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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVDD5CoMni8[/youtube]


The Great Caruso sings 'M'Appari' from Flotow's Opera, 'Martha', recorded in 1917 for Victor. However, this recording is not exactly the one what we're hearing here. As many of you would know, there were many attempts to dub an electrically recorded orchestra onto Caruso recordings after 1927. It is done as a vehicle to keep Caruso's records on the Victor Catalogue. The results were generally poor, since they only muffled the original recording and simply 'pasted over' the New orchestra onto it.

But this one, and some of the others made in the 1932 sessions with Victor Symphony orchestra under the baton of Nathaniel Shilkret, are pretty decent; and to be honest, I prefer this 1932 're-creation' version to the original 1917 version.

Played on my Numark turntable. I played this record at 78.26rpm, and I do know that Caruso's voice is almost a semi-tone higher compared with acoustic original. (So, please, stop sticking pins on little wax dummies of me!!) I tried to adjust the speed by comparing to the original 1917 recording (it plays properly at 76.6rpm), but since the orchestra was definitely recorded on a score pitch, (Caruso's voice was transposed semi-tone down on the original due to the technical limitations.) I left this to be run at 78.26. Anyway, hope you can enjoy this.

The sound quality is excellent! That same recording (dubbing) was used in this famous film clip, I believe --

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPwUPA8a2yg[/youtube]

transformingArt wrote:

The Great Caruso sings 'M'Appari' from Flotow's Opera, 'Martha', recorded in 1917 for Victor.

Thanks, that does sound surprisingly good. The balance between Caruso and orchestra favors Caruso for a change.

I had kind of given up those electrical re-recordings.

There's some additional reverb/resonance around his voice though. Was that added by you? Or is it from the record? It's almost as though they were playing his record over a loudpeaker instead of the conductor wearing headphones.

Ortho_Fan wrote:The sound quality is excellent! That same recording (dubbing) was used in this famous film clip, I believe --

Wasn't that film taken in the HMV office in Hayes?

Perhaps they were auditioning the new record for her.

Wolfe wrote: There's some additional reverb/resonance around his voice though. Was that added by you? Or is it from the record?

I didn't add any reverb when I transferred these recordings. It is a common problem of most of Caruso 're-creations', I believe. The 1936 HMV Sessions of the re-creations were the worst ones with this problem.

transformingArt wrote:

Wolfe wrote: There's some additional reverb/resonance around his voice though. Was that added by you? Or is it from the record?

I didn't add any reverb when I transferred these recordings. It is a common problem of most of Caruso 're-creations', I believe. The 1936 HMV Sessions of the re-creations were the worst ones with this problem.

I don't view it as a problem so much, a little natural room sound added to his voice would go better with the overlaid orchestra accompaniment. And acceptable to me in this case, since it's all pretty artificial anyway.

On some of the others, there isn't anyreverb or room sound around his voice, and it sounds rather dry and tinny, especially on the playback equipment of the day. The little that may have been on the original record was lost in the effort to hide the original orchestra and surface noise.

I must repeat how much I enjoyed that record. I wouldn't take it over the 1917 original (which is itself one of my favorites of his) if I had to choose one, but I want to have both, someday, when I do find a copy of the re-recording.