Welcome to one of the largest fan websites on the
internet.
Mantovani,
the "Grand Master"* of light orchestra music wanted his large
string orchestra to sound as if it were playing in a cathedral.
Avoiding echo chambers or electronic gadgetry of any kind, he achieved
this unique majestic and elegant sound using nothing but his
arrangements, orchestrations, and his amazing leadership. There were no
electronically amplified strings or other instruments atypical to a
large concert or recording orchestra. The orchestrations used the
natural acoustics of the concert halls and recording studios. The
arrangements simply achieved the absolute best from the instruments used
and the talent of virtuoso musicians. Nothing "easy listening" came from
Mantovani and His Orchestra. The presentations required careful
listening as any dedicated fan will tell you. The delicate and poignant
renderings, harmonies, and amazing counterpoints are legendary and are
still appreciated by music lovers around the world. Even simple themes
were dressed up to classical, concert worthy, and heart touching
performances under the baton of Mantovani. This site is dedicated to
perpetuating his legacy and that of the talented virtuoso musicians also
responsible for the music.
Mantovani heard something in melodies
that made them better and then interpreted what he heard into elegant orchestra arrangements. He made melodies
sweeter and more touching than imagined even by the
composer. For instance, check out this link to
Strauss Blue Danube to
support this opinion. You will not hear the
Blue Danube
played more beautifully even in Vienna. If you have trouble
sleeping, would like to calm your unborn baby so that you
can sleep during pregnancy, perhaps you could put some
Mantovani on your CD Player and relax. Many others have and
it really works. What a nice way to relax. It doesn't mean
the music is "easy listening". It is not. Mantovani music
calls for some sophistication and a good music ear. But even
with a tacit understanding, it is beautiful and spiritually
fulfilling.
Mantovani, a
Marine, a Relationship, and Orange County, California
A love for
Mantovani music and the marriage of our Don and Annette
Southwell
From the OC Register
article, "
Goodbye, "Semper Fi" The demilitarization of Orange County goes
on 10 years after the closing of the El Toro and Tustin Marine
Air Stations.
By GARY A. WARNER
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"...Many were like Don Southwell, a Michigan native. Assigned to
El Toro in 1955, the sergeant would go into Santa Ana to buy the
classically tinged albums by Mantovani at the Blue Note record
store. There he met a clerk named Annette.
"She said she went out with me because she wanted to see if I
was really as square as I seemed," Southwell said. "When
everyone else was buying Elvis Presley and Bill Haley and the
Comets, I was buying Mantovani."
After returning to Michigan for college, Southwell moved
permanently to Orange County. Now married to Annette, he got a
job at Autonetics North American and settled in Anaheim. He was
one of thousands of former Marines who found jobs at McDonnell
Douglas, Raytheon, Hughes, Loral and other defense and aerospace
firms hungry for disciplined, skilled employees.
"Getting assigned to El Toro is the best thing that ever
happened in my life," he said..."
We were very pleased to find this very interesting article on
our friend Don Southwell this morning and we thought you would
appreciate reading it as well. Here is a link to the full story.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/county-orange-marine-2481926-toro-marines
Happy Fourth of July to my American Friends. God Bless our
glorious Constitution. |
M*A*S*H in real
life Nurse recalls Korea, ‘The Forgotten War’
(and Mantovani Music)
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| (From the Lancaster County
(Pennsylvania, USA) "Lancaster On-line".
Copyright (c) 2009,
Intelligencer Journal
Published: May 25, 2009
"When nurse Marie Cottrell tried to enlist in the Army
during World War II, her 5-foot-7 1/2-inch, 120-pound frame
was deemed "too thin," and she was turned away.
A few years later, the Korean War began. Cottrell's weight
hadn't changed, but this time the military welcomed the Long
Island native. It had become apparent that more surgical
nurses were going to be needed to help the large numbers of
wounded soldiers.
At so in April 1951, at age 30, Cottrell began basic
training at the San Antonio Hospital.
She was sent to Fort Leonard and Fort Dix before heading
overseas to Osaka, Japan, in January 1952. Six months later,
she was transferred to Korea, where she spent the next 14
months as a first lieutenant with the 121st Evac Unit, near
Seoul.
"We had quite a large unit," the Manheim Township resident
said. "We were lucky. Our hospital was a burned-out school
building."
They had a lot of work, treating an average of 100 patients
every day. More than 40,000 soldiers came through the evac
unit during the time Cottrell was stationed there, she said. |
Cottrell was an operating room supervisor, tasked with
seeing that the tables were set and ready to go for each
surgery. "We had 10 tables in a big room, and we kept moving
them in and out for minor surgeries. We also had two rooms
that were private for major surgery."
Cottrell was in charge of the 12 nurses in surgery and the
GI medics..."
"It was brutally hot in Korea, and we spent six weeks
without showers. That was not good," she said.
Cottrell said she thought their nine-hole latrine would be
the end of her. "I can't go in public places, but I
learned."
Medical personnel lived in quonset huts. "In the front was
the sitting room. A bar was in the sitting room, and we
partied. ... It was just party, party, party, like they did
in the 'M*A*S*H' TV show."
She recalled that cigarettes were 20 cents a pack and booze
was $2 a bottle, which they bought at the officer's club.
The bulletin board, she said, was where they "found out all
the dirt, the scoop."
"We had a radio, and the G.I. station played the most
beautiful music — Mantovani. It was so peaceful, it felt
like being in heaven. I went to see him at Carnegie Hall
when I got home," Cottrell said.
Cottrell also recalled "Bed Check Charlie," a single plane
that made regular night-time nuisance bombing runs. "At 10
p.m., the North Korean Communists flew over us. They blew up
an oil tank near us one night, but most nights nothing, just
fly over us to scare us," she said." |
Mantovani
Influence on ABBA Music
From The Guardian (UK) Observer
-
Craig McLean
-
The
Observer, Sunday 17 May 2009
-
Article history
|

Benny Andersson of ABBA |
"Soundtrack of my life: Benny Andersson
The Abba star tells Craig McLean about
six records with a very special meaning for him ......
My introduction to melody ...
Mantovani, Film Encores (1957)
For some strange reason when I was 12, 13, I bought this.
There was a lot of wonderful music on it: Laura, Limelight,
Three Coins in the Fountain. You know what Mantovani is
like: strings and tons of reverb. So very not rock'n'roll. I
learned all these songs and that brought me into
melody-making. The essence of good music to me has always
been good melodies..."
Editor's note: I've always loved the work
of ABBA who were absolutely true musical talents on the
level of Chicago. There is no other way of describing the
quality of their magnificent work. It
seems that the list of music stars who are, in-fact
Mantovani fans is growing and includes Smokey Robinson and
Bono. |
|
YouTube and Mantovani.
If you were to search for "Mantovani"
on YouTube, you'd find there are 759 videos available. Who can doubt the
current world popularity of Mantovani? Here are statistics that support
the fact that there remains a world-wide interest in beautiful
Mantovani music. The statistics are accompanied by selected
viewer comments. Note: The quality of sound from YouTube
is very poor compared to that from a good quality vinyl or CD
release. If you click on the title, it will take you to the
specific YouTube video. Please use your [Back] button to return
to the Mantovani Fan Website. The numbers seem to be increasing
by hundreds per day. Wow!!! The comments are very
touching. They reminded me of the comments we received on
Mantovani's 100th Birthday Tribute. You may read them by
clicking here:
Tribute |
| Title |
Views |
Comment |
| |
28 May 2009 |
12 June 2009 |
|
|
Le
Ronde/Greensleeves (from a 45 RPM double
recording) |
9,209 |
9,819 |
Gracious! The memories come waltzing down. Used to hear this 35
yrs. or more ago on the radio and never knew the name of it (La
Ronde)! Still so lovely, many years later! Viva Montovani! |
|
Swedish
Rhapsody |
22,836 |
24,063 |
Just wonderful.
Brings back great memories. I always tried to pick out the
accordion parts every time I heard it as a chikl.. Thanks for
posting. |
|
Edellveiss
|
30,163 |
36,087 |
if u close ur eyes
then open them again u can imagine urself in another place a
beautiful place of course |
|
Elizabethan
Serenade |
16,396 |
18,164 |
I am 25yrs and this song takes me back to grade three when we
would have music. I remembered being absent that day we were
supposed to write it and for the next few days we learned to
sing it.I loved the song so much but didn't have the words.
Until today. It's beautifully serenading.The serenity it brings
is just undescribable. Great piece of music |
|
Le Mer (Beyond The Sea) |
49,506 |
52,473 |
Oh man!!! what beautiful feelings you have stired in me.
Memories of an earlier life that was free of many of todays
ills. Note: there are other versions following Mantovani's on
the program. |
|
Blue Danube |
29,542 |
31,536 |
lindo, musica dos
sonhos maravilhoso. I'd like to add my own comment, this is the
piece that introduced me to Mantovani in about 1953-1954. My
life has never been the same since then. You will not hear this
Strauss masterpiece played more beautifully, even in Vienna.
Listen for the bell like sound from the high strings.
|
|
Some
Enchanted Evening |
33,116 |
34,549 |
Thanks to YouTube we
can see and hear the evolution of Montavani's music. Note:
Listen to Charlie Botterill's magnificent Deagan Vibraharp. |
|
La Paloma |
25,648 |
26,605 |
The most beatifull
music that I like me very much. Thanks, |
|
Come Prima |
44,308 |
46,331 |
oh,Lord, such
beautiful masterpiece. you don't need romance to feel that love.
Thank you for your sharing. |
|
Sweet
Lelani |
60,038 |
63,243 |
Mantovani's music is
just lovely, and ageless |
|
Theme From
Exodus |
36,104 |
37,951 |
Unbelievable,Unbelievable,Unbelievable all the music… and all
feelings in just one instrumental… |
|
Under Paris
Bajo
el cielo de París) |
45,423 |
47,293 |
What to GO!
kraustrujillo ! Your hitting home to my heart on this tune! WoW!
Can't say enough! My parents used to play.
!!!!!La orquésta de Mantovani, hace mucho que no la escuchàba,
muy buena orquésta!!!!! Note: listen to the magnificent
transition to the Mantovani Signature Sound (he did not use it
everywhere). |
|
Ebb Tide |
10,641 |
12,093 |
why o why can't
there be more gorgeous music like this on the radio ? Thank God
I was privy to his music when growing up and listening to my
parents radio player. His music is a PRIME example of WHY
everything doesn't always have to have a BEAT <<<<<<<<<<<<<<< !
God bless that there will be more beautiful music like this in
the world ! |
|
Amapola |
13561 |
14,938 |
ellissima musica!!!
Grazie Luiz !!!! Besos Perla. |
|
Theme From Limelight |
10,467 |
11,625 |
OH MAN! How awesome! I was so lucky to see them live in concert!
Thank you for sharing! |
|
Greensleeves |
10,404 |
11,378 |
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Tulips From Amsterdam |
|
66,106 |
Mantovani's strings ALWAYS make me shiver. |
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Totals |
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This site is currently dedicated to a Mantovani Fan who is a
beautiful spirit and a beautiful lady who is serving her country in
Afghanistan. God Bless and protect my friend. |
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To hear examples of the outstanding orchestrations
by Mantovani and His Orchestra, visit the website
Jukebox.
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