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.
HiLili HiLo
Mantovani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On every tree there sits a bird, and ev'ryone I ever heard
Could break my heart without a word singing a song of love
A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
A song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know
A song of love is a sad song, for I have loved and it's so
I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
A tear for him, a tear for me, A tear for the love he swore
A tear for him and one for me, and one for under the cedar tree
And one for where ever my love my be, and then I shall weep no more
A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
A song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know
A song of love is a sad song, for I have loved and it's so
I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Tomorrow i'll probably love again, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
The lyrics to Mantovani's "Hi-Lili Hi-Lo" convey a deep sense of heartbreak and pain caused by lost love. The imagery of birds singing on every tree is used to represent the universal presence of love in the world. However, the sadness of love is also emphasized through the phrase "could break my heart without a word," implying that the pain of lost love can be sudden and inexplicable.
The main lyrics of the song focus on the sadness that accompanies a song of love. The phrase "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" is used as a refrain to emphasize the melancholic tone of the song. The song seems to suggest that although love can bring great joy and happiness, it is ultimately a source of great sorrow and pain.
The final verse of the song is particularly poignant as it talks about the tears shed for lost love. The tears are not necessarily just for one person, but for all the love that has been lost. The phrase "and one for where ever my love may be" suggests that the love may not be entirely gone, but it is perhaps just out of reach.
Overall, "Hi-Lili Hi-Lo" is a beautiful and melancholic song about the bittersweet nature of love and the pain that can accompany it.
Line by Line Meaning
On every tree there sits a bird, singing a song of love
There are birds singing love songs on every tree I see.
On every tree there sits a bird, and ev'ryone I ever heard Could break my heart without a word singing a song of love
There are birds on every tree I've ever heard, and their love songs are so powerful that they can break my heart without even saying a word.
A song of love is a sad song, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Love songs are often sad, as evidenced by the fact that they make me say 'Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo'.
A song of love is a song of woe, don't ask me how I know
I know that love songs are songs of sadness and despair, but I can't really explain why.
A song of love is a sad song, for I have loved and it's so
I am well aware that love songs are often sorrowful, since I have experienced love myself.
I sit at the window and watch the rain, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
I sit by the window and watch the rain, thinking of lost love and singing 'Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo'.
Tomorrow I'll probably love again, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo
Despite the sadness of love, I know that tomorrow I will likely fall in love again, and so I sing 'Hi-Lili, Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo'.
A tear for him, a tear for me, A tear for the love he swore
I shed tears for my lost love and for myself, as well as for the love that he promised me but failed to give.
A tear for him and one for me, and one for under the cedar tree And one for where ever my love my be, and then I shall weep no more
I cry tears for both myself and my lost love, as well as for the place where we once shared a moment, but after that, I will cry no more.
Lyrics © ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP
Written by: BRONISLAW KAPER, HELEN DEUTSCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind