The World's Greatest Tenors - Mario Lanza

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THE WORLD’S GREATEST TENORS –MARIO LANZA

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Arturo Toscanini called Mario Lanza "the greatest voice of the 20^th century although he only appeared in one full length opera, Madame Butterfly. Born January 31, 1921 in Philadelphia, he was the son of Italian emigrants. He began studying singing at age 15.

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In 1942, he came to the attention of conductor Serge Koussevitzky who provided him with a full student scholarship to the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, MA.

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In 1943, his career was interrupted when he was drafted into the U.S. Army. There, he performed for his fellow infantrymen and sang in the production of "Winged Victory". Upon his return he moved to New York where he performed concert dates and appeared on radio. The head of MGM, Louis B. Mayer, signed him to a seven-year contract after hearing a tape and seeing him perform live.

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In 1948, he performed Madame Butterfly at the New Orleans Opera. A year later he made his first movie for MGM, The Midnight Kiss, receiving acclaim for the soundtrack’s "Celeste Aida". His second movie, The Toast of New Orleans launched his first million-selling hit, "Be My Love".

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In 1951, Mario Lanza portrayed Enrico Caruso in the movie "The Great Caruso". This movie produced Lanza’s second million-dollar seller, "The Loveliest Night of the Year". Some music critics were critical of his performance.

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However, Enrico Caruso Jr. later wrote "My Father and My Family can think of no other tenor, before or since Mario Lanza, who could have risen with comparable success to the challenge of playing Caruso in a screen biography."

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In 1952, Lanza was dismissed by MGM after he pre-recorded the songs for "The Student Prince" because of a disagreement over the singing of one of the songs. Edmund Purdom replaced Lanza, miming the songs to complete the film. In spite of this conflict, the soundtrack from this movie is outstanding with many beautiful songs.

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I have chosen to feature a particular favorite of my sister, I’ll Walk With God". Listening to this recording helped her to get through a particular difficult period in her life.

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Depressed by his dismissal, Lanza became a recluse for more than a year seeking refuge in alcoholic binges. As a result of poor investments and lavish spending, he also became bankrupt during this period. In 1955 he resumed his film career making the movie "Serenade" but it was not as successful as his previous films. He continued to work on films and performed a series of live concerts in Europe despite his declining health.

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In April of 1959, Lanza suffered a heart attack followed by double pneumonia. He died in Rome on October 7, 1959, at the age of 38, from a pulmonary embolism after undergoing a controversial weight loss program.

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During his short career, Mario Lanza has been credited with inspiring successive generations of opera singers including Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras. In 1994, Jose Carreras paid tribute to Lanza in a concert tour and is quoted as saying, "If I’m an opera singer, it’s thanks to Mario Lanza". In a 2009 CBS interview, Placido Domingo stated "Lanza’s passion and the way his voice sounds are what made me sing opera. I actually owe my love for opera thanks to a kid from Philadelphia".

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Finally, I would like to close this article with a particular favorite of mine, "E Lucevan le Stelle" from Tosca. In the third act, Mario Cavaradossi awaits his execution on the roof of the Castel Sant’Angelo. He gazes at the stars (e lucevan le stelle) and recalls his lover, Floria Tosca, who he will never see again and he no longer wants to live without her.

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L’ora e fuggita, (I no longer care)

E muoio disperato! (I die in despair)

E muoio disperato! (I die in despair)

E non ho amato mai tanto la vita, (And never was life so dear to me)

Tanta la vita! (Life was never so dear!)

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To visit my complete list of the world’s best tenors along with limited biographical information and links to their individual Hubs, go to:

The Worlds Greatest Tenors

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