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.

Moulin Rouge
Mantovani Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Whenever we kiss
I worry and wonder
Your lips may be near
But where is your heart

It's always like this
I worry and wonder
You're close to me here

But where is your heart

It's a sad thing to realize
That you've a heart that never melts
When we kiss, do you close your eyes
Pretending that I'm someone else

You must break the spell
This cloud that I'm under

So please won't you tell
Darling, where is your heart

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Mantovani's "Moulin Rouge Theme" are full of heartbreak and uncertainty. The singer explains that every time they kiss their partner, they worry and wonder where their heart is. They feel as though their partner's lips are close, but their heart is far away, and it's always like this. This causes the singer to realize that their partner has a heart that never melts, which is a sad realization to come to. The singer questions whether their partner is pretending they are someone else during their kisses since their heart seems to be elsewhere. They plead with their partner to break the spell, the cloud that the singer is under, and to tell them where their heart is.

The lyrics are full of longing and heartbreak, with the singer feeling as though their partner is not fully present during their intimate moments. They cannot help but worry and wonder if their partner's heart is truly in the relationship. The lyrics capture the feeling of having doubts in a relationship and the struggle to communicate those doubts and ask for reassurance. The plea for their partner to tell them where their heart is shows that the singer wants to be sure that they are truly loved and that their partner is invested in the relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Whenever we kiss
Every time we kiss, I feel concerned and curious

I worry and wonder
I am anxious and uncertain

Your lips may be near
Even though your lips are close to mine

But where is your heart
I am unsure if you truly love me

It's always like this
This happens all the time

You're close to me here
You are physically near me

But where is your heart
But emotionally, I am unsure where your heart is

It's a sad thing to realize
It is a depressing thing to understand

That you've a heart that never melts
Your heart remains cold and distant

When we kiss, do you close your eyes
When we kiss, do you imagine that I am someone else?

Pretending that I'm someone else
Faking that I am a different person

You must break the spell
You need to end this situation

This cloud that I'm under
This situation that is making me unhappy

So please won't you tell
Please communicate with me

Darling, where is your heart
My dear, where are your true feelings?

Lyrics © CONSALAD CO., Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Georges Auric, William Engvick, Jacques Larue

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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