Mantovani and His Orchestra

Venice-born Annunzio Paolo Mantovani became known not only for arrangements of popular tunes and for his own compositions, but for the unique sonic character of "His Orchestra," a sound often likened to the strains of "cascading strings." Detractors called the style elevator music, but Mantovani would become one of the best-known creators and conductors of light orchestral music of his time. Mantovani began conducting in 1925, his first position being conductor of the Hotel Metropole Orchestra in Leeds, an ensemble with whom he made several recordings in 1928. Among the more...