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Promotional materials for this Decca release proclaim the orchestra leader Mantovani Britain's greatest LP success before The Beatles, and indeed, his popularity in his time is rivaled only by his general obscurity in the 21st century. He's ripe for a revival, and tenor Joseph Calleja does his bit with this release. For those unfamiliar with Mantovani, his recordings were almost all instrumental, consisting of lush orchestral arrangements, mostly by Ronald Binge, of popular songs and classical melodies. His music was designated light classical in Britain and easy listening in the U.S., but to those who loved it (and still do), it is not necessarily light or easy. The intricacy of the arrangements and the brilliance with which Mantovani realized them far exceeded those of his contemporaries. Herein lies the problem with The Magic of Mantovani: Calleja adds the lyrics of the original songs back into the original remastered instrumental tracks, and in so doing, he loses a lot of what makes Mantovani so interesting. Three of the original tracks, remastered, are included at the end of the album's digital releases. With these, one can hear what is missing: listen to the vocal and instrumental versions of Charmaine, one of Mantovani's biggest hits, and one may miss the exquisite division of the melody among different instruments in Calleja's version. This said, Calleja's versions succeed on their own terms. He has a real flair for semi-popular material, which is something the operatic scene has needed for a while, and he shifts adeptly among the various kinds of songs Mantovani adapted. Consider a song like Que Sera, Sera (which, by the way, does not mean "what will be will be" in any language): Calleja gets the American retroflex "r" that eludes most European singers. He doesn't do a straight American accent in these but rather cultivates a natural idiom with a slightly exotic accent. This is delightful, and it is likely that the album will satisfy Calleja's growing body of fans even as true Mantovani lovers may be less satisfied.
© James Manheim /TiVo
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David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Erno Rapee, Composer - Lew Pollack, Composer - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Richard Rodgers, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Hammerstein II , ComposerLyricist - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
Edward Snyder, ComposerLyricist - David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Bert Kaempfert, ComposerLyricist - Charles Singleton, ComposerLyricist - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Consuelo Velázquez, ComposerLyricist - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Jay Livingston, ComposerLyricist - Raymond Evans, ComposerLyricist - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Leonard Bernstein, Composer - Stephen Sondheim, Composer - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Leonard Bernstein, Composer - Stephen Sondheim, Author - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Renee Fleming, Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - David Frost, Producer, Recording Producer - Silas Brown, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Leonard Bernstein, Composer - Stephen Sondheim, Author - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Sascha Von Oertzen, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - David Frost, Producer, Recording Producer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, StudioPersonnel - Emily D'Angelo, Mezzo-Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Leonard Bernstein, Composer - Stephen Sondheim, Author - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Sascha Von Oertzen, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - David Frost, Producer, Recording Producer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel - Emily D'Angelo, Mezzo-Soprano, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
Tulio Trapani, ComposerLyricist - Lee Lange, ComposerLyricist - David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
Larry Kusik, ComposerLyricist - David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Nino Rota, ComposerLyricist - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
Renato Ranucci, ComposerLyricist - David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Carl Sigman, Translator - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Pietro Garinei, Author - Alessandro Giovannini, Author - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - GEORGE FORREST, ComposerLyricist - Robert Wright, ComposerLyricist - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
Edward Snyder, Author - David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Bert Kaempfert, Composer - Charles Singleton, Author - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Johnny Mercer, Author - Henry Mancini, Composer - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Recording Engineer, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - Richard Rodgers, ComposerLyricist - Oscar Hammerstein II , ComposerLyricist - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
David Vella, Editor, Recording Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Ian Watson, Editor, StudioPersonnel - John Newton, Author - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Conductor, MainArtist - Joseph Calleja, Tenor, MainArtist, AssociatedPerformer - James P. Carrell, Composer - David S. Clayton, Composer - Philip Siney, Mix Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Dominic Fyfe, Producer, Editor, Executive Producer, Recording Producer, StudioPersonnel
℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
Erno Rapee, ComposerLyricist - Lew Pollack, ComposerLyricist - Frank Lee, Producer - Arthur Lilley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Annunzio Paulo Mantovani, Conductor
℗ 1958 Decca Music Group Limited
Edward Snyder, ComposerLyricist - Bert Kaempfert, ComposerLyricist - Charles Singleton, ComposerLyricist - Tony D'Amato, Producer - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Arthur Bannister, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Annunzio Paulo Mantovani, Conductor
℗ 1973 Decca Music Group Limited
Edward Snyder, Author - Bert Kaempfert, Composer - Charles Singleton, Author - Arthur Lilley, Engineer, StudioPersonnel - Tony D'Amato, Producer - Mantovani & His Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Annunzio Paulo Mantovani, Conductor
℗ 1966 Decca Music Group Limited
Album review
Promotional materials for this Decca release proclaim the orchestra leader Mantovani Britain's greatest LP success before The Beatles, and indeed, his popularity in his time is rivaled only by his general obscurity in the 21st century. He's ripe for a revival, and tenor Joseph Calleja does his bit with this release. For those unfamiliar with Mantovani, his recordings were almost all instrumental, consisting of lush orchestral arrangements, mostly by Ronald Binge, of popular songs and classical melodies. His music was designated light classical in Britain and easy listening in the U.S., but to those who loved it (and still do), it is not necessarily light or easy. The intricacy of the arrangements and the brilliance with which Mantovani realized them far exceeded those of his contemporaries. Herein lies the problem with The Magic of Mantovani: Calleja adds the lyrics of the original songs back into the original remastered instrumental tracks, and in so doing, he loses a lot of what makes Mantovani so interesting. Three of the original tracks, remastered, are included at the end of the album's digital releases. With these, one can hear what is missing: listen to the vocal and instrumental versions of Charmaine, one of Mantovani's biggest hits, and one may miss the exquisite division of the melody among different instruments in Calleja's version. This said, Calleja's versions succeed on their own terms. He has a real flair for semi-popular material, which is something the operatic scene has needed for a while, and he shifts adeptly among the various kinds of songs Mantovani adapted. Consider a song like Que Sera, Sera (which, by the way, does not mean "what will be will be" in any language): Calleja gets the American retroflex "r" that eludes most European singers. He doesn't do a straight American accent in these but rather cultivates a natural idiom with a slightly exotic accent. This is delightful, and it is likely that the album will satisfy Calleja's growing body of fans even as true Mantovani lovers may be less satisfied.
© James Manheim /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 20 track(s)
- Total length: 00:58:31
- Main artists: Joseph Calleja Mantovani & His Orchestra
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Decca Music Group Ltd.
- Genre: Classical
© 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited ℗ 2020 Universal Music Operations Limited
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