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."
Non Ti Scordar Di Me
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Partirono le rondini
Dal mio paese freddo e senza sole,
Cercando primavere di viole
Nidi d′amore e di felicita.
La mia piccola rondine parti
Senza lasciarmi un bacio,
Senza un addio parti.
Non ti scordar di me,
La vita mia legata a te,
Io t'amo sempre piu,
Nel sogno mio rimani tu.
Non ti scordar di me,
La vita mia legata a te.
C′e sempre un nido nel mio cor
Per te.
Non ti scordat di me!
Non ti scordar di me
La vita mia legata a te.
C'e sempre un nido nel mio cor
Per te.
Non ti scordar di me!
Dal mio paese freddo e senza sole,
Cercando primavere di viole
Nidi d′amore e di felicita.
La mia piccola rondine parti
Senza lasciarmi un bacio,
Senza un addio parti.
Non ti scordar di me,
La vita mia legata a te,
Io t'amo sempre piu,
Nel sogno mio rimani tu.
Non ti scordar di me,
La vita mia legata a te.
C′e sempre un nido nel mio cor
Per te.
Non ti scordat di me!
Non ti scordar di me
La vita mia legata a te.
C'e sempre un nido nel mio cor
Per te.
Non ti scordar di me!
The lyrics of Non Ti Scordar Di Me by Mario Lanza talk about the pain of separation and longing for a loved one. The song begins by mentioning the swallows leaving for warmer lands, leaving behind a cold and sunless place. They are looking for spring filled with violets, love nests, and happiness. The singer compares his own beloved, represented by a little swallow, leaving him without a kiss or goodbye. Despite this, he urges her not to forget him, as his life is tied to her. He loves her more and more each day and she remains in his dreams. He assures her that there is always a place for her in his heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Partirono le rondini
The swallows left
Dal mio paese freddo e senza sole,
From my cold and sunless country
Cercando primavere di viole
Looking for springs of violets
Nidi d’amore e di felicita.
Nests of love and happiness.
La mia piccola rondine parti
My little swallow left
Senza lasciarmi un bacio,
Without leaving me a kiss,
Senza un addio parti.
She left without a goodbye.
Non ti scordar di me,
Don't forget about me,
La vita mia legata a te,
My life is tied to you,
Io t'amo sempre piu,
I love you more and more,
Nel sogno mio rimani tu.
You remain in my dreams.
Non ti scordar di me,
Don't forget about me,
C’è sempre un nido nel mio cor
There's always a nest in my heart
Per te.
For you.
Non ti scordat di me!
Don't forget about me!
Writer(s): Ernesto De Curtis, Domenico Furno, Ernst Marischka
Contributed by Riley I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Gavidiaman
Partirono le rondini dal mio paese freddo
E senza sole
Cercando primavere di viole
Nidi d'amore e di felicità
La mia piccola rondine partì
Senza lasciarmi un bacio
Senza un addio partì
Non ti scordar di me
La vita mia legata a te
Io t'amo sempre più
Nel sogno mio rimani tu
Non ti scordar di me
La vita mia legata a te
C'è sempre un nido nel mio cor per te
Non ti scordar di me
Non ti scordar di me!
Non ti scordar di me
La vita mia legata a te
C'è sempre un nido nel mio cor per te
Non ti scordar di me
jrsygrl72
My Italian isn't the greatest, but here is a
(nearly) literal English translation of the lyrics:
The swallows have departed
from my land, so cold and
without sun
Searching for the violets of Spring,
Nests of love, and of happiness
My little swallow has left,
Without leaving me a kiss,
Without a goodbye, she left.
Do not forget me,
My life is tied to you
I love you more always,
(or 'I love you more and more')
In my dream(s) you remain
Do not forget me,
My life is tied to you
There is always a nest (place)
in my heart for you
Don't you forget me!
Ирина Калинина
ПОТРЯСАЮЩИЙ,ВОСХИТИТЕЛЬНЫЙ,ВЕЛИКОЛЕПНЫЙ МАРИО!!!!!!!!НЕ СУЖДЕНО ЕМУ СОСТАРИТЬСЯ,ОН БУДЕТ ЖИТЬ ВЕЧНО В СЕРДЦА ТЕХ,КТО ХОТЬ РАЗ ЕГО УСЛЫШАЛ !!!
sugarbist
Lanza gave you 100 percent of his soul in his singing.He's very intimate with everything he sings and seems to me singing just to me.
emendatus1
He is not a man. He is an angel!!!
Monnarch Monnarchy
@sugarbist it is a studio version, on a studio he seems untouchable, but on live different. Amazing vocal, every song is special with colour
Poneta Official
that's true man. Respect
Tevdore Kvaratskhelia
He is legend
Franca Gioria
@emendatus1 +
Людмила Малюченко
Прекраснвя, трогательная песня! Великолепный голос Марио Ланца! Спасибо.
Graham Morgan
Wow!!!! Mario had an awesome ability to not only sing but perhaps even more importantly to deliver the music with great emotional integrity. Just another wonderful recording
Ayrton moraes barbosa
Realmente uma voz notável e que inspirou grandes nomes do "bel canto", entre os quais, o famoso tenor Giuseppe Di Stefano. Infelizmente teve uma vida breve; mas enquanto viveu, brilhou intensamente e foi amado por amantes da boa música e do cinema onde também brilhou como astro, representando a si mesmo.