MARIO LANZA Vol.2

Original 1949—1951 Recordings

The ‘modern’ tenor voice can be traced back to Enrico Caruso, or more accurately to many Caruso recordings that sold in millions worldwide, simultaneously raising the status of the gramophone and creating the mythical cult of the tenor as a sort of demigod which persists to this day. Not that Caruso’s voice was that easily imitated (a one-off, darkly dramatic and of baritonal and pharyngeal quality it broke the mould of his predecessors) and comparisons with this illustrious Neapolitan were usually wishful thinking, albeit they provided good box-office copy and, in the case of Mario Lanza, a convenient banner upon which to hoist a new name. However, in addition to an outstandingly beautiful lyric voice (and in his best years an often impressively vital delivery), Lanza did display an instinctive flair for phrasing, exceptional lung capacity, remarkable breath-control and, by and large, tasteful deliver