Mario Lanza is a popular American actor, singer, performer of classical works, one of America's most famous tenors. He contributed to the development of opera music. Mario - inspired P. Domingo, L. Pavarotti, J. Carreras, A. Bocelli to start their operatic careers. His work was admired by recognized geniuses.
The story of the singer is an ongoing struggle. He constantly overcame difficulties on the way to success. First, Mario fought for the right to be a singer, then he struggled with the fear of self-doubt, which, by the way, accompanied him throughout his life.
Childhood and youth
The artist's date of birth is January 31, 1921. He was born in the Philadelphia area. Mario was brought up in a traditionally intelligent family. The mother devoted herself entirely to the home and the upbringing of her son. The head of the family was a man of strict morals. The former military man kept his son in a tight grip.
He changed several schools. Mario was a pretty smart student. Teachers as one noted his penchant for the sciences. He, in turn, was drawn to sports.
Mario was thinking about a military career. However, when a record with records by Enrico Caruso fell into his hands, his plans changed. Turning on the record - he could no longer stop. In a way, Enrico became a distance vocal teacher for Mario Lanza. He copied his singing, listening to the recording daily.
Further, he improves his vocal skills under the guidance of a professional teacher Antonio Scarduzzo. After some time, Irene Williams began to study with him. In addition, she helped organize Mario's first performances.
The mother, who was initially opposed to her son working as a singer, soon changed her mind. She left household chores and got several jobs at once in order to be able to pay for her son's vocal lessons. Soon he got to auditions for the composer Sergei Kusevitsky. The maestro revealed the talent of a teenager already in his own educational institution.
In the early 40s he was drafted into the army. Mario thought that with the draft for military service, music lessons would stop. However, they only intensified. Lanza performed on stage, singing patriotic songs. After the army he was doubly lucky. The fact is that she met Robert Weed. The man helped Mario get a job on the radio. For 5 whole months, Mario broadcast and went on the air to listeners.
The creative path of Mario Lanza
After some time, he came under the tutelage of a new vocal coach, who eventually introduced him to a music manager. Then there was an acquaintance with Enrico Rosati. During this period of time, the formation of Mario Lanza as an opera singer falls.
He skated the tour and joined the Belcanto Trio. Soon they performed at the Hollywood Bowl. Long-awaited popularity fell upon Mario. The performance of the singers was seen by the founder of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. After the concert, he approached Lanza and personally offered to sign a contract with his film studio.
It won't be long before MGM organizes a tour in support of the Midnight Kiss movie. After some time, he received an offer to try his hand at La Traviata, but by that time the film industry had completely captured Mario. Only in the last years of his life did he return to the stage again. The opera singer held a number of concerts in several countries around the world. At the end of his life he prepared for Pagliacci. Alas, he did not have time to please the fans of his work with the performance of vocal parts.
Films with the participation of the artist
For the first time on the set, he got during the filming of the tape "Midnight Kiss". It has already been noted above that after the organized tour, the performer took part in commercial recordings of LPs. He brilliantly performed an aria from La bohème by Giacomo Puccini. Mario instantly turned into one of the country's most popular entertainers.
In the early 50s of the last century, he tried on the role of the "Great Caruso". He took the role very seriously. On the eve of filming, he studied materials about Enrico. Mario looked at a photo of his idol, as well as from excerpts from performances, copied his facial expressions, manner of movement and presenting himself to the audience.
Then followed the pictures: “Because you are mine”, “The Lord's Prayer”, “Song of the Angels” and “Granada”, which today are considered to be classics of the genre. Participation in the film "Prince Student" began with the recording of the sound track. The director categorically did not like the way Mario presented the musical material. He denounced Lanz as lacking in emotion and sensuality. The singer did not hesitate. He also spoke unflatteringly about the director and simply left the set. Mario terminated the contract with the film studio.
Such an outburst cost the tenor not only nerves. He paid the fine for the penalty. In addition, the opera singer was banned from performing on stage. He found solace in the abuse of liquor. He would later return to the film industry, but at Warner Bros. During this period of time, he appeared in the film "Serenade". He independently chose the tracks for the film. So, music lovers enjoyed the sensual performance of the immortal musical work Ave Maria.
Then Mario started recording LPs, organizing concerts and tours. It should be given credit - the singer could no longer perform as before. The tenor's health was too shaken.
Details of Mario Lanza's personal life
Mario throughout his life remained the favorite of the fairer sex. The artist found true love in the face of a charming woman named Elizabeth Jeannette.
Lanza would later say that he fell in love with Jeannette at first sight. He beautifully courted the girl, and in the mid-40s of the last century, the couple played a wedding. In this marriage, the couple had four children.
Death of Mario Lanza
In mid-April 1958 he gave his last concert. Then Mario sat down in a recording studio. Lanza prepared musical accompaniments for films.
A year later he was hospitalized. The doctors gave the artist a disappointing diagnosis - a heart attack and pneumonia. Lanza went through a long rehabilitation. When he was discharged, the first thing he did was go to work.
The last work of the singer was "The Lord's Prayer". Despite such a young age, he again ended up in a hospital bed. This time he was crippled by arterial sclerosis, as well as life-threatening high blood pressure.
He felt better in early October. Mario told the doctors that he was feeling great. He asked the doctors to discharge him from the hospital. However, he was gone the next day. The cause of death was a massive heart attack. The date of the artist's death is October 7, 1959.
The wife was very upset by the death of her beloved. She found her only solace in drugs. Every day, the woman used illegal drugs, in the hope that she could turn off her memory and forget about her situation. Six months later, Jeannette died of a drug overdose.
