MARIO LANZA. “The Desert Song“ by Sigmund Romberg. “Then You Will Know“.

The recording of the album “The Desert Song“ was made in late August of 1959 in Rome, and is the last work of the singer. His singing was dark, solid, and impassioned regardless of his very poor state of health: having began recordings in July he had to interrupt it due to diagnosed pneumonia. The true reason was phlebitis. Part of a clot had broken loose, causing a partial blockage of the pulmonary artery: it showed up on an x-ray as a spot on the lung. The same disaster happened on October 7, when a bigger clot killed The Great Singer. The tapes were flown to New York, where RCA dubbed in soprano Judith Raskin’s voice and a chorus. RCA issued a remastered CD in 1995.