Search - Mario Lanza :: Love Songs By Mario Lanza

Romantic Mario

Deborah Earle | USA | 02/01/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I write this partially in honor of the fact that the Greatest of the Tenors would have been 85 yesterday.

I agree with the previous reviewer's opinion about Lanza's recording of "And This Is My Beloved". It does come across perfectly. In addition to it's sensuousness, it is also somewhat wistful. Of all the tunes featured on this CD, that is the tune I play most frequently.

The album is kicked off by Lanza's signature tune, "Be My Love", then a highly spectacular performance of Cole Porter's "Night and Day", then Lanza managed to sing "All the Things You Are " in a manner that is comparatively soft, gentle, and caressing, but still incredibly powerful.

Afterwards, we hear his version of "Because" from Lanza's starring performance in "The Great Caruso", the roaring passion of "So In Love" from the musical "Kiss, Me Kate", in which Lanza(who was not featured in that musical) fully opened all of his passageways. I feel my own vocal chords straining when I hear his rendition of that number.

Other numbers include the best-sung version of Romberg's "Serenade" that is known to me. Of course, it is from "The Student Prince", in which Lanza was supposed to have starred.

We are given a brief sample of Lanza's speaking voice when he introduces his rendition of Victor Herbert's "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" from the operetta, "Naughty Marietta", featured during a 1952 radio program.

The audio journey then takes us through Rodgers'and Hart's "Where Or When" from "Babes in Arms", then through the aforementioned 1956 recording of "And This Is My Beloved", from "Kismet", which followed on the heels of the release of the 1955 film version of that musical.

We then turn to the title song of Lanza's 1952 film, "Because You're Mine", followed by another especially sensuous number, "You and the Night and the Music", afterwards, a sweet, cooing rendering of "You Are Love" from the musical "Showboat".

The bouncy and upbeat "You Do Something to Me" is also featured on the soundtrack of "Because You're Mine". Lanza seems to have taken that tune a long way from being one to which people had performed the Charleston three decades earlier.

Last but not least, there is "Romance", from "Cameo Kirby", sung with equal amounts of joyousness when Lanza's tone rises, and solemnity when he relaxes.

Each number is rich with emotion, and Lanza's distinct timbre.--Not a bad performance in the lot.

I strongly recommend this album to anyone who wants to enjoy the truest tenor voice the world has ever known--one that supasses that of Lanza's predecessor and idol, Enrico Caruso.

Those who listen only once can hear why Lanza--who was lost to the world way before his time--continues to inspire singers to this day."

MARIO AND POP MUSIC

Deborah Earle | 11/03/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"MARIO LANZA was the best even at this type of meterial,for example so in love shows the dedicated raw emotions he put into every pop song which aslo shows he never put this type music below the musical food chain he made sure every song opera or not was tooken seariously another song you and the night and the music is just as good but the song that tops them all! is and this is my beloved its extremly romatic and erotic two words Lanza knew very well.Two songs that could have been left out though are ah sweet mystery of life and you do something to me. Beloved was fantastic also."