When I was a young girl, my parents had a 78 rpm vinyl record of love songs from their era. Mario Lanza had recorded a song in English called "Be my Love" (.....for no one else can end this yearning..) I remember how much they loved that song and how they would sing along and dance to it. When my younger brother was a toddler, each time he would hear it, he would start jumping up and down in the baby seat/walker that babies used at that time. My parents would talk about the effect of Mario Lanza's voice on him for decades to come. Somehow, it symbolized the love that emanated from that voice throughout our home. I can still hear the song and if I close my eyes, I can still see my parents. Such a powerful voice on many levels!
A good old fashion voice. So manly and romantic... And handsome.
I don't have anything against Justin Bieber, but I can't understand how nowadays, he is concidered as "sexy" with his looks and voice.
Mario Lanza's bella voce: very great old memories of my childhood watching my father in amazement playing and replaying with enthralled pleasure the 78 rpm old discs with scratchy sound at my grandmother's home . . . ahhh - sighing - those were the days. I thank you for having it posted. Shalom
My Mom, God rest her, also introduced me to Mario Lanza. A voice like that could not be taught or captured fully. I could only imagine how amazing it was to hear him sing live.
I can imagine. Mario was warm, charming, handsome and a magnificent performer. He was "the greatest voice of the century," according to Toscanini. He was even more than that. He was the heart of passion. A new book about Mario captures this so well: "A Kid from Philadelphia, Mario Lanza, the Voice of the Poets." It expresses what we feel in this marvelous Neapolitan song that only he could sing with the emotion of a lover and artist.