Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1902

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melvind
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Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1902

Post by melvind »

I recently found a nice copy (not perfect) of the November 1902 recording of Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta". The label is much more worn than the actual record. I think this recording is nice for several reasons. First it is the 12th record made by Caruso, and secondly recorded only 4 years after Caruso originated the role. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do.

[youtubehd]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYO5WBaOzag[/youtubehd]
https://youtu.be/EYO5WBaOzag

Viva-voce
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by Viva-voce »

Hi Dan,

This is one of my favourite Caruso records!
And---not only did he create the lead tenor role of Loris in the world premiere in 1898, on this recording he is accompanied by the composer., Umberto Giordano.
The label on my copy (stamper III) states "Accompagnato dall'Autore"
I don't know why the labels on pressings from earlier stampers credit Giordano and later ones don't.
The copies I have, and all the others I've seen, of his other two creator records with the composer at the piano, Mattinata by Leoncavallo and the excerpt from Adriana Lecouvreur by Cilea, all credit the composer.
Perhaps because of a fee dispute?

Thanks for posting this valuable and important historical musical document!

Steven
Attachments
IMG_9729.JPG

Menophanes
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by Menophanes »

I cannot quite make out the stamper number on melvind's copy; it looks at first like II, but there seems to be a diagonal line joining the two uprights. Is it perhaps XI? Certainly the matrix number is in a fairly late style (with small characters) which I believe was not used until 1906; thus Viva-voce's copy, with the composer's name, seems likely to be the earlier of the two. A stamper number as high as XI is entirely possible, since Caruso's first Vesti la giubba, recorded at the same session, had reached XVIII by 1908 (witness my own pink-label copy).

G. & T. were highly inconsistent in their treatment of accompanists; both Salvatore Cottone and his successor Carlo Sabajno, their resident pianists, are sometimes credited and sometimes not. Labels, too, seem to have been frequently reprinted, with many variations in typeface and layout, so that there were many opportunities for information such as the accompanist's name to be lost in transmission – especially if, as I believe to be the case, the labels were printed centrally in Germany (where the Italian wording may not have been fully understood) rather than in the individual countries where the recordings had been made.

Oliver Mundy.

melvind
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by melvind »

The stamper number on my copy shows VI. It is very clear on the actual record but did not show quite so clearly in the picture. Thanks for the posts.

Viva-voce
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by Viva-voce »

Thanks again, Dan, and thanks Oliver for your informative comments!

I've listened to my copy of the record several times today. What a great performance he gives! Such ardent passion and soaring lyricism.

It's unfortunate that on both this and the Adriana Lecouvreur recording, there is a cutting flaw which causes distortion for several grooves. It's inherent in the original masters and is on all copies. It's a pity they did not redo them.
I find that with the use of a 2.5mil conical stylus on this recording, the distortion is just about inaudible. Sounds like you used a similar stylus size. :)

Steven

melvind
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by melvind »

Viva-voce wrote:Thanks again, Dan, and thanks Oliver for your informative comments!

I've listened to my copy of the record several times today. What a great performance he gives! Such ardent passion and soaring lyricism.

It's unfortunate that on both this and the Adriana Lecouvreur recording, there is a cutting flaw which causes distortion for several grooves. It's inherent in the original masters and is on all copies. It's a pity they did not redo them.
I find that with the use of a 2.5mil conical stylus on this recording, the distortion is just about inaudible. Sounds like you used a similar stylus size. :)

Steven
I used a 3mil conical stylus for the recording. I have a 2.5mil stylus as well, but the 3mil always seems to do better on the early records.

epigramophone
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by epigramophone »

I have the later pressing on the HMV No.2 Catalogue label, which sounds too fast at 78rpm. What is the correct speed?

melvind
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by melvind »

epigramophone wrote:I have the later pressing on the HMV No.2 Catalogue label, which sounds too fast at 78rpm. What is the correct speed?
The John Bolig Caruso discography says 67.92 RPM. I recorded the record at about that speed.

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Wolfe
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by Wolfe »

William R. Moran discography indicates 67.92 rpm for all ten sides waxed at those 30 November / 1 December sessions.

Viva-voce
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Re: Enrico Caruso singing "Amor ti vieta" from Fedora from 1

Post by Viva-voce »

[quote="Wolfe"]William R. Moran discography indicates 67.92 rpm for all ten sides waxed at those 30 November / 1 December sessions.[/quote]

I have all ten G&T's from these late 1902 sessions and they indeed sound right at that speed.
And thank goodness for variable-speed turntables and custom tipped styli :)

Steven

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