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."
Oh Little Town of Bethlehem
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How still we see thee lie
Above thy deep and dreamless
Sleep the silent stars go by
Yet in they dark streets shineth
The everlasting light
The hopes and fears of all
The years are met in thee tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
And gathered all above
While mortals sleep
The angels keep
Their watch of wondering love
Oh, morning stars together
Proclaim the Holy birth
And praises sing
To God the King
And peace to men on Earth
How silently, how silently
The wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven
No ear may hear his coming
But in this world of sin
Where meek souls
Will receive him still
The dear Christ enters in
Oh, holy child of Bethlehem
Descend to us we pray
Cast out our sin and enter in
Be born in us today
We hear the christmas angels
The great glad tidings tell
O come to us, abide with us
Our Lord Emanuel
The song "Oh Little Town of Bethlehem" is a traditional Christmas carol that was originally written by Phillips Brooks, an American Episcopal priest, after he traveled to Bethlehem in 1865. The lyrics of the song paint a serene picture of the sleepy little town on the night that Christ was born. The first verse describes how the town lay still, with the only lights coming from the stars above. However, amidst the darkness, the everlasting light, Christ, was born in Bethlehem.
In the second verse, the song speaks of the angels who sang praises to announce the birth of Christ to the world, proclaiming the joyous news to all of humanity. The final verse speaks of the blessings that Christ brings to humanity, and how he gently enters into the hearts of those who receive him. It expresses the hope that Christ would come to the world in new and profound ways, casting out sin and bringing peace to all who receive him.
This song is a powerful reminder of the true meaning of Christmas and reflects on the message of hope and peace that Christ brings to the world. The lyrics are simple yet profound, and the melody is hauntingly beautiful. It is a timeless classic that continues to be sung and enjoyed by people of all ages and cultures.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, little town of Bethlehem
Addressing the town of Bethlehem
How still we see thee lie
The town is presented as a peaceful and quiet place
Above thy deep and dreamless
The town's stillness is emphasized by its lack of noise and activity
Sleep the silent stars go by
The peace and stillness is further emphasized by the passing of the stars in silence
Yet in thy dark streets shineth
However, even in the darkness of the town's streets, there is a shining light
The everlasting light
This light is described as eternal
The hopes and fears of all
The birth that is about to take place carries the weight of the dreams and anxieties of everyone
The years are met in thee tonight
All the history and events that led to this moment is being encapsulated in Bethlehem tonight
For Christ is born of Mary
The birth of Jesus is announced
And gathered all above
Angels are gathering above the town
While mortals sleep
While people are asleep and unaware of what's happening
The angels keep
The angels are watching over the birth with care and love
Their watch of wondering love
The angels are watching with awe and admiration
Oh, morning stars together
The stars in the sky are also participating in the celebration
Proclaim the Holy birth
They are announcing the birth of Jesus
And praises sing
They are expressing their joy through song
To God the King
Their song is directed to God
And peace to men on Earth
The song is also meant to bring peace to all people
How silently, how silently
The manner in which the news of the birth is being spread is emphasized as quiet and peaceful
The wondrous gift is given
The birth of Jesus is described as an extraordinary gift to humanity
So God imparts to human hearts
The gift carries with it a divine message meant to touch the hearts of people
The blessings of his heaven
These blessings are directly from heaven
No ear may hear his coming
The arrival of Jesus might not have been announced loudly or spectacularly
But in this world of sin
The world as we know it is full of evil and wickedness
Where meek souls
However, those who are modest and humble
Will receive him still
are capable of recognizing and accepting Jesus' message
The dear Christ enters in
Jesus' presence in their hearts brings warmth and comfort
Oh, holy child of Bethlehem
Jesus is being addressed again, this time as a 'holy child'
Descend to us we pray
Jesus' help is being requested
Cast out our sin and enter in
The people want to be free from sin and receive Jesus in their hearts
Be born in us today
The people are inviting Jesus to inspire their lives from this very moment
We hear the Christmas angels
The holiday is being acknowledged again as angels presence remains felt
The great glad tidings tell
Their message is to spread the news of Jesus' birth far and wide
O come to us, abide with us
The people are pleading with Jesus to stay with them and provide support
Our Lord Emanuel
Jesus being referred to as the Lord Emmanuel
Contributed by Elizabeth L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Barbara Kempf
Mario Lanza was my first love for tenor voices, handsome and sacred songs. I was born in 1940
naomi mcfarlane
Listening to Mario Lanza songs takes me back to when I was a little girl:) My mom and I used to listen to him for hours:) Thanks for bringing back those wonderful memories:)
34Packardphaeton
My favorite recording from my childhood.
brianclough
Absolutely brilliant
Fitzgerald Hanover
Mario Lanza was a spectacular singer. Very clear articulation.
Distinct pronunciation.
PoetAnonymous
beautiful masterful
34Packardphaeton
Noted and famed conductor, Arturo Toscanini, proclaimed Mario to be the greatest voice of the 20th century. Well, they both died a bit before 1960; but certainly "the first half" of the 20th century---minimum!
dmar5143
thats how a hymn is supposed to be sung..heavenly
Carmel Carlisle
Just came on this by chance so beautiful
ian rouillon
superb.....