He was also musical director for a large number of musicals and other plays, including ones by Noel Coward. After the war, he concentrated on recording, and eventually gave up live performance altogether. He worked with arranger and composer Ronnie Binge, who developed the "cascading strings" sound (also known as the "Mantovani sound").[citation needed] His records were regulars in stores selling hi-fi stereo equipment, as they were produced and arranged for stereo reproduction. In 1952 Binge ceased to arrange for Mantovani, but his distinctive sound remained.
He recorded for Decca until the mid-1950s, and then London Records. He recorded over 50 albums on that label, many of which were top-40 hits. These included Song from Moulin Rouge and Cara Mia, which reached No. 1 in Britain in 1953 and 1954, respectively. The latter was also Mantovani's first U.S. Top Ten hit.
In the United States, between 1955 and 1972, he released over 40 albums with 27 reaching the Top 40 and 11 the Top Ten. His biggest success was with the album Film Encores, which made it to No. 1 in 1957. Similarly, Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes made it to No. 2 in 1961 and sold over one million albums.
In 1959, Mantovani starred in his own syndicated television series, Mantovani, which was produced in England and which aired in the United States. 39 episodes were filmed.[1]
Mantovani made his last recordings in 1975.[citation needed]
[edit] Music style and influences
The cascading strings technique developed by Binge became Mantovani's hallmark in such hits arranged by Binge as "Charmaine". Binge developed this technique to replicate the echo experienced in venues such as cathedrals by arrangement alone, in an echo-free surrounding.
Author Joseph Lanza describes Mantovani's string arrangements as the most "rich and mellifluous" of the emerging light music style during the early 1950s. He stated that Mantovani was a leader in the use of new studio technologies to "create sound tapestries with innumerable strings", and that "the sustained hum of Mantovani's reverberated violins produced a sonic vaporizer foreshadowing the synthesizer harmonics of space music."[2]
In 1958 Mantovani and his family bought a holiday home in Bournemouth in Durley Chine Road, then in 1961 acquired a new property in Burton Road (now part of Poole). He moved, finally, to a new home in Martello Road in Poole.
Since his death at a care home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1980, his music has enjoyed a minor revival,[citation needed] with much of his catalogue reappearing on CD and an orchestra bearing his name performing concert tours. The saleability of the Mantovani name is underscored by new recordings being made as the Mantovani Orchestra. Unfortunately[neutrality is disputed], a large number of CDs are also available of unauthorized recordings, billed as Mantovani or Mantovani Orchestra.[citation needed] There have also been CDs released under the Mantovani name of recordings made by others while Mantovani was still alive.[citation needed] Thus, consumers of this music are advised to familiarize themselves with the conductor's discography. Material with the London Records logo on it is apt to be genuine Mantovani, while other recordings are less likely to be actual Mantovani recordings.[citation needed]
The continued popularity of Mantovani's music is evident by the number of original albums which are being released, on labels such as Dutton-Vocalion, and by the many compilations available throughout the world. In 2008, as a result of successful, ongoing CD sales, amongst other contributing factors, the Mantovani Orchestra (performing from the original scores) was recreated for a tremendously successful historical tribute concert, sponsored by Bentley Motors, held at the Lighthouse, in Poole, England, on 27 January, conducted by Sam Newgarth, MBE. Much critical acclaim has led to the planning of a second concert, to take place in January 2009, at the same venue. There are four Mantovani websites in honour of the maestro, a written biography by Colin MacKenzie entitled Mantovani - A Lifetime In Music (ISBN 1-905226-19-5). For further information, please visit http://www.hallowquest.com/mantiindex.htm; http://members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/torumonty; http://www.lighthousepoole.co.uk (re. ticket sales for 31 January 2009). A ten CD set 'The Wonderful World of Mantovani' was released in November 2008 in Japan (a link to the website in Japan may be found by visiting www.hallowquest.com/mantiindex.htm), featuring many rare tracks which have never been released on CD before, in a superbly remastered format, and, following the success of the Mantovani Orchestra's 2008 concert, 'More MANTOVANI Magic' took place at Lighthouse in Poole, England, on 31 January 2009, again conducted by maestro Sam Newgarth MBE. The concert was sponsored by Poole Audi, and also with the generous support of Richard Cox.
Begin The Begin
Mantovani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It brings back the sound of music so tender
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
It brings back a memory ever green
I'm with you once more under the stars
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
And even the palms seem to be swaying
To live it again is past all endeavor
Except when that tune clutches my heart
And there we are, swearing to love forever
And promising never, never to part
What moments divine, what rapture serene
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
I know but too well what they mean
So don't let them begin the beguine
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
When they begin the beguine
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Till the stars that were there before return above you
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
When they begin the beguine
The lyrics of Mantovani's song Begin The Beguine describe how the sound of the beguine, a dance and music style originating in the Caribbean, brings back a flood of memories for the singer. The memories are of a past love that he had spent under the stars with an orchestra playing in the background. The beguine music makes everything seem more romantic and even the palms seem to be swaying with the rhythm. The singer then goes on to reminisce about the love they once had, how they had promised never to part and how the memories of those moments are still very vivid in his mind. The last verses are a plea to not let the beguine begin again as it will only awaken old feelings of love and a longing for something that is long lost.
The song portrays the power of music to evoke emotions and memories, and how a tune can take us back to a certain time and place. The beguine, in particular, is portrayed as a powerful and romantic music that can make even the dead desire come back to life. The lyrics also show that the singer has moved on and is at peace with the fact that the past love was just a memory.
Line by Line Meaning
When they begin the beguine
The song begins to play and it elicits feelings of nostalgia and memories of a past love.
It brings back the sound of music so tender
The song reminds me of the sweet and gentle sound of music that we used to share.
It brings back a night of tropical splendor
The song takes me back to a warm and beautiful night filled with love and passion.
It brings back a memory evergreen
The song reminds me of a special memory that will always remain fresh and vivid.
I'm with you once more under the stars
The song transports me back to a time when we were together, under the stars, surrounded by love and music.
And down by the shore an orchestra's playing
The music echoes off the shore and helps to create a romantic ambiance.
And even the palms seem to be swaying
The music is so powerful that even nature seems to respond and sway to the beat of the song.
To live it again is past all endeavor
It is impossible to relive the past, no matter how hard we try.
Except when that tune clutches my heart
The only time when the past seems to come alive is when I listen to this song and it touches my heart.
And there we are, swearing to love forever
The memories come alive and we both swear that we will love each other forever.
And promising never, never to part
We promise each other that we will always be together and never be apart.
What moments divine, what rapture serene
The memories that the song elicits are so special and precious that they feel like divine moments filled with a sense of peace and happiness.
Till clouds came along to disperse the joys we had tasted
The happy memories were eventually dispelled by the difficult times that followed.
And now when I hear people curse the chance that was wasted
When I hear people talk about missing their chance at love, it reminds me of my own lost love.
I know but too well what they mean
I understand all too well the sense of regret and longing that comes with the loss of a great love.
So don't let them begin the beguine
I don't want to be reminded of my lost love and the pain it brings.
Let the love that was once a fire remain an ember
I want to let the memories of our love remain, but not let them consume me like they once did.
Let it sleep like the dead desire I only remember
I want to let the memories of our love rest, like a dead desire that I only recall.
Oh yes, let them begin the beguine, please make them play
Despite my reservations, I still want to hear the song played and relive the memories it brings.
Till the stars that were there before return above you
I hope that listening to the song will transport me back to a time when we were together and the stars shone above us.
Till you whisper to me once more, "Darling, I love you"
I long to hear the words of love that we once shared.
Then we suddenly know what heaven we're in
When we hear the song and are transported back to that magical time, we feel like we are in heaven.
When they begin the, begin the, begin the beguine
The song plays once again, and the memories and emotions of our past love come flooding back.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Cole Porter
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@mariamoavro8811
Splendida esecuzione di questa splendida musica x sognare x danzare. Grazie al grande Mantovani. 🙏💙💛Non di meno al Compositore 🙏💙💚🌷
@barbarareed7118
Lovely, bewitching, romantic. A beautiful song and instrumental.
@user-zs6qj2rq3m
One of the best orchestras in it's time!
@lindakidd9477
Dad was in the Air Force and we were stationed in France twice. Mom played this Mantovani tune frequently on our Grundig radio/record player. The white curtains billowed at the windows in our living room with a summer breeze. Oh, to relive those days. As teens, we took so much for granted.
@jesusmarotofigueroa3303
Una preciosidad de acordeón y violines....
@narcisahokuto6429
Siempre que la escucho, me transporta a mis Amores y que dicha haber Sido Amada
@narcisahokuto6429
Música hermosa,me da mucha paz y recuerdos nostálgicos de mi juventud, fui ..muy amada .,Por eso doy gracias a Dios
@maureensamson4863
Thanks for sharing this
@narcisahokuto6429
Me recuerda esta hermosa música, mi juventud,plena de ilusiones y de amor
@narcisahokuto6429
Amo la música, me alimenta mi alma. Gracias y muchas Bendiciones