Tenor mario lanza biography wikipedia

In his early teens he could discuss operatic arias and plots with authority. His first formal music training consisted of violin lessons, but his heart remained with opera. His response was shocked, sincere, and immediate. Repeating the words Caruso redivivus, the maestro made immediate plans for Freddy to sing at Tanglewood.

Tenor mario lanza biography wikipedia: Mario Lanza (31 January – 7

The War Years With the world at war it was not long before Mario was drafted. These days also brought into his life the charming sister of an Army buddy, Betty Hicks. It was love at first sight and they were married on April 13, In the film, Caruso makes his American debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Verdi 's Aida and is met with silence from the audience and scathing critical reviews.

In reality, Caruso's Met debut in Rigoletto was very well-received, and he became an immediate favorite with New York audiences and critics. Giulio Gatti-Casazza is depicted in the film as the general manager of the Metropolitan Opera at the time of Caruso's debut there in In reality, Gatti-Casazza did not arrive at the Met untilfive years after Caruso's debut, replacing the previous general manager Heinrich Conried.

Mario's talent shone through, and he was later selected to host the radio series "Great Moments in Music. Weiler arranged for him to audition with Enrico Rosati, a vocal teacher who had previously trained the renowned tenor Beniamino Gigli. Rosati was impressed by Mario's voice and agreed to instruct him.

Tenor mario lanza biography wikipedia: Mario Lanza: The American

Mario studied under Rosati for 15 months, despite occasional conflicts due to his aversion to studying. He was grateful to Rosati for the invaluable knowledge and skills he imparted. Mario embarked on concert tours, including one in Canada with soprano Agnes Davis from October to November The trio gained significant attention during their performances.

Critics praised his exceptional talent and beautiful voice.

Tenor mario lanza biography wikipedia: A wild, incendiary Philadelphia kid who

However, this would be his only full-scale opera performance. His burgeoning film career led him down a different path. Starting out in local operatic productions in Philadelphia for the YMCA Opera Company while still in his teens, he later came to the attention of longtime —49 principal Boston Symphony conductor Serge Koussevitzky. InKoussevitzky provided young Cocozza with a full student scholarship to the Berkshire Music Center at Tanglewood, Massachusetts.

Reportedly, Koussevitzky later told him "Yours is a voice such as is heard once in a hundred years. This was when Cocozza adopted the stage name Mario Lanza for its similarity to his mother's maiden name, Maria Lanza.

Tenor mario lanza biography wikipedia: Mario Lanza was an

Music critic Jay C. Army Air Corps. He appeared in the wartime shows On the Beam and Winged Victory. He also appeared in the film version of the latter albeit as an unrecognizable member of the chorus.