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."
La Spagnola
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Di spagna sono la bella
Regina son dell'amor
Tutti mi dicono stella
Stella di vivo splendor
Di spagna sono la bella
Regina son dell'amor
Tutti mi dicono stella
Stella di vivo splendor
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e il di'
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e il di'
Amo con tutto l'ardore
A chi e' sincero con me
Degli anni miei il vigore
Gli fo' ben presto veder
Amo con tutto l'ardore
A chi e' sincero con me
Degli anni miei il vigore
Gli fo' ben presto veder
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e di'
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e di'
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e di'
Regina son dell'amor
Tutti mi dicono stella
Stella di vivo splendor
Di spagna sono la bella
Regina son dell'amor
Tutti mi dicono stella
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e il di'
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e il di'
Amo con tutto l'ardore
A chi e' sincero con me
Degli anni miei il vigore
Gli fo' ben presto veder
Amo con tutto l'ardore
A chi e' sincero con me
Degli anni miei il vigore
Gli fo' ben presto veder
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e di'
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e di'
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
Bocca bocca la notte e di'
The lyrics of Mario Lanza's song "La Spagnola" describe a woman who is beautiful and considered to be the queen of love in Spain. Everyone calls her "stella," meaning star, and she is known for her vivacious magnificence. The song also depicts the passion and intensity of love as the spagnola (Spanish woman) embraces her lover tightly and intimately, day and night. She loves with all her heart and ardor, but only to those who are sincere with her. The spagnola is proud of her youthful vigor, which she eagerly shows to her lover.
The lyrics of "La Spagnola" are rich in imagery, portraying the beauty and passion of a Spanish woman in love. The song underscores the importance of sincerity and ardor in a relationship, as well as the vitality and energy of youth. The melody of the song adds to its romantic and passionate tone, making it a timeless classic that continues to be enjoyed by music lovers around the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Di spagna sono la bella
I am of Spain and considered beautiful
Regina son dell'amor
I am the queen of love
Tutti mi dicono stella
Everyone calls me a star
Stella di vivo splendor
I am a star of vibrant splendor
Stretti stretti nell'estasi d'amor
Tightly embraced in the ecstasy of love
La spagnola s'amar cosi'
This is how the Spanish love
Bocca bocca la notte e il di'
Kiss after kiss, night and day
Amo con tutto l'ardore
I love with all my ardor
A chi e' sincero con me
To those who are sincere with me
Degli anni miei il vigore
I give them the vigor of my years
Gli fo' ben presto veder
I quickly show them
Contributed by Riley M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Dabok Y
Many people liked this video, so the number of crimes has exceeded 200,000.Thank you to everyone who has watched, liked and commented on this video , avove all, I salute
Mario Lanza, whom I love and respect the most.
Isabel Afonso
What crimes?
Евгений Варламов
Эээфф
Elena Malovichko
❤❤❤🌺🌺🌺Самый лучший на все времена! Много красивых голосов, но уникальный только один - голос Марио Ланца!👏👏👏
Dabok Y
Mario Lanza is the only singer that no one can imitate.☘️🌷
Carlos Arango
I really admire this tenor. I am studing his biography and it is sad his early death. I am 40 years old. He died at 38 years old. My favorite operas are "Granada" and this one "Spagnola" because they are a tribute to Spain. I am from Medellín, Colombia and tonight Plácido Domingo is singing at live here. I love my spanish language and United States discovered Mario Lanza, the great! 😅😅😅
Dabok Y
Thank you for watching the video and writing nice comments. Spain's pride, Pracido Domingo, is my favorite singer. Mario Lanza was Domingo's idol. I hope Domingo will continue to be a singer for a long time.🙏🙏🙏
Kathleen Hartman
Without a doubt he was the greatest tenor who ever lived. It doesn't matter in what
language he sang. His diction, pronunciation, phraseology, and feelings were all perfection. I listen to his CDs and watch his films every day and I hope to do so as long as I live. I'm reading as many of the books as I can get my hands on, even those written by total jerks. At least I can give them honestly bad reviews. So far the good outweigh the bad. Thank you so much for posting this song. I had not seen it before.
Dabok Y
You said that you listen to his CDs and watch his movies every day .Except for my daily work as a housewife and watching the news for a while,I mostly liaten to Mario Lanza's music and listen to his movies and song to upload .They seem to be doing what they are looking for. I also think that Mario Lanza was the greates tenor in history.
Thank you watching the video and for your kind words.
Dan San
Wooaahh woaahhh there..... Coming out a little hot there aren't we?
Enrico Caruso my friend... Enrico Caruso