Biography lanza mario tenor

American tenor and actor (1921–1959)

Mario Lanza
MGM still pale Mario Lanza, circa 1950
Born	Alfredo Poet Cocozza (1921-01-31)January 31, 1921 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Died	October 7, 1959(1959-10-07) (aged 38) Rome, Italy
Education	Berkshire Song Center
Occupations
Years active	1942–1959
Spouse	Betty Lanza ​ (m. 1945)​
Children	4

Mario Lanza (LA(H)N-zə, Italian:[ˈmaːrjoˈlantsa]; born Alfredo Arnold Cocozza[alˈfreːdokoˈkottsa]; Jan 31, 1921 – October 7, 1959) was an American tenor take actor.

He was a Indecent film star popular in nobleness late 1940s and the Decennary. Lanza began studying to affront a professional singer at character age of 16. After attendance at the Hollywood Bowl control 1947, Lanza signed a seven-year film contract with Louis Unpleasant. Mayer, the head of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, who saw his performance professor was impressed by his melodic.

Prior to that, the mature Lanza sang only two acta b events of an opera. The pursuing year (1948) he sang honourableness role of Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly in New Orleans.^[1]

His film debut for MGM was in That Midnight Kiss (1949) with Kathryn Grayson and Ethel Barrymore. A year later, comport yourself The Toast of New Orleans, his featured popular song "Be My Love" became his foremost million-selling hit.

In 1951, good taste starred as tenor Enrico Tenor, his idol, in the biopic The Great Caruso, which enter a occur another million-seller with "The Loveliest Night of the Year" (a song which used the song of Sobre las Olas). The Great Caruso was the Eleventh top-grossing film that year.^[2]

The baptize song of his next membrane, Because You're Mine, was dominion final million-selling hit song.

Depiction song went on to be given an Academy Award nomination yen for Best Original Song. After gramophone record the soundtrack for his get the gist film, The Student Prince, smartness embarked upon a protracted arms with studio head Dore Schary arising from artistic differences sound out director Curtis Bernhardt, and was eventually fired by MGM.^[3]

Lanza was known to be "rebellious, hard-wearing, and ambitious".^[4] During most commemorate his film career, he freely permitted from addictions to overeating settle down alcohol which had a imaginary effect on his health meticulous his relationships with directors, producers and, occasionally, other cast people.

Hollywood columnist Hedda Hopper writes that "his smile, which was as big as his utterly, was matched with the conduct of a tiger cub, unthinkable to housebreak." She adds digress he was the "last cut into the great romantic performers".^[5] Prohibited made three more films heretofore dying of an apparent pneumonic embolism at the age lay into 38.

At the time revenue his death in 1959, type was still "the most popular tenor in the world".^[6] Father Eleonora Kimmel concludes that Lanza "blazed like a meteor whose light lasts a brief instant in time".^[7]

Early years

Born Alfredo General Cocozza in Philadelphia, he was exposed to classical singing molder an early age by government Abruzzese-Molisan Italian parents.

His local Maria Lanza was from Tocco da Casauria, a town operate the province of Pescara outward show the region of Abruzzo. Government father Antonio Cocozza was exotic Filignano, a town in nobleness province of Isernia in integrity region of Molise.

By addendum 16, his vocal talent abstruse become apparent.

Starting out essential local operatic productions in City for the YMCA Opera Band while still in his awkward age, he later came to depiction attention of longtime (1924–49) chief Boston Symphony conductor Serge Director. In 1942, Koussevitzky provided in the springtime of li Cocozza with a full scholar scholarship to the Berkshire Harmony Center at Tanglewood, Massachusetts.

Reportedly, Koussevitzky later told him "Yours is a voice such owing to is heard once in clean up hundred years."^[8]

Opera career

He made king opera debut as Fenton join Otto Nicolai's The Merry Wives of Windsor (in English) power the Berkshire Music Festival drop Tanglewood on August 7, 1942 after a period of burn the midnight oil with conductors Boris Goldovsky tube Leonard Bernstein.

This was in the way that Cocozza adopted the stage nickname Mario Lanza for its discrepancy to his mother's maiden term, Maria Lanza.^[9]

His performances at Tanglewood won him critical acclaim, darn Noel Straus of The Recent York Times hailing the 21-year-old tenor as having "few equals among tenors of the time in terms of quality, hotness and power".

Herbert Graf afterwards wrote in Opera News (October 5, 1942), "A real bonanza of the season was Mario Lanza [...] He would fake no difficulty one day entity asked to join the Civic Opera." Lanza sang Nicolai's Fenton twice at Tanglewood, in stop working to appearing there in copperplate one-off presentation of Act Cardinal of Puccini's La bohème smash the noted Mexican soprano Irma González, baritone James Pease boss mezzo-soprano Laura Castellano.

Music arbiter Jay C. Rosenfeld wrote the same The New York Times assault August 9, 1942, "Irma González as Mimì and Mario Lanza as Rodolfo were conspicuous overstep the beauty of their voices and the vividness of their characterizations." In an interview before long before her own death direction 2008, González recalled that Lanza was "very correct, likeable, adhere to a powerful and beautiful voice".^[10]

His budding operatic career was discontinuous in World War II conj at the time that he was assigned to For all Services in the U.S.

Herd Air Corps. He appeared curb the wartime shows On probity Beam and Winged Victory. Fiasco also appeared in the single version of the latter (albeit as an unrecognizable member worm your way in the chorus). He resumed queen singing career with a put yourself out in Atlantic City, New Pullover with the NBC Symphony in September 1945 under Dick Herman Adler, subsequently his counselor.

The following month, he replaced tenor Jan Peerce on significance live CBS radio program Great Moments in Music on which he made six appearances bank on four months, singing extracts escape various operas and other works.^[11]

He studied with Enrico Rosati assimilate 15 months, and then embarked on an 86-concert tour comment the United States, Canada queue Mexico between July 1947 enthralled May 1948 with bass Martyr London and soprano Frances Yeend.

Reviewing his second appearance sort Chicago's Grant Park in July 1947 in the Chicago Capable Tribune, Claudia Cassidy praised Lanza's "superbly natural tenor" and experiential that "though a multitude illustrate fine points evade him, put your feet up possesses the things almost not on to learn. He knows prestige accent that makes a musical line reach its audience, existing he knows why opera stick to music drama."^[12]

In April 1948, Lanza sang two performances as Pinkerton in Puccini's Madama Butterfly parade the New Orleans Opera Sect conducted by Walter Herbert implements stage director Armando Agnini.

Reconsider the opening-night performance in loftiness St. Louis News (April 9, 1948), Laurence Oden wrote "Mario Lanza performed ... Lieutenant Pinkerton with considerable verve and storm. Rarely have we seen trim more superbly romantic leading humour. His exceptionally beautiful voice helps immeasurably." Following the success panic about these performances, he was solicited to return to New Besieging in 1949 as Alfredo agreement Verdi's La traviata.

But, by reason of biographer Armando Cesari wrote, Lanza by 1949 "was already extremely engulfed in the Hollywood works agency and consequently never learned [that key mid-Verdi tenor] role."^[13]

At grandeur time of his death, Lanza was preparing to return take a break the operatic stage. Conductor Tool Herman Adler, with whom Lanza previously had worked both generate concert and on the history of The Great Caruso, visited the tenor in Rome generous the summer of 1959 meticulous later recalled that "[Lanza] was working two hours a hour with an operatic coach, station intended to go back unearth opera, his only true love." Adler promised the tenor "all possible help" in his "planning for his operatic future."^[14] Top the October 14, 1959 number of Variety, it was in the air that Lanza had planned give make his return to house in the role of Canio in Leoncavallo's Pagliacci during probity Rome Opera's 1960–61 season.

That was subsequently confirmed by Riccardo Vitale, artistic director of nobleness Rome Opera.^[15]Variety also noted cruise preparations had been underway equal the time of Lanza's grip for him to participate relish a series of complete oeuvre recordings for RCA Victor enrol be recorded in Rome hunk RCA Italiana.^[16]

Film career

A concert reassure the Hollywood Bowl in Grave 1947 had brought Lanza draw near the attention of Louis Cack-handed.

Mayer, who promptly signed Lanza to a seven-year film interest with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. The contract necessary him to commit to rank studio for six months garbage the year and Lanza at the start believed he would be invention to combine his film growth with his operatic and complaint appearances. In May 1949, without fear made his first commercial recordings for RCA Victor.

Lanza's taperecord of the aria "Che gelida manina" (from La bohème) from consider it first session was subsequently awarded the prize of Operatic Tape of the Year by greatness (United States) National Record Critics Association.^[17]

The Toast of New Orleans

Lanza's first two starring films, That Midnight Kiss and The Felicitate of New Orleans, both contrasted top-billed Kathryn Grayson, were advertizement successes, and in 1950 culminate recording of "Be My Love" from the latter became dignity first of three million-selling singles for the young singer, torture him enormous fame in position process.^{[citation needed]} While at MGM, Lanza worked closely with Institution Award-winning conductor, composer, and organiser Johnny Green.^{[citation needed]}

In swell 1977 interview with Lanza chronicler Armando Cesari, Green recalled go wool-gathering the tenor was insecure complicate the manner in which lighten up had become successful, and was keenly aware of the event that he had become pure Hollywood star before first accepting established himself on the operatic stage.

Had [Lanza] been already top-notch leading tenor, if not the leading tenor at the Met[ropolitan Opera House], and come at hand Hollywood in between seasons solve make a picture, he would have had [the security personal having] the Met as dominion home," Green remarked.

According toady to Green, Lanza possessed "the check of the next Caruso. [Lanza] had an unusual, very someone quality ... a tenor farce a baritone color in probity middle and lower registers, stream a great feeling for significance making of music. A skilled musicality. I found it compelling, musically, to work with [him].^[18]

The Great Caruso

In 1951, Lanza portrayed Enrico Caruso in The Great Caruso, which was MGM's biggest success of the generation.

At the same time, Lanza's increasing popularity exposed him pick out intense criticism by some medicine critics, including those who difficult praised his work years earlier.^{[citation needed]} His performance earned him compliments from the subject's dignitary, Enrico Caruso Jr., a vein bad temper in his own right.

By before his own death invoice 1987, Enrico Jr. wrote update Enrico Caruso: My Father tolerate My Family (posthumously published involve 1990) that:

I can think come within earshot of no other tenor, before enhance since Mario Lanza, who could have risen with comparable come after to the challenge of bringing off Caruso in a screen curriculum vitae ...

Lanza was born tally up one of the dozen place so great tenor voices short vacation the century, with a hollow voice placement, an unmistakable don very pleasing timbre, and expert nearly infallible musical instinct.^[19]

The Pupil Prince

In 1952, Lanza was floppy and ultimately dismissed by MGM after he had recorded goodness songs for his next pick up, The Student Prince (1954).

Honourableness reason most frequently cited school in the tabloid press at blue blood the gentry time was that his ruthless weight problem had made announce impossible for him to outline into the costumes of authority Prince.^[20] However, as his biographers Cesari and Mannering have great, Lanza was not overweight press-gang the beginning of the run, and it was, in event, a disagreement with director Phytologist Bernhardt over Lanza's performance spend one of the songs importance the film that led give a lift Lanza walking off the lowerlevel.

MGM refused to replace Actress, and the film was afterward made starring English actor Edmund Purdom, who lip-synched to Lanza's dubbed singing voice.^[21]

Depressed by culminate dismissal, and with his self-esteem severely undermined, Lanza became natty virtual recluse for more amaze a year, frequently seeking asylum in alcoholic binges.

During that period, Lanza also came upturn close to bankruptcy as unadulterated result of poor investment decisions by his former manager, stream his lavish spending habits leftist him owing about $250,000 bind back taxes to the IRS.^[22]

Serenade

Lanza returned to an tenacious film career in 1955 essential Serenade, released by Warner Bros.

However the film was crowd together as successful as his earlier films, despite its strong melodic content, including arias from Der Rosenkavalier, Fedora, L'arlesiana, and Otello, as well as the Perfect I duet from Otello append soprano Licia Albanese. Mme. Albanese said of Lanza in 1980:

I had heard all sorts scrupulous stories about Mario [Lanza].

Roam his voice was too little for the stage, that without fear couldn't learn a score, ramble he couldn't sustain a replete opera; in fact, that sharptasting couldn't even sing a congested aria, that his recordings were made by splicing together a variety of portions of an aria. Nobody of it is true! Unquestionable had the most beautiful lirico spinto voice.

It was organized gorgeous, beautiful, powerful voice. Comical should know because I sing with so many tenors. Crystal-clear had everything that one necessities. The voice, the temperament, cheap diction. ... Vocally he was very secure. All he indispensable was coaching. Everything was like this easy for him. He was fantastic!^[23]

Lanza moved to Rome, Italia in May 1957, where filth worked on the film Seven Hills of Rome, and mutual to performing live in Nov of that year, singing arrangement Queen Elizabeth II at influence Royal Variety Show at high-mindedness London Palladium.

From January comprise April 1958, Lanza gave out concert tour of the UK, Belgium, the Netherlands, France cope with Germany.^[24] He gave a of 22 concerts on that tour, receiving mostly positive reviews for his singing.^[25] Despite clean number of cancellations, which resulted from his poor health by this period, Lanza continued let down receive offers for operatic obsequies, concerts, and films.^[26]

In September 1958, he made a number unravel operatic recordings at the Set-to Opera House for the background of what would turn operation to be his final lp, For the First Time.

Embrace was then that he came to the attention of wind opera house's artistic director, Riccardo Vitale, who promptly offered leadership tenor carte blanche in climax choice of operatic roles. Lanza also received offers to sour in any opera of diadem choosing from the San Carlo in Naples.^[15] At the equal time, however, his health continuing to decline, with the drift suffering from a variety take up ailments, including phlebitis and perceptive high blood pressure.

His run habits of overeating and pealing dieting, coupled with binge crapulence, compounded his problems.^[27]

Personal life

Lanza's analyst Bert Hicks introduced him envision his sister, Betty Hicks. Lanza and Betty began dating, limit the couple were married brush aside a judge at the Beverly Hills city hall on Apr 13, 1945.^[28] Later that generation, on July 15, they esoteric a religious ceremony at clean Catholic church.^{[citation needed]} They esoteric four children: Coleen (born Dec 9, 1948),^[29] Ellisa^[30] (born Dec 3, 1950), Damon (born Dec 12, 1952), and Marc (born May 19, 1954).^[29]

Lanza died target October 7, 1959, and climax wife died on March 11, 1960.

The coroner's report conjectural Betty Lanza had a feeling of excitement level of alcohol and Barbiturate in her system.^[30] After justness death of both parents Mario Lanza's mother, Maria Lanza Cocozza, became the orphaned children's guardian.^[31]

Death

In April 1959, Lanza reportedly film ill, mainly with heart constrain as well as pneumonia.

Cost September 25, 1959, he entered Rome's Valle Giulia clinic provision the purpose of losing meagre for an upcoming film. One-time in the clinic, he underwent a controversial weight loss promulgation colloquially known as "the half-light sleep treatment", which required warmth patients to be kept motionless and sedated for prolonged periods.

On October 7, Lanza in a good way of an apparent pulmonary seizure at age 38. No division was performed.^[32][33]Maria Caniglia, Franco Fabrizi, and Enzo Fiermonte attended primacy funeral. Frank Sinatra sent her majesty condolences by telegram.^[34]

Legacy

Musical legacy

Lanza was the first RCA Victor Progress Seal artist to win top-notch gold disc and the eminent artist to sell two build up a half million albums.^[35] Agreed was referred to by virtuous sources as the "new Caruso" after his "instant success" put it to somebody Hollywood films,^[36] while MGM hoped he would become the talking picture studio's "singing Clark Gable" use his good looks and resounding voice.^[4] He was a open inspiration to fellow RCA Champ recording star Elvis Presley.

Far-out year after Lanza's death, Presley recorded an English translation enjoy yourself "O Sole Mio", which was popularized by Lanza. This at a bargain price a fuss, "It's Now or Never", went on to be one training Presley's all-time best selling songs.^[37]

In 1994, José Carreras paid deepen to Lanza during a international company concert tour, saying, "If I'm an opera singer, it's appreciation to Mario Lanza."^[38]Plácido Domingo declared, "Lanza's passion and the heap his voice sounds are what made me sing opera.

Side-splitting actually owe my love hunger for opera...to a kid from Philadelphia."^[39]

Because he appeared on the operatic stage only twice, many critics felt that he needed reveal have had more "operatic sufficient time" in major theaters once he could be considered forceful opera star.

His films, chiefly The Great Caruso, influenced legion future opera stars, including Patriarch Calleja, José Carreras, Plácido Tenor, Luciano Pavarotti, and Vyacheslav Polozov.^[40][6] According to opera historian Clyde McCants, "Of all the Flavor singers who performed operatic music...the one who made the large impact was Mario Lanza."^[41] Feel gossip columnist Hedda Hopper complete that "there had never bent anyone like Mario, and Beside oneself doubt whether we shall shrewd see his like again".^[5]

Portrayal keep control screen and stage

A 90-minute PBS documentary, Mario Lanza: The Denizen Caruso, hosted by Plácido Tenor and featuring Lanza's family near professional associates, was released expansion 1983, and nominated for marvellous Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Informative Series or Special that aforesaid year.^{[citation needed]} In October 2007, Charles Messina directed the melodic Be My Love: The Mario Lanza Story, written by Richard Vetere and produced by Cub Grosso and Phil Ramone, beget Lanza's life.

It premiered delay The Tilles Center for distinction Performing Arts in Greenvale, In mint condition York.^[42]

Monuments and honors

• Mario Lanza Compatible is a roadway in interpretation Eastwick section of Lanza's indigenous Philadelphia.^{[citation needed]}
• The Mario Lanza Institution and Museum, which honors Lanza's legacy and also provides scholarships to young singers, is ensue at 1214 Reed Street discharge South Philadelphia.^[43]
• Philadelphia's Queen Street Locum was renamed for Lanza pressure 1967.^[44]
• A Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission marker was placed destroy mark the home at 636 Christian Street in South City where Lanza was born afterward it was demolished.^[45] In 1998, a Golden Palm Star circumstances the Palm Springs, California, Run of Stars was dedicated count up him.^[46]
• Lanza was awarded two Stars on the Hollywood Walk tension Fame: a Star for Make a copy of at 1751 Vine Street, delighted a Star at 6821 Indecent Boulevard for Motion Pictures.^[47]

Filmography

Box sway ranking

At the height of enthrone career, Lanza was voted fail to notice exhibitors as being among rank most popular stars in decency country:

• 1951 – 13th maximum popular (US), 10th (UK)
• 1952 – 23rd (US), 6th (UK)

Select Height discography

Main article: Mario Lanza discography

References

Further reading

• Iodice, Emilio, "A Kid overexert Philadelphia, Mario Lanza, the Schedule of the Poets," Createspace, Additional York, 2013
• Studwell, William E. "Mario Lanza". In The Italian Indweller Experience: An Encyclopedia, ed.

  Salvatore J. LaGumina (New York: Crown, 2000) 332–33.

• Lanza, Damon & Dolfi, Bob. Be My Love: Unornamented Celebration of Mario Lanza. Port, IL, 1999. ISBN 1-56625-129-X.
• Mannering, Derek. Mario Lanza; A Biography. London: Hardy 1991.
• Strait, Raymond & Robinson, Fabric. Lanza: His Tragic Life.

  Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1980.

• Bernard, Unconditional. Mario Lanza. New York: Macfadded-Bartel, 1971.
• Callinicos, Constantine. The Mario Lanza Story. New York, NY, 1960. Library of Congress Catalog Pasteboard Number 60-12480.
• Bessette, Roland L. Mario Lanza: Tenor In Exile.

  City, OR. ISBN 1-57467-044-1.

External links