Two Ayn Rand Favorite Songs – Mario Lanza

Mario was the best. Have you ever heard his version of “Danny Boy?” Wunderbar! Pardon the mixed nationalities. But I am German Irish. 

If you like Mario, check out Fritz Wunderlich. He was mainly an opera singer, but he also sang Kalman, Millocker and Lehar.

A few recommendations for Fritz Wunderlich:

“Ob Blond, Ob Braun” from Countess Maritza by Kalman

“Funiculi Funicula

The toast from La Traviata “Brindisi” with Teresa Stratas

They are all available on You Tube.

Note: Brindisi is the song “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” in the opera.

Well I’ll be! You are really alert! I took the song from a Kurt Wunderlich album on Spotify, Finest Tenor Collection. Song 120 is listed as “Grafin Mariza (Countess Maritza), operetta-Ob blond, ob braun, ich liebe alle Frau’n…” And referred you to the song on You Tube. Apparently, that’s an error and the operetta and that song are not connected! I did not notice the song credit on You Tube as Robert Stolz, which is correct. Anyway, Wunderlich is terrific as always on the song. Sorry about the error. Was I surprised!

This is an old thread – but I am only now seeing it for the first time.

Henry Soloman:  Here are two recordings of “With A Song In My Heart” from 1929, the year it debuted in the Rogers and Hart musical Spring Is Here. The show lasted 104 performances between March and June of that year.  Depending on how your computer is set up, you might be able to get the songs to stream by clicking on the links – or you can always right click on the link and download the mp3 file.

The first is by Earl Burtnett’s Biltmore Trio (as in the Los Angeles Biltmore Hotel) which consisted of Eddie Bush, Paul Gibbons and Bill Seckler recorded August 26, 1929.  This recording contains the complete lyrics:

http://www.radiodismuke.com/hbl/Earl%20Burtnett%27s%20Biltmore%20Trio%20-%20With%20A%20Song%20In%20My%20Heart.mp3

The second is the 1929 recording that sold the most copies.  It is by Leo Reisman’s Orchestra which was a New York City hotel band that, at the time, was extremely popular with that city’s high society set.   The vocal is by Ran Weeks and was recorded March 18, 1929

http://www.radiodismuke.com/hbl/Leo%20Reisman%20And%20His%20Orchestra%20Ran%20Weeks%20Vocal%20-%20With%20A%20Song%20In%20My%20Heart.mp3

There were two other 1929 American recordings of the song that I am aware of which were issued on various bargain priced dime store labels.  They by the Sam Lanin and Frank Leithner orchestras – but I have yet to come across any copies.   Also, in England Jack Hylton recorded the song with Sam Browne on the vocal.  I don’t have the record – but you can find the recording and a whole treasure trove of other Jack Hylton recordings at http://www.jackhylton.com/mp3-downloads/

Speaking of songs Ayn Rand liked, here is one that she specifically mentioned in We The Living: “Destiny Waltz” by British composer Sydney Baynes. The song was published in 1912 and its sheet music sold over a million copies. Supposedly it was one of the songs that was performed by Wallace Hartley’s orchestra on the ill fated voyage of the Titanic.

There were a large number of different recordings of it made in the 1910s and 1920s, especially in England. But what makes this particular version unique is that it was the one that Ayn Rand had in her own record collection – and, in my opinion, it is by far the best version I have yet to come across.

It is performed by the Edith Lorand Orchestra. Lorand was a Hungarian born violinist who led a German-based salon orchestra that was famous throughout Europe until her recording contracts were abruptly cancelled and she was forced to flee Germany when the Nazis took over in 1933. She eventually made it to safety in the USA but her career never took off to the degree that it had in Europe. I always pick up her recordings whenever I get a chance – they are usually outstanding.

As I mentioned, I think this arrangement of the song is excellent – Lorand’s violin and the xylophone accompaniment make it sparkle. Some years back it was one of the recordings that could be heard on the hold music whenever one phoned ARI. It was recorded in Berlin, June 20, 1931. You should be able to click on the link to make the music stream – if not, right click to download the audio file. http://www.radiodismuke.com/hbl/Edith%20Lorand%20-%20Destiny%20Waltz%20-%20Columbia%20G-2657-D%20mx%20128096%20-%20done.mp3