Christmas With Mario Lanza

Great gift for my 90 year old Mom who is a fan. Go to this site and get any kind of music.

On what would have been Lanza's 97th birthday, I take the liberty of reviewing this yuletide designated compilation of his recordings, many of which I first heard in childhood on my Dad's copy of Lanza's posthumously released album, "Christmas Hymns and Carols". The inaugural recording, Deck the Halls may be familiar to those who have seen the film version of The Polar Express. It is featured in the scene where three main characters sneak aboard the tube that leads to the North Pole's main square. The next four carols are among those featured on the aforementioned 1963 Christmas album, including, Hark!The Harold Angels Sing,God Rest You Merry Gentlemen, Joy to the World,O Christmas Tree, and I Saw Three Ships. We then hear It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, and then three that were conducted by his biographer, Constantine Callinicos--The Bach/Gounod version of Ave Maria, featured in the 1951 film, "The Great Caruso", a powerhouse version of O Holy Night ( also featured on the 1963 album) and The Virgin's Slumber Song. The lengthiest piece on this CD set, Pieta Signore provides a dramatic segway as a midpoint in the 20 recordings.Constantine Callinicos accompanies Lanza on the piano. We then hear six more selections from the 1963 album, including, The First Noel, O Come, All Ye Faithful, Away in a Manger, We Three Kings (partially narrated by Thurl Ravescroft), O Little Town of Bethlehem, Silent Night, and Gerda Beilenson's dark and dramatic Guardian Angels, with harp accompaniment by co-composer, Harpo Marx. The finale includes I'll Walk With God from The Student Prince, and Albert Hay Malotte's The Lord's Prayer, from the 1952 film," Because You're Mine". Finally acquiring this long-desired CD has given me a chance to own a piece of upgraded technology that enables me to enjoy more of his recordings in one sitting. I highly recommend this CD set as a way to enhance the legacy of this technically perfect, once-in-a-lifetime tenor in the hope that future generations will come to know his work and be inspired by it as well.

A Kid From Philadelphia,: Mario Lanza: The Voice of the Poets Each Christmas we played this album. We played many carols, many songs about Christmas. We heard many voices but none could compare with Mario Lanza. His interpretation of these timeless pieces is unique. I recommend it.It is hard not to be a fan of Mario Lanza. Once someone hears his voice, they fall in love with this enormous talent. This collection represents him well.Mario Lanza was the most versatile tenor who ever walked on a stage. He could sing opera like the greatest tenors of all time. He was a master at "crossing over" from lyric opera to popular singing. As a result, he was a top recording artist and concert performer. In the "Great Caruso" he also showed he could be a global movie sensation. The movie about the amazing Neapolitan tenor actually was about Mario Lanza. It turned the Great Caruso into the Great Lanza. He exhibited all of his splendid qualities.His movies and recordings inspired me to write my recent book about Mario Lanza: "A Kid from Philadelphia, Mario Lanza, the Voice of the Poets." It is not a biography. There have been several excellent bios about him. This is a book from a fan. It exhibits his qualities, talents, passion and love for his art. I wanted it to be a "page turner" that would be impossible to put down while listening to the magnificent voice of Mario Lanza. Listen to these recordings while you read the book. It will be an experience.Anyone who loves Lanza the movie star, the tenor, the popular singer and the human being, who did so much in such a short time, will love this selection.

Listening to Mario Lanza singing Christmas hymns and songs right after Santa waves at the end of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is a family tradition, started by my father, who loved Lanza's voice, and continued by my children. While I have all of Lanza's albums, including this one, I wanted to have it as a download to my phone as well.There is no one quite like Mario Lanza........no voice quite the same. I heard his voice almost every day growing up. My father had all of his albums, which are now part of my collection. Perhaps my father loved his voice so much, because he lost his own singing voice from all the toxins he was exposed to during WW2. He had surgery on his throat when I was 1 year old, so I can't remember hearing him with anything other than a gruff voice. Sitting in his easy chair snoozing with a Lanza album playing no doubt took him to a place he could no longer go by himself.If you enjoy Lanza, this album is great, with all the traditional songs plus the Lord's Prayer and one of my very favorites, I'll Walk With God. Guardian Angels is also a favorite and on other albums of his as well. If you've never heard him before, you won't be disappointed. Such power. Such passion. Such rapture.

I grew up listening to Mario Lanza. My father really liked his voice and had several of his recordings. When I was a teenager, my father gave me my very own Mario disc. It was his Christmas recording on the Camden label. I absolutely loved it! My two favorites songs were "O Holy Night" and The Lord's Prayer". When I decided to get Mario's Christmas recording on cd, I bought this one. It has all the same songs that were on my original recording, as well as some extra ones. I truly enjoy listening to this wonderful cd! Mario Lanza has had his critics through the years, but there has never been anyone to equal him! He was a once in a lifetime singer who gave his all with every performance. Mario was and remains a fantastic singer, in my humble opinion. If you like great voices, you will enjoy this compilation of Christmas songs. May Mario's memory always live on through this recording and the numerous other ones that have been released through the years. Bravo, Mario!!

Mario Lanza is such a brilliant commanding voice that his outstanding sound lends perfectly to Christmas songs and ever more so with the orchestral accompaniment. The reason I did not give album five stars is some of the songs I do not like, but this is very few and does not matter so much. This is a great album, and for the number of tracks it contains, it is rightly priced at a correctly costed amount charged

What energy, what glory this album creates with Mario Lanza's rich, vast and intimate voice giving exhilarating versions of well loved Christmas carols. He even uses the right tune for It Came Upon The Midnight Clear, even though he was American. Yes, some may find the full, powerful voice a little old fashioned in style, but do not let fickle fashion put you off from buying an album which lifts the soul with its vibrancy, with its tour de force. And no, I am not related.

I have had these recordings for many years (on singles EP's and LP's. Even on other compact discs. But this first one (the first CD I ever bought) was worth having for its overall cover of Mario.s true art form and these tracks are the best Christmas carol recordings I know of. My first copy was damaged over the years, so I had to buy it again!

On this CD you get 20 Christmas or other religious tracks,well sung by Mario in very fine form,a choir and an orchestra.The choice of tracks includes all my favourites and more.The recording quality for tracks up to 60 years old and subsequent remastering is good to very good,except,purists may not like what appears to be enhanced mono into stereo sound.I think this is called "Duophonic" sound,however I have not found it to be a distraction and it adds a little ambience to what are mono tracks.The genuine stereo Christmas CD is "Lanza Sings Christmas Carols" on "Living Stereo",however I cannot suggest you buy this instead,please see my review.To sum up,if you want a Mario Lanza Christamas CD,this is the one to buy.CB

I have been listening to this recording for over 50 years but on tape so decided to bring myself into the 21st century. Maybe in another 50 years I'll go onto MP3 or something.