Enrico Caruso - A Dream (Victor, 1920)
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- Опубліковано 23 сер 2024
- During the month of August, Dead Tenors’ Society pays tribute to the greatest tenor in recorded history, Enrico Caruso (1873-1921). This week explores Caruso’s final years.
In August 1918, Caruso surprised the world by marrying Dorothy Park Benjamin, a New York socialite some 20 years his junior. Despite the shock and disapproval of many around them, the newlyweds set up house in Caruso’s penthouse at New York’s Knickerbocker Hotel. The happy couple welcomed the birth of their only child, Gloria, in December of 1919 and seemed destined for many happy years together. It is a pity that their blissful union was fated to be a brief one.
By the time of his marriage, Caruso was 45 years old and in questionable health. Hypertension and acute migraines plagued him, due to his chain smoking and the extra weight he carried on his portly frame. There was also the overwork. Caruso was considered the greatest tenor in the world, and he was determined to maintain that reputation at any cost. He was now the world’s highest paid singer, getting $3,000 a night for his Met performances and an astounding $15,000 a night for his appearances in Mexico City and Havana. He continued driving himself relentlessly, giving three performances a week during the first month of the 1918/19 Met season. The glowing reviews only added to Caruso’s stress, including this one in the NY Times. “There is one word with which to characterize Caruso's singing-glorious. That pianissimo whisper…showed us the master of artistic vocalism. A lovely legato, and of a sweet sonorousness. A stirring impersonation. A sold-out house went wild...” Caruso began to wonder how much longer he could live up to this reputation.
One of the bright points during this period was the Met’s Silver Anniversary Gala celebration Caruso’s 25 years in opera. The tenor sang one act each of Elisir d’Amore, Pagliacci and Le Prophète to a packed theater. Speeches were given by his friends and colleagues and the tenor was presented with an array of expensive mementoes, including a diamond studded platinum watch, silver loving cups, vases and wreaths, a commemorative cold coin, and a silk flag of the city of New York. These mementoes were, no doubt, eventually housed in Caruso’s 50th St. gallery along with his other objet d’art and assorted medals. Although seven nations had bestowed eleven decorations on him over the years, he insisted that his proudest honor was the captain’s badge given to him by the NYPD. He was truly a man of the people.
Caruso did NOT die on stage as we see in the Mario Lanza biopic. There was a series of unfortunate mishaps during the month of December 1920, however. As he pulled down the temple (constructed of 20 pound wicker baskets) at the end of Samson et Dalila, a malfunction caused one of the baskets to hit him in the left side, knocking him unconscious. Caruso also severely wrenched this same area during a Pagliacci a few days later. Then there was the horrific blood spitting incident during an Elisir in Brooklyn on the 11th. He sang three times after that, giving his final performance as Eléazar in La Juive on Christmas Eve. The following day, he collapsed at his home and spent the next two months hovering between life and death. Acute pleurisy was the culprit and, sadly, Caruso never made a complete recovery. He sailed for Italy in May and although he appeared to rally, his condition rapidly deteriorated in late July. The Great Caruso passed away at the Vesuvio Hotel in Naples on August 2, 1921. He was just 48 years old.
Enrico Caruso came along at a time when opera was in transition. Although the verismo school was coming into its own, bel canto was still very much in evidence. Caruso’s bel canto training combined with an understanding of the new verismo approach allowed him, more than just about any other artist, to legitimize the new school while keeping the old school alive. Caruso also legitimized the phonograph in its early days, with a voice that recorded amazingly well. Caruso’s singing also possessed a very human quality, something in the heart that was sensed by all those who listened. It is difficult to not feel a bit emotionally overwhelmed when hearing a Caruso record. In the century since his passing, he has never been equaled. I doubt he ever will.
Caruso continued his arrangement with Victor studios, making his final records less than a year before his death. Victor continued issuing new Caruso records until at least 1923 and continued re-releasing old recordings (as RCA) for decades after that. From Caruso’s final session on September 16, 1920, we hear Bartlett’s “A Dream”. This is another recording that critics opine would not have been released had the tenor not died. I disagree. Despite the depressing subject matter of the piece, Caruso delivers it beautifully. The diminuendo on the phrase “Thrill me and still me” in the second verse is heartbreakingly beautiful. I feel fortunate that Victor decided to release this one.
This was first record I heard of enrico and 75 years later still enjoy it and all his others.
He really had as near to perfect a voice as you could possibly have
Perhaps some of us can ignore the old scratchy sounding records and hear the mesmerizing voice of this great tenor.
The scratchy 78s cannot disguise the genius of his voice,infact i have a 1937 hmv gramaphone and the sound is amazingly good and authentic
This song always hurts . It hurts he never interviewed on video . So we could find a little bit of how he was able to transmute SO MUCH FEELING that people listening almost a century later could feel alongside with him. What a wonderful human being.
It would be great to listen to him talk. I always wondered what his speaking voice sounded like.
Voluttà eterna
I absolutely adore this man. He fills my life with joy. He was special. The finest voice of all time. The tears run down my face. An irreplaceable man.
Je öfter man Caruso anhört und umso besser die Restaurationen werden, desto mehr wird einem sein Abstand zu den anderen guten Tenören bewusst!
*Er sang ohne Mikrofon; denn das gab's damals noch nicht!*
Vergleichen Sie bitte ab 1:45 mit/ohne Equalizer-Variation .....wie ein etwas verschwommenes Foto insgesamt schärfer wird; auch an der *Begleitung oder Texten* ('Surrogatparameter') ist der klare differenziertere Klang meist zu erkennen. Warum es sich so verhält, kann man am *Graph* der Funktion, die aus dieser *genauen !* Regler-Einstellung ( kein preset ) resultiert und eine Crescendo-Verstärkung der hohen Frequenzen zeigt, verstehen: Er erscheint am Display.
(Die Anmerkungen sind subjektive Vorschläge nur zum *Anhören* ALTER Aufnahmen.)
Eine "EMPFEHLUNG"
EQUALIZER Variante
(update Einstellung!)
*©2024* HL, Germany.
*-* 0,4 dB (60Hz)
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Der Eintrag wird ergänzt, weil's viele unterschiedliche EQ gibt. Er bezieht sich hier auf eine *'Bass Booster App' (apk) - ohne* Zuschalten des BASS BOOST. Die meisten bedienen ja an ihrem Gerät/Handy Bluetooth richtig: Bitte Audio-Output Stereo, 'Advanced settings' überprüfen, *'Compatibility* Mode' der App 🎧 und evtl 'Sound Field FLAT' Ihrer Anlage (den BBoost nicht - oder vorsichtig verwenden).
Auf *Artikulation* und Instrumente achten, dann wird der Effekt deutlich: einige denken, das sei weniger wichtig; - es *ist* wichtig!
"Ohr des Dionysios" - nur Aufnahmehorn - ohne Mikro. Ziemlich beeindruckend. Der "Samt" in Enricos Stimme ist nun da. Die Qualität nähert sich dem Original.
Modulation mit 'Bass Booster App':
Der Klangcharakter der Stimmen wird dadurch nicht geändert. Weil jedoch die mMn. *kaum hörbaren* Obertonanteile >>2kHz crescendo-verstärkt werden, gewinnt die neue Wiedergabe relevant Brillanz (selbst die Akustik wirkt echt) und *Text* ist gut *verständlich.* Eine 'Zeitreise..'
There was never any tenor could compare with Caruso and I don't believe any ever will.
Joe Campbell
[Verse 1]
Last night, I was dreaming
Of you, love, was dreaming
I dreamed you did promise
We never should part
[Verse 2]
While your loved voice addressed me
And soft hands caressed me
I kissed you and pressed you
Once more to my heart
I kissed you and pressed you
Once more to my heart
[Verse 3]
I dreamed you were living
My darling, my darling
I dreamed that I held you
Once more to my breast
[Verse 4]
While your soft, perfumed tresses
And gentle caresses
Thrilled me and stilled me
And lulled me to rest
Thrilled me and stilled me
And lulled me to rest.
I wonder if Caruso's Victrola has been preserved. It was presented to him by Victor.
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