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."
Without a Song
Mario Lanza Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Without a song the road would never bend
When things go wrong a man ain't got a friend
Without a song
That field of corn would never see a plow
That field of corn would be deserted now
A man is born but he's no good no how
Without a song
And I'll get along as long as a song, strong in my soul
I'll never know what makes the rain to fall
I'll never know what makes that grass so tall
I only know there ain't no love at all
Without a song
I've-a got my trouble and woe and, sure as I know, the Jordan will roll
And I'll get along as long as a song, strong in my soul
I'll-a never know what makes that rain to fall
I'll never know what makes the grass so tall
I only know there ain't no love at all
Without a song
Mario Lanza's song Without a Song, is an ode to the power and influence that music has in our lives, without which life would be incomplete. In the opening stanza, the singer states that without a song, the day would never end, and the road would never bend, indicating that life would be static and monotonous. He further emphasizes how important music is when things go wrong, as without it, a man would not have a friend.
In the second stanza, Lanza compares the effect of music on the world to the plowing of a field. Without music, the field of corn would never see a plow, and it would be deserted. Similarly, a man is born, but he is no good no how without a song. The following lines talk about how music is the key to overcoming troubles and woes, and the Jordan, a metaphor for the hardships of life, will keep on rolling, but as long as there is music, the singer can continue to get along.
The final stanza talks about how little we understand about the things around us, such as what makes the rain fall, and what makes the grass grow so tall, but we know one thing for sure, that without a song, there is no love at all. In essence, the song is saying that music has the power to bring us together and create love and meaning in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Without a song the day would never end
Music has the power to give us comfort and solace amidst difficult times. Without it, our daily struggles would seem never-ending.
Without a song the road would never bend
Life would be monotonous and unexciting without the inspiration that music can bring. A song can lift our spirits and give us new perspectives when we need them most.
When things go wrong a man ain't got a friend
In the darkest moments of our lives, music can be the one friend that stays by our side. It can give us hope and encouragement when we feel lost and alone.
That field of corn would never see a plow
Music has the power to inspire creativity and productivity. Without it, even the most fertile fields would remain barren and unworked.
That field of corn would be deserted now
Without the inspiration that music can provide, even the most promising opportunities in life would remain unexplored and empty.
A man is born but he's no good no how
We all come into this world with innate goodness and potential. But without the transformative power of music, that potential may never be fully realized.
I got my trouble and woe but, sure as I know, the Jordan will roll
Even in the midst of our struggles and pain, we can find hope and beauty in music. We can be sure that the river of life will keep flowing, and that music will be there to guide us forward.
And I'll get along as long as a song, strong in my soul
With a song in our hearts and minds, we can face any challenge that comes our way. For music is a source of strength and resilience that can see us through even the toughest times.
I'll never know what makes the rain to fall
The mysteries of the natural world may forever elude us. But music has a language all its own - one that can help us understand and appreciate the beauty of life in its many forms.
I'll never know what makes that grass so tall
Even the simplest of natural phenomena can hold profound significance when viewed through the lens of music. For music has the power to make us see the world in new and wondrous ways.
I only know there ain't no love at all without a song
Love is an essential part of humanity, and music is one of the purest expressions of that love. Without music, we would be missing out on one of the most profound and sacred aspects of our existence.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Edward Eliscu, Billy Rose, Vincent Youmans
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anthony Della Selva
Mario Lanza was a tremendous versatile tenor in all genres of music
Irene Day
Mario Lanza is above any other versions. He is the greatest. We will always love you Mario. You live in our harts.
Gigi Insulana
MARIO: A magnífica voz numa interpretação única, inigualável, magistral!
Jackie Mcmeekin
What a voice! He could have sung at the Metropolitan Opera. He was from
Philadelphia, Pa. He died young. I went to see all his movies. Kathryn Grayson sang so well together!
atenorforjesus
Simply magnificent. No one can compare Mario!
Alf Ching
No One
Bradley Monroe
Why did Mario Lanza end this song on a high note? I love the way he ends it.
Gigi Insulana
Simplesmente magnifico. MARIO é maravilhoso!
Barbara Elwis
What a voice!!! There has never been another tenor who puts in as much passion as Mario.
Kinseydsp
I was 4 years old then there is no music like this today! I am so glad I lived in the 1950's and 1960's!