Italian-born maestro of the light orchestral music genre

Annunzio Mantovani who died on 29 March 1980 was regarded as the master of light orchestral music.

He wooed respectable 1940s and 50s England with lush interpretations of popular melodies that acted as a precursor to modern pop.

His distinctive “Mantovani sound” or “cascading string effect” was developed to replicate – in echo-free venues - the echo created in cathedral-like buildings.

He first used this effect in the Mantovani orchestra’s instrumental version of “Charmaine”, which sold one million copies.

Annunzio Paolo Mantovani was born on 15 November 1905 into a musical family – his father played in Milan ’s La Scala orchestra. When his family moved to England in 1912, he studied at Trinity College of Music in London .

After graduation, he joined a touring orchestra and featured as a soloist. Encouraged to pursue a concert career, he gave high profile recitals in 1930 and 1931.

He later decided against a concert career and, instead, founded the Tipica Orchestra which gave radio performances at the London ’s elite Monseigneur restaurant, toured England and recorded US hits including “Red Sails in the Sunset” (1935).

By the Second World War, the Tipica Orchestra was one of Britain ’s most popular and made regular appearances on BBC Radio. Mr Mantovani branched out into theatre and arranged music for plays, including several by Noel Coward.

After the war, he concentrated on recording and teamed up with arranger Ronald Binge to produce a signature style for the Tipica Orchestra - together they developed Mantovani’s famous “cascading strings” effect.

They first used the “Mantovani sound” in the best-selling single “Charmaine” (1951), which sold a million copies and made Mantovani a star.

UK hits followed, including UK No.1’s “Song from Moulin Rouge” (1953) and “Cara Mia” (1954). The latter was his first US Top Ten album. From 1955 to 1972, he produced 27 US Top twenty and 11 US Top Ten albums.

Mr Mantovani refused to compromise his easy listening style to accommodate changing public tastes during the late 1960s, and his popularity plunged. He continued composing until he died at home in Tunbridge Wells on 30 March 1980.

He was fascinated by the studio recording process. He was one of the first artists to mainly use LPs rather than singles for his releases, and the first to sell a million records in stereo format.

Although he occasionally produced original compositions, his hugely popular repertoire mostly featured romantic adaptations of familiar tunes.

He was keen to play 1960s pop if it fitted his style and famously transformed “Yesterday” by the Beatles into a Nocturne for Violin and Orchestra.

His music enjoyed a minor revival after his death, and the unscrupulous have passed off CDs made by others as “The Mantovani Orchestra”.