2000. ======= Copies of Holly singing in duet with Mario are rare - though I am pleased to say I am acquainted with this duet ....
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Post by gareth on Aug 16, 2005 22:07:16 GMT
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Aug 16, 2005 22:27:40 GMT
Thanks for that fabulous story and the links, Gerrit. Now I know of TWO young people who seem to be affected by Mario Lanza's singing in the same way I was... and still am! Cheers, Dave
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Post by Oksana on Aug 17, 2005 0:20:39 GMT
I can't believe it took me this long to hear of Mario. I'm not crazy about most male voices either, and especially not tenors, because they're just too hard to tap into. But I am pretty open-minded musically and just go for whatever sounds good to me, which can range from soft pop to bluegrass. This time it was opera. Holly's story gave me goosebumps. I was always blown away by the version of 'Ave Maria' on her web page, and now I can clearly hear who influenced the emotion she exhibited in her rendition. She certainly has good taste! Guess what I'm listening to now? Only samples, so far, but at least they're 60 seconds long! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gifThanks for the recommendation and story!
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Post by roger on Aug 17, 2005 18:47:33 GMT
Thanks for that Gerrit. I knew Someone would like that story and I appreciated reading it again too.
Roger
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Post by Oksana on Aug 24, 2005 20:03:24 GMT
Okay. My parents promised to buy me one of his CDs. Can anyone suggest which one(s) would be the best to start with?
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Post by fusilier23 on Aug 27, 2005 10:59:48 GMT
Oh, any and all, you really can't miss. But The Student Prince and the Desert Song are both great. Also good if you are in a relgious/inspirational mood is a collection titled (I think) You'll Never Walk Alone, which includes a lot of standard religious stuff but also some that's not known well now, like "Somebody Bigger than You and I."
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Post by Oksana on Aug 28, 2005 18:54:49 GMT
Thanks Fusilier!
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Sept 13, 2005 20:25:19 GMT
I was just listening to that excellent, mainly vocal UK compilation, Classical Album 2005. Hayley is on it - and several of the great opera sopranos are there, too. But oddly, the song that caught my ear just now was... Be My Love **link now removed but see sample below in thread*** by the only, the one and only... Mario Lanza 64kbps Slightly cheesy '50s style but anyway, for a little while in my webspace... especially for those who do not already know... enjoy i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif
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Post by Oksana on Sept 14, 2005 0:41:01 GMT
Thanks Dave!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif I still haven't got his CD yet (but I will soon), and it was great hearing a song in full. I don't mind the '50s arrangement; in fact, that's my favourite musical style of all. Did Mario do all of his songs like that?
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Dave
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Post by Dave on Sept 14, 2005 3:57:33 GMT
Thanks Dave!! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif I still haven't got his CD yet (but I will soon), and it was great hearing a song in full. I don't mind the '50s arrangement; in fact, that's my favourite musical style of all. Did Mario do all of his songs like that? Hi someone, quite a few of his pop songs have typical early fifties types of arangements like that, as in musicals of the day. But his more operatic stuff doesn't sound so dated... even though it's a lot older, if you see what i mean!!! Dave
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Post by Natasha on Sept 14, 2005 18:48:23 GMT
To me he sounds like Placido Domingo, which is a little to operatic for my tastes. But I think he did a good thing in inspiring Holly! lol.
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