Mario Lanza (31 January 1921 – 7 October 1959) was an American operatic ten… Read Full Bio ↴Mario Lanza (31 January 1921 – 7 October 1959) was an American operatic tenor and Hollywood movie star who enjoyed success in the 1950s. His voice was considered by many to rival that of Enrico Caruso, whom Lanza portrayed in the 1951 film The Great Caruso. Lanza was able to sing all types of music. While his highly emotional style was not universally praised by critics, he was immensely popular and his many recordings are still prized today.
Operatic career:
Born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was exposed to opera and singing at a young age, and by the age of 16 his vocal talent became apparent. Starting out in local operatic productions in Philadelphia, he later came to the attention of conductor Serge Koussevitzky, who provided young Cocozza with a full student scholarship to the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood in Massachusetts. Koussevitzky would later tell Lanza that, "Yours is a voice such as is heard once in a hundred years."
His operatic debut, as Fenton in Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, was at Tanglewood on August 7, 1942, after just six weeks of study with conductors Boris Goldovsky and Leonard Bernstein. It was here that Cocozza adopted his stage name from his mother Maria's maiden name of Lanza. His performances at Tanglewood won him critical acclaim, with Noel Straus of The New York Times hailing the 21-year-old tenor as having "few equals among tenors of the day in terms of quality, warmth, and power."
His operatic career was interrupted by World War II, when he was assigned to Special Services in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He appeared on the wartime shows On the Beam and Winged Victory while in the Air Corps.
He resumed his singing career in October 1945 on the CBS radio program Great Moments in Music, where he made six appearances singing various operatic selections. He later studied under Enrico Rosati for fifteen months, then embarked on an 86-concert tour of the United States, Canada and Mexico between July 1947 and May 1948 with George London and Frances Yeend. In April 1948, he sang Pinkerton in the New Orleans Opera's Madama Butterfly. A concert at the Hollywood Bowl brought Lanza to the attention of MGM's Louis B. Mayer, who signed Lanza to a seven-year film contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer. This would prove to be a turning point in the young singer's career.
Film career:
MGM's contract with Lanza required him to commit to the studio for six months, and at first Lanza was able to combine his film career with his operatic one, singing two acclaimed performances as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for the New Orleans Opera Association in April 1948. He also continued to perform in concert, both in solo appearances and as part of the Bel Canto Trio with George London and Frances Yeend. In May 1949, he made his first commercial recordings with RCA Victor. However, his first two films, That Midnight Kiss and The Toast of New Orleans, were very successful, as was his recording career, and Lanza's fame increased dramatically.
In 1951, Lanza portrayed Enrico Caruso in The Great Caruso, which proved to be an astonishing success. At the same time, his popularity exposed Lanza to intense criticism by music critics, including those who had praised his work years earlier.
In 1954, Lanza was dismissed by MGM after he had pre-recorded the songs for The Student Prince. The film was subsequently made with actor Edmund Purdom miming to Lanza's vocals. During this period Lanza came very close to bankruptcy as a result of poor investment decisions made by his former manager. Owing about $250,000 in back taxes to the IRS, Lanza withdrew from the public eye for a time.
Mario Lanza at home.He returned to an active film career in 1956 in Serenade; despite its strong musical content, it was not as successful as his previous films. Lanza then moved to Rome, Italy in May 1957, where he worked on the film Seven Hills of Rome and returned to live performing in a series of acclaimed concerts throughout Britain, Ireland and the European Continent. In early 1958, he auditioned for the management of La Scala in Milan, and was immediately offered a minimum two-year contract to sing at that theatre. The opera initially discussed was Puccini's Tosca. Later that year, Lanza also agreed to open the 1960/61 season at the Rome Opera as Canio in Pagliacci. At the same time, however, his health began to decline, with the tenor suffering from a variety of ailments, including phlebitis and acute high blood pressure. The following year, in April 1959, Lanza suffered a minor heart attack, followed by double pneumonia in August. He died in Rome in October of that year at the age of 38 from a pulmonary embolism. His widow moved back to Hollywood with their four children and died of a drug overdose five months later; the younger of their two sons died of a heart attack at the age of 37. When Lanza died rumors spread that the notorious mob boss Lucky Luciano (Salvatore Luciano) had had him killed after he refused to perform for him but those rumors quickly died down because they simply were not true. Soprano Maria Callas would later say of him, "My biggest regret is not to have had the opportunity to sing with the greatest tenor voice I've ever heard."
Lanza's short career covered opera, radio, concerts, recordings, and motion pictures. He was the first artist for RCA Victor Red Seal to receive a gold disc. He was also the first artist to sell two and half million albums. A highly influential artist, Lanza has been credited with inspiring the careers of successive generations of opera singers, including Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Leo Nucci and Jose Carreras, as well as those of singers with seemingly different backgrounds, and influences, his RCA Victor label-mate Elvis Presley being the most notable example. In 1994, tenor José Carreras paid tribute to Lanza in a worldwide concert tour, saying of him, "If I'm an opera singer, it's thanks to Mario Lanza."
Operatic career:
Born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was exposed to opera and singing at a young age, and by the age of 16 his vocal talent became apparent. Starting out in local operatic productions in Philadelphia, he later came to the attention of conductor Serge Koussevitzky, who provided young Cocozza with a full student scholarship to the Berkshire Music Festival at Tanglewood in Massachusetts. Koussevitzky would later tell Lanza that, "Yours is a voice such as is heard once in a hundred years."
His operatic debut, as Fenton in Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor, was at Tanglewood on August 7, 1942, after just six weeks of study with conductors Boris Goldovsky and Leonard Bernstein. It was here that Cocozza adopted his stage name from his mother Maria's maiden name of Lanza. His performances at Tanglewood won him critical acclaim, with Noel Straus of The New York Times hailing the 21-year-old tenor as having "few equals among tenors of the day in terms of quality, warmth, and power."
His operatic career was interrupted by World War II, when he was assigned to Special Services in the U.S. Army Air Corps. He appeared on the wartime shows On the Beam and Winged Victory while in the Air Corps.
He resumed his singing career in October 1945 on the CBS radio program Great Moments in Music, where he made six appearances singing various operatic selections. He later studied under Enrico Rosati for fifteen months, then embarked on an 86-concert tour of the United States, Canada and Mexico between July 1947 and May 1948 with George London and Frances Yeend. In April 1948, he sang Pinkerton in the New Orleans Opera's Madama Butterfly. A concert at the Hollywood Bowl brought Lanza to the attention of MGM's Louis B. Mayer, who signed Lanza to a seven-year film contract with Metro Goldwyn Mayer. This would prove to be a turning point in the young singer's career.
Film career:
MGM's contract with Lanza required him to commit to the studio for six months, and at first Lanza was able to combine his film career with his operatic one, singing two acclaimed performances as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly for the New Orleans Opera Association in April 1948. He also continued to perform in concert, both in solo appearances and as part of the Bel Canto Trio with George London and Frances Yeend. In May 1949, he made his first commercial recordings with RCA Victor. However, his first two films, That Midnight Kiss and The Toast of New Orleans, were very successful, as was his recording career, and Lanza's fame increased dramatically.
In 1951, Lanza portrayed Enrico Caruso in The Great Caruso, which proved to be an astonishing success. At the same time, his popularity exposed Lanza to intense criticism by music critics, including those who had praised his work years earlier.
In 1954, Lanza was dismissed by MGM after he had pre-recorded the songs for The Student Prince. The film was subsequently made with actor Edmund Purdom miming to Lanza's vocals. During this period Lanza came very close to bankruptcy as a result of poor investment decisions made by his former manager. Owing about $250,000 in back taxes to the IRS, Lanza withdrew from the public eye for a time.
Mario Lanza at home.He returned to an active film career in 1956 in Serenade; despite its strong musical content, it was not as successful as his previous films. Lanza then moved to Rome, Italy in May 1957, where he worked on the film Seven Hills of Rome and returned to live performing in a series of acclaimed concerts throughout Britain, Ireland and the European Continent. In early 1958, he auditioned for the management of La Scala in Milan, and was immediately offered a minimum two-year contract to sing at that theatre. The opera initially discussed was Puccini's Tosca. Later that year, Lanza also agreed to open the 1960/61 season at the Rome Opera as Canio in Pagliacci. At the same time, however, his health began to decline, with the tenor suffering from a variety of ailments, including phlebitis and acute high blood pressure. The following year, in April 1959, Lanza suffered a minor heart attack, followed by double pneumonia in August. He died in Rome in October of that year at the age of 38 from a pulmonary embolism. His widow moved back to Hollywood with their four children and died of a drug overdose five months later; the younger of their two sons died of a heart attack at the age of 37. When Lanza died rumors spread that the notorious mob boss Lucky Luciano (Salvatore Luciano) had had him killed after he refused to perform for him but those rumors quickly died down because they simply were not true. Soprano Maria Callas would later say of him, "My biggest regret is not to have had the opportunity to sing with the greatest tenor voice I've ever heard."
Lanza's short career covered opera, radio, concerts, recordings, and motion pictures. He was the first artist for RCA Victor Red Seal to receive a gold disc. He was also the first artist to sell two and half million albums. A highly influential artist, Lanza has been credited with inspiring the careers of successive generations of opera singers, including Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Leo Nucci and Jose Carreras, as well as those of singers with seemingly different backgrounds, and influences, his RCA Victor label-mate Elvis Presley being the most notable example. In 1994, tenor José Carreras paid tribute to Lanza in a worldwide concert tour, saying of him, "If I'm an opera singer, it's thanks to Mario Lanza."
Come Prima
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
Per la vita, la mia vita ti darò
Sembra un sogno rivederti, accarezzarti
Le tue mani fra le mani stringere ancor'
I-Il mio mondo, tutto il mondo sei per me
A nessuna voglio bene come a te
Ogni giorno, ogni istante dolcemente ti dirò:
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
Per la vita, la mia vita ti darò
Sembra un sogno rivederti, accarezzarti
Le tue mani fra le mani stringere ancor'
I-Il mio mondo, tutto il mondo sei per me
A nessuna voglio bene come a te
Ogni giorno, ogni istante dolcemente ti dirò:
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
Per la vita, la mia vita ti darò
Sembra un sogno rivederti, accarezzarti
Le tue mani fra le mani stringere ancor'
I-Il mio mondo, tutto il mondo sei per me
A nessuna voglio bene come a te
Ogni giorno, ogni istante dolcemente ti dirò:
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
Per la vita, la mia vita ti darò
Sembra un sogno rivederti, accarezzarti
Le tue mani fra le mani stringere ancor'
I-Il mio mondo, tutto il mondo sei per me
A nessuna voglio bene come a te
Ogni giorno, ogni istante dolcemente ti dirò:
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
The lyrics to "Come Prima" by Mario Lanza speak of a love that is strong and unrelenting. The singer pledges to love their significant other "come prima" (as before) and "più di prima" (more than before). They promise to give their life to the one they love and express delight at the thought of touching and holding them once again.
The singer goes on to say that their lover is their entire world, and they don't love anyone else as much as they love them. The chorus is repeated, each time reinforcing the deep, intense feelings the singer has for their love. The lyrics suggest a committed, passionate love that will never fade, no matter what life may bring.
Overall, the song is a powerful expression of love and devotion. It speaks of an all-consuming passion that is both romantic and profound. The lyrics cut straight to the heart of what it means to care deeply for someone, and it's no wonder that the song has endured as a classic love song for so many years.
Line by Line Meaning
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
Just like before, even more than before, I will love you
Per la vita, la mia vita ti darò
For life, I will give you my life
Sembra un sogno rivederti, accarezzarti
It feels like a dream to see you again, to caress you
Le tue mani fra le mani stringere ancor'
To hold your hands tightly in my own once more
Il mio mondo, tutto il mondo sei per me
You are my world, my entire world
A nessuna voglio bene come a te
I don't love anyone as much as I love you
Ogni giorno, ogni istante dolcemente ti dirò:
Every day, every moment, I will sweetly tell you:
Come prima, più di prima t'amerò
Just like before, even more than before, I will love you
Contributed by Gabriel E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Graciouspup 2788
Come prima, come prima, I'm in love
Come prima, come prima, I found love
From the moment I saw you I was in rapture
Every moment after that Ive lived in the clouds
Come prima, come prima, I can thrill
Come prima, I love you and always will
Youre the first one, yes the the first one
Youre my one-and-only one
Come prima, come prima, Im in love
For the first time, for the first time, Im in love
For the first time, for the first time, I found happiness
From the moment I saw you I was in rapture
Every moment after that Ive lived in the clouds
For the first time, yes the first time, I can thrill
For the first time, I love you and always will
Youre the first one, yes the the first one
Youre my one-and-only one
For the first time, for the first time, Im in love
Come prima, come prima, I can thrill
Come prima, I love you and always will
Youre the first one, yes the the first one
Youre my one-and-only one
Come prima, for the first time, Im in love
raymond charles
The magic of Mario is on display everytime his voice AND heart caressed a song. What a voice...in a class by himself. Still missed, to this day.
Raymond Ravinsky
❤️
Graciouspup 2788
Come prima, come prima, I'm in love
Come prima, come prima, I found love
From the moment I saw you I was in rapture
Every moment after that Ive lived in the clouds
Come prima, come prima, I can thrill
Come prima, I love you and always will
Youre the first one, yes the the first one
Youre my one-and-only one
Come prima, come prima, Im in love
For the first time, for the first time, Im in love
For the first time, for the first time, I found happiness
From the moment I saw you I was in rapture
Every moment after that Ive lived in the clouds
For the first time, yes the first time, I can thrill
For the first time, I love you and always will
Youre the first one, yes the the first one
Youre my one-and-only one
For the first time, for the first time, Im in love
Come prima, come prima, I can thrill
Come prima, I love you and always will
Youre the first one, yes the the first one
Youre my one-and-only one
Come prima, for the first time, Im in love
Eugene Human
Lovely...greatest tenor ever
Rei Stear
Forgive me if I'm wrong here, but is it possible that rather than "I was in rapture" that the lyrics are "I was enraptured"? I'm fairly certain that is the lyric. Enraptured meaning to give intense pleasure or joy to.
ElaheH1322
He was really a great tenor and singer❤
Libre
The best!!
Panda Sunny
Mario had it all - very handsome and what a wonderful voice. It is heartbreaking that the world lost him at such a young age.
Валентина Паршина
Марио Ланца в этой части фильма осчастливил всех статисток пением, прикосновением и взглядом, а взгляд у него - магический... как хорош он и в этом фильме тоже!!! 👍♥️🙏🙏🙏
Ирина Сенотова
Точно - осчастливил.. 👍🤩💃