tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post1060321916036448786..comments2024-03-05T22:44:45.962-05:00Comments on Great Opera Singers: Enrico Caruso: The Greatest Tenor or The First Media Triumph?Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-49505352756555724652015-04-26T20:17:01.563-04:002015-04-26T20:17:01.563-04:00About Caruso: His singing was an extraordinary com...About Caruso: His singing was an extraordinary combination of ele- gance and passion. I don't think he ever recorded a syllable with out a perfect legatomluerynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-8263657371777747192013-02-06T12:02:10.927-05:002013-02-06T12:02:10.927-05:00Thank you, Clayton, for a very interesting comment...Thank you, Clayton, for a very interesting comment. Re the big voice, yes, he tended always to be monochromatic. He did have a mezza-voce, but it was muffled and somewhat "fuzzy" There was no squillo down low, such as we find find in Gigli, especially. Caruso had to crank up the sound to get the "ring." He had very little training, or education of any kind, for that matter, so he "did what came naturally," and his voice was such that the big sound was natural, but hard on his voice. He was quite young when he died, and his voice had already thickened considerably. As far as smoking, it was common back in the teens, 20's and 30's. Tenors, and other opera singers, sometimes smoked: Gigli, Caruso, Volker, etc. It does make the voice somewhat cloudy, but I doubt if it lowered the natural range too much. Strong drink is much worse. The old phrase "whisky tenor" sort of tells the story there. But even then, there were exceptions. McCormack was known not to be unduely adverse to the bottle, and it didn't hurt him too much. And God knows Bjorling wasn't! He was a two fisted drinker, as, I hear, Fritz Wunderlich was also. These things are probably more interesting to the degree they are indicative of a general lifestyle, and an attitude toward taking care of oneself.<br /><br />Thanks again for an interesting comment!Edmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-44382488061811273912013-02-06T11:38:59.089-05:002013-02-06T11:38:59.089-05:00Hi Mr. St. Austell!
Thanks for the article; it...Hi Mr. St. Austell!<br /><br />Thanks for the article; it's a stimulating read, as always. <br /><br />To be honest, Caruso scares the pants off of me. I avoided listening to him extensively for the longest time, but because of the historical significance of his recordings, and his cultural influence, I felt it was finally time to take the plunge. I can't say it's been easy, Lord knows!<br /><br />I only have a couple of queries this time. <br /><br />First of all, I was curious about the question of vocal refinements. It's clear to me from my limited exposure to Caruso that he tended towards declamatory, powerhouse vocalism, but actually, some of his early recordings surprised me. This one is a good example:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mboEwGayWSc<br /><br />I definitely wasn't expecting the tenderness with which he begins the aria. He doesn't maintain that dynamic throughout the piece of course, and in other recordings where he shades lighter it can sound pinched or dry to me, but it's far from the kind of bellowing I was expecting. How do you and your other readers feel about this?<br /><br />Second, I have a theory (for whatever it's worth) on the phenomenon of the "Bb tenor." Maybe I'm naïve, but I only recently discovered (and it was a real shock,) that an incredible number of singers in the early, and maybe even mid, 20th century were smokers, and not casual ones. I read that Caruso puffed clove cigarettes at a rate that makes chain smoking seem like recreational use. Even Tito Schipa, who was notoriously paranoid about protecting his voice, smoked. Check out this flyer: <br /><br />http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&safe=off&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=1362&bih=573&q=tito+schipa+cigarette&oq=tito+schipa+cigarette&gs_l=img.3...18126.22513.1.22629.21.11.0.10.10.0.90.756.11.11.0...0.0...1ac.1.2.img.Zj6b0aqPgZU#imgrc=mKAJiskggw3aBM%3A%3BNAI6_dp7WOONZM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cs.princeton.edu%252F~san%252Fschipacig.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.cs.princeton.edu%252F~san%252Fcigarette.html%3B410%3B517<br /><br />I could hardly believe it, but he even did an ad for an American tobacco company. You can see his endorsement here: <br /><br />http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19500518&id=Q_dUAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EZMDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2443,2964999<br /><br />For those of you not interested in/able to view the ad itself, here's the copy: <br /><br />"On my arrival in Australia I was delighted to find that I could obtain my favorite cigarette--Golden Gate cigarettes. A singer must be extremely careful what he smokes, and I, therefore, when smoking, always insist on Golden Gate cigarettes because they are the purest blend obtainable. I find they are not only a delightful smoke, but they do not harm the throat. To all my friends I say, "For the sweetest, smoothest, most satisfying smoke, buy Golden Gate American Blend Cigarettes."<br /><br />Considering that smoking can inflame the cords enough to lower the whole range by as much as a minor third, no wonder there were so many tenors singing all the big arias transposed. It makes me wonder, how much more beautiful could these voices have been if they had only known a little more about vocal health...<br /><br />Anyway, I hope that wasn't too long. I'm looking forward to reading your thoughts on the matter!<br /><br />All the best,<br />ClaytonThe Balchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00777022062173822651noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-64737861866562858742012-10-24T09:49:27.114-04:002012-10-24T09:49:27.114-04:00Thank you very much, Mark. GREAT comment! And ye...Thank you very much, Mark. GREAT comment! And yes, you have discovered, as I have, that Caruso was essentially an American phenomenon. All one has to do is talk to Italians a while, especially Neapolitans, and one quickly discovers that de Lucia was THE tenor for them, and still is. Caruso was booed in Naples once--which you refer to--and he never forgave them. Caruso had become used to the hyper-enthusiastic star treatment he always got at the Met, and was not one to tolerate criticism. But to give the credit where it is due, de Lucia was simply a wonderful bel canto tenor who is probably even more popular today than he was then. Toscanini used to be fond of making fun of de Lucia, because of his musical liberties. And that is another subject--Toscanini has many detractors too, and de Lucia lovers have never forgiven Toscanini for that grievous slip in judgment! Thanks for the comment!Edmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-59293681081291800172012-10-24T04:51:26.578-04:002012-10-24T04:51:26.578-04:00When I was a teenager we went for a long holiday i...When I was a teenager we went for a long holiday in Italy. This was about 75, 76. I'll never forget going to Naples! That was de Lucia country. I remember going to a record shop, Questa o quella by de Lucia playing loudly. From my home in Toronto, Naples seemed like Caruso country. I remember asking the vendor about Caruso in my bad Italian. He replied in bad English: "Caruso no like when the people say he sing bad here, so he say he only come a in a Naples to eat, and that is a the only thing we want him in here for!" Moving up the social scale, my dad had become rich enough to be invited to this private club for dinner. The club was made up of aristocrats and other wealthy people, mayors, accountants, lawyers, politicians. Those men loved their opera as much as their Ferraris, and once again, de Lucia was the tenor for them, not Caruso. When I mentioned him, one man started talking about how the real Caruso (meaning Richard Tucker) had just died and it was such a tragedy. Then he kept emphasizing, over and over, "de Lucia was a Neapolitan, de Lucia was a Neapolitan!" as if to imply that Caruso wasn't. <br /><br />Your assessment that Caruso was a social phenomenon is really true. I remember as young kid, dad used to play Caruso's records, the uncles and cousins would sit down, play cards, have a drink. It was more background music and not really opera. As we got richer, an interest in opera, trips to the Met, seeing the Met on tour, started to blossom and those Caruso records started to get dusty. Dad wasn't so much a fan of de Lucia, but he loved Bonci, and later Pertile! I guess not all Italian Canadian/Americans made that transition though... Anyway great article, you're brave tackling Caruso! Really enjoying Great Opera Singers. Sorry the ramble and Thanks Mark.Mark Giugovaznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-23940440532635225102012-01-27T14:59:33.870-05:002012-01-27T14:59:33.870-05:00Thank you very much for your comment! Welcome to ...Thank you very much for your comment! Welcome to Great Opera Singers. I will certainly look into Madame Destinova a little further. It is entirey possible that we may be able to do an article on her. Again, thank you for writing.Edmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-70133176181085915712012-01-27T12:49:20.910-05:002012-01-27T12:49:20.910-05:00Dear Mr. St. Austell, I have just discovered your ...Dear Mr. St. Austell, I have just discovered your blog and I have been reading and listening to stunning music gradually. However, I would like to write my question connected with Caruso here.<br />Are you planning to write about the Czech famous opera soprano from the beginning of last century, Emma Destinova? She has a tragic destiny (nomen omen) and was more known abroad, especially in Met, then in her country. She sang with Caruso a few years in Met. I would like to read your opinion about her voice and about her fate. Thank you. <br />I am registered here as opera7, but I do not know how to work with the Google account...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-60788126695540590762011-07-08T09:26:45.946-04:002011-07-08T09:26:45.946-04:00You are too kind, my friend! La maggior parte de...You are too kind, my friend! La maggior parte delle mie opinioni sono formate da conversazioni con persone che sono più informati di me. Se ho una qualche credibilità come critico, è semplicemente un talento per la sintesi. Ma in ogni caso, vi ringrazio molto!Edmund StAustellhttp://gmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-24925651182804515102011-07-08T08:12:44.875-04:002011-07-08T08:12:44.875-04:00Edmund, it is the hope of mine that one day far in...Edmund, it is the hope of mine that one day far in the future people will see this article and think: "Who was this man wise and potent." <br /><br />This is the most difficult of subjects, and you address it poise, respect, dignity and verity. True work like this difficult to find. <br /><br />Other readers, Edmund and I have talked about Errico Caruso much recently in private messages. In these letters, nothing I could ever say equals Edmund's final statement here in this article: «Mostly, he was the great Caruso». <br /><br />La saluto amico caro e intelligente. Di tutta la gente mi avrò conosciuto nei tutti miei anni, Ella si fu il miglior: per potere, per verità, per l'occhio giusto. Caruso cantò per Ella, come gli altri grandi cantanti della lirica. <br /><br />Grazie, grazie!Gioacchino Fiurezi-Maragiogliohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962732548145492243noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-33410740878466184102011-06-11T00:58:04.383-04:002011-06-11T00:58:04.383-04:00Discussing great tenors you must exclude Caruso.Th...Discussing great tenors you must exclude Caruso.This is because he was in a class of his own.His vocal range,power and beauty have been unsurpassed to this day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-73546898136098947612010-03-27T20:19:13.457-04:002010-03-27T20:19:13.457-04:00How very interesting! Thank you so much for shari...How very interesting! Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and experiences with us, and I wish you the best of luck! Trill on, my friend:)Edmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-35754585444762036462010-03-27T19:33:35.707-04:002010-03-27T19:33:35.707-04:00It is interesting what you said about Tagliavini a...It is interesting what you said about Tagliavini and Peters, that they were more impressive on records. The exact oppostite thing happened to me when I heard Sharon Isbin at J&R records in Manhattan. Wqxr had arranged to broadcast a live performance, at lunchtime and only two or three people were there. But The roundeness of tone she showed on the guitar, and the exquisite legato were unforgettable, and comprised a singing lesson in themselves.I asked Jeff Spurgeon about this and he said the recordings tend to flatten out the tones. <br />Incidentally, I learned how to sing sul fiato last spring, by merely THINKING of GArcia's "inhalare la voce". Not only did it take all the strain off my jaw, it kept my eye sockets form hurting by the end of the aria.(I also corrected my posture,and now , a year later, I have begun to "sing from my knees", which are eve so slightly bent, as though ready to dive off a board. I always thought such<br /> directives the height of absurdity, and gimmicks, but after it was expalained to me conceptually and with a view to discovering ones true or "native" vocal tone, I had the impulse to try it. The truth of it became apparent because soon after I absorbed it I was able to trill without any real effort, to any desired level of staccato, on all tones. TOMUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04255747978455627906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-60538030509831115402010-03-24T16:19:22.243-04:002010-03-24T16:19:22.243-04:00Thank you very much, and please feel free to drop ...Thank you very much, and please feel free to drop by the blog anytime you wish. You are always most welcome.Edmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-75085808533237272832010-03-24T14:07:25.303-04:002010-03-24T14:07:25.303-04:00Many thanks, Sir Edmund, for being so generous on ...Many thanks, Sir Edmund, for being so generous on that comment, which before everything else, came from the heart - I'm so glad you agree, since endorsement from you for one's intuition carries so much meaning. The pointers you give should be of great assistance to me (and others interested) to explore this subject and singer further; those who have spread the good word - and the great sound - are owed a debt of gratitude by music lovers.ahmer nadeem anwernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-54893865370723185492010-03-24T13:31:36.172-04:002010-03-24T13:31:36.172-04:00Thank you very much indeed for a stunningly erudit...Thank you very much indeed for a stunningly erudite and thoughtful comment! And I could not agree more with you about Lemeshev. If you have not already done so, and I suspect you have, do not neglect to click onto the Youtube channel of my Russian friend who signs herself younglemeshevist. She is extremely knowledgeable about Lemeshev and all things relating to his career. She deserves a lot of the credit for speading the word about this magnificent tenor, because she was among the first to begin to spread his recordings in the West, along with those of Antonina Nezhdanova, another superb singer, and still considered by many Russians to be their greatest soprano. Please check my own channel, whose address you can find in the right hand bar at the top of this article, under "see all my videos." In the "favorites" section I mention a fair number of Lemeshev pieces, and in my own postings, I have put up four Nezhdanova recordings.<br /><br />And thank you again for a spectacular comment!Edmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-92130998175342271092010-03-24T11:05:14.525-04:002010-03-24T11:05:14.525-04:00Thank you Sir Edmund for explaining so vividly and...Thank you Sir Edmund for explaining so vividly and illuminatingly the mechanics of the relationship between breath control and vocal dynamics. I couldn't agree with you more when you mention Lemeshev as the tenor in whom this technique is illustrated with perfect effectiveness. I discovered Lemeshev purely accidentally. There is an old recording of Paul Robeson in a concert singing the Russian song 'Nochenka' in which he is joined midway by a tenor who surprisingly eclipses Robeson comprehensively. The impression of that ancient vinyl stayed with me down the years, and I recently thought of searching on YouTube for a Russian tenor doing Nochenka. Lo and behold, I suddenly came upon a stunning rendition by a tenor whose name I'd never heard, a performance of exquisite beauty of phrasing, as well as breathtaking vocal focus and tone management - not to mention a deeply poignant and utterly untheatrical, non-'hammy' emotional sincerity and lyricism that went straight to your heart. The singer was Sergei Lemeshev. I explored piece after piece. It wasn't a fluke. Recordings like the Pearl Fishers aria put other outstanding versions decisively in the shade. It was a sort of rude awakening, because in one's lifelong honouring of Caruso's power and greatness, some questions, a few lingering discomforts and dissatisfactions - albeit half articulated - had persisted alongside the grand admiration. In this background, it seems to me questions you raise apropos Caruso's limitations, although 'blasphemous', are wholly fair, and I feel the poser as regards the combined role of media, a burgeoning popular culture industry, the right technological 'moment' et al in the attainment of 'iconicity' by the 'great' Caruso is piercingly insightful as regards how reputations and images can assume unassailable dimensions in the era of media promotion. I think there are things Caruso did that are difficult to surpass or even equal. The tone is ample, burnished, dramatically pushed to thrilling climaxes, sustained with tremendous force and breath support, and often there is a kind of raw, elemental passion in the performance, that straddles a Tosca aria or a Neapolitan ballad with equal emotional directness. There is also sometimes that "monochramatic" crudity of tone, a certain lack of musicality and phrasal refinement, and none of the sensitivity, depth or artistic refinement - or sheer melodiousness with the musical line - that one hears in Lemeshev, and certainly very little of the latter's artistic and imaginative musical invention or the golden focusing of the tone with smoothness throughout the register. Lemeshev is a revelation, at least to me. He seems to combine lyricism, musicianship, a Gigli like delicasy of tone and bel canto beauty of voice without the latter's lachrymose sentimentalism, with - surprisingly for such a delicate voice - a Bjorling like breadth of sound and spread. But above all, the unique ability to 'release'/'unleashe' and 'retract' the voice 'on the breath' in the way you explain, helps in staying with the orchestra and the musical line, as one of the 'instruments' that faithfully and committedly - heroically yet self-submittingly - fulfill the composer's intentions. Perhaps the training of the voice with popular Russian instruments like the Balalaika and accordion's bellows, with their expanding-contracting amplitutde dynamics, has something to do with this? And that last point reminds me: Italian tenors are often superb interpreters of Neapolitan ballads and songs; but Lemeshev is AT LEAST as rooted in Russian popular song, a singer truly of the earth as well as of sophisticated art song...AND his reading of some of the Italian songs he recorded is sensational! What a loss to the world that, thanks to the information lag of the Cold War era, he was so long not even accounted in the narratives of serious singing of European music that came out of the West!!ahmer nadeem anwernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-85375143202782186192010-03-15T13:53:54.617-04:002010-03-15T13:53:54.617-04:00Thank you very much indeed. That is a lovely comm...Thank you very much indeed. That is a lovely comment, and I apprecite it. I congratulate you on having done a website dedicated to the great tenor, who has moved generations of listeners. Certainly one of the greatest singers of all time.Edmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-30765307408082015762010-03-15T13:01:15.896-04:002010-03-15T13:01:15.896-04:00That is a GREAT, very real comment/abstract on Car...That is a GREAT, very real comment/abstract on Caruso. I would classify myself as an operatic ignoramus, yet, I made an absolutely non-profit website as a tribute to Caruso. Solely because he moved me emotionally.Tom Froekjaerhttp://www.enricocaruso.dknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-17548125281602085652009-11-24T08:16:54.213-05:002009-11-24T08:16:54.213-05:00Thank you very much for your comment, and the info...Thank you very much for your comment, and the information on Edward Bernays. I didn't realize that, but am fascinated to learn it. EdmundEdmund St. Austellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14490721790447218365noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-90881338325310473772009-11-23T20:29:03.052-05:002009-11-23T20:29:03.052-05:00Thanks for an interesting article. Caruso was also...Thanks for an interesting article. Caruso was also a client of Edward Bernays, the father of public relations and nephew of Freud, which could be seen as a key factor in explaining his mass appeal. The documentary 'The Century of the Self' is a fascinating look at Bernays' influence.Alexander Harveyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12220573868633539831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-60230185448418110182009-05-12T09:42:00.000-04:002009-05-12T09:42:00.000-04:00The problem, I think, is the idea that there is on...The problem, I think, is the idea that there is only one correct way to sing. Probably true, but there are teachers who will dispute that. Certain ways of singing, used by "heroic" singers, are employed to make very dark sounds while at the same time singing the usual high notes. This is not easy. A good example would be Giuseppe Giacomini. He holds the larynx down very low in the throat, which makes it possible to singer higher (he is probably really a baritone with a high top). The only problem with this is that you don't sing on the breath, but are letting a lot of breath go out over the top of the resonating cords. I know this is technical, but the result is that the sound seems very loud to those standing close by, and very loud to the singer himself (or herself) but it does not carry as well as it should. It also is monochromatic; i.e., there is only one sound level--very loud. It makes it impossible to sing both loud and soft, with the result that there is no contract to the sound. Lemeshev was perfect. The way he did it is the way to do it.Edmundhttp://gmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-26109593853367708762009-05-12T08:09:00.000-04:002009-05-12T08:09:00.000-04:00Thank you for the detailed answer. Operatic techni...Thank you for the detailed answer. Operatic technique seems like yoga to me.<br />From the quote I understood that Caruso (and Lemeshev:)) had been able to do something that other singers couldn’t (to sing “sul soffio” or to “avoid stressful abdominal respiration” ?) and it seemed strange to me, because everyone says that there is only one correct method of singing and all the great singers used it.<br />n.a.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-62335465685863548842009-05-07T21:15:00.000-04:002009-05-07T21:15:00.000-04:00No, that is correct. "Sul soffio," in I...No, that is correct. "Sul soffio," in Italian, simply means "on the breath." It is the same thing. And you are right; this is the main thing in operatic singing. It was especially a tenet of bel canto. It is absolutely crucial to sound production, phrasing, legato, pianissimo, and even pronunciation. It's the whole secret to singing. Do you have children's toys in Russia which are paddles with rubber balls attached to them by a long elastic rubber band? Teachers sometimes use those to demonstrate. You hit the ball with paddle, and it soars out for a little distance, and then comes zinging back to the paddle. Or throwing a rubber ball against a wall, and watching it come back to you. These are visual techniques to represent singing by starting with a little sound, then expelling air and letting the sound rise and then bringing it back down again as the breath fades away. like this < > out, back; out, back, out, back. Etc (If I could draw as well as you can, I'd draw you a picture, but alas, I cannot! No talent at all. :)Edmundhttp://gmail.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-41669832182556464182009-05-07T13:27:00.000-04:002009-05-07T13:27:00.000-04:00There is a quote in the Wikipedia article on Lemes...There is a quote in the Wikipedia article on Lemeshev,"He sang sul soffio (leaning on the breath), avoided stressful abdominal respiration (only Caruso could do it), and directed the sound current to the mask, the method of singing which was so much Lauri-Volpi's gospel." (Dr. Joseph Fragala)<br />When I read it for the first time, I thought “Wow!” :) But later I learnt, that singing “on the breath” was the main thing in operatic technique. Is there a difference between singing “on the breath” and “sul soffio”, or maybe the author wrote something strange? <br />n.a.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6166918155946600787.post-84377810064514751662009-05-07T13:19:00.000-04:002009-05-07T13:19:00.000-04:00:) :) Ha, ha. Yes, indeed. That can happen!:) :) Ha, ha. Yes, indeed. That can happen!Edmundhttp://gmail.comnoreply@blogger.com