Monica Mancini carries on her father's 'brilliance'
Years of refinement shape this weekend's Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra Pops programs at which Monica Mancini pays tribute to her father, celebrated film and television composer Henry Mancini, supplemented by a few of her other favorite things.
Concerts today through Sunday at Heinz Hall, Downtown, and Monday at Scottish Rite Cathedral, New Castle, will open with conductor Richard Kaufman leading purely orchestral performances of some of Mancini's most-loved music -- such as "Baby Elephant Walk" and music from the television series "Peter Gunn."
Monica Mancini's performance after intermission will include big-screen projections of family movies and photos, as well as film clips.
"It's not all Dad's stuff. It's my favorite film music, a lot of which happens to be by him," she says.
Henry Mancini, who was born in Cleveland, was raised in Ambridge and returned as a Western Pennsylvania local son to conduct the Pittsburgh Symphony Pops on many occasions. Originally a flutist, he served in an Army band during World War II and later was an arranger for jazz greats Benny Goodman and the Glenn Miller Band. Mancini's fluent absorption of jazz idioms, along with an audible sense of humor, contributed to his distinctive voice as a composer.
He moved to southern California in 1952 to work in the film industry. Monica says when she, her twin sister and brother were infants, Henry "was still working as a staff conductor, showing up to work every day and doing what they told him to, often not the whole film."
Her father's big break came in 1958, when he wrote the score for Blake Edwards' "Peter Gunn," for which he received an Emmy nomination. When he recorded an album of music from the show, it won two Grammys.
"That was the defining moment. We moved from the San Fernando Valley to the West Side -- we literally called it over the hill, because it meant you've made it," she says.
Mancini started working in a studio at home, composing award-winning scores such as "Breakfast at Tiffany's," "Charade" and "The Pink Panther."
"I'm positive he was writing brilliant things right under our noses," Monica says, "but we didn't care. We were kids listening to The Beatles and The Rolling Stones. We'd peek in at him working, and he was pretty easy about it."
As Mancini quickly accumulated honors, his kids realized he "must be kind of a big deal."
"People say it must have been exciting, but we were well grounded as kids and had completely normal childhoods," she says.
Mancini's children all took music lessons, which Monica says was common then (in the 1950s) but today has been replaced by soccer and karate. "Everybody in the family sings. It's funny that my dad was the only one with a really lousy voice. He was the first to admit it."
She says she met her current husband, Gregg Field, 10 years ago "on a tour of Japan and fell madly in love. He's got quite a background. He used to drum for Sinatra, Count Basie and Ella, and is part owner of Concord Records. Between the two of us, we're involved in a lot of different things. We just produced an Ella Fitzgerald special for PBS."
Monica is the only one of Mancini's children to perform.
"My sister Felice runs the Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation. She's a do-gooder like my mom. I do good in a different way. I'm out there spreading the gospel of Mancini, and how bad could that be?" Additional Information:
'Mancini at the Movies
with Monica Mancini'
Featuring: Monica Mancini, vocals; Pittsburgh Symphony Pops, Richard Kaufman, conductor
When and where:
⢠7:30 p.m. today, 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 2:30 p.m. Sunday. Heinz Hall, Downtown. $19-$75
⢠8 p.m. Monday. Scottish Rite Cathedral, New Castle. $16-$60
Details: Heinz Hall, 412-392-4900; Scottish Rite Cathedral, 412-392-4900 or 800-743-8560
