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.
Some Enchanted Evening
Mantovani Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
And somehow you know, you know even then,
That somehow you'll see here again and again.
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love,
When you hear her call you across a crowded room,
Then fly to her side and make her your own,
Or all through your life you may dream all alone.
Once you have found her, never let her go,
Once you have found her, never let her go.
In Mantovani's song "Some Enchanted Evening," the lyrics speak of a mysterious and thrilling experience of meeting a stranger at a crowded room. The song's melody exudes nostalgic and romantic energy that enhances the storytelling. The main message of the song is about finding true love at first sight.
The first verse describes the feeling of seeing a stranger, and the way one can recognize that they will meet again. The next verse presents another possibility, where someone may hear someone else laughing, and the sound of their laughter will echo in their dreams. The song then poses rhetorical questions about the nature of love and attraction, noting that attempts to rationally explain such phenomena are often futile. The final verse tells the listener that when they finally find their true love, they must never let them go.
Overall, the lyrics to "Some Enchanted Evening" evoke a sense of magic and wonder, expressing a desire to find a partner who will light up one's life forever. The song's lasting popularity attests to the universality of these feelings and the enduring appeal of love stories.
Line by Line Meaning
Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger,
In a magical moment, you might spot an unknown person
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
Despite the crowd, that stranger stands out to you
And somehow you know, you know even then,
Without understanding why, you feel a deep intuition
That somehow you'll see here again and again.
That stranger will keep reappearing in your life
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
On another magical night, you might hear laughter
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
That laughter stands out to you above the noise
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
Repetitively, that laughter echoes in your mind
The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams.
In your sleep, her laughter haunts you pleasantly
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
No one can clarify the inexplicable nature of love
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Unwise people offer poor justifications; wise ones stay silent
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love,
If lucky, you may experience love's true form one day
When you hear her call you across a crowded room,
You'll know her voice from any distance amidst a crowd
Then fly to her side and make her your own,
Without hesitation, go to her and keep her forever
Or all through your life you may dream all alone.
Otherwise, you'll forever long for what could have been
Once you have found her, never let her go,
When you finally find your true love, hold onto her tightly
Once you have found her, never let her go.
That love is a treasure to be cherished and protected
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Julia Washington
Some enchanted evening, you may see a stranger,
You may see a stranger across a crowded room,
And somehow you know, you know even then,
That somehow you'll see here again and again.
Some enchanted evening, someone may be laughing,
You may hear her laughing across a crowded room,
And night after night, as strange as it seems,
The sound of her laughter will sing in your dreams.
Who can explain it, who can tell you why?
Fools give you reasons, wise men never try.
Some enchanted evening, when you find your true love,
When you hear her call you across a crowded room,
Then fly to her side and make her your own,
Or all through your life you may dream all alone.
Once you have found her, never let her go,
Once you have found her, never let her go.
Raymond-Trevor Twine M.A.
So sad that such a lovely song
Wonderful Words has so few people listening
This music was so so popular in the war years
It was never off the radio air waves
Trying to cheer us Londoners up/
As the stuff dropped down to kill us
Our windows were blown out once/
An Enchanted Evening it was not.
They will be "ENCHANTED"
When you vote in 2-RULES-HUMANITY
"YOU-TUBE" will be at the celebrations
thanks here to publisher
Annunzio Mantovani
Tomás Matos
I’m a Portuguese 22 year old. In this very harsh lockdown due to the pandemic, I was going through some stuff in the attic and found my late grandfather’s old record player, along with some vinyls. Found this song in a Mantovani record and somehow I feel connected with my grandfather, who past away in 2000, when I was 2.
Music and YouTube are incredible tools to keep our minds healthy! Hope you have an amazing day.
Christer Hall
There is really no age for this music. It’s timeless..
Guillermo Delgado
"Un atardecer encantador", así se llama esta deliciosa melodía escrita por Richard Rodgers y Óscar Hammerstein II, dos excelentes compositores de revistas musicales desde los años 30 hasta casi los 80; Mantovani y su Orquesta de cuerdas recogieron esta composición original de "South Pacific", y sobre ella produjeron y grabaron esta majestuosa versión, convertida en toda una joya digna de ser escuchada sin descanso por los amantes de la música brillante de todas las épocas.
captebbtide
Maestro Montovani had this amazing ability of taking Broadway musicals and other pop tunes and making classical music out of them. A master of arrangements!
Lilia Cabral Masseran Lilia
Como é linda está melodia. Ouvindo, minha alma descansa e meu espírito suspira. Obrigada.
48firefox
so relaxing in this mad world we live in, timeless, I want it playing through the gates of heaven when I get there!
Luiz Carlos Groppo
Lindíssima...
a smith
Takes me back to childhood when our local cinema was always playing this music as the lights went down, tears,now as I realised then that I loved proper music
Annunzio Mantovani
Thank you for being part of the Mantovani and his Orchestra network of historic music ! We look forward to providing more entertainment in the near future ! Thank you for Subscribing !
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juan ram
Es la mejor música de todos los tiempos, desde que lo escuche, por primera vez en radio los temas Charmaine, y Midnigth Cowboy, su estilo es unico incomparable, es un sonido celestial...gracias por su música sr Mantovani