Mantovani was born in Venice, Italy and his father was the concertmaster of… Read Full Bio ↴Mantovani was born in Venice, Italy and his father was the concertmaster of La Scala orchestra under Arturo Toscanini. His family moved to England in 1912, where he studied at Trinity College of Music in London. After graduation, he formed his own orchestra, which played in and around Birmingham. By the time World War II broke out, his orchestra was one of the most popular in UK, both on the BBC and in live performances.

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.

Colors Of My Life
Mantovani Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Someone I've needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong

For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Who have my dreams come true

For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before

For once I have someone I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore

For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love I can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me

For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it

As long as I know I have love we can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me

Overall Meaning

Mantovani's song "For Once in My Life" is a heartfelt ballad about having someone who loves and needs you. The first verse sets the tone by stating that the singer has finally found someone who has been missing from their life for a long time. They are no longer afraid to let life take them where it may, and they feel like they can handle anything with this special person by their side. The second verse expresses the idea that the singer's heart had been dreaming of someone like their current partner long before they met. It's almost as if their love was destined to be together.

The chorus repeats the phrase "For once in my life," emphasizing that the singer has finally found something they've been missing. They no longer want to be hurt by sorrow, and they feel grateful to have someone who won't desert them. The lines "This is mine, you can't take it" and "As long as I know I have love, I can make it" sum up the singer's feelings towards their newfound love. The song ends on a bittersweet note, where the singer feels blessed to have someone who needs them but realizes that it's only for a moment.

Overall, "For Once in My Life" is about finding someone who provides a sense of security and acceptance. It's an emotional song, and Mantovani's soothing voice really captures the heart of the lyrics.

Line by Line Meaning

For once in my life I have someone who needs me
I finally have someone in my life who depends on me and requires my care and attention.

Someone I've needed so long
This person is someone I've yearned for and wanted in my life for a very long time.

For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
Now that I have this person in my life, I am not afraid of what lies ahead and I have confidence that I can handle anything that comes my way.

For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of, long before I knew someone warm like you
This person is everything I ever dreamed of, even before I knew they existed or that I wanted them in my life.

Who have my dreams come true
This person has helped to make my dreams a reality and has fulfilled my deepest desires.

For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me, not like it's hurt me before
Now that I have this person in my life, I am more resilient and won't let sadness or pain get to me like it has in the past.

For once I have someone I know won't desert me, I'm not alone anymore
This person is dependable and I can trust that they won't abandon me, which makes me feel less lonely and isolated.

For once I can say, this is mine you can't take it, as long as I know I have love I can make it
Having this person in my life makes me feel possessive and protective, but as long as I have their love and support, I know I can handle anything and won't let anyone take them away from me.

For once in my life I have someone who needs me
This person is a source of comfort and purpose in my life because they need me and give me a reason to keep going.

As long as I know I have love we can make it
I have confidence in our relationship and the power of our love to overcome any challenges we may face together.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ronald N. Miller, Orlando Murden

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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