Mario Lanza


Lanza, Mario

 

(real name, Alfredo Arnold Cocozza). Born Jan. 31, 1921, in Philadelphia; died Oct. 7, 1959, in Rome. American tenor. Of Italian descent.

Lanza studied under several instructors, including the well-known Italian E. Rosati. He began his career in 1942. His successful concert tours of cities throughout the United States were first undertaken in 1946. Lanza performed several roles with the New Orleans Opera, including Pinkerton in Puccini’s Madame Butterfly and Alfredo in Verdi’s La Traviata. His voice had extraordinary power and beautiful timbre. He captivated listeners with his emotionalism and strength of feeling. Lanza appeared in films, including The Great Caruso and Serenade.

REFERENCES

Callinicos, C. The Mario Lanza Story. New York [1960]. Iakovlev, M. “Mario Lantsa.” In Muzykal’naia zhizn’. 1960, no. 13.