The Mantovani Orchestra’s Classical Gold: Music’s 25 Favourites
Contents
Find out which pieces of classical music made it onto The Mantovani Orchestra’s Classical Gold: Music’s 25 Favourites list.
Introduction
Mantovani (1905-1980) was a British conductor and arranger who became famous for his “light orchestra” style of conducting. The Mantovani Orchestra’s sound was characterized by a sumptuous, mellow string sound with added harp, woodwinds and French horns – often augmented by a wordless female chorus – all abetted by cleverly written parts that allowed even amateur orchestras to achieve a professional sheen.
The Mantovani Orchestra’s recordings
The Mantovani Orchestra’s recordings of the world’s most popular melodies have become some of the most enduring and best-loved of all time. On this specially-priced collection, they present 25 of their greatest recordings, including “Charmaine,” “Love Story,” “Yesterday,” “A Whiter Shade of Pale,” “Concerto de Aranjuez,” ” My Way,” “The Godfather,” ” Tara’s Theme,” “Somewhere My Love,” ” Moon River,” “Edelweiss,” ” Lara’s Theme,” “Autumn Leaves,” and “Over the Rainbow.”
‘Music’s 25 Favourites’
The Mantovani Orchestra’s ‘Classical Gold: Music’s 25 Favourites’ is a compilation album released in 2008. The album features classical pieces such as ‘Swan Lake’ and ‘The Nutcracker Suite’, as well as more modern songs like Julie Andrews’ ‘My Fair Lady Medley’.
‘Classical Gold’
Mantovani’s speciality was light music, and his best-known recordings are of popular light orchestral melodies, many adapted from classical themes. “Charmaine” and “Bluebells of Scotland” are two examples. Other well-known recordings included “Red Sails in the Sunset”, “Stranger in Paradise”, “For All We Know”, “Tales from the Vienna Woods”, and the signature tune Mantovani.
The Orchestra’s history
After leaving the army in 1946, Annunzio Paolo Mantovani (1905-1980), born in Venice, Italy and of partly Scottish ancestry, embarked on a musical career in England. He played the piano and violin and later studied at Trinity College of Music in London. He became a professional violinist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra.
Founded by Annunzio Paolo Mantovani in 1929
Mantovani (anno domini 1978) was an Italian conductor, composer and light orchestra leader with a flowing cascade of strings, who Mantovani became known for his “cascading strings” sound, producing his signature Mantovani sound through the London Philharmonic Orchestra.
Mantovani’s parents were professional musicians in “light music” or “salon music”. His father was first violinist of the Nozze di Figaro at La Scala Milan.
Mantovani’s style of ‘light orchestral music’
Mantovani’s style of “light orchestral music” was very popular in Britain and the United States from the 1950s to the 1970s. The orchestra was known for its rich, lush sound, and Mantovani was known for his “three hands” conducting technique. He often conducted with one hand while playing the violin with the other.
Mantovani’s recordings were hugely successful and he became one of Britain’s best-selling recording artists of all time. He sold more than 70 million records and was awarded five gold discs. Mantovani was also a popular concert artist, appearing with his orchestra all over the world.
The Mantovani Orchestra continued to record and perform after Mantovani’s death in 1980. The orchestra is still active today, led by Mantovani’s son, Paul.
The Orchestra today
The Mantovani Orchestra, also known as the Mantovani Orchestra, is a world-renowned musical group that has been entertaining audiences for over half a century. The orchestra is made up of 35 members who play a variety of instruments, including violins, cellos, and flutes.
Conducted by Ronald Corp
The Mantovani Orchestra is a world-renowned ensemble that has been thrilling audiences for generations with their beautiful renditions of classical music’s most beloved pieces. Under the direction of conductor Ronald Corp, the orchestra has released a new album entitled Classical Gold: Music’s 25 Favourites, which features impeccable performances of some of the genre’s most timeless staples.
Recordings released on the Decca and Chandos labels
The Mantovani Orchestra’s recordings were originally released on the Decca and Chandos labels. In recent years, they have been reissued on the Naxos and ASV Living Era labels.
The Orchestra’s first album, A Program of Light Orchestral Favourites, was released in 1951. Since then, they have released over fifty albums, including a number of compilations of their most popular recordings. Classical Gold: Music’s 25 Favourites is a collection of some of their best-loved recordings, drawn from their Decca, Chandos and ASV Living Era releases.
Conclusion
We hope you have enjoyed this compilation of the Mantovani Orchestra’s classical gold: music’s 25 favourites. The Orchestra’s performance of these pieces is truly impeccable, and we are confident that you will enjoy listening to them time and time again. Thank you for your support.
