Enrico Caruso
The most famous operatic tenor of all time, Enrico Caruso (né Errico Caruso) was born on February 25, 1873 (not on February 27, as given in many reference books). He was the third child of his relatively poor parents -- not the 18th, as is often repeated in popular myth. He began serious vocal studies with Guglielmo Vergine in 1891 and later studied with Vincenzo Lombardi. In 1895, he made his debut in L'amico Francesco by Domenico Morelli. That fall in Cairo, he sang Cavalleria rusticana, La Traviata, Lucia di Lammermoor, La Gioconda, and Manon Lescaut, all in less than four weeks.
His international fame began when he sang Loris in the premiere of Giordano's Fedora in 1898. In the following seasons, he sang at St. Petersburg, Moscow, Buenos Aires, Milan, Monte Carlo, and London. Arturo Toscanini conducted his Teatro alla Scala debut when he sang Rodolfo in La bohème. Nellie Melba was his partner at his London debut in Rigoletto.
After making his very successful debut at the Metropolitan Opera as the Duke in Rigoletto, Caruso made the United States his primary operatic home. He spent the major part of each year singing there and usually had the honor of singing opening nights. He also took part in the annual Metropolitan Opera tour of the U.S., and in 1906 was caught in the great San Francisco earthquake right after his performance in Carmen. It was at the Metropolitan Opera that he sang the premiere of Puccini's La fanciulla del West.
As he aged, Caruso began to take on heavier roles including Samson, Eleazar in La Juive, and Vasco in L'africaine. After the tour each season, Caruso would travel to South America and/or Europe to sing and vacation. He never sang in his native city of Naples after 1902 because of a particularly nasty reception to his performances of Massenet's Manon. In 1920, he underwent several operations for pleurisy, but his health continued to decline afterwards. He returned to his native Naples, where he died in 1921.
Caruso's voice had a warmth, and an almost baritonal quality, which was different from the bright, ringing sound favored by most of the colleagues. The voice was extremely beautiful and he had an excellent feeling for the shape of a phrase. His sound recorded very well which helped to make his recordings among the most popular of his time; many of these selections have been available in one format or another since they were first issued. He was for many years the best selling classical performer in America.
Known as a generous colleague as well a great practical joker on stage, Caruso was welcome everywhere. He was a firm believer in good food, good wine, and a good cigar. However, whenever a friend was in a difficult situation, he was the first to offer help. One evening in Philadelphia when a colleague playing Colline became hoarse during a performance of La bohème, Caruso sang the bass aria for him to save the performance. During World War I, he sang in many benefit concerts to raise money for the war effort. To this day Caruso is imprinted in the imagination as the archetypal operatic tenor.
© TiVo
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Canzoni Italiane
Klassik - Erschienen bei RCA Victor am 01.01.1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Björling, Caruso and Gigli: Three Legendary Tenors in Opera and Song
Beniamino Gigli, Enrico Caruso, Jussi Björling
Oper - Erschienen bei Prima Voce am 01.01.1996
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Caruso, Enrico: Complete Recordings, Vol. 1 (1902-1903)
Enrico Caruso, Salvatore Cottone, Umberto Giordano, Francesco Cilèa, Studio pianist
Oper - Erschienen bei Naxos am 26.09.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Caruso, Enrico: Complete Recordings, Vol. 2 (1903-1906)
Oper - Erschienen bei Naxos am 28.08.2000
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Digital Album
Klassik - Erschienen bei Sony Classical am 30.07.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The 25 best songs
Klassik - Erschienen bei G Records am 16.09.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Opera Arias and Songs
Klassik - Erschienen bei Warner Classics am 01.03.1988
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Great Opera Arias
Opernauszüge - Erschienen bei RCA Red Seal am 04.04.2003
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Enrico Caruso 1902-04
Klassik - Erschienen bei Warner Classics am 05.09.2008
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Enrico Caruso - The Complete Victor Recordings
Klassik - Erschienen bei RCA Red Seal am 28.04.2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bella Figlia Dell'Amore (New york, Recordings of 1905 - 1907)
Enrico Caruso, Orchestre, Antonio Scotti, Bessie Abott, Louise Homer
Klassik - Erschienen bei Casta Diva am 31.08.2021
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
The Complete Caruso
Klassik - Erschienen bei RCA Red Seal am 18.11.1990
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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CARUSO, Enrico: Complete Recordings, Vol. 12 (1902-1920)
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 01.04.2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Canzoni Napoletane e Popolari (1930)
Pop - Erschienen bei J Records am 09.12.2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
CARUSO, Enrico: Complete Recordings, Vol. 4 (1908-1910)
Klassik - Erschienen bei Naxos am 02.06.2001
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
A Collection of the Greatest Tenor Voices in the World, Vol. 1
World Music - Erschienen bei Midget Music am 04.10.2012
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
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Caruso - Le récital rêvé
Klassik - Erschienen bei Sony Classical am 06.09.2004
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Récital No. 1 (Mono Version)
Verschiedenes - Erschienen bei BNF Collection am 01.01.1953
24-Bit 96.0 kHz - Stereo