There are not many people who lived through the middle years of the 20th century who will not have heard some of the best loved songs from The Mantovani Orchestra, which was founded and led by Annunzio Paulo Mantovani.
Mantovani was born in Venice, Italy in 1905, and in 1909 his family moved to London, where he was found to be a gifted musician, and by the 1930’s his orchestrated music was being used by the BBC and Pathe News.
He moved to Bournemouth with his wife and family to get away from the hustle and bustle of London, and his house was aptly named “Greensleeves” for one of his greatest hits. He lived there until his death in March 1980.
Mantovani was the first artist to sell over 1 million stereophonic LP’s, and sold no less than 35 millon recordings during his lifetime. He will best be remembered for classics such as Charmaine, Greensleeves, Moulin Rouge, Exodus and Moon River, which are just a few of his recordings. You can find out more about Mantovani on the The Mantovani Orchestra web site.
