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Mantovani's Signature Sound |
| What is Light Orchestra Music? | What is Not Light Orchestra Music? |
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Light Orchestra Music is presented as an alternative between classical and popular music. A Light Orchestra may play the more recognizable themes from an opera or or classical composition, and a popular one on the same program, if they fit into the concert or album theme. Typically the presentations from a light orchestra will take the classical or opera composition and make it sound like a popular theme, perhaps with a more modern sound or rhythm, it is apt to be played less formally (check out James Last's "Classics Up to Date" series). They may also turn a popular vocal selection and turn it into a very pleasing instrumental, and at times even classical sounding orchestration. |
Quality Light Orchestra Music is sometimes confused, with "background music, or "easy listening" music, it surely is not. The Quality Light Orchestra Music produced by Mantovani, Percy Faith, James Last and others, was neither Background or Easy Listening. Selections from those named sources and others, touched the listener, often so much so, that they could not ignore the beauty, the musical message, often wrestling their attention to the music over all other objects or subjects. This music included sophisticated arrangements utilizing virtuoso musicians and sold millions and millions of records around the world. Many of the fans of the various orchestras maintain very highly prized and considerably large recording collections. Background music and easy listening music such as that provided by firms like Muzac® 1)are not intrusive, 2) may be in the environment, and not touch the listener beyond the possible recognition that a sound is present. This is not the case with the music from Mantovani, Faith, Last and others. It will not be ignored by anyone with an ear for music. Percy Faith's Daughter in a recent interview with BBC-2 stated, she resented when someone referred to her dad's magnificent arrangements (often including counterpoint on counterpoint) as "easy listening," and justifiably so. Another Mantovani friend of mine, when someone mentions "Elevator Music," states, "Show me that elevator!" |
Recognizing a Mantovani Arrangement |
The reverse would be where he would start into a phrase, gradually decrease the tempo while bringing the instruments down toward silence, incorporate a small bit of silence, and then start the next phrase at that level and tempo, and then build the phrase back up. Listen to MP3 sample of "If I Loved You" (from "Song Hits From Theatreland" LK 4112, LL 1219, 1955) as a good example. That piece is full of dynamics and rubatos. No one ever used dynamics and rubato like Mantovani did, and it has to be "in" the conductor. You don't learn how to use them effectively in music school, you have to have the "feel" for using them-vis-ŕ-vis Mantovani's father and his advice." This masterful and knowledgeable description accounts for the quality of the source of the attraction. It does not account for the fact that even with such qualities in the arrangements, Mantovani's music is unattractive to some. Granted, some people have what is called, "a tin ear" and could not be attracted to any kind of music regardless of how well it is presented. Some people seem only able to respond to words spoken in line with a beat (rap music for instance). All music taste is subjective. However to the Mantovani fan there seems to be unmistakable qualities that come through that distinguishes Monty's music almost from the first bar of a newly heard recording.
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How would one account for the attraction that a Mantovani Fan has for an arrangement by the Maestro? If fans don't understand the dynamic of the attraction, could it be lost to future generations? I think it could. So the purpose of this page is to present some thoughts on the methods behind the attraction to Monty's music so that student arrangers and others may learn from his mastery and apply what they learned. Perhaps much of the reason why Mantovani's music is so unique is because of his passion and also his father's encouragement. He told him, "Put feeling into your music my boy. Music without feeling is little more than a noise." This sounds simple enough and perhaps almost everyone with a musical ear would have a tacit understanding of what Mantovani's father was advising. Feeling in music comes from the melody, beat, words, words with the melody as well as other factors (some described below). But what other factors distinguish a Mantovani musical presentation from that of another arranger/conductor? Mantovani expert Don Southwell recently stated the following of the techniques Monty employed to achieve his extraordinary results: "... the extremely unique aspect of what sets a Mantovani interpretation apart from any conductor of The Mantovani Orchestra playing a Mantovani orchestration is dynamics, and rubatos. Mantovani was a master of using loudness, softness, silence, and rubato (varying the tempo of a passage) to emphasize a phrase and create a mood. He would start into a phrase, slowly accelerate the tempo, gradually increase the loudness to a peak, and then insert a touch of silence before proceeding to the next phrase-usually the violins with the "sound" coming in softly and building to the desired loudness throughout the rest of the phrase. |
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Don Southwell and Wes continue: |
I know that it is difficult (impossible for some of us, such as the webmaster) to simultaneously experience Mantovani mastery while remaining objective enough to perceive precisely what musical technique is being employed. Yet it is essential for such objectiveness, especially as described by a musical, Mantovani experts such as Don Southwell to enable future generations to arrange, conduct, and enjoy genuine Mantovani style music. The "so-called" cascading string affect (during the effect, the strings are frequently not cascading at all) employed by Mantovani would not be as effective if he used it constantly, inappropriately, or out of context of the musical phrase (a mistake often employed by Mantovani imitators). Mantovani actually employed it very sparingly, even going so far as to keeping concert audiences waiting for the third or fourth number before giving them what they had come to hear (reported by long-time Mantovani Manager George Erlick). How and when it was employed and how it was introduced was important to the listening experience." The affect would be introduced differently depending upon where it would appear in the number. For instance, consider Gold and Silver Waltz on the spectacular, "Candelight (LK 4150) (LL 1502) (1956)(Go to Discography), (MP3) according to the Mantovani Fan Web Site Musicologist, Don Southwell, "In the first 28 measures prior to the sound, the melody goes into the violas and cellos, with the A and B violins arpeggiating above. The C violins are silent. Two measures prior to the sound (your area of interest as to what you're hearing in the Gold and Silver waltz, and approximately 2:36 on a timer), the violas go into their high register joined by the C violins and they modulate to the new key necessary for the A and B violins to go into high register and join the C's continuing the melody with the "sound", ( 2:38 on the timer). This technique smoothes the transition from the low strings to the high strings in the ear of the listener, and is generally only used when the transition is within a passage. Mantovani was a master at using this technique to literally take your breath away with the mood created as he made the phrase soar. Listen to " Song Of Sorrento1" (found on same album). Here, the sound appears twice. The piece opens with the violins in high register on melody with the sound (MP3) . The melody is then picked up by a mandolin, to an oboe, then (at 1:47) back to the strings (in low register) playing tremolo ( creating a shimmering effect). The tremolo strings--on melody-- go into a crescendo (get louder at 2:03) as they move up to a peak with a very short modulation to the sound (at 2:15) "Song of Sorrento 2"(MP3): . The second entry of the sound is mid-passage, hence the sound is --as you say-- "launched" into the passage." Wes: Just for comparison, let's see how Mantovani would transition to "the sound" while moving from passage to passage within the heartfelt Le Mer (Beyond The Sea). While listening again to this beautiful piece, I noticed something else Mantovani would do and that is to prepare you for the next musical phrase while still completing the last. Listen closely at the end of the phrase in point. How fortunate we are to have Don's explanation of technique. There were many beautiful music pieces written after the death of Mantovani that could be embellished by an arranger with an ear for Mantovani technique and artistry. I hope we hear from them. All of these factors in addition to those mentioned above would impact the quality of the musical presentation and would impact the quality of your music perception.
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Don Southwell: " In the 80's I listened to many of the musicians in their opinions of (Mantovani) music, and I watched so many good violinists flounder to catch on to achieving the "sound". It was rewarding to see their respect for the music develop and deepen after they "got it". I studied music after I retired in 1994, specifically to more fully understand how Mantovani achieved his "sound" (what it means to resolve a chord, and to delay the notes in the resolution of the chord?), and how he incorporated a unique warm sound to his orchestra even when not employing the "sound" (through the unique voicing of the instruments and the careful use of "color chords" to achieve extraordinary harmonies). I can understand and tolerate why the "tin ears" are critical. It's their loss as far as I'm concerned." Wes: I believe that in addition to Mantovani's arrangements (by Monty or others under his direction) and the resulting performance, we have to consider the musical composition. For Mantovani's arrangements there would have to be a melody that could provide the foundation for a suitable Mantovani arrangement. While he considered many compositions, even recording some that did not make it to market, he did not select just any tune to become a Mantovani arrangement. The acoustics of the hall or recording studio would also have to be considered. I don't believe anyone really understood how to utilize such acoustics in creating a musical presentation better than Mantovani. Mantovani emphasized over and over that it was 'orchestrations' that he employed and not electronic gimmickry to achieve his appealing orchestration results. While I like a lot of the work of James Last, his use of amplified instruments in his orchestrations, in my opinion, overwhelms the natural acoustics of the hall or recording studio, and makes it seem unnatural to my ear. I also suspect some harmonics are lost on those amplified instruments. Last also is not as adept (in my opinion) in the manner described above by the expert. Mantovani's mastery of the natural quality, this acoustic quality Binge heard in a great cathedral is what distinguishes Monty's music. The 'rubato' mentioned by Don (above) adds to the difficulty of auditioning and leading an orchestra. Using rubato assumes that all musicians and the maestro feel the same during a phrasing to slow up or speed up the timing. Another difficulty is assuring the length of the silence when called for in the orchestration. Only the most talented musicians are capable of achieving such magnificence in performance. The maestro has a very, very difficult task bringing an orchestra together around such an arrangement. To tackle such a task with an orchestra made up of temporary (but virtuoso) musicians and to achieve the same wonderful results that Mantovani did simply boggles my mind. He was a leader of extraordinary talent. It is important to the Mantovanians that efforts be made to assure future musicians and music lovers the ability to employ and enjoy the techniques and artistry of Mantovani and Binge. To do so would require the capturing and describing of technique such that students and professionals may successfully attempt Monty's methods and experiment with how they were employed. We Mantovanians enjoy talking about particular recordings that impressed us. We consider ourselves very fortunate to have not only people with a great ear for Mantovani music, but also we have a Musicologist who can explain in objective terms what we are hearing and how it was produced. One must remember that Mantovani only employed orchestrations to achieve his magic, no electronic embellishments were ever employed in his recordings or concerts. Psychologically, |
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Anaylizing a Mantovani Arrangement |
The A to D sharp melody on beat three is extremely unique in a G7 harmony and is very "Mantovani" because most composers and orchestraters would keep the melody within the tonality of the key of C and the color effects, which adds to the beauty of the piece, would not be there. He does the same thing later in the piece near the end. Another example of "Mantovani's" uniqueness is in the last two measures of the piece in both the first and second endings. He executes an authentic cadence through a G7 to C harmony. In the first of each of the two C measures, he arpeggiates in the bass; however, notice that the arpeggiation is C-G-A-C-E-G rather than a pure C chord arpeggiation (which most composers and orchestrators would write). A-C-E is an A minor chord which is the Relative Minor of C Major. Again a unique color effect through introducing the A minor within the C major arpeggiation. These are several more examples of what made Mantovani's music so uniquely beautiful, and so pleasing to the listener." Don Southwell Copyright 2003, Don Southwell. All rights reserved.
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Our music expert Don Southwell was kind enough to share analysis of a Mantovani composition (It Was Love) and arrangement with me. I thought that there are some musicians among us that would appreciate Don's explanation and elaboration so I am including it below along with the musical passage in point. I hope you enjoy this. You may access a Zip file of the piece here. "I've played the piece, and it plays very well. It's very pretty. I have the 45 rpm recording with Bryan Johnson but I haven't played it in years hence, I'd forgotten how beautiful the full orchestration is until I began to hear it in my mind as I played the sheet music. Here's a little tutorial to give you more insight into the genius of Mantovani as compared to virtually all of his contemporaries. The piece is in the key of C. In analyzing the melody and harmonies you will notice that in the second measure after the first repeat symbol, the harmony is a G7 chord set up in the measure with G--F in the bass clef, and a B in both treble clefs ( the upper treble clef is the vocalists, and the lower treble clef, the accompanists). On beat two for color, he introduces a B--E in the accompanists clef which creates a dissonance in the G7 harmony because E is a non harmonic tone. He immediately introduces an A over the E on the first half of beat three to create a new dissonance, thus beginning to resolve the E's dissonance, then he introduces a Dsharp on the last half of beat three. This creates more color through that dissonance which he resolves quickly on beat one in the next measure. |
The 6th Chord |
The 6th chord is a "color" chord in any key-major or minor- in which it's used. It is considered "foreign" to the key in that it does not belong within the seven main (diatonic) chords in the key. "Laura" is written in a minor key, and Mantovani's orchestration is in the key of G minor to suit the strings which carry the principal passages. The key signature of G minor is two flats, B and E. The G minor chord is constructed G--Bflat--D. The 6th is constructed by adding Enatural, thus you have G--Bflat--D--Enatural. Mantovani uses the G minor 6th rather than the pure G minor to add color to the string sound. When the 6th is sounded for its color effect, the D and the Enatural sounded together create a dissonance which must be resolved quickly so as to not make the listener uncomfortable. He carries the Enatural across the bar, and then upon entry to the next bar, quickly moves the E down to the D resolving to the pure Gminor chord, or up to the F making a Gminor 7th which removes the dissonance making the listener comfortable. Try it ... and you'll see what it's all about." (Regarding the) "the lushness of the 6th chord in Mantovanis orchestration of the movie song hit, 'Laura', the 6th chord is a "color" chord..." Copyright © 2002 Donald Southwell. All rights reserved. |
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A correspondent on the guestbook made an entry that prompted a response from our exceptional musicologist, Donald Southwell. Don is exceptional because no one explains the complex technique of a Mantovani arrangement like Don. He suggested that perhaps his response was too technical for the Mantovani Fan Website. It indeed may be for many of us, but I know that there are musicians that visit the site and they may find what Don says interesting and (hopefully) useful. Only through the technical knowledge shared so freely by Don, will there be the hope of some music virtuoso realizing that they could successfully employ the Mantovani magic in old or new arrangements. From Donald Southwell: "...one of the visitors to the site wrote in the guest book about the "lushness of the minor 6th chord in Mantovani's 'Laura' ". He has very good ears to have picked that out. |
For those interested, here is the diagram of Mantovani's orchestra used in a concert in 1963 (assuming a 43 piece ensemble):
Listeners (and Musicians) With and Without
the 'Ear'
I don't believe the ability to perceive Mantovani Music is a factor of personal style, but it may have to do with special attributes a person is born with. I know I had no particular music education, beyond a few lessons on the piano accordion when I was absolutely floored by Mantovani's rendition of the Blue Danube. My parents had no particular flare for any music beyond what was popular at the time and expressed that my love of Monty's music was not usual for a person my age (14- 15). I feel sorry for those who cannot positively perceive what I hear in a Mantovani performance. I wonder what other beauty they are missing in art and nature.
From Don Southwell:
"The particular sound that Mantovani is most recognized by (and used very sparingly by the Maestro) was created by having the notes of the passage played by the strings so that the notes overlapped, creating an effect similar to that achievable with the acoustics of a large gothic cathedral. In a passage calling for the overlapping strings, the "A" violins would play the first note and while the note was sustained, the "B" notes were played, followed similarly by the "C" violins on the third notes and so on. According to our music expert, it is essential that the violins are capable of producing uniform loudness for this effect to be successful. This wasn't the only orchestration method employed by the Maestro, please read on."
We should consider the components of the listener with the 'ear' vs. those without. Are the personal faculties that would enable a person to get the very pleasant reaction from Mantovani's music something acquired and/or developed or are they born with those attributes? If there are those among us who were not born with such faculties, can they be developed? Since those with the 'ear' do not require the additional consideration of having to develop the faculties or attributes, let's consider the ones with the ear. The listener's without would have to be placed into two categories: 1) those who don't have it and who never will, and 2) those who don't have it but who may have the basic foundations (whatever they are) necessary to develop the 'ear.' Another category will have to include those who have never heard the spectacular music of Mantovani.
So I believe we can conclude that the person with 'the ear' for a Mantovani arrangement unconsciously applies some tacit qualities to the perception of a musical presentation that results in them experiencing a pleasant quality or value judgment. Those that do not have the ear do not achieve the same kind of perception. Such perception contains elements that are only tacitly defined, but I believe there are components that would be namable with some research.
Mantovani and Ronald Binge, the Creative Interpersonal Dynamic
In my mind Don was referring to the phalanx that existed between the two men. I believe this continued long after their split in the early fifties and I am providing music samples to prove it. I've listened to many interpretations of Binge's "Elizabethan Serenade"
and I now believe that none is better than Mantovani's.
I previously favored the James Last interpretation and I am still am very fond of that recording. I've heard highly regarded symphony and pop orchestras attempt it and the results were so bad that I couldn't listen all the way through the presentation. Some may argue that Mantovani's personal favorite, Greensleeves demonstrates the dynamic best. In any case the Mantovani/Binge dynamic, in my opinion, produced a product exceeding the sum capabilities of both men and continued after their split. I believe that both were unaware of the potential power of the interpersonal dynamic or 'phalanx.' To learn more about the Phalanx see the paper presented at this link. Use your browser's [Back] button to return to this website.
One of the most magnificent samples of the product of the dynamic is A Scottish Rhapsody (in MP3)
penned by Binge, interpreted and presented by Mantovani. If you like Mantovani, you may find this seven minute piece absolutely haunting and unforgettable. A sample is below. The following sample segment of A Scottish Rhapsody is presented in MP3 format. The whole Tone Poem is seven minutes long. Our sample is not. The tone poem was released on "More Mantovani Magic (SKL 5157)," "Annunzio Paolo Mantovani 25th Anniversary Album ( XPS 610)" (1974).
Enjoy --
Intellectual property Copyright © 2004, Wesley W. Stillwagon, Sr. All rights reserved.
An "interpersonal dynamic" is the unconscious accomplishment producing energy created by the interaction between two human beings. It can only be measured by the product produced (analytically) and as it is described here relates directly to the term, "Phalanx." Phalanx was first described and employed by John Steinbeck ("Of Mice and Men," "The Wayward Bus," Cannery Row," "Grapes of Wrath," and other literature) most clearly in his "Bombs Away, the Story of a Bomber Crew." The concept hypothesis is that two people, given the right interpersonal chemistry, can create a product that exceeds the apparent energy capabilities of each person. Being unconscious, neither of the two persons will be aware of the dynamic in play and it does not require a conscious agreement for this to work. It may require the right environment as a catalyst.
Don Southwell mentioned something a little while ago that I picked up on. because I am so interested in what Don has to say. In the "Wyoming" discussion (below) Don said, "Of all of the "Binge orchestration/ Mantovani interpretation" combinations, this one clearly showcases the genius of both men."
Perception
The Process of Perception:
To understand perception, we have to be able to visualize the process by which it occurs in the human psyche. A perception occurs after some information is acquired by the senses or intuition and passes through the unconscious. Not all information from the senses or intuition become a perception, that is a conscious image and resulting reaction. Some of it is retained by the unconscious without becoming a perception. While in the unconscious the information is subject to filtering based upon our current needs, prejudice, fears, desires, etc. such that when it comes into consciousness as a perception, it contains qualities that we unconsciously have applied, such as feeling tones, which give the perception personal (subjective) values.
Were it not for the unconscious influence, we would not be able to string the individual notes to form a melody.
Communication between humans requires two parts, 1) the communicator (Mantovani Music) and 2) the listener or receiver. If the ability to get the very pleasant reaction in the listener were merely a factor of the quality of the arrangement and orchestration, every human would experience it equally. Since the ability to perceive the music differs from human to human, other components of perception must be considered a part of the musical communication equation. The key word (in my opinion) is perception.
Most humans have the ability to hear the music, but each perceives it differently depending upon a number of personal factors. Logically, we may assume that Mantovani fans are able to perceive the melody and the interpret that melody as Mantovani intended through his arrangement. Those who cannot, lack this 'ear' or an ability to perceive in such a fashion. The Mantovani Fan with the 'ear' is able to perceive the presentation in a way that results in a pleasurable or joyful manner.
The Little Red Haired Girl and Mantovani Music Already being a Mantovani Fan, I would play his Come Prima (MP3) as the last dance record. This recording may be found on the very popular Continental Encores album (LK 4297/SKL 4044) or (LL 3095/PS147). The first time I played Come Prima, the dancers stopped dancing and there was some complaint on the dance floor. Most had not heard such music until that moment and the difference made them uncomfortable. Since my turntable and amplifier were in a second floor room with walls to the ceiling, they could not throw anything at me to get my attention, and I was determined to make them like it.
At that time (like the shy Charlie Brown of Peanuts fame) I was infatuated with a beautiful red haired girl and always waited for the Come Prima record to drop and then I hurried down to dance with her to this magnificent arrangement. It was always heaven, but I can recall it all ended much too quickly.
For several weeks I played Come Prima as the last number (and danced with the lovely red haired girl). The resistance went away and people seemed to expect and enjoy the beautiful Mantovani rendition. I thought this would be a time for an experiment, and when the time came for the last dance, I played something else. If you can believe it, they knocked on my door and demanded I play Come Prima as the last dance number. I gladly played the record for them and had a chance to dance with the lovely red haired girl.
I am sure there were some in the hall who could care less what slow number I played for the last dance, but there were a sizable number who did care after acquiring the 'ear' as a result of my persistence.
When I was in my teens, I was already skillful and knowledgeable in electronics. I would be called upon to fix electronic devices like radios and televisions for relatives. As a result of this reputation, a Roman Catholic Priest asked me to prepare a Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) hall with an amplifier, speakers, and a turntable for Saturday Evening dances. I fulfilled his wish and as a result of my volunteering, I was also asked to be the Disk Jockey for these dances. I was given a meager budget to purchase a few records every month to add to the collection for the dances. The only record I was forbidden to purchase and play was Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog." (Since Saturday was time for Confession and as a result the priest was not in attendance at the dance until about nine PM, we purchased the record regularly. We would play it until just before he arrived. When he found a copy, of which there were usually many, he would take a nail and destroy the record.) The dance rapidly became popular in the Trenton, New Jersey area, and usually had between fifty and one-hundred teens dancing every Saturday night.
Tradition for the last dance demanded a slow number, which was ok to me since I still do not know how to dance fast dances.
"Learnin the River," and Exploring the Roots of Mantovani Music" As I began to explore my fascination with Mantovani Music I worried that I may experience what Mark Twain did as a result of his learning to become a river boat pilot on the Mississippi. Before the lessons began he was fully able to appreciate the beauty of the river including the horizon, sites along the shores, how each passage along the same section appeared different at different times of year, etc. After learning the river, he was no longer able to look at it the same way. He then saw each segment in their technical qualities of shoals, turning points, typical stopping places, sources of wood, and etc. The romance of the river had died for him as a result of his learning.
I certainly didn't wish that to happen to me as a result of my study. So far, it hasn't impacted me at all.
Saturn vs. Uranus, and Rubato The gods of Greek and Roman mythology were named and described based on their particular qualities or fields of rulership. The same god names are the ones they used in naming the planets. Saturn was given rulership of limits, lines, borders, extremes, and those things describing where something ended and another began. Something definable in black and white terms has Saturnian qualities. A unit of measure, even music measure would be attributed to the god Saturn. Saturnian music is music that is held strictly to the beat or measure. It seems to me that pure Saturnian music needs no more than that quality and much popular music today seems to fit into such a category. Some of it lacking any melody whatsoever, let alone Rubato (see above).
As myth has it, Saturn stole the kingdom of the earth and heavens from his father Uranus. Seeing this, Zeus split the two rulerships giving Saturn the rulership of the Earth and his father Uranus rulership of the Heavens. While the two gods have what appears to be separate realms, in fact they are always in competition.
A person who sees or describes things in Earth like tones, is always able to do so in black and white, in other words with limits and clear distinctions between opposing points, objects, or subjects. Uranus challenges the limits established by Saturn, by, let's say increasing the gray area between extremes or making the lines blurry, or difficult to perceive, on the one hand, but more revolutionary, less harsh, more feeing influenced, such as the impact of masterfully applied Rubato.
So many orchestrations, even by the biggest conductors and orchestras do not use Dynamics and Rubato as well as Mantovani in my opinion (I may be wrong) and as a result, the music lacks an important feeling quality that Mantovani realized and included in his arrangements.
The Future of Mantovani Music
In considering the future of Mantovani music, we have three populations to concern ourselves with: 1) those with the ear and the desire for more product; 2) those who have the ear and haven't heard the music of Mantovani; and, 3) those who could develop the ear if given adequate exposure. We have the possibility of three resources for Mantovani music: 1) existing released and unreleased recordings, and 2) new arrangements utilizing the Mantovani style of arranging, performing, and recording; and 3) new arrangements utilizing the Mantovani style oif arranging, performing, and recording and the future live concerts commencing Sunday, 27 January, 2008, at Lighthouse, Poole's Centre for the Arts, Dorset, UK.
