Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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30 of 30 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Student Prince - Lanza's romantic triumph, September 28, 2000
The magnificent Serenade from the Student Prince was the first Lanza recording I ever heard, and to this day it sends shivers down my spine. What a feast, then, to have its companion pieces issued on one CD. The Student Prince was one of Lanza's greatest achievements, with the tenor producing some of his most ardent and poetic singing. The highlights are undoubtedly the joyful Drinking Song; the inspired I'll Walk With God; the aforementioned Serenade; and the passionate Beloved - arguably Lanza's best recording of an English song.
Fans should note that with the exception of the 1953 Beloved, The Student Prince was recorded in 1952 - not 1954 as stated on the CD. This is the soundtrack of the 1954 movie The Student Prince, and is light years removed from Lanza's illness-affected remake of the operetta in 1959. There is one caveat, however: for contractual reasons the soprano Elizabeth Doubleday, who appears with the tenor on two tracks here, replaces Ann Blyth, Lanza's vocal partner on the actual soundtrack. Doubleday's contribution was recorded separately, with the disconcerting result that on Deep in My Heart, Dear, she sings both the soprano and the tenor parts in the middle of the song. Lanza's only contribution on this number is the magically phrased opening, which RCA clumsily repeats at the end. (For the original version, listeners will need to get hold of the movie itself, or settle for the slightly lesser outtake with Ann Blyth that features on the CD Mario Lanza At MGM.)
Romberg's The Desert Song concludes the CD. While vocally not in the same class as The Student Prince, there are a few highlights: the haunting One Alone; Azuri's Dance; and the formidable One Flower Grows Alone In Your Garden, with its difficult tessitura. The Desert Song was Lanza's final recording, made less than two months before his death in October, 1959. Astonishingly, the album was recorded at a time when the tenor was enduring a bout of double pneumonia (in addition to numerous other ailments). Tired though he understandably is here, the magnificent voice is still intact. But for Lanza at his romantic best, buy this CD for The Student Prince selections alone.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great singing by the incomparable Mario Lanza, August 1, 2002
The Student Prince and The Desert Song are fine operettas which would be a pleasure to hear sung by any competent tenor. But this recording isn't sung by just any compatent tenor, it's sung by one of the greatest tenors ever recorded, Mario Lanza. And, therefore, this CD is very special. Lanza had the unique ability to sing romantic songs -- such as Golden Days and Deep in My heart Dear -- tenderly and with genuine feeling and then belt out more exhuberent songs with unrivalled power and passion. Regrettable, many people still do not take this great tenor seriously because he made his career in movies rather than opera houses. But if you will listen to Lanza with unbiased ears you will hear a glorious voice unmatched by the most acclaimed tenors of the current period. Domingo and Pavorotti are very good -- Lanza was great.
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17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the greatest tenors ever, January 8, 2001
Mario Lanza is undoubtedly one of the greatest tenors ever. Taken at the young age of 38, the world lost a tremendous talent. But at least we still have his many recordings to remind us of what once was. This album comprises the recordings for "The Student Prince" and "The Desert Song" all digitally remastered. "The Student Prince" recordings are from the soundtrack of the movie, one that Lanza did not get to star in. Edmund Purdom was chosen to star, and Lanza's voice was dubbed into the soundtrack. Baffling! The recordings of "The Desert Song" were recorded just a few short months before his untimely death on October 7, 1959. He is sorely missed.
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