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."
The Best Things In Life Are Free
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The best things in life are free
The stars belong to ev'ryone
They gleam there for you and me
The flowers in spring
The robins that sing
The sunbeams that shine
And love can come to ev'ryone
The best things in life are free
The song 'The Best Things In Life Are Free' by Mario Lanza is a classic tune that talks about how simple and pure things in life are the ones that bring the most happiness. The opening lines, "The moon belongs to everyone, the best things in life are free, the stars belong to everyone, they gleam there for you and me," sets the tone for the rest of the song. It emphasizes how these natural wonders are not the domain of the rich or the privileged but belong to everyone, irrespective of their status or wealth. Later lines in the song speak about the things that we all enjoy like the flowers and birds in spring and the sun that shines brightly. The message is clear that these little things are what make life worth living and that they are available to everyone without distinction.
The final lines in the song, "And love can come to everyone, the best things in life are free," are perhaps the most impactful. The song suggests that love is the most valuable of all the free gifts that we can enjoy. It does not cost money, nor does it discriminate between the rich or the poor. Love is a unifying force and gives meaning to life. The song is not only about the aesthetics of nature but also about the spiritual values that we share as human beings.
Line by Line Meaning
The moon belongs to ev'ryone
The moon is a natural object that is shared by everyone and not exclusive to a certain group.
The best things in life are free
The most valuable and fulfilling aspects of life are not associated with monetary wealth or material possessions.
The stars belong to ev'ryone
The stars are a natural phenomenon that are accessible to all and not owned by anyone.
They gleam there for you and me
The beauty and wonder of the stars are available to all of us to enjoy and appreciate.
The flowers in spring
The colorful and fragrant flowers that bloom during the spring season.
The robins that sing
The cheerful and pleasant songs of the robin bird, a sign of the arrival of spring.
The sunbeams that shine
The warmth and brightness of the sun's rays that bring light and energy to the world.
They're yours, they're mine
These natural pleasures are accessible to everyone and can be enjoyed and appreciated by all of us.
And love can come to ev'ryone
The emotional connection and affection that love brings is available to all people regardless of social status or financial wealth.
The best things in life are free
The most valuable aspects of our lives do not come with a price tag and are not material possessions.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Lew Brown, B. G. De Sylva, Ray Henderson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ирина Малафеева
Самый совершенный романтический тенор на все времена!
Palmarola2012
Thank you for this lovely video. Mario Lanza was amazing. This is an example of his incomparable ability to crossover from opera to popular music which he does so flawlessly, beautifully and with emotion and passion. For anyone who loves Lanza, it is worth reading a new, bestselling book about him: “ A KID FROM PHILADELPHIA, MARIO LANZA, THE VOICE OF THE POETS “It is a marvelous portrayal of the man, his talent, his love of his art and his warmth and why he continues to be considered among the greatest performers of all time.
Norma Hobson
Dear Nick -you have done it again-what a great song by mario-we are all so grateful to you , as usual.
Ron Stevens
Not seen that pic before, thank you