Mario Lanza "Che Gelida Manina" RCA 1949 now in DES (footage from the MGM film "The Great Caruso")
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Inspired by the stunning Digitally Extracted Stereo release of "Che Gelida Manina" on Sepia Records 2024 release, "Golden Days" and a pristine Blu-ray release of "The Great Caruso" I had to create a new edit bringing together MGM's beautiful 1951 Technicolor visuals and Mario Lanza's equally beautiful recording from his first RCA recording session from May 5th 1949, celebrating it's 75th anniversary this year on Sepia Records 2024 CD, "Golden Days".
Music by Giacomo Puccini and libretto by Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa.
DES mix by Stephen Cutler and Derek McGovern.
Mario Lanza "Golden Days" available from sepiarecords.com.
Out of this world especially the high C thank you Vincent
Mario Lanza... my favorite singer 70 years ago and still! No one can ever come close to the beauty of his voice. This brings tears.
I've long felt that, had Lanza bypassed Hollywood, and gone the whole opera route, he'd have been one of the very best ever. The man had tremendous vocal charisma.
“Tremendous vocal charisma”, so true Patrick, I’d say the most charismatic and also the possessor of an amazing outpouring of glorious sound and incredible intelligent phrasing.
The perfect vocal package actually.
Mario Lanza est toujours avec nous grâce à vos magnifiques vidéos! 👏👏👏🌺🌺🌺Chaque fois que j'écoute Mario, regarde des films, des vidéos et des photos, je pense à tout ce que la nature a donné à ce bel homme: une voix unique, un talent artistique, une âme et un charme extraordinaire.❤❤❤
Thank you Elena! Mario is a joy!
Just beautiful
What a VOICE! BRAVO! A great artist. Words fail me. Never to be forgotten!
Oltre la splendida voce la sua gestualità e il movimento del suo corpo sono espressione di un erotismo senza confronto!!! GRANDE ED UNICO RIP MARIO❤
Thank you for making this beautiful voice available to me.
My grandpa (RIP) and my father sit with me today and we hug each other. With all the respect he deserves, I feel Mario Lanza is "mine." Thank you for this magical moment Vincent. Happy holidays and blessings to everyone.
Brilliantly put together Vince! Combining stunning visuals with Lanza’s superb singing brought to life as never before by the revolutionary DES sound process in the recently released Sepia CD “Golden Days.” To quote Al Jolson, “You ain’t heard nothing yet!” until you hear Lanza’s magnificent singing on the “Golden Days” CD!
Thanks Armando! 👍🏻
It all comes together nicely, the starting point of having Mario’s fantastic performance remixed by Stephen and Derek so perfectly is absolutely key!
Always the best.. thank you dear Vincent
Спасибо Вам, Винсент, за Марио, к которому я отношусь очень трепетно, вслушиваясь в каждое слово, что звучит: говорит ли он, поёт ли он...
Невероятно, прошло, почти, 80 лет, а Марио, действительно, с нами, почетателями его таланта и я надеюсь, что это будет продолжаться бесконечно долго, так решил Господь 🕯️🙏🙏🙏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏🌿🌿🌿
Excellent job, dear Vince, as usual.
Thank you.
Thank you Constantine! 👍🏻☺️
Csodálatos hang és maga a férfi sem megvetni való.
Brilliantly put together Vincent .As always...Thank you.
Thanks Wendy! Loved working on this one!
What a wonderful tribute to the great Mario! Thank you Vince!
Glad you enjoyed it, Damien! 👍🏻☺️
El más grande por belleza vocal fraseó messa di voce y un agudo único…Y lo daba todo en un aria …En un aria era imbatible 🎼🎶🎵👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻
Wow, way to sync the music with the images and video! I don't believe that could possibly be done better-THANK you for sharing this with us!
Also, huge props to the remastering crew; the result is miraculous, and Lanza's singing comes through so vividly!
Lovely comment, thank you!
My 'desert island' recording! And brilliantly done video!
Glad you enjoyed it! 👍🏻☺️
Glorious sound and precious voice of Mario Lanza. Here is the sweet translation:
La Boheme
Composer: Giacomo Puccini
Libretto: Luigi Illica and Giuseppe Giacosa
Che Gelida Manina
What a frozen little hand
What a frozen little hand,
let me warm it up.
what use is looking?
In the dark we won't find it.
But by good fortune
it is a moonlit night,
and here the moon
we have it close to us.
Wait, Miss,
I'll tell you in two words
who I am, and what I do,
and how I live.
Is that ok?
Who am I? I'm a poet.
What do I do? I write.
And how do I live? I get by3.
In my happy poverty
I squander like a great lord
rhymes and hymns of love.
For dreams and for fantasies
and for castles in the air
I have a millionaire soul.
At times, from my strongbox,
two thieves, beautiful eyes,
steal all the jewels.
They came in with you just now
and the dreams I use
and all my sweet dreams
disappeared immediately!
But the theft doesn't bother me,
because, because hope
has taken their place!
Now that you know me
you speak, for pity's sake!
Speak. Who are you?
May it please you to tell!
Absolutely beautiful video, Vince. Thank you, so much, as always. For me, Mario's 1949 Che Gelida Manina, even at his tender age of 28, is the benchmark for this fabulous aria. Thank you X
Again Thank You So Much Vince For This Wonderful Video By Our Great Friend Mario Lanza
With The Most Beautiful Rendition From Che Gelida Manina Ever In Outstanding Sound.
May God Bless You And Family
Thank you, John! I’m glad you enjoyed it! 👍🏻
Utánozhatatlan ez a hang❤❤
Grande Mario che splendida voce sempre nel mio cuore rip ovunque tu sia
great work! this is a gem
Thanks Aaron! One of Mario’s greatest moments in the recording studio. Sublime!
Great production and video.
I discovered Mario’s voice in 1962, at the age of 11. This particular aria has always been one of my favorite Mario opera recordings.
26 years later I was learning to play piano in a teaching program in one of the largest Steinway dealers in the US while working as a chemist in Indianapolis, IN. They had quite a teaching program and randomly selected an instructor for me that was the size of Pavarotti at his largest, and a beautiful voice so reminiscent of Mario.
They had a recital hall with a Steinway on a small stage that seated about 75 people, and one night he took me into there and let me do my lesson on the Steinway. Afterwords he told me he wanted to sing me something, so I took a seat. No one else was in the auditorium when he began playing a singing this area. His hi note was magnificent, and when he was done he received a huge round of applause by the then packed auditorium and about another 30 people standing in the entrance.
Made wish I could have heard Mario in person.
Incredible voice, incredible lungs.
Wonderfully creative and very moving, Vince! At times it really does seem as though we're watching Mario perform his 1949 version. I can only imagine how many hours you must have devoted to this.
Now let's hope it inspires many of your numerous subscribers to purchase the CD "Golden Days" from Sepia Records!
Thanks Derek!
The hours planning and editing are always worth it when comments like yours pop up.
Another labour of love, all in celebration of our favourite tenor.
Beautifully put together, Vince. A real tear-jerker. The best of everything. Folk can hear Costa's reminiscences of conducting this performance at 29' 20" here: th-cam.com/video/OnsILlurEJE/w-d-xo.html Costa actually recalls the most earth-shattering phrase by singing it! And yes, I hope there's a run on the Golden Days CD after this!
Thanks, Linz! It’s a very special recording that deserved a bit of a tribute both sonically and visually!
(I hope you’re well!?)
Vielen herzlichen Dank für diese phänomenale Aufnahme von meinem Lieblingssänger, Mario Lanza,einfach grossartig gesungen. Da geht bei mir das Herz auf und ich bin einfach begeistert und dankbar, so etwas Schönes erleben zu dürfen. Mario ist der Dichter in Person, den er darzustellen hat, mit einem lyrischen Herzen, ein Poet, wie es im Buche steht. Wie variantenreich, lebendig und zu Herzen gehend er diese Rolle interpretiert und das mit erst 28 Jahren alt. Man sieht aber auch die Handschrift von seinem Lehrer, Enrico Rosati, der Einmaliges bewirkt hat. Eine Stimme, die total ausgeglichen ist, die nicht forciert, sondern einen ganz natürlichen Charakter bewahrt und am Schluss strahlend, Mario Lanza-Haft, einen Schlusston ertönen lässt, der mich mit grosser Begeisterung zurück lässt. Ja, Mario Lanza besass eine Jahrhundertstimme, die in der Welt der Oper, in Musicals, in der Operette, in italienischen Volksliedern, in amerikanischen Songs zu Hause war und eine Referenz hinterliess, die niemals wieder erreicht worden ist. Ja, wenn ich eine Tenorstimme ich für mich erträumen würde, so möchte ich so singen, wie MARIO LANZA!!❤️
Thank you Michael, what a beautiful and insightful comment.
@ Die Stimme von Mario Lanza hörte ich zum ersten Mal im Radio in einer Opernarie mit 12 Jahren, wusste aber nicht, dass er es war. Kurze Zeit später ging mein Zwillingsbruder in ein Schallplattengeschäft in Basel/Schweiz, Anfang der 1970iger Jahren und sah sich die Platten unter dem Fach Tenöre durch. Er erblickte die RCA-Platte „Der grosse Caruso“ und sah Mario Lanza auf dem Cover und dachte:“Wenn dieser Sänger so singt, wie er aussieht, dann muss er ein phänomenaler Tenor sein!“ Zu Hause hörten wir die Platte uns an und erkannten die Stimme von Mario im Radio und das war der Beginn von meiner Liebe zu dem grossartigen Künstler Mario Lanza! Heute besitze ich alle Filme auf DVD von ihm, alle Originale von seinen Platten amerikanischer Prägung, fast alle CD‘s, auch alle Sepias; freue mich schon auf die von Night and Days, und habe sehr viele Originale Autogramms mit seiner Unterschrift und sogar Privatfotos von ihm und seiner Familie, die von einer Verwandten von ihm stammen. Wie glücklich ich bin und dankbar, dass ich diesen wunderbaren Menschen habe Kennenlernen dürfen!❤️
❤❤❤❤❤❤ nagyon imádom❤❤😢😢
magnificent ... thank you so much for this!
Vince, a really lovely video! Beautifully done. I guess perhaps I'm a real purist. From an audio standpoint, I still prefer the old Camden/RCA "Che gelida manina" (from YOU DO SOMETHING TO ME compact disc released in 1987). For me, it is the clearest, least distorted and least compressed of all the pressings of the great recording. I haven't gotten the new CD yet. I've enjoyed a couple of the DES samples and posts you and Derek have shared, but so far I'm not convinced it's worth the expenditure. We'll see. And, as I say, I am perhaps a purist. Thanks for the wonderful video though, it's splendid. Thanks too for all you do keeping Mario front and center. Ciao! - Tony
Hi, Tony! I’m glad you enjoyed the video.
You should really give DES a proper chance and dive in, it’s genuinely a revelation.
I’m a traditionalist and a purist but I’ve been completely won over by the sonic improvements.
It’s the now realistic orchestral spread and added detail that now allow us to truly appreciate Callinicos’ handling of the orchestra. I was guilty of writing off his ability in the past while listening to quite muddy sounding mono orchestral playing (even that 1987 YDSTM cd, as good as it was compared to other pressings pales in comparison to the new DES reproduction.)
There is now orchestral life and Mario is perfectly placed in the mix.
Please listen again, I do think you’ll love it.
Best wishes,
Vince.
Tony: Further to what Vince mentioned in his reply, I wonder if your TH-cam settings are affecting your appreciation of this DES version of "Che gelida manina"? I say that because you mentioned compression---and I can assure you that Mario's vocals are not remotely compressed here! If you go to the Setting "wheel" for this video, be sure to check that the "stable volume" option is turned off, as that will undoubtedly cause compression if it's on. This video should also be played at 1080p for the best resolution and sound.
I've compared this DES version many times with the YDSTM reproduction, and as good as the latter is (and it's certainly better than some of the super-tinny BMG reproductions), it does indeed have a muddier sound, as Vince has noted, with the added disadvantage that Mario is further back in the mix. I have never heard his high C sound clearer or more glorious than it does here.
Hi Derek and Vince. I listened again to "Che gelida manina" on TH-cam Music, with the proper audio settings, and on a very good set of headphones. You guys are right. I found it quite wonderful. I know the recording so well (as do you both) and I heard a very different version. I still question some spots in the recording that sounded "artificial" to me. Not an appropriate word but the best for now. I'm thrilled you guys are having success with the new DES recordings. If I had the money to buy more Lanza CDs and the space to store them, I'd probably spring for them. But for now I will have to content myself with what you good fellas share with us. I'd be interested in knowing what it was/is about DES that convinced you it was a real and truly authentic sound. You know, compared to what RCA did in the 70s with the simulated stereo, then the remastering in the 90s and also the really terrific things Mike McAdam produced. His STUDENT PRINCE compilation is really wonderful. I listened to it the other day. Anyway, thanks to you both for your messages and for encouraging me to have a second listen. With DES, and all the rest of the digitizing music these days, I am reminded of the Mercury Living Presence recordings done with one microphone. Such an innovative concept at the time and now it is part of antiquity. Happy Holidays to you both and to your dear families. Buon Natale!