 | What a pleasure to find two great Lanza LPs on one CD. The compilation album You Do Something To Me, first released in 1958, was arguably the best sampling of Lanza's versatility that RCA ever put together. Whether by accident or design, the album offered stunning examples of Lanza's prowess in different genres: popular ballads, operetta, opera, and Italian song. While one might quibble at the absence of Neapolitan songs, it should be noted that at the time of this album's release, Lanza had not yet recorded his finest collection of that genre - the album Mario! (now available on the CD Mario! Lanza At His Best).
The standout tracks from You Do Something To Me are the title song; the thrilling (and rarely heard) Some Day from a 1951 radio show (beautifully described by Muriel Agnello in a current essay on this site); Beloved from the film version of The Student Prince; and a sublime rendition of Che Gelida Manina from La Boheme. There are also impressive renditions of the aria O Tu Che in Seno agli Angeli from The Force of Destiny; the lovely Sylvia; Song of India; and the exciting Lolita. Unlike many of RCA's other Lanza compilations, there is nothing downright bad on the album, though Lygia and the over-exuberant Flower Song should have been remade.
The other album featured here is Lanza's first (and best) album of Christmas songs and carols, originally released in 1956. (Note: the same renditions also feature on the BMG CD Christmas With Mario Lanza.) Recorded between 1950 and 1956, all of the numbers showcase the tenor in glorious vocal fettle. Ignore the occasional moments of sharpness on O Holy Night, The Lord's Prayer, and Joy to the World, and instead revel in the beauty and commitment that Lanza brings to his singing
here.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0002DRDGO/qid%3D1102167586/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-7000643-0438455
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