More on Mario Lanza

Mario Lanza has been dead for more than 60 years, yet with the passage of each one he seems to get even better. This is an excuse to post a few more of his recordings. What’s clear is both the beauty of his voice and its ability to resonate and move the listener.

‘O Tu Che In Seno Agli Angeli’ from Verdi’s La Forza del Destino is in many ways the greatest of Verdi’s many great tenor arias. It has everything. Lyric beauty, dramatic impact, and emotional content available only to the most inspired of creators. Probably the greatest exponent of this aria during the middle of the last century was Richard Tucker. But Tucker didn’t reach his full level of spinto excellence with this aria until he was almost 40. Lanza died at 38. Yet his earlier recording of the aria is at the highest level. Vocally, Lanza and Tucker were on a par. Emotionally, Tucker was the embodiment of careful career development maturely managed while Lanza played a much more overwrought emotional hand. Regardless, his singing is about as good as could be imagined. His ability to draw in the listener is unsurpassed. Whatever charisma is, Lanza had it. Lanza Forza aria. Of course, Tucker was singing the aria at the Met while Lanza was in a recording studio.

During the year before he died, Lanza gave a number of recitals in various European halls. One was before 8,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall. His first selection was the Lamento di Federico from Cilea’s L’Arlesiana. Notice how dark Lanza’s voice had become. He was in full Otello mode; he was a full fledged dramatic tenor. Even after all this time one is filled with regret over what was missed by his flawed development. He really should have been the American Caruso. The remainder of that concert can be accessed from the following link. Mario Lanza In Concert – Royal Albert Hall, London January 16, 1958