Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy (Great Voices 7) [Hardcover]

Armando Cesari (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 2004 | Series: Great Voices (Book 7)

Preface by Placido Domingo. Second Edition: audio CD remastered by Derek McGovern and Vince Di Placido, updated discography and index.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

In this newest addition to Bakersville's Great Voices series, Cesari makes the convincing argument that Philadelphia-born Lanza, while one of America's greatest operatic singers, could also have been one of the world's great opera singers, carrying the torch passed on by Enrico Caruso. For Cesari, an Italian-born singer now living in Australia, this work is obviously a labor of love, and his passion comes through in his detailed recounting of Lanza's life. While his admiration for the singer occasionally veers towards the hagiographic, Cesari is careful to analyze Lanza's performances fairly, quoting reporters and reviewers at the time. It was Lanza's meteoric rise in popularity through film, Cesari notes, that drew fire from his most severe critics, who believed that Lanza's voice was too weak for the stage. But as many of the reviews and comments from well-known opera personalities show, this was hardly the case. What makes this book even more appealing (and what justifies its price) is the accompanying CD, which includes many pieces from Lanza's early career.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Touted as the successor to Enrico Caruso, Mario Lanza (1921-59) had a beautiful lirico spinto tenor of wide vocal range and could have become the primo donno of the opera world. But he loved the money he made from movies, recordings, and concerts and, plagued by depression, lacked self-confidence. When depressed, he turned to alcohol and food; later, whenever the film studios wanted him trim, he crash-dieted. That damaged his heart and liver, contributing to his early death. Cesari, who loves Lanza and regrets he never realized his potential, traces the singer's various projects, assessing successes and failures. He includes material gleaned from the news and 30 years' worth of interviews with Lanza's family and friends. Along with interpretive personal commentary, Cesari poignantly tells the tragic story of a beautiful voice and the sick personality behind it. Roland Bessette covered the same life in his 1999 biography, but Cesari writes with greater love and includes a CD of selected performances, more than 250 photographs, and complete listings of Lanza's recordings, films, and other performances. Alan Hirsch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 350 pages
• Publisher: Baskerville Publishers (February 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1880909669
• ISBN-13: 978-1880909669
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #914,314 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive Mario Lanza biography, February 3, 2004

By 

DJ McGovern "Derek McGovern" (Busan, South Korea) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy (Great Voices 7) (Hardcover)

"The definitive book about the legendary tenor Mario Lanza has been written. Anyone wanting to understand the successes and torments of the life of this American icon must read Armando Cesari's excellent biography." So wrote Dr. Lawrence Galante, Associate Professor at SUNY.

I heartily concur with Dr. Galante. This is the most balanced and well-researched account of Lanza's life yet written. Author Armando Cesari, an expert on singing and opera, has gone further than any previous biographer in uncovering the truth about Lanza the person and the artist. And *what* an artist! "He is Caruso's successor," the notoriously critical soprano Maria Callas once declared, adding in 1973 that the "biggest regret" of her career was "not having had the opportunity of singing with the greatest tenor" she had ever heard.

Sympathetic to Lanza, but at the same time frank about his shortcomings, Mr. Cesari is also the first biographer in over 40 years to possess the credentials necessary to give the tenor his full musical due.

The CD of rare live and home recordings that accompanies the book is a marvellous addition to a great biography. I should, however, declare my partiality here. It was I who wrote the liner notes for these items, something that I was honoured to do after realising the scale of Mr. Cesari's achievement here.

The book also includes a staggering 270 photos, many of which have never been published before.

Mario Lanza has long been the most controversial of all operatic artists. This biography finally establishes his true place among the greatest voices of the last hundred years. It is fitting that Mr. Cesari has included this hauntingly prophetic statement from the celebrated baritone Lawrence Tibbett: "In fifty years people will recognise Lanza for the great artist he is." Mr. Tibbett uttered those words 54 years ago. This book adds immeasurably to that recognition, and explains why singers as respected as the bass-baritone George London have hailed Lanza as the possessor of "the greatest singing instrument ever bestowed on a human being."

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Reclaiming Mario Lanza's Greatness, August 29, 2004

By 

C. M. Sciabarra "cmsciabarra" (Brooklyn, NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy (Great Voices 7) (Hardcover)

Cesari's book is a reclamation project: it is a successful attempt to reclaim Lanza's artistic legacy in a world that clings furiously to a false dichotomy between art and entertainment. It was an implicit acceptance of this conventional dualism that tore Mario Lanza's soul in two, and that lies at the base of the tragedy that Cesari describes. Despite unfulfilled promise, Lanza made an indelible mark on music, becoming, in effect, one of the first great "crossover" artists, who has inspired generations of singers, across genres, challenging the musical snobs of his time who sought to denigrate his remarkable achievements. Bravo to Cesari, and to the subject of his biography.

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Voice that will Never dim!, February 12, 2004

By 

j.p. fagan (plumsteadville, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mario Lanza: An American Tragedy (Great Voices 7) (Hardcover)

This biography of the great, late tenor is much more than just a comprehensive history of Mario's fabulous singing and his contributions to music. Mr Cesari places you in the mind of the often troubled artist and for the first time, you begin to understand the frustrations tormenting the Lanza genius. How does anyone handle a gift of possibly the finest tenor voice the world has ever known at such a tender age? A simple, sensitive and generous soul torn between the lure of the instant fame and money offered by Hollywood versus a burning desire to fulfill his destiny: grand opera! That he possesed the tools to become one of opera's immortals is well docummented by Mr Cesari through quotes and analysis by many of the well established singers and teachers of the art. After reading this compelling book, I wrote the following in honor of the Lanza voice:

Like a blazing comet it came to us, in all its stunning glory
Ever so brief but with a magical, unending story

Powered with thunder and lit by flashing light
Yet smoothed by silk, in spite of its might

Never before, never again, will we know such heavenly tone
For all to soon, the Creator called him back to home

Only a God could grant us such a gift, even if only to borrow
Thrilling us today .....and beckoning for tomorrow