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.
Serenata d
Mantovani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The boy in the bright blue jeans
Jumped up on the stage
And lady stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and disgrace
And he was alright, the band was altogether
And he was awful nice
Really quite out of sight
And he sang all night long
Femme fatales emerged from shadows
To watch this creature fair
Boys stood upon their chairs
To make their point of view
I smiled sadly for a love
I could not obey
Lady stardust sang his songs
Of darkness and dismay
And he was alright, the band was altogether
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
And he was awful nice
Really quite paradise
And he sang all night long
All night long
Oh how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name
And he was alright, the band was altogether
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
And he was awful nice
Really quite out of sight
He sang all night long
The lyrics to David Bowie's Lady Stardust tell the story of a mesmerizing androgynous performer who takes the stage in bright blue jeans amidst teasing and ridicule from the audience. The song is interpreted as partly autobiographical, drawing on Bowie's own experiences as a performer as he struggled to establish an identity in a business that often reduces the artist to a mere commodity. Bowie was known for his ability to reinvent himself with each album, and his performances took on a theatrical and avant-garde quality that challenged traditional notions of gender and glamour.
The main character is Lady Stardust, who is understood to represent a kind of divine feminine force that captivates the audience and allows them to forget their everyday cares and worries. Although she sings about "darkness and disgrace," Lady Stardust is celebrated for embodying a rare and powerful form of beauty that transcends the mundane. She is a figure of both hope and despair, reflecting Bowie's fascination with the extremes of human experience.
The song's repetitive refrain ("and he was alright, the band was altogether / Yes he was alright, the song went on forever / And he was awful nice / Really quite out of sight") emphasizes the hypnotic and mystical qualities of the performance, and the fact that the audience's judgments and reactions to the performer are ultimately irrelevant. Lady Stardust is a timeless and unifying symbol of artistic expression, capable of moving people in ways they cannot fully understand or articulate.
Line by Line Meaning
People stared at the makeup on his face
The audience looked at the singer's face paint with interest.
Laughed at his long black hair, his animal grace
The audience found his long hair and graceful movements amusing.
The boy in the bright blue jeans, Jumped up on the stage
A young performer wearing blue jeans took to the stage to perform.
And lady stardust sang his songs, Of darkness and disgrace
A female singer sang the performer's songs about sadness and dishonor.
And he was alright, the band was altogether
The singer performed well, and the band was in sync with him.
Yes he was alright, the song went on forever
The performance was long but enjoyable.
And he was awful nice, Really quite out of sight
The singer had an excellent stage presence and was well-liked by the audience.
And he sang all night long, Femme fatales emerged from shadows, To watch this creature fair
The singer sang throughout the night, attracting beautiful and dangerous women from the shadows.
Boys stood upon their chairs, To make their point of view
Young male audience members stood up to show their enthusiasm.
I smiled sadly for a love, I could not obey
The listener felt sadness because they couldn't be with the performer because they were in love with them.
Lady stardust sang his songs, Of darkness and dismay
The female singer sang the performer's songs of sadness and despair.
All night long, Oh how I sighed when they asked if I knew his name
The singer performed all night, and the listener sighed when asked if they knew the singer's name.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ANNUNZIO PAOLO MANTOVANI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@marcela77777
This is the first time I have heard such beautiful music .
Dreaming, desire, love...
There is a huge fantasy in these tones...❤️
@angelatiuba9759
Amor e paz é o que eu sinto 😔😔😔🕊🕊
@Coralmar1952
¡¡Romantica!! ...... es un mezcla de sensación,,, buenas imágenes,,,, y al fondo un maravillosa pieza demúsica!!!!!...... Algo como esto....(nunca más!!... dices a mi .... yo no soy romantica!!!!!!...... ¡¡ERES ROMANTICA A TOPE!!!! XXXxxx
@gaetanche
Wow! une vraie belle sélection pour souligner la fête de la St-Valentin. La beauté de la musique et des vidéos sont remarquables. Merci pour cet excellent partage Montse.
@MontseAntares
Comme toujours, vous êtes très sympathique Gaetan! ... Je suis très heureux que vous avez aimé .... et vous souhaiter un merveilleux samedi! Un gros câlin!
@rodrigoviegas606
Achingly beautiful, Maestro! ♥
@lugabre
Mantovani era um gênio. O mais criativo dos maestros. Obrigado Mintse Antares
@MontseAntares
Miles de gracias por tu comentario Lu... y por ver el video... Un abrazo muy fuerte para ti!!
@shanghaibennyii6565
Stunningly beautiful!
@MontseAntares
Million of thanks Shanghai!!! I whis for you one... ♥ HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY