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."
Seven Hills of Rome
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Your heart is home
When you are young
Among the seven hills of rome
The world is old but love is new
And when in rome your heart will tell you what to do
You'll feel a glance
Has made you know you've suddenly found romance
So fall in love
Your heart is home
You've made a heaven
The seven hills of rome
The song "Seven Hills of Rome" by Mario Lanza is a romantic song that expresses love as a new and exciting experience, especially in the ancient city of Rome. The lyrics suggest that falling in love can happen unexpectedly, particularly in one's youthful days, and Rome's seven hills, known as Aventine, Caelian, Capitoline, Esquiline, Palatine, Quirinal, and Viminal, are the perfect setting for a new romance. The love that blossoms in Rome is believed to be strong and long-lasting as it is born out of the city's rich history and culture, and the sense of timelessness that permeates the ruins and monuments make Rome an ideal backdrop for an everlasting love affair.
The song also hints at the idea that love knows no age and is always fresh regardless of the world's proliferation with old things. The line "the world is old but love is new" is particularly striking and encapsulates the timelessness of love's magic, as it can always bring a sense of newness and freshness to one's life.
In conclusion, the song "Seven Hills of Rome" by Mario Lanza is an ode to love and its ability to transcend time, space, and age. The lyrics suggest that Rome is not just a place but a feeling, and falling in love in the city is like discovering a piece of heaven on earth.
Line by Line Meaning
You'll fall in love
You will experience a strong feeling of attraction towards another person and develop loving emotions.
Your heart is home
Your innermost feelings belong to that person you love, who has become your emotional shelter.
When you are young
At a young age, before life experiences have left its mark on you, you have the enthusiasm, energy, and naivete to enjoy the opportunities that come your way.
Among the seven hills of rome
The seven hills of Rome are symbolic of the city's historical, cultural and romantic associations, and when you find love in this eternal city, it is treasured and remembered forever.
The world is old but love is new
Although the world around you might be aging, love never grows old and the feelings associated with it will always be rejuvenating and revitalizing.
And when in rome your heart will tell you what to do
In the transformative and inspiring environment of Rome, you'll receive cues and feelings from your heart to move with the impulses of love and affection.
You'll feel a glance
A mutual spark or attraction will trigger an intense and intimate connection, that is symbolized by just one look.
And a happy circumstance
An unexpected turn of events or serendipitous occurrence will bring two people together, where they are destined to meet and fall in love.
Has made you know you've suddenly found romance
The sudden and intense onset of warm and positive emotions indicates that you have found that special someone you can share your love with, in a place as magical as Rome.
So fall in love
Allow yourself to give in to the powerful emotions of love and affection that you feel for the person you've met.
You've made a heaven
In the company of the one you love, you have created a space where you can experience the highest feelings of happiness and contentment, where you feel complete in his or her company.
The seven hills of rome
This line is repeated in the song to emphasize the importance of Rome and its seven hills as the location where love blooms and creates magic, forever etched in the memories of those who have experienced it.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HAROLD ADAMSON, VICTOR YOUNG, VICTOR POPULAR YOUNG
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Palmarola2012
Mario Lanza was amazing. He was simultaneously a great tenor, a
marvelous recording artist, a global movie star and a highly sought
after concert performer. A splendid book captures his talent, passion
and love of his art: A KID FROM PHILADELPHIA, MARIO LANZA, THE VOICE OF
THE POETS. It is a beautiful homage and should be read while listening
to Mario sing. No one could sing like Lanza. He was unique and special.
SrSoapFan
A very entertaining & memorable movie with the charismatic acting & singing of Mario Lanza! Just wonderful! So enjoy the movie & DVD. It will lift your spirit & bring joy to the day. He & his glorious voice live on with these videos, movies, Dvd's, CD's. Thanks for sharing. Peace be with him.
Ирина Малафеева
Очаровательно!
ELLEN COXON
Loved Mario. loved the film, loved the song!
Dennis C. Park
The greatest tenor (and the best looking) that ever lived!
sherom alowen
Some of Elvis' singing scenes from his movies were thought up from some of Lanza's & Dean Martin singing scenes. For example, the Bossa Nova Baby scene from Elvis' Fun in Acapulco movie and this scene here are similar. It's the same theme and settings, but different styles of music. Elvis was influenced by both Dean and Mario. Check it out.
Gabry C.
Lanza è stato e sarà per sempre un tenore insuperabile. (a me particolarmente il film Arrived. Romano mi è piaciuto molto) però sono d'accordo con Parmarola 2012 nel dire che il libro sulla vita di Lanza: UNA VOCE UN ARTISTA è molto bello!!!
Shawn Cahill
This song bumps!
acla9000
I'm a believer he's at the angels' chorus today...
Ron Stevens
Not seen this film for a couple of years (not on DVD yet). It was kind of a 'B' movie for Mario but still nice. Some of the singing is great so thanks for posting