Lanza fulfills the fantasy. I'm in love with that beautiful and expressive face. He does what so many are unable to do - act natural while doing the super-human feat of singing opera. Watch him move in Che Gelida Manina . He makes it look easy. You'll also hear a world-class high C.
More than that, what Norman Rockwell did for art, Lanza did for opera - made it accessible to the public. Both are under-rated because of that, I think, and both warrant a second look (or listen).
Growing up, Lanza listened to Caruso's records at home on the Victrola, and was given violin lessons, but his heart was with opera. His mother Maria Lanza Cocozza went to work to pay for voice lessons for "Freddy." Later he took his mother's name, masculinizing the Maria.
He was discovered in July 1942 by Serge Koussevitzky, a conductor who was visiting Philadelphia. He arranged for Freddy to sing at Tanglewood. "Caruso redivisus," he declared. And the world got to know his as Mario Lanza.
Lanza was drafted in World War II, and when released in 1945, studied seriously with Enrico Rosati. Then he went on tour as the tenor in the Bel Canto Trio at which time he was discovered by Louis B. Mayer.
A great event in his life, and a fortuitious one for us, was when he was cast in the role of Caruso in "The Great Caruso." Don't you think it was created because of him? Who else could have played the role?
You'll find many beautiful clips on ( One of my favorites is "Ave Maria." ). I had written about the darling little boy's beautiful voice, and it turns out it was dubbed. It is still gorgeous. Breath-taking. A feast for the eyes and for the ears -- what opera should be. Evidently there were disputes with MGM and he was replace for "The Student Prince," but his voice was used for the soundtrack and it became the first million-seller soundtrack album.
In 1957, he relocated his family (wife and 4 kids) to Italy. In 1959, he suffered a heart attack and died. He was only 38 years old. Just 5 months later, his beloved wife joined him in death.
That is so romantic, so tragic, and so operatic.
