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4.0étoiles sur 5
The good and the bad in one collection, Sep 1 2001
This is (unintentionally, I'm sure) a warts-and-all illustration of Mario Lanza. True, there are magnificent recordings scattered throughout (Serenade, Beloved, E Lucevan Le Stelle, Passione, etc) but the impression one is left with is of a sloppy and undisciplined singer who just happened to possess a great voice. The fault lies squarely with BMG and their predilection for selecting the very worst of Lanza, and placing it next to the best. Many of the inferior choices come from Lanza's Coca-Cola radio show, recorded between 1951 and 1952, and are featured on Disc Two. (Disc One is a more consistent selection, and repeats the same tracks from the British one-CD set "The Ultimate Collection", reviewed elsewhere on this site.) The "Coke" shows were largely rushed and under-rehearsed, with the emphasis on arrangements that showcased the tenor's remarkable high notes, often to the detriment of the musical content. Don't blame Lanza - he never intended for these recordings to be heard beyond their initial broadcast. They were supposedly "once-off" affairs. Sometimes the results WERE magnificent, but one needs to look elsewhere for examples of these. The three big exceptions on this set are the gloriously romantic If I Loved You & One Night of Love and the poignant Memories. Danny Boy also deserves honorable mention, although there should have been a retake on the ending.O Paradiso, Somewhere a Voice is Calling, Core 'Ngrato, Deep in My Heart and With a Song in My Heart represent low points from the Coke Shows. Other poor choices include And This is My Beloved, from the disastrous Lanza on Broadway LP, a rough-as-old-boots Una Furtiva Lagrima and an off-pitch Cielo E Mar (ironically the ONE studio recording on this set that IS inferior to Lanza's Coke Show rendering). Mario Lanza was blessed with the most dazzling tenor voice of the 20th century. Is it too much to expect for BMG to honor his memory more selectively? Yes, Lanza did make a number of bad recordings, but like the man himself, the great moments more than compensated. Any CD purporting to be the "Ultimate Collection" should demonstrate the singer at his very best. This CD does not. It only tells part of the story. Where are Lanza's sublime recordings of Che Gelida Manina from "La Boheme", his M'appari, the Improvviso from Andrea Chenier and his unsurpassed Otello Monologue? Or the fabulous Some Day, the gorgeous A Vucchella and Lanza's own favorite recording, the haunting Voce E Notte? For the very best of Mario Lanza, buyers should look elsewhere. This will do in the meantime, but BMG - PLEASE be more selective with your future Lanza releases!
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