マジック・オブ・マントヴァーニ

ストリングスの王者とマルタ島が生んだゴールデン・ヴォイスの共演

今日最も高い評価を得ている人気歌手の一人で、受賞経験も豊富なマルタ島出身のジョセフ・カレヤ。デッカからの最新アルバムは、リマスタリングされた1950年代、60年代のマントヴァーニのオリジナル管弦楽録音に新しく録音した声を組み合わせて、興味深いサウンドを聴かせてくれます。

1980年3月の早過ぎる死から40年が経過しましたが、マントヴァーニはその特徴的なカスケイディング(滝の流れるような)・ストリングス・サウンドで、ステレオ・アルバムを100万枚以上売り上げた最初の録音アーティストとなりました。

アルバムにはオペラ界のスーパースター、ルネ・フレミングとエミリー・ダンジェロも参加しています。
ユニバーサル・ミュージック/IMS

Promotional materials for this Decca release proclaim the orchestra leader Mantovani Britains greatest LP success before The Beatles, and indeed, his popularity in his time is rivaled only by his general obscurity in the 21st century. Hes 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 albums digital releases. With these, one can hear what is missing: listen to the vocal and instrumental versions of Charmaine, one of Mantovanis biggest hits, and one may miss the exquisite division of the melody among different instruments in Callejas version. This said, Callejas 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 doesnt 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 Callejas growing body of fans even as true Mantovani lovers may be less satisfied. ~ James Manheim

Promotional materials for this Decca release proclaim the orchestra leader Mantovani Britains greatest LP success before The Beatles, and indeed, his popularity in his time is rivaled only by his general obscurity in the 21st century. Hes 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 albums digital releases. With these, one can hear what is missing: listen to the vocal and instrumental versions of Charmaine, one of Mantovanis biggest hits, and one may miss the exquisite division of the melody among different instruments in Callejas version. This said, Callejas 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 doesnt 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 Callejas growing body of fans even as true Mantovani lovers may be less satisfied.