Originally
reissued as HMV DB.142 and HMV DB.1875
Matrix numbers 2-052060/A11274, 2-052107/A17344, 42-1334/A74803,
42-1335/A74804
Duration 18'04"
From
DB.142 (1924 reissues):
1 Core 'Ngrato(Carolli)
rec. 19 Nov 1911
2 Santa Lucia(Trad.) rec.
20 Mar 1916
From DB.1875 (1932 reissues):
3
*Celeste Aida(Verdi) orig.
rec. 27 Dec 1911
4 Je Crois Entendre Encore (Bizet)
orig. rec. 7 Dec 1916
(*Preceded by the recitative 'Se quel guerrier lo
fossil')
Play
30s sample:
This short
selection of four HMV sides has been restored and reissued as much out
of personal curiosity value as for historical purpose. We are not currently
offering it as a CD - at a mere 18 minutes long this would perhaps be
considered poor value for money - and the price of the MP3 download has
been lowered to reflect the overall duration.
What
is fascinating about these recordings is the different way that HMV was
packaging them and re-working them, right back in the earliest days of
reissues. HMV launched their DB series of twelve-inch 78rpm discs in 1924,
three years after the tenor's death, with a number of their classic vocal
recordings from performers such as Chaliapin, Gigli and Caruso.
Indeed, the Caruso series runs from DB.111 through to DB.145 (excluding
114 and 135) and from the evidence of DB.142, presented here in our first
two songs, they seem to be well-made straight reissues of the originals.
The
DB series does use smaller labels than previous issues, and the recordings
here do run right into the centre, so it may be guessed that the HMV engineers
re-cut their masters for these issues - certainly the sound quality we've
found from DB.142 seems an improvement on earlier discs in our collection,
suffering none of the groove distortion we've found elsewhere.
When
we turn to the later disc, DB.1875, we discover something new - yes that's
Caruso's voice, and yes they are recordings originally made in 1911 and
1916, but we immediately hear a frequency range which far exceeds that
of the early acoustic recordings. Furthermore there's something akin to
a slight reverberation at times - or possibly some sort of echo - as can
just be heard if you listen very carefully to our 30s sample. This is
taken from the third track - it's the recitative Se quel guerrier lo
fossil prior to Celeste Aida, and the brass section threatens
to drown out the singer! On closer listening this is clearly be a result
of newer instruments overdubbing older ones - the echo is the sound of
the older recording underneath the new one!
Considering
we're listening on high quality equipment, it's not too difficult to discern
the joins between the 1911 and 1916 originals and the 1932 orchestral
overdub - but back then it must have sounded quite convincing. It certainly
works quite well, especially after the removal of a mains hum which seemed
to coincide with the fading in and out of the original discs!
So
for curiosity value, if nothing else, we're delighted to present these
new remasterings. Naturally with a performer so accomplished as Caruso
all of these recordings are well worth hearing - and of course studio
trickery with his recordings continues to this day.
REVIEW
OF CARUSO: Four HMV Reissues
Were
any reminder needed, these four selections demonstrate why
Enrico Caruso is the greatest tenor of the 20th Century. While
in certain areas and in certain arias Beniamino Gigli, Jussi
Bjoerling or Placido Domingo may outpoint him, no one has
his strength, his utter naturalness in all ranges, his feral
power and his control. The seeming ease with which he produces
an endless stream of meaningful notes-each note pregnant with
the next-and the sense of a reservoir of unused power is a
secret known only to him. How he combined showmanship with
musicianship!
The
sound is very good, superior of course on the last two selections,
but even on the first two nothing can dim that masculine,
aristocratic voice.
Download
our Illustrated Catalogue Complete
catalogue of recordings, fully indexed by composer and performer,
with links to website pages
Restoration
by Andrew Rose:
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