Mario Lanza - Improvviso (extended home rehearsal) (Rare)

[michele22951]

E', questa, una testimonianza preziosa.

Preziosa per chi l'ascolta e ...per la storia !

Grazie a chi l'ha fornita.

[Cocus62]

TREMENDA Y ESPECTACULAR VOZ!!! SENCILLAMENTE ESPECTACULAR.......

[RossouwCora]

My only problem with Mario singing opera is this: Whatever would have happened to the other opera singers' ears if Mario sang exactly like this on the stage? They would have been stone deaf after the first act!! Or even sooner than that!! Wonderful, as always, Mario. Your biggest fan.

[biggerthanacadillac]

Gzus...WHAT a voice, what a simply AMAZING voice; the POWER, the ENERGY, the PITCH, the SPONTANEITY, the VIRILITY, the sheer AWESOMENESS of hearing this...it's almost too much when finding this 'by chance'..I MUST go & lie down in a darkened room & attempt to recover, truly!

(I KNEW ML was pretty formidable & carried MUCH 'personal baggage' due to his fiery temperament, but THIS convinces ME that here we had the very greatest [potential as dead @ 38!] tenor of ALL time.

I'm frankly gobzonked!

[ConnonTenor]

I still laugh at the editing of his voice in his movies. It was pretty damn thickheaded of the producers to think that they could improve perfection like this.

[biggerthanacadillac]

@ConnonTenor ABSOLUTELY x10......I have JUST experienced an epiphanic moment.....having discovered the TRUE KING of tenors at LAST. ML was like an unbroken mustang & was snuffed B4 his time, otherwise he'd have fully flowered & effortlessly eclipsed 'the rest' with NO difficulty in MY opinion. Simply STAGGERING potential, had a LITTLE more careful operatic training been applied. I shall NEVER view ML in the same light having spent hours objectively evaluating his ENORMOUS gifts. RIP 'Maestro'.

[pattihr1]

Does anybody know (& can explain) how to upload music from my old LP's to my computer. That way I could share them on U Tube..(I have all of the music that he ever recorded on an LP). & would like to do that. Can it be done? If you can help I would greatly appreciate it!

Thanks

[catlec39]

@pattihr1 The easiest and cheapest program I haave found is RIP Vinyl.. about $12.95, but it is from England. Pay Pal makes it easy. I use that program with a USD Turntable and get ver! decent quality. And best of all, I don't have to pass an audio engineering coourse to use it. Hook ups from various means are explained. Good luck! Go for it!

[Nello7]

That was one heck of a bflat4 on "amor"- wow!

[fabrizzzio48]

It's as if he swept the "amor" and the rest of the aria in one swaying breath.

[Nello7]

I love Mario, always have, always will. This recording really gives you a sense of the voice and the passion of Lanza. This is a rare treat. I too have heard conflicting stories as to the size of his voice, but this cements it for me.

I do think it is unfair to compare his voice to career opera singers because he simply did not have the rigors of that type of experience. BUT, he should have because he would have been the American answer to Del Monaco.

[fabrizzzio48]

Mario created the Chenier that all others (including Del Monaco and Giacomini) strived for. He combines a full rounded ringing tone, produced with bellows at full pressure, with no sweat off the highs and comes off fresh and flowing.

[ShawDAMAN]

@fabrizzzio48 I agree this is a great rendition, but I think it highly unlikely that other contemporary tenors like Del Monaco were listening to Lanza's recordings of the two arias to emulate him.

[fabrizzzio48]

@ShawDAMAN

Hi there SD. I didn't imply that they necesarily were trying to emulate Mario.

Just that MDM and GG went for a kind of powerful delivery that Mario achieved much more balanced. Mario produced a rich and virile tone but without sharp edges.

On another note, there is recording of MDM doing Be My Love, ala Del Monaco. At least there he must have listened...

[ShawDAMAN]

@fabrizzzio48 ah I see what you mean now. Yes I've heard the MDM be my love, he certainly put his own, somewhat unromantic stamp on it haha

[ffilchtaeh]

I have a recording of my father's interview with Callinicos from the early 1970's and the voice with Mario does sound like his. People over the years have tried to tell me that Mario had a tiny voice. That was the adjective used, tiny. They all need to hear this.

[derekmcgovern]

The accompanist is definitely Constantine Callinicos, and it's to him that Lanza says, "What a beautiful voice" at the beginning. This is one of the great renditions of the Improvviso, rivalled only by Lanza's 1950 commercial recording.

[GreekCallas]

Rofl - Lanza had a good sense of humor!

[dmar5143]

rare indeed.poor home sound cannot deny the huge beautifull lanza voice.

[garjay]

This is fantastic..It is like we were sitting in Mario's home as he rehearsed this wonderful aria.This aria separates the men from the boys,and Mario put his stamp on this one.Thanks Greek Callas..this is to be treasured.

Gary from N.S.

[Figaro48]

I don't know which I find more awsome: the splendid voice of Mario Lanza in 1952 or the technology that allows us to be "flies on the wall" at this home rehearsal some 54 years later. Anybody know who the coach-accompanist is? I thought I had heard every Lanza recording & am delighted to be wrong.

[GreekCallas]

I'm not sure, I'm not even sure if it's from 1952. The information that came with it said c. 1952.

[marilynf]

My information says circa 1952 and that the accompanist is probably Constantine Callinicos. "Costa", as Lanza called him, was his accompanist and conductor on most of his concerts and many of his records. "Probably" would indicate no one is totally sure but Callinicos is the most likely.

[GreekCallas]

Yes, I thought it may have either been him or Ray Sinatra, but most likely Conllinicos because I've noticed most of Lanza's recordings are either conducted by Collinicos or Sinatra, but Sinatra was after 1952 I believe.

[aspsingr]

i think this is the most impressive performance i've heard from him

[hoomi19]

I've got this recording, He sings a few other bit and pieces or other lesser known Giordano arias, all unbelievably rich and fantastic. My favourate tenor of all time, best natural voice of the century hands down.

[leboharold]

awsome mario never disapoints

[marilynf]

Awesome! What a voice. Thank goodness these rare recordings exist. An incomparable tenor in practice at home! Thank you GreekCallas.