ENRICO CARUSO
THE COMPLETE RECORDINGS VOL 4
Recordings
made in Camden, New Jersey by the Victor Talking Machine Co. between
16 March 1908 and 12 January 1910
Accompanied by The Victor Orchestra
New Restorations by Ward Marston
NAXOS HISTORICAL
8.110719 [68’29"]
Crotchet
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1 Buzzi-Peccia Lolita
2 Verdi Rigoletto, Act 1: Questa o quella
3 Verdi Rigoletto, Act 4: La donna è mobile
4 Verdi Il Trovatore, Act 3: Ah, sì, ben mio
5 Verdi Il Trovatore, Act 4: Ai nostri monti ritorneremo
with Louise Homer, mezzo soprano
6 Verdi Aidi, Act 1: Celeste Aidi
7 Doncieux-Tosti Pour un baiser
8 Russo-Nutile Mamma mia, che vo’ sapè
9 Verdi La Forza del destino, Act 3: O tu che in seno agli
angeli
10 Puccini Tosca, Act 1: Recondita armonia
11 Puccini Tosca, Act 3: E lucevan le stelle
12 Verdi Aida, Act 4: La fatal pietra
13 Verdi Aida, Act 4: O terra addio
with Johanna Gadski, soprano
14 Goldmark Regina di Saba (Die Köningin von Saba), Act
2: Magiche note
15 Bizet Carmen, Act 2: Il fior che avevi a me tu dato
16 Bizet Carmen, Act 2: La fleur que tu m’avais jetée
17 Meyerbeer Les Hugenots (Gli Ugonotti), Act 1: Bianca al
par di neve Alpina
18 Verdi Il Trovatore, Act 4: Miserere: Ah! che la morte ognora
with Frances Alda, soprano
19 Verdi Il Trovatore, Act 4: Miserere: Ah! che la morte ognora
with Frances Alda, soprano and Metropolitan Opera Chorus
20 Flowtow Martha, Act 1: Solo, profugo, reietto!
with Marcel Journet, bass
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Ever since the advent of digital recording there has
been a strong desire to use the technology to make available to modern
listeners recordings from the past. Indeed, so important has this activity
become that the study of performance practice now uses historic recordings
as a major resource. Naxos has recently embarked on a large scale reissue
of historic recordings on its Naxos Historical sub-label. Amongst the
most important of these are the reissues of the complete recordings
made by Enrico Caruso. This forth volume covers recordings made from
1908 to the beginning of 1910 and consists largely of favourite excerpts
of the performer, centred naturally enough on the works Verdi. Interestingly
all of the recordings are orchestrally accompanied, although Caruso
recorded several of the tracks on this disc with piano as well.
Caruso’s importance as the first truly great international
recording artist is undeniable, and that he was a great operatic tenor
of his age is also beyond question. More questionable is just how listenable
a disc such as this really is. As a document, of course, it is commendable,
and right, that it should be released. As a recording for listening,
I remain less convinced. Caruso is never less than whole-hearted in
his commitment to the works he is singing, but there are numerous cases
where less would undoubtedly have been more, and the regularity of tracks
where he sounds likely to explode does get trying if one is listening
from beginning to end. Recondita Armonia from Tosca is just one case
in point, especially as it is immediately followed by more of the same
power intensity in the following track; E lucevan le stelle from Act
4 of the same work. Rather more convincing are those performances where
he does restrain himself, the two tracks from Act 2 of Carmen being
good examples. Il fior che avevi a me tu dato begins with what can only
be described as beautiful singing and La fleur que tu m’avais jetée
has much more intensity than mere power.
The really remarkable aspect of this release is the
work done by Ward Marston in producing the restoration. Given that these
recordings are now nearly a century old, dating from well before the
advent electric recording and microphones, the transfer to CD is very
impressive. Background noise is minimal, and importantly, consistent
from track to track, thus becoming as unobtrusive as could be hoped
for. Throughout, the recorded vocal sound works well for Caruso and
the bass in the final track, Marcel Journet, if not so successfully
for the sopranos that appear with him elsewhere. The orchestral accompaniment
is also surprisingly well captured - the basically anonymous ‘Victor
Orchestra’ being a lot better than is heard on many such early recordings.
Only in the second version of the Miserere from Il Trovatore does the
larger ensemble, with chorus as well as orchestra and the two soloists,
really suffer from the technology of the day, the chorus drawing the
very short straw. Its all fascinating stuff, and the remastering is
an admirable example of care, but I think that this remains more one
for aficionados than for the general listener.
Peter Wells
Review of Volumes 1-3
by Christopher Fifield
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