RoR: Forum

Thanks Derek, will order Encore NOW. I DO appreciate your offer of a CD compilation and will take you up on the kind offer once I've spent enough on royalties to *somehow* be able to morally justify it!

Post 21

Friday, September 17, 2004 - 9:03am

David wrote:

Thanks Derek, will order Encore NOW. I DO appreciate your offer of a CD compilation and will take you up on the kind offer once I've spent enough on royalties to *somehow* be able to morally justify it!

Ah, but the 50-year rule regarding copyright only pertains to the US! I'm outside of their jurisdiction, and therefore anything recorded before 1954 can be legitimately copied. Just ask the respected Naxos company - they happily put out Lanza CDs without having to worry about copyright infringement.

The Encore CD is a collection of arias and Neapolitan/Italian songs. My own choice for the best Lanza number to play to the uninitiated is E Lucevan le Stelle from Tosca, which you'll find on Disc 2 of this set. Turn it up if you can! It's a masterpiece of poetic longing & passion, and will certainly convey the genius of this singer.

I look forward to hearing your reaction, David :-)

Post 22

Friday, September 17, 2004 - 1:00pm

Derek: "My own choice for the best Lanza number to play to the uninitiated is E Lucevan le Stelle from Tosca, which you'll find on Disc 2 of this set. Turn it up if you can! It's a masterpiece of poetic longing & passion, and will certainly convey the genius of this singer."

Ah, now this I agree with. Everyone lucky enough has their own Mario moment. Listening to this was mine. :-)

Post 23

Friday, September 17, 2004 - 8:28pm

Mr. O'Cresswell!!

Do I take it that

"A flagon of wine, a gallon of wine, a barrel of wine will dooooooooooooooooo ..... An *o*cean of wine will do!!" has been trumped as your Mario moment??!! :-)

Post 24

Friday, September 17, 2004 - 8:38pm

Linz, those are *my* kind of lyrics....what song are they from???

J

Post 25

Friday, September 17, 2004 - 8:46pm

"Do I take it that

"A flagon of wine, a gallon of wine, a barrel of wine will dooooooooooooooooo ..... An *o*cean of wine will do!!" has been trumped as your Mario moment??!! :-)

Only just. :-))

Post 26

Friday, September 17, 2004 - 10:21pm

Jennifer - they are from the Drinking Song from The Vagabond King (not the more famous Drink! Drink! Drink! from The Student Prince). It became Mr. Cresswell's firm favourite, which is why I was surprised to see it knocked off its perch. It's quite catchy, with some engaging 'rubati.' He & I & several other usual suspects spent many an evening in his apartment or mine lurching around the lounge conducting & singing along to it. If you're nice to Mr Cresswell he might post *all* the lyrics - he undoubtedly knows them better than I! But I gather he's watching rugby right now, in which case an ocean of wine has probably *already* been consumed, & he may be in no fit condition to post! :-)

Linz

Post 27

Thursday, October 14, 2004 - 1:33pm

Alright soppy old Lanza codgers. I now have had my first "Mario experience" and it is time to report back!

I'd intended to buy Encore, as per Derek's suggestion above, but it was out of stock, so based upon the effusive reviews on Amazon (Mr McGovern, again...), ordered Mario! Lanza At His Best.

And....

My CD arrived in the mail a week ago now. On my fourth or fifth hearing, I am now an unashamed CONVERT! I Am listening, right now, to Comme facette mammete? My heart is leaping and I can feel the towering, giddying delight breathing life into me with every beat. It is sensational. I find myself smiling without care, carried away and ready to sing along although the world is only inside my headphones, and the rest of Spain is already sleeping. Fantastic.

I have the feeling that a whole new world is opening up, and I am very aware of Peter Cresswell's recent article, and in "YES, YES, YES" agreement. I was a music addict until 4 or 5 years ago, when, quite simply, I became bored (or at times irritated) with every rock group that I had loved since my teens. I can still enjoy the odd Cold Play, REM, Garbage track, but WHY? There is so much more, and I realise that growth and maturity left my music tastes behind.

A part of me that had died has just come back to life.

Thanks, you romantic old bastards!

Post 28

Thursday, October 14, 2004 - 2:37pm

DB: "A part of me that had died has just come back to life."

PC: That's wonderful to hear, David. :-)

DB: "Thanks, you romantic old bastards!"

PC: By your reference to 'old' I presume you are referring to the other bastards? :-)

Now, I notice that I'm apparently on a promise to deliver some lyrics? Well, as the lurching has temporarily ceased I shall attempt a transcription soon. Trouble is, once transcription starts consumption does also, followed inexorably by said lurching. Ain't life grand. :-)

Post 29

Thursday, October 14, 2004 - 6:00pm

Ah, young Bertelsen - ya ain't heard nuttin' yet. The earlier, blazing Mario still awaits your discovery. The CD you have is a very muted M, though still glorious in many tracks - especially the last 3 Neapolitan songs. (Forget Funiculi - bloody awful! :-) There's O'Cresswell's fave - the Drinking Song - a soaring 'Love Me Tonight' (croaky low notes & all) ... but 'Passione' probably wins the prize - the climactic note alone is among the most golden ever sung by anybody.

Linz

Post 30

Thursday, October 14, 2004 - 6:32pm

David wrote:

My CD arrived in the mail a week ago now. On my fourth or fifth hearing, I am now an unashamed CONVERT! I Am listening, right now, to Comme facette mammete? My heart is leaping and I can feel the towering, giddying delight breathing life into me with every beat. It is sensational. I find myself smiling without care, carried away and ready to sing along although the world is only inside my headphones, and the rest of Spain is already sleeping. Fantastic.

Great stuff! What a wordsmith you are, David, and how wonderful to know that you've discovered the joys of Lanza. The original Mario! album (which, for the uninitiated, comprises the 12 Neapolitan songs on this CD), was a magnificent achievement from a man who had barely ten months to live, and was already suffering from a host of ailments. You'd hardly know that he was ill, though, from the quality of his singing on things like Voce 'e Notte, Canta Pe' Me, Passione, and of course the joyous Come Facette Mammeta that David singles out above.

It probably does take most listeners a few playings to appreciate the scale of Lanza's achievement here. Many of the songs are quite haunting, and are a far cry from much more familiar Neapolitan fare such as O Sole Mio. I'm delighted that David has reaped the rewards of his patience!

Post 31

Friday, October 15, 2004 - 2:58am

I've been inspired by this thread to listen to this CD again. Actually, through headphones, it is truly extraordinary. Derek, you *must* send young Bertelsen the text & translations of the Neapolitan songs. If he finds one of them "sensational" without a clue as to what's being said, think how much more he'll appreciate them *with* a clue.

As for the Vagabond King selections, it is truly remarkable how much energy Mario brings to these just weeks before his death - and in the absence of the chorus & other soloists who were overlaid posthumously. David, you might especially enjoy 'The Song of the Vagabonds' - "We can die for liberty ..." I have it in my head that are a musician yourself, in which case you'll love the way he savours the syncopation in "Sons of toil & danger, will you serve a stranger, & bow down to Burgundy? Sons of shame & sorrow, will you cheer tomorrow, & bow down to Burgundy?"

Linz

Post 32

Friday, October 15, 2004 - 3:24am

And David, can you imagine any maiden heartless & mindless enough to resist Mario's plea in 'Love Me Tonight' (actually, the most eloquent argument in favour of a passionate, recreational one-night-stand ever heard :-))?

Linz

Love me tonight,
Now while I long for you,
Love that in a day may be dying
That sorrow may never renew ...
The hours that we know,
Measure our dream of delight ...
Sweetheart, before they go,
Love me, love me, tonight.

Post 33

Friday, October 15, 2004 - 8:10am

Linz, Derek and young Peter:

Thanks for your comments and enthusiasm!

I speak Spanish, a little Catalan (a very Latin language) and studied Italian, so I get the gist of most of the lyrics. But I must say I have never been one to fall in love with music for the words. I like the music, the voice, and the power of the delivery. Lyrics grow on me later.

Linz wrote, "I have it in my head that are a musician yourself".

And in MY head, I AM a musician :)

(And yes, I do play the piano and guitar, albeit badly).

I am now on my 6th or 7th listen. My favorite tracks are Voce'e notte, Canta p' me, Comme facette mammeta?, Passione, and yes, the Drinking Song.

Next album?

Post 34

Friday, October 15, 2004 - 8:30am

Linz, I just listened, *again* to "Song of Vagabonds".

I am honestly not sure if I know what syncopation is but really, this is an astonishing track. I imagine that what you are referring to you is the absolute brilliance of the timing of his vocals with the rhythm of the music? And on top of that, in a couple of instances I am caught breathless when am made to wait a milisecond on a beat I expected a milisecond earlier.

To think that the caterwaulers need 2 rhythm guitarrists, a bass and a set of drums to achieve "percussion", when this man in this song creates a beat that is so incredibly stirring with oh such a simple "seeming" modulation and timing of delivery. Absolutely riveting and uplifting.

Now I'm going to need a new stereo system...

Post 35

Saturday, October 16, 2004 - 2:05am