Mario Lanza: Singing to the Gods

Now in paperback and with a fabulous new collection of 40 rare photographs drawn from Lanza's closest friend Terry Robinson, and the tenor's niece, the former actress Dolores Hart Warmly endorsed by the singer's daughter, Ellisa Lanza Bregman, this is a richly detailed and definitive examination of Mario Lanza's life and times. Blessed with one of the great tenor voices of all time, Mario Lanza was a consummate artist whose repertoire recognized no musical boundaries. Groomed at the outset for a career on the opera stage, this book traces how Lanza instead got sidetracked into Hollywood, where his powerful singing and larger-than-life personality made him an overnight sensation. His films, most notably The Great Caruso and Serenade, brought the world of Puccini and his contemporaries to countless millions, confirming his status as one of the most exciting entertainers of his day. But his staggering successes came at a high price and by the age of 38 he was dead, a victim of his own troubled psyche and expansive lifestyle. This book confronts the tragedy head-on, revealing in the process a man torn apart by inner demons and an unbridled passion for life. It also includes the most exhaustive analysis ever captured in print of Lanza’s unforgettable career as a recording, film, and concert artist.