Rudolf Friml: The Vagabond King

Track Listings

1. The Vagabond King

Editorial Reviews
Album Description
The 15th century poet Francois Villon, between scrapes with the law in Paris, wrote lyrics both poignant and bawdy. At the end of the 19th century, novelist R.H. Russell sentimentalized his career in a plot that borrowed the king-for-a-day motif, thus allowing Villon to defeat France's enemies and win the hand of an aristocratic lady, all in under 24 hours. Adapted as a play in 1901, by New York writer Justin McCarthy, If I Were King served as a star vehicle for E.H. Southern in a Broadway stage production. In 1923, Richard Rogers and Lorenz Hart were at the very start of their careers. They devised a musical version of the McCarthy play for a Manhattan girl's school and then looked for a more prestigious venue for their collaboration. Broadway backers turned down the young artists, but liked their idea, "borrowed" it from Rodgers and Hart and commissioned the more established Rudolf Friml to fashion a professional musical from the plot. Friml's Rose Marie was then enjoying great success in New York. Born in what is today the Czech Republic in 1897, Friml enrolled at age 14 in the Prague Conservatory (which was headed by Dvorak) and completed the six-year course in three years. He toured Europe and the United States as accompanist for violinist Jan Kubelik and made a piano debut in this country onstage at Carnegie Hall in 1904. Walter Damrosch and the New York Symphony premiered his Piano Concerto two seasons later, with the composer at the piano. Friml's true calling was as a composer of songs. In 1912, he was called in by Arthur Hammerstein to complete the music for a new work which Victor Herbert had abandoned, owing to a run-in with a temperamental soprano. The resulting operetta, The Firefly, was his first Broadway success, and would be followed by many others. Friml continued to live in America for much of the 20th century long after his sentimental musical style was considered old fashioned. As late as 1969, he was celebrated by Ogden Nash on the occasion of his 90th birthday in a couplet which ended: "I trust your conclusion and mine are similar: 'Twould be a happier world if it were Frimler."

Tracks:

Song of the Vagabonds
I'm Falling in Love With Someone
Streets of New York
Neapolitan Love Song
Desert Song/One Alone
Every Day Is Ladies' Day with Me
Donkey Serenade
Softly, As in a Morning Sunrise
Drinking Song
When You're Away
I Love to Go Swimmin' With Wimmin
I Might Be Your Once-In-A-While
Marianne
Serenade
Indian Summer
When I Grow Too Old to Dream
Gypsy Love Song
Golden Days - Jerry Hadley, Mario Lanza

San Francisco and Other Jeanette MacDonald Favorites

Average customer rating:

Jeanette MacDonald Favorites
A MUST for any Jeanette fan!
Jeanette MacDonald Was Unique
An excellent demonstration of Jeanette MacDonald's artistry

San Francisco and Other Jeanette MacDonald Favorites

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
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When I'm Calling You
Love's Old Songs
Ah Sweet Mystery of Life: Anthology (1931-1938)
San Francisco
Through the Years

ASIN: B000003F6P
Release Date: 1991-11-09

Tracks:

Ciribiribin
The Firefly: Giannina mia
The Firefly: The Donkey Serenade
Naughty Marietta: Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life
Naughty Marietta: Italian Street Song
New Moon: Lover Come Back To Me
New Moon: One Kiss
Smilin' Through: Land Of Hope And Glory
Rose Marie: Indian Love Call
San Francisco
The Holy City
Love Parade: March Of The Grenadiers
Monte Carlo: Beyond The Blue Horizon
The Fortune Teller: Romany Life
The Vagabond King: Only A Rose
Les filles de Cadiz
Ave Maria
Songs My Mother Taught Me
Romeo et Juliette: Je veux vivre dans ce reve
Faust: Il etait un roi de Thule
Faust: Air des bijoux
Louise: Depuis le jour

Customer Reviews:

Jeanette MacDonald Favorites.......2007-05-13

This CD is an incredible testimony and celebration of an American Master Singer.
A must have for all. An introduction to quality and good taste for a new generation of music lovers.

A MUST for any Jeanette fan!.......2006-04-25

This CD is a gem! The songs included on it are beautiful and show off MacDonald's incredible voice. The best part of this CD, however, is the sound quality. Unlike many of her other recordings, and those featuring her with frequent costar Nelson Eddy, the sound on this CD is pristine, and you can barely tell the recordings are 50+ years old!

Jeanette MacDonald Was Unique.......2001-03-12

It really doesn't matter whether or not she could sing; Jeanette MacDonald was unique. On these old recordings, her voice sounds thin and watery, and contemporary tastes do not respond so readily to the sentimentality and predictability of her movies. But she was a gracious lady and glittering presence on the silver screen. These film songs do suggest the excitement she generated when her movies first appeared. And how many truly major singers she inspired! Joan Sutherland recalled meeting MacDonald a few years before her death. Said Sutherland: "I still had stars in my eyes."

An excellent demonstration of Jeanette MacDonald's artistry.......1998-12-18

The highlights of this Jeanette MacDonald CD include her excellent singing of Delibes' "Les Filles de Cadiz," the Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria," and the "Jewel Song" from "Faust." A much-underrated artist, MacDonald proves here that she can handle a wide range of music, from concert songs and opera arias to familiar tunes from her operetta films. Particularly fine are her renditions of "Only a Rose," and Herbert's "Romany Life" (in spite of an amateurish male chorus). Highly recommended not only as a tribute to filmdom's first lady of song, but also to listeners who enjoy both opera and musical comedy.

Average customer rating:

A mixed bag of romantic offerings
The best tenor ever
The greatest singer of all time!

Be My Love

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You'll Never Walk Alone
Lanza: Greatest Hits
Mario Lanza Sings Songs From The Student Prince & The Desert Song / Romberg
Christmas with Mario Lanza
The Great Caruso/Sings Caruso Favorites

ASIN: B000003F3C
Release Date: 1991-01-18

Tracks:

Be My Love (The Toast Of New Orleans)
Serenade (The Student Prince)
Temptation (Going Hollywood)
Wanting You (The New Moon)
I'll Be Seeing You (The Royal Palm Revue)
With A Song In My Heart (Spring Is Here)
Without A Song (Great Day)
Danny Boy (Londonderry Air)
My Wild Irish Rose
And This Is My Beloved (Kismet)
Because
Only A Rose (The Vagabond King)
Funiculi, Funicula
Come Back To Sorrento
Maria Mari'
O Sole Mio
Neapolitan Love Song
Arriverderci, Roma
Ah! Sweet Mystery Of Life (Naughty Marietta)
Look For The Silver Lining (Sally)
Memories
The Song Is You (Music In The Air)
Ave Maria
You'll Never Walk Alone (Carousel)

Customer Reviews:

A mixed bag of romantic offerings.......2001-12-17

BMG's Lanza collections are usually a mixed bag, and this album of love songs is no exception. Interspersed with some magnificent performances are an assortment of the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Part of the problem, I suspect, is that BMG simply doesn't appreciate what treasures it has buried in its recording vaults. It's enough to bring back Lanza from the grave, swearing in High C (as Time Magazine once tut-tutted) at the injustice of it all.

Lanza, in fairness to BMG, was an inconsistent performer. In the earlier part of his brief career, he had a tendency to sing sharp, and at times his approach to various arias and songs lacked sensitivity. That's not to say he couldn't get it right. At his best he was extraordinary, combining one of the most powerful voices on record with just the right degree of melting mezza voce and a dazzling array of vocal colours. His sense of phrasing was, as Enrico Caruso Jr noted, "instinctively right", and his ability to get into the heart of a song was unquestionable. Even at his roughest, his singing was usually compelling, and one could never label any of his performances "boring".

The bad recordings generally fall into three periods of his life: the Coca-Cola Radio shows of 1951-52, the disastrous Lanza on Broadway album of 1956, and the illness-affected stereo remakes of his Christmas Carols and Student Prince albums, both recorded in 1959, the year of his death. The present CD includes material from the first two periods.

The "Coke" shows, as I've opined in a number of other reviews, produced some amazing performances of both arias and love songs. Unfortunately, however, lack of rehearsal time coupled with poor arrangements often led to the kind of wild, unrestrained singing that Lanza's detractors love to attack (while at the same time overlooking his great performances). On this CD, a number of Coke recordings were released for the first time: Danny Boy; My Wild Irish Rose; Neapolitan Love Song; and Torna a Surriento. The first two are lovely, notwithstanding a poor ending on Danny Boy and some uncertain moments in the tenor's lower register in this song. Victor Herbert's Neapolitan Song contains some piercingly sharp singing, a rough ending and some agreeable mezza voce. Torna a Surriento is too fast, too unpolished and not a patch on the piano accompaniment-only version that Lanza recorded three years later for the movie Serenade.

Among the other Coke selections is the sublime Memories, and the alternately touching and thrilling I'll Be Seeing You, with a B Flat climax that will knock your socks off. Wanting You is rough and exciting in equal measure - ditto the powerhouse Ah Sweet Mystery of Life with its ridiculously fast tempo.

Two songs from the ill-fated Lanza on Broadway album have been inexplicably included, though it must be said that at least these represent the better moments from this dreadful session. You'll Never Walk Alone contains more sharp singing, uneven rhythm and a certain bleariness, while the Borodin-adapted And This Is My Beloved is alternately belted and seductive. Incidentally, Lanza recorded a superior version of You'll Never Walk Alone for his Coke Shows; this is featured on the CD of the same name.

The real highlights for me are the immortal Serenade from The Student Prince; a thrilling Only a Rose (recorded three months after the Lanza on Broadway session and featuring a completely different voice); the aforementioned My Wild Irish Rose & I'll Be Seeing You and a mature rendition of Schubert's Ave Maria. Fans will also enjoy Arrivederci, Roma, and the ubiquitous Be My Love.

All in all an enjoyable hour, but if only more thought had been put into some of the selections...

The best tenor ever.......2001-03-01

Mario Lanza is indeed my favourite of all tenors either living or not. I must have almost everything he ever recorded. This album has a whopping 24 tracks including 5 previously unreleased recordings, which make this a must for any true fan of Lanza. This album has some of his most romantic songs, mostly from stage and film. You won't find any opera here, which is fine, there's plenty of his other albums that have that. These are songs that are guaranteed to stir your heart and soul while Mario's voice will melt them. This is a must-have and at this price there's no reason not to have it.

The greatest singer of all time!.......2000-06-29

This is one of the greatest compilations of Tenor Mario Lanza, The Voice of the Century, ever made. Mario Lanza had such a broad, well focused voice and he is represented to good measure here on songs like "Wanting You", "Neapolitan Love Song", and "Without a Song". On these selections one hears how the Lanza voice had a largeness, depth, and warmth from the bottom all the way to the very top. One will never hear songs like "O Danny Boy", "My Wild Irish Rose", "You'll Never Walk Alone", "Torna Surriento", "O Solo Mio", and "Ah! Sweet Mystery of Life" sung any better or with more feeling. My favorite on this CD, "And this is my Beloved" from Kismet displays the full Lanza Range. This, in my opinion, is one of the greatest single recordings ever made. Here Mario sings the most melting pianissimo and builds to an exciting, full bodied, heart stopping fortissimo High B flat. What passion! The particular recording of "Only a Rose" on this album has been regrettably absent from the catalogs for quite some time. It is a shame too, because Lanza makes this Vagabond King selection sound free and effortless like only Mario Lanza could. Lanza takes the listener through a guided tour, so speak, of truly the greatest singing the world has ever heard. After hearing the final selection, "You'll Never Walk Alone", there won't be a dry eye in the house. This, along with the "Don't Forget Me" Lanza CD, is one of the greatest single CD collections ever put together of Mario, or anyone else for that matter. Lanza was the greatest singer of all time and this is a must have album. The sooner you own this one, the better.

Average customer rating:

Few Could Sing Neapolitan Songs like Lanza
Canto Neapolitane
GREAT!!!!!
world's greatest tenor
I've fallen in love again

Mario Lanza: At His Best!

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Lanza: Greatest Hits
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The MARIO LANZA Collection
For the First Time/Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites
Christmas with Mario Lanza

ASIN: B000003FVR
Release Date: 1995-05-15

Tracks:

Funiculi Funicula
Dicitencello Vuie
Maria Mari
Voce 'E Notte
Canta Pe' Me
O Surdato 'Namurato
Comme Facette Mammeta?
Santa Lucia Luntana
Fenesta Che Lucive
Tu Ca Nun Chiagne
'Na sera 'e maggio
Passione
Drinking Song
Some Day
Love Me Tonight
Only A Rose
Tomorrow
Nocturne
Song Of The Vagabonds
Finale

Customer Reviews:

Few Could Sing Neapolitan Songs like Lanza.......2007-03-13

Neapolitan music is very special and unique. It requires singing from the soul and heart and a voice that articulates the language and its many nuances

Mario Lanza was not Neapolitan but he mastered the dialect and the music and the lyrics in a way that few have been able to articulate. As always, Lanza gives a wonderful performance on this album which does not need or deserve the pieces from the Vagabond King.

The greatest voice of this century and the twentieth century comes out in this splendid work. Just having the Neapolitan songs sung by Mario is worth the cost. I recommend it highly for lovers of the best and brightest, like Lanza was.

Canto Neapolitane.......2006-02-08

This was the last album Lanza recorded in which he was able to muster all his vocal splendor and create what remains perhaps the most passionately interpreted set of Neapolitan songs ever recorded by any tenor in history ( a close second being recordings by di Stefano, Corelli and Sergio Franchi).

Lanzas diction is uncannily Neapolitan, which is no mean feat considering that the Neapolitan dialect is all but impossile to duplicate by anyone not born and raised in the region. Even such greats as Corelli and del Monaco had problems with it and the much over-rated Pavarotti never even came close.
Lanza nailed it!

The song selection is great with the exception of Funicula...that song doesn't work no matter who sings it.
My personal favs are Dichitenchello Vuie, Voce la Notte, and Passione...Canta'p'me being a close second.
Lanzas gift for pouring his every emotion into his singing really comes forth on these songs. Moreso even than on any of his operatic selections which are peerless in their own right.
However; in my mind, Lanza always did his best work on the Neapolitan songs.

The songs from the soundtrack of the film "The Vagabond King" are about as lame as can be. They are right along the usual line of Hollywood junk which Lanza recorded too much of in his short career.
Thus the 4 star rating. I turn the CD off once the Neapolitan stuff is over with.

The only other major distraction here is not due to anything Mario could have controlled or done differently. It's in that that RCA decided to release this album in this then newly discovered "stereo surround" format, which was nothing more than overblown reverb effects. This worked well for a thin voiced Elvis, but it didn't fare to well with this type of material or Marios larger than life voice.

In the end, this is, and always will be a collection of the finest sung Neapolitan songs ever recorded.

Bravo Commendatore Lanza! Bravo!

GREAT!!!!!.......2005-11-26

If your gong to get one Mario Lanza CD or CD Set get the Mario Lanza Collection, But if you want to get one more, get this one, Mario Lanza At His Best. This is one CD (not a set like the collection) which contain many beautiful Italian folk songs and then competes with the songs from Lanza's Movie, The vagabond king. Lanza sings wonderful renditions of Funiculi Funicula, Dicitencello Vuie (just beautiful), Maria Mari (my Grandmothers favorite song), Voce e' Notte, Canta pe' Me, O Surdato Namurato, Comme Facette Mammeta?, Santa Lucia Luntana, Fenesta Che Lucive, Ta Ca Nun Chiagne, 'Na Sera 'e Maggio, and Passione (Which is just beautiful. Then the CD moves to the songs form the vagabond King; Drinking Song, Some day, Love Me Tonight, only A Rose, Tomorrow, Nocturne, Song of the vagabonds and Finale all well done. Judy Rasking sings with Mario on Some day, Only A Rose, Tomorrow, and Finale.

world's greatest tenor.......2005-10-29

Mario Lanza was a singer who possessed an absolutely glorious voice. soaring and beautiful, with a deep rich tone. He sings exclusively in his native Italian language on these recordings and the record is in two parts. the first 12 songs are more operatic in structure, containing moody, solemn passages in which Lanza's voice excels in the passion and romantic solitude that this kind of music is so well at expressing. the remaining eight tracks are a series called The Vagabond King and it's song structures are a little bit more of the old Hollywood variety, beginning with the cheery "Drinking Song" (which was a high rated hit in the u.s.). Mario is joined by soprano Judith Raskin on 4 of the songs and his singing is in English for these songs. this is a great introduction to the world of this fabulous singer.

I've fallen in love again.......2003-01-12

I had this as a LP record many years ago, and was absolutely thrilled to find the CD. I had always loved Lanza's voice, but I now realize that he was without a doubt one of the best tenor voices of the century. His ability to sing so many different types of songs is astounding. His voice is strong, filled with emotion and in some of the songs you can hear that he is hugely enjoying himself. What an incredible pity that he died at such a young age and was never able to fulfill all that he could have been.

Jussi Björling Edition: Studio Recordings 1930-1959

Average customer rating:

Superb!
Beatiful singing - but where are the Swedish texts?
if you like bjorling this is the best thing you can get!
The ULTIMATE Collection
Definitive survey of one of the finest singers on record

Jussi Björling Edition: Studio Recordings 1930-1959

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000002S9L
Release Date: 1998-01-20

Tracks:

Aida: Se quel guerrier...Celeste Aida
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
Tosca: Recondita armonia
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
La fanciulla del West: Ch'ella mi creda
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
L'africaine: Mi batte Il cor...O paradiso
Ideale
O sole mio
The Vagabond King: Only A Rose
For You Alone
Manon: Instant Carmant ... En ferman les yeux
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee
Faust: Salut! demeure chaste et pure
Martha: M'appari tutt'amor
Martha: Cujus animam
Messa da requiem: Ingemisco
Il Trovatore: Ah si ben mio
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
Il Trovatore: Ah si, ben mio
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira
Rigoletto: Questa o quella

Tracks:

La Boheme: O soave faniculla
Rigoletto: E il sol dell'anima
Rigoletto: Questa o quella
Un Ballo in Maschera: Di' tu se fedele
Turnadot: Nessun dorma!
Andrea Chenier: Come un bel di di maggio
Fedora: Amor ti vieta
Cavalleria Rusticana: Mamma!...Quel vino
Pagliacci: Recita! ... Vesti la giubba
Mattinata
L'Elisir D'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Les Pecheurs De Perles: Je crois entendre encore
Romeo et Juliette: Ah! leve-tol, soleil!
Manon: Je suis seul! ... Ah! fuyez, douce image
L'arlesiana: E la solita storia
Cavalleria Rusticana: O Lola
Manon Lescaut: Donna non vidi mai
Tosca: Recondita armonia
Tosca: E lucevan le stelle
La Boheme: O soave fanciulla
Romeo et Juliette: Ange adorable
Jocelyn: Concealed In This Retreat
L'albe separa dalla luve l'ombra

Tracks:

Romeo et Juliette: Hoj dig, du klara sol
Rigoletto: O, I kvinnor: Questa o quella
L'illustre Fregona: Fylld av vemod sanker sig natten: Melancolque tombe le soir
Knyaz (Prince) Igor: Dagen gick langsamt till ro: Vladimir's Cavatina: Medlenno den' ugasal
Tosca: Det skona star att finna: Ricondita armonia
Tosca: Ja minns stjarnorna lyste: E lucevan le stelle
Rigoletto: Ack, som ett fjun sa latt: La donna e mobile
Il Trovatore: Skyhogt mot himlen
Pagliacci: Spela komedi! ... Pudra ditt anlet: Recitar! ... Vesti la giubba
Cavalleria Rusticana: O Lola
La fanciulla del West: Lat henne tro: Ch'ella mi creda
Fanal: I manner over lag och ratt
Sadko: I sonderns hav
La Belle Helene: Uti en skog pa berget Ida
Der Zigeunerbaron: Vem har oss vigt?
Der Bettelstudent: Skall jag tala ... Antag det fall
Der Bettelstudent: Ny ar jag pank och fagelgri: Ich hab keion Geld, bin vogelfrei
Nar hag for mig shalv i morka skogen gar
Bland skogens hoga furustammar
Ack Varmeland, du skona
Allt under himmelens faste
Tonerna
Sommarnatt: I de lyse naetter
Ett Folk: Sverige
Land, du valsignade
Namner du Sverige

Tracks:

Adelaide
Morgen
Cacilie
Bon i ofredstid
Bisp Thomas frihetssang
In The Silence Of Night
Siren: Lilacs
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Because
Sylvia
A Spirit Flower
Ah, Love But A Day
Tonerna: I Bless Ev'ry Hour
Till havs
Sangen till havest
Visa king slandblom och manskara
Jungfrun under lind
Kung Helmer och Aslog
Trollsjon
Sa tag mit hjerte
Demanten pa marssnon
Cantique de Noel: Julsang (O helga natt) : Cantique de Noel

Amazon.com

This set tells you why Jussi Bjorling is a perennial entrant in the "Tenor of the Century" sweepstakes. Even as the voice darkens from the light lyric to the full, darker instrument of the later recordings, we hear a singer whose elegant style, lovely timbre and innate musicality touch the heart. Many of the selections are sung in Swedish, less of a liability than you might suppose. In whatever language, Bjorling's molten gold flows lavishly. He eschews the sobs and sentimentality that disfigure so much verismo repertory, making his points with stylish vocalism. He's been called a "cool" singer, but try his Puccini and Verdi arias on Disc One and you'll find more than enough vocal and emotional heat. The selections include many neglected Scandinavian songs, sung, like the arias, with a naturalness that disarms criticism. -- Dan Davis

Amazon.com

Swedish tenor Jussi Björling gets many votes for the distinction of greatest all-time tenor. Up to the end, the voice projected a boyish vulnerability, though he also had enough stentorian power to sing the heavy Puccini roles and was ready to take on Lohengrin when he died. He was so deeply musical he eschewed the usual tenor vulgarity without ever slighting the music's theatricality. Even these four well-filled discs of arias and songs can't fully encompass the vocal riches he left behind, but there's a lot here, much of it from his earliest years and (hope you don't mind) sung in a Swedish translation. --David Patrick Stearns

Customer Reviews:

Superb!.......2001-07-29

This is an wonderful compilation of one of the most incredible voices on record. Whether you are a new or old Bjorling fan -- and who could hear that voice and not be enthralled by it -- this is a fine CD to have. The quality of the recording is excellent, and the range in years, from 1930 to 1959, gives a splendid overview of his dazzling talent. In addition to many of the arias one might expect, there are also lieder and songs in Swedish, as well as some charming duets with Jussi's wife, Anna-Lisa. I have quite a few other Bjorling CDs, and this is one of the best in terms of quality and scope. It is a most worthy addition to any Bjorling collection, regardless of its size.

Beatiful singing - but where are the Swedish texts?.......2001-06-22

This is an excellent collection, the best available overview of a great tenor.

This would get 4 stars but has been marked down for only supplying token texts and translations in the large booklet. It is understandable (sort of) that the Italian opera excerpts don't merit texts and translations as (apart from the Callas recitals series) EMI generally doesn't provide texts with historical issues. However the tempting inclusion of a dozen or so texts to the Italian and Swedish songs makes one all the more aware of the miserliness of not providing all the texts.

if you like bjorling this is the best thing you can get!.......2000-06-26

this is so awesome, i love his voice, this is good for anyone, the professional or just someone who wants to hear the greatest tenor of all times! this is so great

The ULTIMATE Collection.......1999-11-02

When starting my Bjorling collection, I saw MANY CDs, with his early recordings. I was in a quandry as to what to buy, UNTIL I found this set. TRULY remarkable in many levels.FIRST and foremost, the voice. Captured in all levels, from the earliest to the latest. Truly wonderful, and the Swedish versions are a real treat to hear, don't worry, the Italian versions are here too!!Secondly, the remastering process. This set was remastered at Abbey Studios in London. For the first time I've heard, they actually pressed NEW 78s from the metal plates, and THEN remastered the new discs!!! Inspired, and the results--incredible.I find myself listening to Disc 3 the most. Very interesting, as it is the Swedish one. When the songs are terrific, along with the "standard" tenor arias, and it all comes together, it is PURE MAGIC!! I will admit that due to time limitations of recordings of this era, the opera house Bjorling is not fully conveyed. There are other CDs for that. Most notably "Romeo and Juliet", and for a REAL thrill, his ATLANTA concert, in STEREO, so much so, that the piano is even divided; left hand left, right hand right. Wait a minute, am I playing TWISTER??:-)) But if you want to skip all those unknown labels, you couldn't have a MORE complete set. ALL wit the great remastering I spoke of. Bjorling--His voice will NEVER die, at least in MY house!!!

Definitive survey of one of the finest singers on record.......1998-09-25

Jussi Bjoerling was one of the greatest singers of the century. His voice is pure, effortless and yet thrilling. Even better than the quality of the voice is his style. He never scoops up to a note nor does he ever whoop down from one, instead, he uses perfect legato and faultless intonation to deliver the cleanest sound you'll ever hear from a tenor.

Tracks:

The Student Prince: Ser: Overhead The Moon Is Beaming - Richard Crooks/Lewis James
Ah, Sweet Mystery Of Life
The Song Of Songs
When You're Away
Rio Rita
Only A Rose
Because
I Bring A Love Song - Richard Crooks/Edna Kellogg
Vienna, City Of My Dreams
Only My Song
Gipsy Moon
Macushla
Smilin' Through
If I Should Send A Rose To You
The Holy City - Richard Crooks/Herbert Dawson
Songs My Mother Taught Me - Richard Crooks/Frederick Schauwecker
Beautiful Dreamer - Richard Crooks/Frank La Forge
Oh, Susannah! - Richard Crooks/The Balladeers Male Qt/Frank La Forge/Ralph Colicchio
Ah, May The Red Rose Live Alway - Richard Crooks/Frank La Forge
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair - Richard Crooks/Frank La Forge
Ser - Richard Crooks/Frederick Schauwecker
Be Thou Faithful Unto Death

Customer Reviews:

A truly awesome voice!.......2000-06-02

"A Richard Crooks Serenade" is a marvelous sampling of one of the greatest singers America had produced in the 30's and 40's. One gets to witness that honey Crooks sound in such classics as Ah, "Sweet Mystery of Life" (catch that magnificent High C at the end), "Macushla", the three Stephen Foster songs, and "If I should Send a Rose to You" (sort of Crook's theme song). This entire CD is a gem, but some REAL standouts are "The Holy City", "Because", "Be Thou Faithful Unto Death" (from the seldom performed St Paul by Mendelssohn). "Be Thou Faithful" will literally tug at your heartstrings. The "Serenade" from The Student Prince is a masterpiece of fine singing (Crooks, by the way, was Romberg's original choice for the lead role in this operetta). Crooks' voice literally pours out in this recording of "Serenade", culminating in two excellently placed High C's (the only real serious competition to Crooks on this song, in my opinion, is the great Mario Lanza). Crooks was one of the primo American Tenors of the 30's/40's era, displaying a technique and style that was unmatched, and after examining this CD, one will surely understand why. By all means, treat yourself to this recording and see what truly great singing is all about.

What a fabulous Tenor!!!!!.......2000-05-24

If one has not had the oportunity of hearing the great voice of Richard Crooks, they have really missed out. Richard Crooks possessed an intense lyricism that is unmatched today. Crooks' "Serenade" from The Student Prince is sheer perfection (singing it in the original key, not lowered a whole step, like most Tenors), culminating on two very vibrant High C's. It is interesting to note that Crooks was Romberg's original choice for the role of Karl Franz (the lead) in the Student Prince, but, due to opera commitments, was unable to debut the role. This is a performance rivaled only by the great Mario Lanza. Other musical highlights on this CD are "Macushla", "Song of Songs", "The Holy City", and "Ah Sweet Mystery of Life". "Ah May the Red Rose live Alway" is sure to bring a tear to one's eye. A nuance on "Ah Sweey Mystery of Life" finds Crooks soaring up to a High C at the end (a feat one finds no other Tenor attempting on any other recording) and with Crooks, it works well. Crooks' "Because" is the standard by which all others are measured. One of the real finds on this disk is Crooks' "Be Thou Faithful unto Death" from the rarely performed "Paul" by Felix Mendelssohn. What heartfelt singing this truly is. Crooks genuinely excelled in this music and one simply MUST purchase this CD to listen to a true master. So if one is not that familiar with the incomparable voice of Richard Crooks, treat yourself and puchase this recording now! This collection is pure enjoyment from the Student Prince "Serenade" to the final selection "Be Thou Faithful unto Death". A real gem.

Average customer rating:

Light Opera Gems

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Waltzes | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

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Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Music of Sigmund Romberg
Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life: The Songs of Victor Herbert
San Francisco and Other Jeanette MacDonald Favorites

ASIN: B0000A1HNZ
Release Date: 2003-07-01

Tracks:

Largo Al Factotum - Gino Bechi
Udite, Udite O Rustici - Ezio Pinza
Im Heimlichen Dammer - Maria Reining
Mag Der Himmel Euch Vergeben - Helge Roswaenge
Ach So Fromm - Richard Tauber
The Last Rose Of Summer - Amelita Galli-Curci
Non So Piu - Amelita Galli-Curci
You Are My Heart's Delight - Lauritz Melchior
Voices Of Spring - Ada Sari
Drinking Song & Golden Days - Robert Merrill
You And You - Robert Merrill
I'll Follow My Secret Heart - Lily Pons
The White Dove - Lawrence Tibbett
Deep In My Heart - Lauritz Melchior
Merry Widow Waltz - Helen Traubel
Serenade - Lauritz Melchior
Stout-Hearted Man - Helen Traubel
Russian Song - Lawrence Tibbett
Wanting You - Lawrence Tibbett
Oh What A Beautiful Morning - Helen Traubel
Una Voce Poco Fa - Luisa Tetrazzini

Tracks:

Wer Uns Getraut - Jussi Bjorling
The Blue Danube - Lily Pons
Ich, Hab' Kein Geld, Bin Vogelfrei - Jussi Bjorling
My Hero - Rosa Ponselle
Kiss Me Again - Rosa Ponselle
When You Walk In The Room - Robert Merrill
Song Of The Vagabonds - Robert Merrill
O Luce Di Quest'Anima - Toti Dal Monte
Dans Le Service D'Autriche - Hyppolite Belhomme
Tales From The Vienna Woods - Marcella Sembrich
Per Viver Vicino - John McCormack
Charmant Oiseau - Amelita Galli-Curci
Cancion De La Espada - Miguel Fleta
De Espana Vengo - Conchita Supervia
Aimons, Il Faut Aimer - Hyppolite Belhomme
Com'e Gentil - Chorus
Quel Guardo Il Cavaliere - Amelita Galli-Curci
Tornami A Dir Che M'Ami - Tito Schipa
Im Mohrenland Gefangen War - Peter Anders
Oh, Wie Will Ich Triumphieren - Wilhelm Hesch
Modern Travel, An Opera Parody On Donizetti, Gounod, Verdi, Bizet & Dvorak - Lauritz Melchior

Average customer rating:

Nessun Dorma and other favorites

Manufacturer: Asv Living Era
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00008OP2N
Release Date: 2003-05-20

Tracks:

Paris' Entrance Air
Simon's Air
Simon - Laura Duet
Barinkay - Saffi Duet
Tango
Only A Rose
Violer (Salut D'Amour, Op.12)
Ack Varmeland, Du Skona, Du Harliga Land
Serenade
Morgen
Mattinata
L'Alba Separa Dalla Luce L'Ombra
In The Silence Of The Night
Lilacs
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Because
Sylvia
A Spirit Flower
'O Sole Mio
Ideale
Nessun Dorma
Amor Ti Vieta
Donna Non Vidi Mai
Berceuse
The Pearl Fishers Duet

Average customer rating:

Lanza in (mostly) top form

Serenade / A Cavalcade of Show Tunes

Manufacturer: Sony / Bmg Import
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mario Lanza: At His Best!
American Caruso
Casino Royale (Two-Disc Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0002K0ZTE
Release Date: 2004-08-23

Tracks:

Serenade
Danza
Torna a Surriento
O Soave Fanciulla [La Boh]
Der Rosenkavalier- Di Rigori Armato
Trovatore - Di Quella Pria
Fedora - Amor Ti Vieta
Africaine - O Paradiso
Otello: Dio to Gioconda [Excerpt]
Otello: Dio Mi Potevi [Monologue]
Ave Maria - Mario Lanza,
Arlesiana - Lemento Do Federico
Turandot - Nessun Dorma
My Destiny
Serenade [Previoulsy Unreleased Bonus Track]
Lover, Come Back to Me
I've Told Every Little Star [From Music in the Air]
Donkey Serenade [From Firefly]
All the Things You Are
Giannina Mia [From the Firefly]
Rose Marie [From Rose Marie]
Yours in My Heart Alone (Dein Ist Mein Ganzes Herz) [from "The Land of]
Thine Alone [From Eileen]
Will You Remember? [From Maytime]
Only a Rose
Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! [From Naughty Marietta]

Album Description

UK twofer combines the legendary vocalists 1956 & 1957 albums. BMG.

Customer Reviews:

Lanza in (mostly) top form.......2004-11-28

This is a "twofer" CD, consisting of the 1955 soundtrack to the movie Serenade and the 1956 Cavalcade of Show Tunes album. Before I go any further, however, I should acknowledge that I was one of the liner note writers for this release. But I have no financial interest in the CD, and am simply reviewing it here because to date no one else has commented on it!

Serenade marked Lanza's return to films after an absence of three years, and revealed a voice that had darkened considerably, while still retaining its brilliant upper register. Stylistically, this is also a much-improved artist in many respects from the sometimes-wayward tenor of the early 1950s. Anyone who compares Lanza's superbly operatic renditions here of Amor Ti Vieta, Lamento di Federico, and O Paradiso with his earlier versions (all featured on the CD Mario Lanza Sings Opera Arias and Duets) will immediately detect the new-found control in his singing.

That's not to say that all of the Serenade material is outstanding. Lanza's renditions of Nessun Dorma, O Soave Fanciulla, Di Quella Pira, and the title song are below par, with the tenor uncharacteristically strained in the upper register and rough in his approach. But redeeming everything are the oustanding renditions of the arias mentioned in the previous paragraph, together with Lanza's sensitive singing of Di Rigori Armato from Der Rosenkavalier, a superb Torna a Surriento, and an unsurpassed Dio! Mi Potevi Scagliar from Otello. Lanza also recorded the Act III duet from Otello with Licia Albanese for this film, but time constraints have reduced it to a brief extract here. (The entire duet, however, can be heard on the aforementioned Arias & Duets CD.)

The other album featured here showcases the romantic side of Lanza. Beautifully recorded, Cavalcade includes passionate renditions of Yours is My Heart Alone, Only a Rose, Will You Remember, and other selections from operetta and musical comedy. Although Lanza may indeed be *too* zestful here for some tastes, vocally at least, he is at the height of his powers. The voice is rich and round - gloriously consistent throughout its registers - and the abundance of effortless B flats, Bs, and even a high C reveal a tenor in formidable form.

Highly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Great Songs As Only Mario Lanza Can Sing Them
So-so selections; great sound

Legendary Tenor

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Traditional Vocal Pop | Broadway & Vocalists | Styles | Music

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

Classical Music | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Opera & Vocal | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

Musicals | The Sony BMG Masterworks Store | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000003EP1
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

The Toast Of New Orleans: Be My Love
Because
Kismet: And This Is My Beloved
Funiculi Funicula
The Great Caruso: The Loveliest Night Of The Year
The Great Caruso: Aida: Celeste Adia
A Kiss
Serenade (Brodszky-Cahn)
Torna a Surriento
One Alone
Arrivederci Roma
Only A Rose
Paglacci: Vesti la giubba
Granada
Because You're Mine
Marechiare
Santa Lucia
Mattinata
O Sole Mio

Customer Reviews:

Great Songs As Only Mario Lanza Can Sing Them.......2002-09-07

I love this CD. It has all the great Mario Lanza songs--"Be My Love," "Because," "The Loveliest Night of the Year," and many others. What a voice! Powerful, emotional, and, as I read somewhere, it's a voice that, no matter what ups and downs Mario had in his career and his personal life, never lost that edge, that passion, that intensity, that were so much a part of his
personality. I have spent many hours listeng to what has become one of my favorite CDs.

So-so selections; great sound.......2001-08-21

The chief problem with the majority of Lanza releases on BMG is that they are, at best, a hodgepodge of the tenor's career. Seldom is any logic applied to the programming. A case in point is this CD.

Lanza excelled in three genres: Neapolitan Songs; Songs of Love and Celebration; and Operatic Arias. If only BMG could be persuaded to release carefully compiled collections in each genre (as they do with Caruso, for example) rather than lumping pop songs next to arias! Such practices only undermine Lanza's credibility with the general public; after all, who but the diehard fans will buy such collections?

The Legendary Tenor highlights all that is wrong with BMG's sloppy approach to Lanza. A mere two arias have been selected, both of which Lanza recorded better versions of elsewhere. The love songs generally reinforce the misleading impression that Lanza was purely a singer of schmaltz; missing are his masterpieces in this genre such as Serenade from the Student Prince (instead we have the title song from the movie Serenade - one of the low points on this CD). The Neapolitan songs are limited to just one outstanding example - Torna a Surriento - and the tenor's badly sung Marechiare from his Albert Hall concert of 1958 has been chosen over his far superior 1951 studio effort. (Evidently BMG intended the studio version, as it is erroneously listed in the contents.)

On the plus side, O Sole Mio, Granada and Mattinata have never sounded better. Ditto Only a Rose and One Alone from Lanza's final recording sessions. There are also a number of pleasant recordings (A Kiss, Because, the ubiquitous Be My Love, and an exciting Because You're Mine from the aforementioned Albert Hall concert).

But there is far more to Lanza than this collection would indicate. Lanza had an extraordinary vocal gift: a tenor voice with a velvety, baritonal fullness, exceptional range, a perfectly placed top and "a timbre to die for", as one reviewer has noted. As if this wasn't enough, Lanza possessed an innate musicality, perfect diction, and a superb sense of phrasing. It is a great shame that BMG chose, for their first Lanza release on CD, to neglect the great recordings from the tenor's legacy.

What are the great recordings? You may well ask. In this reviewer's opinion, the arias Che Gelida Manina from La Boheme, Un di all'azzurro spazio from Andrea Chenier, M'appari from Martha, E lucevan le stelle & Recondita Armonia from Tosca, Questa o Quella from Rigoletto, the Otello Monologue and Finale from Otello, and Vesti la Giubba from the soundtrack of For the First Time (available on video) represent the pinnacle of Lanza's operatic achievement. The Neapolitan songs are scattered throughout his CDs, but his best collection is the Mario! Lanza At His Best (see my review if you're interested) and the Love Songs are well represented on The Student Prince and When Day is Done CD collections.

Conclusion: buy this CD if you're looking for a pleasant, albeit unrepresentative, sampling of Lanza; serious vocal admirers should look elsewhere among the tenor's releases. And one final note: ignore the assertion by the writer of the liner notes regarding Lanza's "serious vocal problems." It simply isn't true. Lanza may have been an erratic singer at times, but the reviewer seems to be confusing Lanza's declining health with non-existent vocal problems.

Music Review:

Music Review

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