- Mantovani
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For other uses, see Mantovani (disambiguation).
Mantovani 
Background information Born November 15, 1905
Venice, Veneto, ItalyDied March 29, 1980 (aged 74)
Tunbridge Wells, Kent, EnglandOccupations Conductor Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (Italian pronunciation: [anˈnuntsi̯o ˈpaolo mantoˈvaːni]) (November 15, 1905 – March 29, 1980)[1] known as Mantovani, was an Anglo-Italian conductor and light orchestra-styled entertainer with a cascading strings musical signature. The book British Hit Singles & Albums states that he was "Britain's most successful album act before The Beatles ... the first act to sell over one million stereo albums and had six albums simultaneously in the US Top 30 in 1959".[2]
Contents
Biography
Mantovani was born in Venice, Italy into a musical family. His father, Bismarck, served as the concertmaster of the La Scala opera house's orchestra in Milan, under the baton of Arturo Toscanini. The family moved to England in 1912, where young Annunzio studied at Trinity College of Music in London. After graduation, he formed his own orchestra, which played in and around Birmingham. He married Winifred Moss in 1934, and they had two children: Kenneth (born July 12, 1935) and Paula Irene (born April 11, 1939). By the time World War II broke out, his orchestra was one of the most popular in England, both on BBC radio broadcasts and in live performances.[citation needed]
He was also musical director for a large number of musicals and other plays, including one composed by Noel Coward. After the war, he concentrated on recording, and eventually gave up live performance altogether. He worked with arranger and composer Ronnie Binge, who developed the "cascading strings" sound (also known as the "Mantovani sound").[3] His records were regularly used for demonstration purposes in stores selling hi-fi stereo equipment, as they were produced and arranged for stereo reproduction. In 1952, Binge ceased to arrange for Mantovani but the distinctive sound of the orchestra remained.
Mantovani recorded for Decca until the mid-1950s, and then for London Records. He recorded in excess of 50 albums on that label, many of which were Top 40 hits. His single tracks included "The Song from The Moulin Rouge", which reached Number One in the UK Singles Chart in 1953.[2] In the United States, between 1955 and 1972, he released more than 40 albums with 27 reaching the "Top 40", and 11 in the "Top Ten". His biggest success came with the album Film Encores, which attained Number One in 1957.[citation needed]
Similarly, Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes made it to Number Two in 1961, with over one million albums sold.[citation needed]
In 1958, Mantovani and his family bought a holiday home in Bournemouth in Durley Chine Road, and then in 1961 acquired a new property in Burton Road (now part of Poole). He moved, finally, to a new home in Martello Road in Poole.
Mantovani starred in his own syndicated television series, Mantovani, which was produced in England and which aired in the United States in 1959. Thirty-nine episodes were filmed.[4]
Mantovani made his last recordings in 1975.[citation needed] He died at a care home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent,[1] and was buried in Bournemouth, in 1980.[citation needed]
Music style and influences
The cascading strings technique developed by Binge became Mantovani's hallmark in such hits arranged by Binge as "Charmaine". Binge developed this technique to replicate the echo experienced in venues such as cathedrals and he achieved this goal through arranging skill alone.
Author Joseph Lanza describes Mantovani's string arrangements as the most "rich and mellifluous" of the emerging light music style during the early 1950s. He stated that Mantovani was a leader in the use of new studio technologies to "create sound tapestries with innumerable strings", and that "the sustained hum of Mantovani's reverberated violins produced a sonic vaporizer foreshadowing the synthesizer harmonics of space music."[5]
Mantovani is referred to by name in The Kinks song "Prince of the Punks". He also had a big influence on Brian May, Queen guitarist.[6]
Post-death publishing
Much of his catalogue has reappeared on CD. There are also many compilations. A large number of CDs are available containing unauthorized recordings, billed as Mantovani or Mantovani Orchestra.[citation needed] There have also been CDs released under the Mantovani name of recordings made by others while Mantovani was still alive.[citation needed]
The Mantovani Orchestra was recreated for a tribute concert held at the Lighthouse, in Poole, England, on 27 January 2008.[citation needed] A second concert took place the following year at the same venue.[citation needed] A DVD and CD containing music by the orchestra was then planned.[citation needed]
Discography
Popular music
- Plays The Music Of Romberg, London LL 1031, 1954
- Song Hits from Theatreland, London 125, 1955
- Plays The Immortal Classics, London LL 877, 1956
- Music from the Films, London 112
- Waltz Encores, London 119
- Film Encores, London 124, 1957
- Gems Forever, London 106, 1958
- Continental Encores, London 147, 1959.
- Film Encores, Vol. 2, London 164, 1959
- The Music of Victor Herbert and Sigmund Romberg, London 165, 1960
- The Music of Irving Berlin and Rudolf Friml, London 166, 1956
- The American Scene, London 182
- Songs to Remember, London 193, 1960
- Great Theme Music (Music from "Exodus"), London 224, 1961
- Theme from "Carnival", London 3250, 1961
- Themes from Broadway, London 242
- American Waltzes, London 248
- Moon River, London 249, 1962
- Selections from "Stop the World - I Want to Get Off" and "Oliver", London 270
- Latin Rendezvous, London 295
- Manhattan, London 328, 1963
- Folk Songs Around the World, London 360
- The Incomparable Mantovani, London 392
- The Mantovani Sound, London 419, 1965
- Mantovani Olé, London 422
- Mantovani Magic, London 448, 1966
- Mantovani's golden hits, Decca 1967 SKL 4818
- Mr. Music, London 474, 1966
- Mantovani/Hollywood, London 516
- The Mantovani Touch, London 526, 1968
- Mantovani/Tango, London 532
- Mantovani ... Memories, London 542
- The Mantovani Scene, London 548, 1969
- The World of Mantovani, London 565, 1969
- Mantovani Today, London 572, 1970
- From Monty with Love, London 585-586, 1971
- Annunzio Paolo Mantovani, London XPS 610, 1972
- An Evening with Mantovani, London 902, 1973
- The Greatest Gift Is Love, London 913, 1975
Semi-classical music
- Strauss Waltzes, London LL 685, 1953
- Strauss Waltzes, London 118 1958
- Concert Encores, London 133
- Operetta Memories, London 202
- Italia Mia, London 232, 1961
- Classical Encores, London 269
- The World's Great Love Songs, London 280
- Mantovani in Concert, London 578
Christmas and religious music
- Christmas Carols, London 142, 1954
- Songs of Praise, London 245
- Christmas Greetings, London 338
- Christmas Carols, London LL 913
Selected filmography
- Gitarren der Liebe (1954)
See also
- Mononymous persons
References
- ^ a b Thedeadrockstarsclub.com - accessed March 2011
- ^ a b Roberts, David (2006). British Hit Singles & Albums (19th ed.). London: Guinness World Records Limited. p. 348. ISBN 1-904994-10-5.
- ^ "Sailing By - The Ronald Binge Story" (Mike Carey, 2000) ISBN 0 9530603 4 9
- ^ Brooks, Tim & Marsh, Earle (1964). The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network TV Shows (3rd ed.). New York: Ballantine. ISBN 0-345-31864-1
- ^ Lanza, Joseph (2004). Elevator Music: A Surreal History of Muzak, Easy-listening, and Other Moodsong. University of Michigan Press. p. 80. ISBN 0472089420.
- ^ http://www.queenonline.com/features/brian-and-roger-interview-part-2/?page=2
External links
Categories:- 1905 births
- 1980 deaths
- English people of Italian descent
- Easy listening music
- Italian conductors (music)
- Italian music arrangers
- People from Venice (city)
- London Records artists
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