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.

In The Still Of The Night
Mantovani Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's a melody that plays upon my heart strings
When the splendor of the setting sun is fading
From the hill I hear a love serenading
And tonight it carves steel once again

Just a melody that comes, bound to remind me
But one night I sang a love song all in there

Serenade in the night 'neath a fair lady's window
Just the same serenade that I tenderly played on a night long ago
There were stars in the sky and I sang 'neath a window
But she gave not a sign that she'd ever be mine and my love story closes

Oh, why must the south wind be bringing it?
Oh, why must my heart keep on singing it?

Serenade in the night from the past comes to haunt me
When I hear that refrain, oh, my heart aches again
For that lost love of mine

Serenade in the night from the past comes to haunt me

When I hear that refrain, oh, my heart aches again
For that lost love of mine

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Mantovani's song In The Still of the Night are about a lost love that keeps haunting the singer. The melody that plays on the heartstrings of the singer is a reminder of a love serenading from a hill. The singer reminisces about a time when he sang a love song beneath a fair lady's window, but there was no sign of reciprocation. The south wind brings back memories of the past, and the refrain of the serenade brings back nostalgic feelings. The singer's heart aches again for the lost love.

Throughout the song, the imagery of the night is used to convey the singer's feelings of loneliness and sorrow. The night is a symbol of darkness and emptiness, a time when the singer's lost love is most prominent in his mind. The lyrics use metaphors like "splendor of the setting sun" and "stars in the sky" to describe the romantic atmosphere of the serenade, contrasting the bright and hopeful past with the dark and painful present.

Overall, the lyrics of In The Still of The Night are a poignant reminder of how love and loss can leave a lasting impact on a person's heart and soul.

Line by Line Meaning

There's a melody that plays upon my heart strings
A tune that stirs up my emotions and fills me with nostalgia

When the splendor of the setting sun is fading
As the sun goes down and the sky turns dark

From the hill I hear a love serenading
I hear someone singing a love song from a distance

And tonight it carves steel once again
The melody brings back memories like etching them into my mind

Just a melody that comes, bound to remind me
A tune that arrives to bring back memories and emotions

But one night I sang a love song all in there
I once sang a love song in the same spot

Serenade in the night 'neath a fair lady's window
Sing a love song under the window of a beautiful woman

Just the same serenade that I tenderly played on a night long ago
The same song that I gently played years before

There were stars in the sky and I sang 'neath a window
Under the night sky and the light of the stars, I sang

But she gave not a sign that she'd ever be mine and my love story closes
But she didn't show any interest in me and the possibility of love faded away

In The Still Of The NightMantovani Lyrics

@luizantoniosacconi9723

@silviachambarelli3672

@MultiEcruz

@audettemontemarano8781

@MJLoverAngie

@fraspa6378

@jeffreyplatt7457

@jsky21

@chattyroz2934

@GRHCU

@jeffreyplatt7457

@opalfirefly88

@cooldaddyjames2814

@annpavalock2567

@jolynnwhite7946

@MariettePetravandenBerg

@frankwelch3941

@wookinooki9023

@thiagomassara

@thiagomassara

@ThePhilBest

@derekmtheriault

@rosejanis

@flagelumdei8138

In The Still Of The Night
Mantovani Lyrics