Mario Lanza - Questa O Quella

[paulnemeth1]

hermine.wittmann1@chello.at

[birdybill]

What a gift! The clarity and emotion of his voice is without peer. What a sad evolution was his life. Thanks for saving its vestige. All best to his soul, and future to his giving.

[kurosawasatoshi10]

schitterend !

[elainebmack]

What an amazing voice! Mario Lanza was a native of Philadelphia - South Philly to be exact. The comment has often been made that his talent was "wasted" in Hollywood, but perhaps not. More people heard him by his being in films (some better than others to be sure) than by being on the operatic stage. I only wish he had lived longer. It always saddens me when such talent is gone after such a short time.

[MTondeleo]

I was a young voice student in UCLA Opera Workshop during ML's prime. A favorite target of us wannabes, pooh pooh, he sings in movies, it's all sound engineering! What arrogant little nobodies we were! Hear that voice today &, sure, one might find little nitty-picky flaws here & there, but the placement, the passion, yes the PASSION, are unequaled. No wonder Domingo boasts of Lanza as idol & inspiration of his own youth. I myself weep over the loss way too soon.

[MTondeleo]

@MTondeleo - Comment on my own comment (: No reply in Russian, but svjatazarov's is typical of a more intelligent critique. Before UCLA (1955-58) I was a gofer on MGM lot (1950), en route with a script for Oscar Levant, when Lanza stepped out of a phone booth, asked if I had change for a quarter. Tells us 3 things: pay phones cost a nickel, I am shameless name-dropper, & big star was not above asking skivvy kid for change. I can still hear that gorgeous voice, even the speaking one!

[karik333]

@MTondeleo

Mario Lanza was Luciano Pavarotti's idol as well.

[MTondeleo]

@karik333 - Thank you, karik333, did not know that. Do remember late-night radio broadcast in 70s, interview with younger Pavarotti, who expressed admiration for a singer "not even Italian," Jussi Björling, never again read any such ref. Seemed fitting, as I may not be qualified to judge nuances of voice, but hear a certain similarity in voices that are unmistakably distinctive, warm, might say plaintiff. No matter how strong and operatic, they touch the heart. Like Lanza.

[MrSkylark1]

@MTondeleo

Lanza studied with ENRICO ROSATI, teacher of the great BENIAMINO GIGLI.

[pianista1997ify]

stupendo!



[zmoresperros2007]

good voice but rendition here a little bit too fast...

[svjatazarov]

ярко выраженная школа пения на гласную И....груди и глубины маловато -- по мнению моего педагога, но всё равно мне он очень нравится...

[matt1948]

Legend of the legends

Pitty he passed away so young

God bless you MARIO

[mallen628]

Extraordinario, conmueve el alma!!!

[Lovelytenor1]

This is one, along w/Boheme, where he should have recorded the complete role. What a wonderful Duke he would have made. Thought the tempo here a little fast.

[GameJourney]

I don't know how the music is written but I like the long notes being held out longer on this version. Nice alteration from the norm.

[claudiogoldman]

Perfectly smooth at the high notes ! Very pleasant...

[MAR3668]

I like the laugh because he laughing at the derision of the jealous husbands when

he is taking their wives into his Bedchamber. the Duke is based on the French king

Henry IV of France who was a player in his own right. And he laughs also because

he knows that these Husbands can't do anything about lest they want to keep their Heads in tact. a fun Character to play.

[felchs]

His voice is Perfect!

However I didn't like the laugh... I think it hasn't been suitable. Just personal taste.

[corellithebest]

@felchs I think his laugh suits the character he is portraying quite well. And of course, he is AWESOME!

[cochobamba]

mucho mejor que nessun dorma

[Carguello615]

What a beautiful inerpretation! There's an edginess to his voice that's very satisfying to the ear. Young Jose Carreras shares this.

[4799711]

Never forgotten . I was about 12 when i heard him for the first time ... still in my heart .

[artscoff]

My Father loved him, this is the sound of Sunday mornings in our house when I was a child.

[HAMENKLAVIER480]

molto bene!!!!

[Romanini43047]

Ma had every single record he ever made (a requirement for being from South Philly). Thanks Ma for all the glorious music you provided! Bravo Mario!

[sruotecnarf]

This beautiful lyric spinto could have "batted cleanup" at the MET for many years. Too bad he didn't make the switch.

[musicgurucb2002]

There's no such thing as a lyric spinto.

[barryoderfer]

@musicgurucb2002...From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia..

Spinto (from Italian, "pushed") is a vocal term used to characterize a soprano or tenor voice of a weight between lyric and dramatic that is capable of handling large musical climaxes in opera at moderate intervals. (Sometimes the terms lirico-spinto or jugendlich-dramatisch are used to denote this category of voice.)

[bookkeeper57]

Too bad this guy did not take better care of his voice; and everything else he had.

He was the pride of South Philadelphia

(PA) decades ago.

[Operaandchant90]

i dont hink it was his faulkt entirely. he was surrounded by idiots who knew nothing about singing telling him how to sing. they were also telling how he should look, and the personal problems he had with his weight, and was ultimately what led to his death.

[bookkeeper57]

That's probably true:  that was part of his story.

[flaze3]

What idiots?

[bigajena]

great technique!

[forallyouknow]

was Lanza a spinto?

[chris99103]

A perfectly placed lyric spinto of extended range (low A to high D).

[forallyouknow]

thanks! Never was familiar with his stuff. Isn't low A to high C/D kind of standard? Or is it different for a spinto?

[phantom4087]

The standard for tenor is C3 to C5.

[forallyouknow]

But given his voice, we might expect some strong lower notes.

[bookworm1818]

This is probably the best version I've ever heard of this aria. Bravo Mario!

[violindevil]

VERY interesting rendition of this beautiful aria. mario lanza is really a great tenor and his voice is jus amazing