Mario Lanza (birth name - Alfred Arnold Kokozza) - American tenor of Italian descent, actor, one of the brightest Hollywood stars of the late 1940s and 1950s. Hedda Hopper, a columnist for socialites, called him "the last of the greatest romantic artists." Until his death (in 1959), he retained the status of the world's most famous tenor.
Below is a biography of Mario Lanza, whose work served as an inspiration for famous musicians such as Elvis Presley, Muslim Magomayev and Mikhail Timofti.
early years
Mario Lanza was born on January 31, 1921 in Philadelphia. His mother, Maria, was originally from the Italian commune of Tocco da Casauria. Father - Antonio Kokozza - was from Filignano, a commune in the province of Isernia. From childhood, parents instilled in their son a love of classical music. He listened to the songs of famous singers and enthusiastically sang along with them. At the age of 16, Mario's vocal talent became apparent to others.
As a teenager, Mario took part in local opera productions organized by the Youth Christian Association (YMCA). Later, the main conductor of the Boston Symphony Orchestra Sergey Kusevitsky drew attention to his musical talent. In 1942, Kusevitsky provided young Kokozza with a full student scholarship to study at the Tanglewood Music Center. At that time, it was one of the main summer music schools in the USA. Some sources claim that Koussevitzky once said to Mario:
A voice like yours can be heard once every hundred years.
Opera career
The debut of Mario Lanza in the opera was the performance of Fenton's part in the opera by Otto Nikolai “Windsor Pranks”. His performance made a strong impression on the audience. On October 5, 1942, German theater director Herbert Graf wrote that Mario Lanza was a real find of the season for him.
The opera career of a budding musician was interrupted by the outbreak of World War II. Lanza was enrolled in the US Army Air Corps and performed at military bases as part of a concert band. He resumed his singing career in September 1945, performing at a concert in Atlantic City with a symphony orchestra under the direction of Herman Adler, who later became his mentor. The following month, Mario replaced the tenor Jean Pierce on the radio program “The Great Moments in Music” and from October 1945 to February 1946 held the post of presenter.
Mario Lanza gained invaluable knowledge during a 15-month training with Enrico Rosati. Being a popular opera performer, Lantsa always with deep respect and warmth recalled his mentor. Then, as part of the Belcanto Trio, he went on a concert tour of the USA, Canada and Mexico, which lasted from July 1947 to May 1948.
In April 1948, Lanza played two performances as Pinkerton in Madame Butterfly's opera Giacomo Puccini. After successful performances, he was invited to return to New Orleans to play the role of Alfredo in La Traviata by Giuseppe Verdi. The music of Mario Lanza could not leave anyone indifferent. Critics praised his talent and predicted a great future for him in the opera, but he rejected a generous offer and decided to devote himself to a film career. Shortly before his death, he was preparing to return to the opera - his only "true love", but these plans were not destined to come true.
Movie roles
Lance’s performance in August 1947 at the Hollywood Bowl Concert Hall made a great impression on American film producer Louis Bart Maier. He invited the talented opera singer to sign a 7-year contract with Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
Mario Lanza - best movie roles:
- “New Orleans Favorite” (1950) is a musical film in which Lantsa played the role of the poor fisherman Pepe Abellard Duvalier. His partner in the film was a talented actress and soprano singer Katherine Grayson.
- The Great Caruso (1951) is a film about the life of the Italian opera singer Enrico Caruso, played by Mario Lanza. The film was awarded an Oscar in the Best Sound category.
- “Because you are mine” (1952) is a love story of the popular tenor Renaldo Rossano and his lover Bridget Butterson performed by Mario Lanz and Doretta Morrow. “Because you are mine” became the fifth most popular film in England in 1953.
- “Serenade” (1956) - a musical melodrama, an adaptation of the novel by J. Kane. As in previous films with the participation of Lanzo, songs and arias from operas sounded in this brilliant performance of this film.
A family
In 1945, Mario Lanza married his sweetheart Betty Hicks. The newlyweds married in California. In marriage, they had four children: Colleen, Elissa, Damon and Mark.
Death
In April 1959, Mario suffered a heart attack. On August 27, he had a second heart attack, and he was treated at the Valle Giulia Roman Clinic for treatment. He was diagnosed with a heart attack and bilateral pneumonia.
Mario Lanza died on October 7, 1959 from a massive heart attack, all the circumstances of his death were not clarified until the end. Betty Lanza returned to Hollywood completely devastated. Five months later, she died from an overdose of drugs.
Creative heritage
In 1994, the outstanding tenor Jose Carreras admitted during his concert tour that he managed to become an opera singer only thanks to Mario Lanza. His equally outstanding colleague, Placido Domingo, in one of his interviews once said:
Lanz's passion and the way his voice sounded made me sing an opera. I actually owe my love for the opera ... to a child from Philadelphia.
Critics still ponder the scale of the personality of a unique artist whose talent is second to none. Mario Lanza's songs delight opera fans around the world. The following songs deserve special attention: La Donna E Mobile, The Loveliest Night of The Year, Because You're Mine, The Song Angels Sing, Ave Maria, Serenade, La Danza and others.
Mario Lanza won two stars on the Walk of Fame: for his contribution to the development of the film industry and for his contribution to the development of music.