Mario Lanza Improvviso di Chenier Un di all'azzurro spazio

Mario Lanza's stunning 1950 recording of Andrea Chenier's 1st act aria.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Unberto
• Giordano
• Mario
• Lanza
• Andrea
• Chenier

[Yoni89]

I don't have this version! Where is it from!? 

[DiPlacido71]

@Yoni89 I got this recording from the "Mario Lanza: Opera Arias & Duets" cd from BMG/Sony

[SHICOFF1]

Lanza would have sold the house out if they even thought he might sing and even those who had never gone to hear opera would have paid just to have a chance to hear this new star, in 1950 he already was a movie star. I remember seeing the toast of new orlean's in 1950 as a 10 year old boy and that turned me on to opera, though I grew up hearing old caruso records my grandfather played day and night. He actually heard Caruso in house 3 times. He died in 1980, age 100 with his memory intact.

[SHICOFF1]

@GAYTENOR Lanza was often not a happy man even with his good looks money and a great natural tenor voice but in the 1950's they had nothing for his mood swings and antibuse for drinking was not very good and was not really effective. Bjorling also was put on it with little results. Tragic in both cases but 38 is way to young to die especially with such a great gift. In my eyes he had so much that most of us don't. I would love to have a voice like that but NO WAY!!! 

[SHICOFF1]

@gaytenor I doubt that SF would give a tenor even with a great voice like Lanza's the opening night anyhow without a proper audition as he was mostly a movie/concert operatic tenor but if they did listen to him live and singing the opera Chenier and he accepted it and sang it---well then we would have a complete opera with him. New Orleans never recorded it when he sang Butterfly. Hard to imagine that Butterfly was not recorded in 1948.

[SHICOFF1]

Lanza's voice itself was great but as far as singing the role I would think by 1958 it would be more for his voice if he could learn the role then and sing it night after night and be in top voice and get  into the role--if he worked at it he could, but making films was easier and more money/Fame I like his operetta's and some arias. Chenier is not my pick for his best singing anyhow. Gigli sang it but he was too lyric for me. Jussi and Peerce would not touch it. Pav. did, not for him!

[SHICOFF1]

@badpdx In one Lanza book the writer states that RCA used the same technique to record Lanza as for Jussi Bjorling and Jan Peerce, nothing about Tucker was said because in Lanza's time Tucker never sang on any RCA recording. ML was a lyric tenor in the beginning and a lyric spinto later but in 1950 singing Chenier would (even if he knew the role) not be the best choice for his Lyric voice in 1950. I never saw a contract and he never accepted it anyhow. Even Gigli sounds too lyric in Chenier

[badpdx]

@gaytenor: It is true that Lanza was a lyric tenor, though closer to a lirico spinto as he matured. It has also been established that he was invited by the San Francisco opera to sing as Chenier with Renata Tebaldi in 1950, so obviously someone thought he could handle the role. But these facts are beside the point. You are bashing on Lanza for A. needing amplification for his voice and B. for his personal shortcomings. The first is not true and the second has nothing to do with this aria.

[gaytenor]

@badpdx Can a demigod really die? Technology is one thing applying it is another. Lanza had a great voice but he could not control his love of booze, food, and women and, some say, drugs, to have a career on stage. Also whether you like it or not Lanza was a LYRIC TENOR not the dramatic tenor required by the opera. The singing here is just loaded with bogus emotion and outlandish marcato. Try the recordings by De Muro, Martinelli, Caruso, Lauri-Volpi, Tucker, and Del Monaco for real performances

[badpdx]

@gaytenor: it's strange that you are using Youtube to pointlessly bash on a dead guy. A dead guy who happens to be one of the most famous tenors in history and whom I doubt you ever heard live (since you would have been about 12 or 13 when he died). As for echo chamber: Lanza recorded with the same technology that was available to Bjorling, Di Stefano, Bergonzi and Tucker.

[SHICOFF1]

@gaytenor Some say that these days the met uses amplification at times but I wouldn't know!

[gaytenor]

@SHICOFF1 Its strange that they are using a cover with an acclaimed Andrea Chenier to illustrate the singing of a want-to-be Chenier. The Met doesn't have an echo chamber does it.