Mario Lanza at HOME- a scorching 1952 Un dì all'azzurro spazio

Mario Lanza (1921-1959)

Almost 50 years after his death at age 38, Mario Lanza continues to command a formidable, worldwide following. A brief scan of Youtube alone reveals nearly 20 pages of Lanza videos, from contributors of diverse nationalities. And I receive far more comments about him than any other singer that I've posted on my channel. Yet, Lanza has probably been the subject of more rumors and conjecture than any classically-trained singer in history. Some of this gossip, concerning both the singer's voice and private life, has wormed its way into the video commentary sections on Youtube: Lanza died penniless, Lanza was a drug addict, Lanza's discography was small, he never varied dynamics, his voice was weak and fickle, electronically manipulated, etc. To those of us who have tirelessly sought out biographical material on the singer and, more importantly, listened extensively to his records, such remarks are always irksome in their foolishness. At best, they demonstrate a casual carelessness on the commentator's part when it comes to details about the singer. At worst, they show an arrogant, almost impudent ignorance and refusal to familiarize oneself thoroughly with Lanza's legacy before posting critical observations.

One of the most insidious myths about Lanza is that he had a weak, small voice. Well, here is a recording that alone makes a total hash of this critique: 'Un di all'azzurro spazio' from Giordano's "Andrea Chenier", recorded at HOME in 1952 (Yes, that means made at Lanza's residence. One man, one mic. Unedited.). There are at least 6 extant Lanza recordings of the aria (I have 5 of them), made between 1944 and '52. And although I love his nuanced 1950 RCA effort, this one is undeniably thrilling. It is not difficult to believe that this poet was a soldier: Lanza's reading is virile, gutsy, and direct in its moral outrage; scathing in its condemnation of aristocratic indifference. The instrument's heft, sweep, and squillo are immediately apparent and make a powerful impression.

Small voice? I'm sorry, but the evidence simply shows otherwise. Recordings like this and eyewitness statements are available today to those who take the time to search for them, and they present a voice that is full, ample, and powerful. It's not a matter of speculation, but rather incontrovertible, ESTABLISHED FACT. Was it the largest voice in recorded history? No. Nor was it flawless. To those who would say that I'm just a rabid fan who believes Lanza could do no wrong, I'll point out that there are a number of his recordings that I'm not crazy about. There are even entire albums that I dislike, i.e. his 1959"Caruso Favorites" and remake of "The Student Prince". But he also made a great many magnificent, nonpareil recordings that have stood the test of time. And I daresay he has not only grabbed countless opera and song aficionados by the heartstrings, but also inspired more tributes from established singers, and more students in their quests for operatic careers than any other single artist (I know for certain that I wouldn't be singing if it weren't for Lanza). I realize fully that timbral, stylistic, and interpretive preferences vary from one individual to the next, and that Lanza won't be everyone's favorite tenor, as he is mine. That's as it should be; it lends the operatic community much-needed variety. However, I will quarrel with anyone who plays loose with the facts or denies Lanza his rightful place in the pantheon of the greats.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Mario
• Lanza
• tenor
• Italian
• opera
• aria
• Un
• di
• all'azzurro
• spazio
• Andrea
• Chenier
• Umberto
• Giordano

[verdiana116]

Thank you so much for posting this. I have been a "rabid" fan of Mario since I was a young child and heard his first recording playing on the radio (Vesti la Giubba). I had never heard this redition of this area before. It only confirms what I have always thought him to be, one of the greatest tenor voices of all time. Yes, I know, there are other great tenors like Bjoreling, Gedda, etc, but who has ever had such a beautiful or thrilling sound!

[Operafiend22]

I think this recording is ample proof that Lanza understood Italian opera just as much as his Italian contemporaries. The fact that Mario decided to concentrate on making movies rather than singing in opera houses doesn't diminish his talent. Besides, you don't think the tenors you mentioned would have killed to have the universal appeal Lanza had?

[raygabmiamizzi]

@Jextxadore your such an idiot.. ha ha in your face, such a dag.

[Jextxadore]

Lovely voice as always, but I think his pronunciation is a bit…overdone.

[gragrn]

Beautifully written khankonchak, I couldn't agree more!

[NeroBurnR]

Браво Марио!

[JamesRBS]

Wow to this voice. And too wow to some of the comments here. Thank the good lord of singing we live in a democracy. The man had a stupendous voice no doubt. But the technique to pull that piece of music off. To be able to have sung that piece and then go on afterwards and continue to perform says the man knew what he was doing. And that in this art field is no small potatoes. Take what ever you want away....this man wore the mantle of greatness.

[dinovalle1]

CANT WE JUST ENJOY THE BEAUTY OF HIS VOICE, LET ALONE HIS PASSION, POWER AND ABOVE ALL HIS DICTION???

THANK YOU FOR UPLOADING THIS RARE AND PRIMITIVE HOME RECORDING.

[arcot9]

What a performance!!!!!!!! Would love a voice like this today!

[badpdx]

@finetoonanimation: I agree with some of your criticisms. After he joined RCA and MGM, his singing became quite inconsistent, with some absolutely brilliant performances side by side with atrocities. I can't say (probably no one can) whether these problems were due to drinking or weight swings, but they are there for all to hear.

To me, Lanza was at his best, and nearly incomparable, in the years immediately following his study with Enrico Rosati and then after he moved to Italy.

[Randidan]

@finetoonanimation Actually, it's a lousy recording, with too much distortion, the voice too close, and possibly the least musical performance I've ever heard from him...

[Randidan]

@reduxmisc Actually, if you ignore the longevity of Pavarotti, you could just as easily be describing his career arc with your comments. We like (adore?) the voices we respond to and seem to have to bad-mouth everyone else! It's useless and tiresome... These people had a lot going for them -- trying to convince others that that is not so is equally stupid... probably even Bini and so on had some worth, even if I couldn't hear it...