Enrico Caruso

The Complete Recordings Vol 1

TIE a famous tenor to a roller coaster hurtling through a wind tunnel while forcing him to eat a bowl of jelly and you get the picture on how these recordings sound.

But hey, does that matter when it gives you the chance to hear what the great Caruso sounded like to the lucky few who ever heard him sing live?

The singer was at the cutting edge of technology in 1902, yes sirree. And if you want a perfect version of Puccini's Tosca or Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana then it's easy enough to buy one.

I have a gramophone at home and the Caruso recordings sound much like they would if only it had a volume control which didn't involve sticking a napkin down the bell.

His Rigoletto is rocking, his Aida has perfect phrasing and his Mascagni is masterful, if sounding as though it is being sung in a violent rainstorm. These are all recordings made from original pressings, but don't forget they are as old as the hills.

The sleeve tells us that arguably no artist did more for the early gramophone than Enrico Caruso. Before he first recorded nearly a century ago, it was an expensive novelty which needed to attract the general public to buy the machines before it could really take off.

Like the Coronation which spawned a thousand television set sales in 1953, the lure of owning a piece of Caruso also lured many people into buying their first gramophone player.

Apparently Caruso sold more records than any other opera singer of his time, and as much as he made the newfangled machine a success, it made him a real international star.

Whether you will appreciate the recording depends on your tolerance level for crackles, scratches and distortion. But for those who, like me, have a secret affection for the old stylus and 33rpm it could be well worth a listen.

Naxos

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