The Caruso Mystery-open horn Grammophon

[recordo]

I made this video today because I finally found a copy of HMV DK106- the record where Caruso sings just one word. This record has never appeared on complete Caruso compilations so I had to wait until I could find an original.

Is it Caruso? I think it is, as did early discographers. John Bolig doesn't, so I thought I'd make a video which features my "Grammophon" open horn machine. What do you think?

Regards, Glenn.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LAsNQJxDcgw[/youtube]

[epigramophone]

This ensemble is one of ten sides from "Faust" recorded by Caruso, Farrar, Journet et al in January 1910. I cannot imagine that Victor would have brought in another tenor just to sing that one phrase when Caruso was already there.

The early discographer H.J.Drummond, whose discography forms an appendix to Dorothy Caruso's book, included it in his listing. He was obviously satisfied that the voice was Caruso's, and so presumably was Dorothy. That is good enough for me.

[neilmack]

The EDVR unhelpfully says it isn't Caruso, without saying who it is. http://victor.library.ucsb.edu/index.ph ... rden_scene. There's no clue elsewhere in the database, because the only other recordings on that date are a couple of other Faust titles, also with Farrar and Journet, but no tenor.

[Lenoirstreetguy]

If Cauruso wasn't in another session that day,and hence in the building, as it were, there is always the possiblity that it's someone like Harry Mandonough who was on salary at Victor as a sort of house tenor and a and r man.
Jim.

[Henry]

IMO, the grotesque laughter trumps the tenor, whoever he was.

[Wolfe]

I wonder why Bolig doesn't think it's Caruso. Sure sounds like him to me.

[Lucius1958]

To quote Samuel Goldwyn, the answer is a definite "maybe".

Bill

[neilmack]

I wonder why Bolig doesn't think it's Caruso. Sure sounds like him to me.

One fairly compelling reason is that Caruso isn't known to be at the recording studio on 17th January 1910: EDVR notes the following Caruso recordings (with matrix numbers) that month -

6th January 1910
C-8533 Il se fait tard Enrico Caruso ; Geraldine Farrar
C-8534 Eternelle (Forever thine!) Enrico Caruso ; Geraldine Farrar

12th January 1910
C-8542 Mon coeur est pénétré d'epouvante Enrico Caruso ; Geraldine Farrar
C-8543 Attends! Voici la rue Enrico Caruso ; Geraldine Farrar
C-8544 Seigneur Dieu! Enrico Caruso ; Geraldine Farrar ; Marcel Journet ; Gabrielle Lejeune-Gilibert
C-8545 Prison scene, part III Enrico Caruso ; Geraldine Farrar ; Marcel Journet
C-8546 Solo, profugo Enrico Caruso ; Marcel Journet
C-8547 Eh quoi, toujours seule Enrico Caruso ; Geraldine Farrar ; Marcel Journet ; Gabrielle Lejeune-Gilibert

16th January 1910
C-8555 O merveille! Enrico Caruso ; Marcel Journet
C-8556 Que voulez-vous, messieurs? Enrico Caruso ; Marcel Journet ; Antonio Scotti

And then his next recording is the remake of "Studenti udite", but that was in mid March of that year.

That of course isn't proof that he wasn't there, but it must make it less likely.