Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (November 15, 1905 – March 29, 1980) was a popular conductor and entertainer in the "light orchestra" style. Mantovani is probably more associated with the light orchestra genre than any other person.

Biography

He was born in Venice, Italy and his father was the concertmaster of the La Scala orchestra under Arturo Toscanini. His family moved to England in 1912, where he studied at Trinity College of Music in London. After graduation, he formed his own orchestra, which played in and around Birmingham. By the time World War II broke out, his orchestra was one of the most popular in England, both on the BBC and in live performances.

He was also musical director for a large number of musicals and other plays, including ones 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"). His records were regulars 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 his distinctive sound remained.

He recorded for Decca until the mid-1950s, at which time he switched to London Records. He recorded over 50 albums on that label, many of which were top-40 hits. These included Song from Moulin Rouge and Cara Mia, which reached No. 1 in Britain in 1953 and 1954, respectively. The latter was also Mantovani's first U.S. Top Ten hit.

In the United States, between 1955 to 1972, he released over 40 albums, with 27 reaching the Top 40 and 11 the Top Ten. His biggest success was with the album Film Encores, which made it to No. 1 in 1957. Similarly, Mantovani Plays Music From 'Exodus' and Other Great Themes made it to No. 2 in 1961 and sold over one million albums.

Mantovani made his last recordings in 1975.

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, by arrangement alone, the echo, experienced in venues such as cathedrals, in an echo-free surrounding.

Author Joesph Lanza describes Mantovani's string arrangements as the most "rich and melifluous" 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 vaporizor foreshadowing the synthesizer harmonics of space music."^[1]

Since his death at his home in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, in 1980, his music has enjoyed a minor revival, with much of his catalogue reappearing on CD and an orchestra bearing his name performing concert tours. The saleability of the Mantovani name is underscored by new recordings being made as the Mantovani Orchestra. Unfortunately, a large number of CDs are also available of unauthorized recordings, billed as Mantovani or Mantovani Orchestra. There have also been CDs released under the Mantovani name of recordings made by others while Mantovani was still alive. Thus, consumers of this music are advised to familiarize themselves with the conductor's discography. Material with the London Records logo on it is apt to be genuine Mantovani, while other recordings are less likely to be actual Mantovani recordings.

Discography

Popular music

• Song Hits from Theatreland, London 125, 1955
• Music from the Films, London 112
• Waltz Encores, London 119
• Film Encores, London 124, 1957
• Gems Forever, London 106, 1958
• Continental Encores, London 147
• 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 Film Music (Music from "Exodus"), London 224, 1960
• 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
• 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
• An Evening with Mantovani, London 902, 1973
• The Greatest Gift Is Love, London 913, 1975

Semi-classical music

• Strauss Waltzes, London 118
• 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

External links

• Mantovani fan website
• Mantovani biography

Footnotes