Mario Lanza sings "Che Gelida Manina" from La Boheme

American singer Mario Lanza sings the beautiful Rodolfo's aria "Che Gelida Manina" from La Boheme composed by Giacomo Puccini. Rodolfo sings to Mimi his love for her though they're seeing for the first time. Mimi is a neighbor of Rodolfo. She lost her keys at Rodolfo's room and search together but Rodolfo change conversation to speak love:

Che gelida manina! se la lasci riscaldar.
Cercar che giova? al buio non si trova.
Ma per fortuna e una notte di luna,
E qui la luna labbiiamo vicina.
Aspetti, signorina, le diro con due parole chi son,
Chi son, e che faccio, come vivo, vuole?
Chi son? chi son? son un poeta.
Che cosa faccio? scrivo. e come vivo? vivo.
In poverta mia lieta scialo da gran signore
Rimi ed inni damore.
Per sogni e per chimere e per castelli in aria
Lanima ho milionaria.
Talor del mio forziere ruban tutti
I gioielle due ladri: gli occhi belli.
Ventrar con voi pur ora ed I miei sogni usati,
Ed I bei sogni miei tosto si dileguar!
Ma il furto non maccora poiche,
Poiche vha preso stanza la speranza.
Or che mi conoscete parlate voi.
Deh parlate. chi siete? vi piaccia dir?

Synopses

It is christmas eve on paris left bank. rodolfo is at home

Writing when a stranger knocks at the door. it is mimi, a neighbor, who needs to

Borrow a match to relight her candle. mimi is barely out the door, when she

Realizes she has lost her key. as they search for it, rodolfos hand falls upon
Hers.

English translation
How cold your little hand is! will you let me warm it for you?
Why bother looking? its dark, and we wont find it.
Its our good luck, though, this nights filled with moonlight,
Up here the moonlight could rest on our shoulders.
Please wait, my dear young lady, and I will quickly tell you
Who stands before you, and what I do,
How I make my living. may i?
Who am i? what am i? I am a poet.
What keeps me busy? writing! and what do I live on? nothing!
In poverty Im cheerful, I am a prince who squanders
Arias and couplets of longing.
And as for hopes and dreams of love and castles-in-the-air,
Miss, I am a millionaire!
My fortress could be broken in, robbed clean of the fine jewels
I store; if the theives were eyes like yours.
And now that I have seen you, all of my lovely dreaming,
All of the sweetest dreams Ive dreamt, quickly have slipped away.
This theft does not upset me, because such treasures
Mean nothing now that Im rich with sweet hope!
And now that you have met me, I ask you please,
Tell me, lady, who you are, I ask you please!

Category:

Music

Tags:

• mario
• lanza
• rodolfo
• la
• boheme
• puccini
• che
• gelida
• manina
• mimi
• musetta
• marcello
• american
• singer
• italian
• opera

[nalekhina]

The singer on the picture with a lady is Mario del Monaco.

[petrof4056]

@nalekhina Oh my god! You're right! What a mistake from me...

well... thank you for your remark

[abracadabranque]

Comment respecter la lettre en bafouant son esprit ! Une version monochrome,sans atmosphère qui ne parle qu'à l'oreille mais pas au coeur,même si elle est fidèle à la partition.

[petrof4056]

@abracadabranque Il est vrai que c'est une voix gonflée, tout ce qu'on veut... mais, c'est une voix marquante pleine de chaleur. Il n'est, en général, peu apprécié chez les chanteurs mais très aimé chez les mélomanes

[VinylToVideo]

@nalekhina I don't see any pictures of Mario del Monaco. The one picture of "Del Monaco with a lady" is actually Lanza with soprano Dorothy Kirsten.

[leboharold]

@nalekhina thats mario lanza and its from the great caruso

[LOMBARDISPACKERS1]

My Favorite TENOR. His voice was touched by GOD.

[SHICOFF1]

HIS EARLY LIVE HOLLYWOOD BOWL SINGING IS VERY GOOD as Far as opera goes, check out that, 1947 . Here his voice is better of course, older and studio sound. I like his 53 recording for the 54 film, the student prince.

[MultiHarryk]

God gave Mario the greatest voice.

[Joseph94300]

@abracadabranque Je suis d'accord avec vous même si j'aime beaucoup Mario Lanza! Mais dans cet air de la Bohème, il est comme un automate. J'aime cette version pas Pavarotti, Bergonzi ou Corelli.

Bien à vous

[jgraif]

@joelweisberg respectfully, may i offer that lanza, in the year he died, had been contracted to OPEN the season at la scala? he would have been the first AMERICAN to ever do so. yet, we still chose NOT to support him. as far as i am concerned, no one will ever be able to explain that to my satisfaction.

[jgraif]

why does his career choice continue to define him as a musician, especially in this day and age? what does it matter what he DID for a living? did he possess the requisite talent to interpret opera or not????? i would propose that is all that matters, AND, he DID, IN FACT, POSSESS THE TALENT!!!!!