The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I’m a few minutes early but certainly didn’t want to miss honoring this great man - a great singer and a great personality. My first record of his that I acquired was Vaghissima sembianza (sp?) and Sultanto a te. I still have it, although it has gotten some additional mileage on it in the last 50 years.

I can't even BELIEVE that's it's been so many years.

Thanks for reminding us of this important part of musical history. I will play one or two Caruso records today.

Here's a little memorial to the Great Man:

https://forum.antiquephono.org/topic/39 ... c-history/

George P.

Here is a recording done just a couple of weeks after Caruso's death that imagines the funeral and all the people that were in attendance. It is in Italian and other dialects, but there is closed captioned English translations you can turn on. This has been posted before, but on this 100th anniversary of the death of Enrico Caruso this seems like a very relevant recording.

(Double-click the video above or click this link to watch the video on YouTube in HD.)

Looking for that I've found an intestinal channel with lots of Caruso recordings, and some digital remastering very well done
https://m.youtube.com/user/tomfroekjaer/featured

Inigo wrote: Mon Aug 02, 2021 4:41 pm and some digital remastering

The "Vesti la giubba" is sourced from the "Caruso 2000" CD. The 2000 CD was a modern take on the same thing done in the 1930's, overlaying Caruso's original with a new orchestra.

I remember celebrating the 100th anniversary of Caruso's birth in 1973. I find it odd I am now memorialising his death more than 48 years later.

You must consider that Caruso, though his francophone recordings became the first truly international media star. Before Caruso the gramophone and phonograph were relegated to the clothes shop/ bicycle mechanic trades. With Caruso, recorded music was taken more seriously. He induced other great performers to record which ultimately led Melba in 1904 and Patti in 1905 to consent to being recorded.

And think that all that was because of the foresight of one man, Fred Gaisberg who, if the story is true, having been forbid by his managers to record Caruso at such a high fee, put his own money on the table, and recorded him.

Inigo wrote: Wed Aug 04, 2021 5:15 am And think that all that was because of the foresight of one man, Fred Gaisberg who, if the story is true, having been forbid by his managers to record Caruso at such a high fee, put his own money on the table, and recorded him.

I discovered some years ago musing on the apocryphal Gaisberg story of the "fee exhorbitant- forbid you to record". Not to diminish the importance of Fred Gaisberg and his contribution to the industry, there is evidence that his story is not fully accurate.

I would suggest you read this interesting article in a 1994 Association of Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC).
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source= ... jeaErKP7J4