Folks, it's time for a dose of good medicine, music that might not normally be your first choice but will make you feel better afterwards, I promise. For quite a while now, I've led you along an easy, comfortable path by writing about jazz, country music, oldies and the like — but it's time to talk about Easy Listening music.
Easy Listening music has its place, and I don't mean in elevators. (Which is what you were thinking - admit it.) It's a favorite for a lot of listeners and encompasses varied sounds from many different musicians, but one name personifies the genre for me. He was a talented composer and a skilled pianist, and knew how to make a violin sing too, but is best remembered as a conductor. His name became synonymous with light classics and just about every other kind of Easy Listening music — Mantovani.
I can't remember a time while I was growing up that his music wasn't around, either coming from the radio or playing on some of my Dad's favorite records. And that is the essence of Mantovani - his sound and the way it permeated the musical world through his recordings - because his career was mostly about making records, and a lot of them. He and his various orchestras seldom performed in public, but his music sold millions of records for many, many years, making him one of the most prolific recording artists of all time.
Although most of his best-selling records were of a light variety, his beginnings were pure classical. Born Annunzio Paolo Mantovani in Venice in 1905, the son of a celebrated violinist who played under legendary conductor Arturo Toscanini, the young Mantovani naturally gravitated to the type of music he heard every day. He began by learning piano, but after the family moved to England he eventually switched to violin, which is the instrument on which he began to gain fame as an adult.
Article comments
1 - Wes Stillwagon
I wanted to point readers to the Mantovani Fan Website. To learn about Mantovani, his producer, engineer, musicians, discography, a sample jukebox, and etc. This is a site run by fans for fans. We get over 2000 hits per month from over 80 countries. We look forward to your visit and to any information requests you may have.
This was a very nice article about Mantovani and I want the writer to know I appreciate it very much.
2 - Big Geez
Thanks very much for your comments and also for the URL of the website, which is outstanding. I'd recommend it to anyone who is interested in learning more about Mantovani.
It's kind of interesting that the picture on the main page is the same one that I picked for the article. (Although I got it elsewhere.) I guess we both recognized quality when we saw it.
3 - Michael J. West
Mantovani's music was irresistible. Anyone who tells you differently is lying.