Mario Lanza - Torna a Surriento (Rare private recording, 1940)

Mario Lanza (1921-1959) was a tenor who will, no doubt, stir up both positive and negative reactions. He was born Alfred Arnold Cocozza in South Philadelphia, the only child of Antonio Cocozza and Maria Lanza Cocozza. Young Freddie (as Lanza was known then) grew up listening to his father’s collection of Caruso recordings and in his teens was found to have an exceptional voice. He began singing in local amateur productions, debuting as Contino del Fioro in Ricci’s Crispino e la Comare in 1940. Following 18 months of lessons with retired soprano Irene Williams, a meeting with Serge Koussevitsky was arranged. Upon hearing the 21 year old singer (now calling himself Mario Lanza), the conductor offered him a scholarship to the Berkshire Music Festival in Tanglewood, MA. At Tanglewood, Lanza made his official debut as Fenton in Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor. Critics praised the tenor for his remarkable voice as well as his superb diction but warned that the young man needed to take time to cultivate his ta