Enrico Caruso (1906) - La Bohème: Che gelida manina

[1906sfjd]

This is heartbreaking beautiful. There are some marvelous Rodolfo's - I love DiStefano's - but this is so sublime, so in tune with the emotion of Rodolfo confessing his infatuation with Mimi. In addition to his extraordinary vocal gifts, Caruso's connection to the heart of the story and character set him apart from the others. His interpretations of virtually every Italian aria stand at, or near, the pinnacle.

[markhh]

It's remarkable how natural Caruso sounds on his acoustical recordings (he didn't live to see the advent of the microphone). It's as if the acoustics of his voice and those of the recording horn were made for each other. Pure golden luck for his listeners then and now.

[tomfroekjaer]

@markhh Yes, somehow his voice was reproduced quite well when singing into a primitive funnel. At least we can get an inkling of what his voice sounded like.

According to - long deceased, of course - people who heard him sing live the 78 recordings represent about 50% of what he really sounded like.

[redgrapeskins]

Never liked the instruments behind him on this particular aria - Somehow to me they sounded almost calliope like and added nothing to the vocal interpretation or overall pleasing quality of the aria itself --He easily coudl have tossed this off in the original key -I can only guess he was hard headed about singing the high C --To sing the lower notes in that register is a feat in itself -- Some tenors run into trouble producing them when the aria is sung a half tone higher!!!

[slovanprofessor]

He was very handsome

[MusicalTenor23]

He's technique is great! I don't hear the real sound or the stereo type or digital but its really great!!

[jgraif]

here are some comments with no "agenda". i am just interested in everyone's opinions. first, why was this aria recorded in a lower key than the original? caruso certainly was capable of singing the notes. lanza is criticized for being "only" a recording artist and yet all of his recordings are in the original keys.

my father heard caruso in new york before his death. he always mused over the fact that the veins on his neck popped out during the high notes and that lanza sang without effort.

[tomfroekjaer]

@jgraif: ANSWER PART 1 of 2:

Hello, Joseph. This is Tom who uploaded this aria.

I am not an expert on singing, but I believe it was recorded in a lower key than the original. It does seem, however, that Puccini didn't object to that as long as the soul of the music was communicated.

[saltburner2]

@tomfroekjaer

Hi Tom,

Many tenors besides Caruso transposed this aria down a semitone. Tauber, who had what is called a 'short top' nevertheless recorded this in score pitch, just flicking in the top C: though he transposed down in "Ach so fromm" and "Di rigori armato".

[seektheforce]

@jgraif This is from wikipedia: "It must be said that in the operatic canon the highest top note generally written by composers is B. Top Cs are rare (they are either given as oppure that is, up to the singer to interpolate or are traditional additions). An ability to sing C and above, therefore, is musically superfluous."

[jgraif]

@seektheforce all i can say is, then why did opera composers include so many high c's in their works? i might also add that, right or wrong, the high c has been the benchmark by which we have rated tenors consistently over the years. lanza NEVER recorded anything in a lower key than the original. that's all i have to say.

[kevin86h]

@jgraif Puccini actually wrote an Ab for the high note. The high C (and the transposed down half step, to the high B) were added later on, but not by Puccini. And from what I know about these older records (all hearsay), it's possible that the pitch is recorded lower than what the singer has sang.

[jgraif]

@kevin86h any day during which i can learn something is always a good day! thank you so much for the information. i should make sure of my facts before engaging my big mouth. regarding the recordings, i like to listen for the tell-tale signs of speed changes ("jolly green giant" or "chipmunk" effect). sometimes. they are hard to detect. i welcome your comments on any particular recordings. happy listening!

[gaytenor]

@kevin86h Pray tell where did you get this totally incorrect nonsense? When Caruso sang the aria for Puccini, Puccini advised Caruso that he could transpose the aria down a semitone--as he did--to avoid the high c. The c is an alternate but it was written by Puccini. If you have contrary information please supply.

[seektheforce]

@jgraif Caruso had a wonderful technique. I've never heard the allegation about Caruso's veins. The transposition down a half step is standard. Caruso was a dramatic tenor, who was able to sing lyrically. His transposition doesn't mean that he didn't have a high C.

[jgraif]

@seektheforce thank you for the comment. i agree that caruso had a wonderful technique. i wish i could have heard him live or captured by a more modern recording technique. thanks to you and others, i have been learning a lot about the different kinds of tenors, which, despite my formal training, i know nothing about. any help you could provide would be greatly appreciated. happy new year!

[seektheforce]

@jgraif I am currently vocally learning a singing technique in university. However, I hope to learn one day the old bel canto technique. From everything I've heard, falsetto/chest coordination is important, and also lost for the most part nowadays. Not to say that what I am currently learning is wrong, because it isn't. It simply isn't as complete as I would like. The channel of MrCafiero has more insight, as well as plenty of singers.

[redgrapeskins]

@seektheforce From all the old texts I've read & speaking to others who read them before I did,, the perfecting of the falsetto and using those muscles does indeed produce the finest vocal instruments-Head & chest voice are just terms to describe the lower and the higher notes ,but actually when the registers and muscles are properly coordinated,, the voice will sound ringing,powerfiul and properly produced and not throaty!! Mr Cafiero is old school but knows of what he spoeaks!

[seektheforce]

@redgrapeskins The switch from chest voice to head voice has to do with moving up through the passagio. Falsetto is where you're using totally different muscles. If you can coordinate them, I think it would be the equivalent of strengthening your abdominal muscles to do a squat.

[sugarbist]

@seektheforce I do agree with most of your statement however, I think Caruso was really a spinto tenor,as was Tucker,Corelli,De Muro,Merli,Pertile&Martinelli.­Yes Caruso had the ability to sing lyrically& he also had dramatic temperment when needed,as Corelli did.But I don't think his voice was the in the dramatic category of a Zenatello, Del Monaco ,Paoli,Piccaluga ,Tamagno ,or Escalais.

[gaytenor]

How true! A dark voice and full top notes does not a dramatic tenor make. Jan Peerce had an exceptionally dark voice and ringing top notes but he was a lyric tenor who just happened to have an unusually even scale. Bjorling another lyric tenor like Peerce could sing very strongly in the lower register. Currently we have two lyrico spintos with dark middle voices in Kaufmann and Alvarez and NO TRUE DRAMATIC TENORS. ITS AN EXCEPTIONALLY RARE VOICE TYPE.

[sugarbist]

@gaytenor Perhaps,some tenors like Peerce Bjorling or Gigli are able to make the transition to a heavier role or heavier arias.However,people don't realize that it's the artist's technique in part that allows them to be successful in doing so.Peerce was always very elegant & had an excellent technique.Bjorling&Gigli were gifted with exceptional qualities of voice&again had very good tecniques.Many listeners will assume that if a Gigli is singing Chenier,he's a spinto,which is really not so.

[hobo1975]

@jgraif same answer for both questions,basically he did push or force his voice.caruso was known probably more than most singers to have an extreme high level of emotional outpouring when he sang,which in turn caused him to push and which would make his voice darker and heavier making it harder to singer those higher notes. with his fantastically produced voice made him the king of singing.

[sugarbist]

@jgraif Perhaps Caruso was more comfortable transposing this aria down a half tone, which was apparently acceptable then as it is now.It's not just having aHi-C,it's also the tessitura that the aria is written in,which can make it more difficult for some voices to sing in key.Del Monaco for example Transposed Di Quella Pira down a half step, But in the same performance he hits a D-flat in the terzetto with Gencer&Bastianini.He has the C& the D,but the tessitura in the Pira is too heavy for him

[jgraif]

@sugarbist thank you. i agree that it's all about the interpretation and the vocal production. it is truly amazing how the beauty of his voice manages to transcend the limitiations of the acoustic recordings (as others have commented). also, as others have commented, it is equally amazing how crappy the musical accompaniment is.

[sugarbist]

@jgraif Caruso's voice is truly beautiful,It's perhaps a good omen that the accompaniment is crappy,as we can more concentrate on the beauty of his voice quality as appose to an interference or the distraction of a noisy orchestra.I think most of the accoustical recordings had poor accompaniments.Enjoy

[calla4711]

Danke Tom für so viele Jahre Enthusiasmus und Leidenschaft mit dem Zusammentragen aller Schätze von Caruso. Nach wie vor liebe ich Gigli und auch die Aufnahme dieses Stücks von Björling ist wunderbar und so brillant, sodass mir das Herz aufgeht. Viele deiner Schätze kann man in Deutschland in youtube nun nicht mehr abhören...wie schade und ärgerlich.

[tomfroekjaer]

@calla4711: gerne geschehen! Ich liebe auch Gigli und Björling in dieser wunderbaren Arie. Ja, ich weiss, dass in Deutschland viele Videos blockiert werden. Multinationale Firmen haben dies durchgezwungen, obwohl es im Falle von Caruso eigentlich nicht möglich wäre. Auf Aufnahmen vor 1920 gibt es keine Copyrights. Viele Grüsse, Tom

[NellagabbiA]

Caruso...che dire di lui..ha messo "corpo" in un capolavoro,a mio parere,il più bel capolavoro di Puccini....

E' in questi momenti,commuovendomi di fronte a tanta bellezza,che sn FIERA dell'Italia e degli Italiani....

[joanna4659]

A voice of an angel...

[Aetion]

Thanks for the wonderful post, Dear Tom. As to the anecdote I have read it elsewhere too. I don’t know whether it’s true, however, I consider Caruso able to have done this! He and Melba were like dog and cat, you know. Also in the film "The Great Caruso" with Mario Lanza a reference is made to their not so ... friendly relationship, which started from London, if remember well.

[tomfroekjaer]

@Aetion: most welcome ! I think this did happen - and Melba was not pleased ! She does seem to have forgiven Caruso - in her autobiography (Melodies and Memories) she wrote: "As a voice - pure and simple - his was the most wonderful tenor I ever heard."

[chakani0001]

Thank you for posting the lyrics. It makes the song so much more enjoyable.

It makes these lines so much more poignant when he soars:

Talor dal mio forziere

ruban tutti i gioelli

due ladri, gli occhi belli

[alainwilliam]

my great uncle who heard Caruso in London in 1907 told me record's give a very small idea of Caruso voice but still we are lucky to have theese record's

[wowyourgaiy]

If I am wrong, forgive me... but in the info section for this video you are saying that it has been transposed down? I believe Puccini originally composed this piece in G... so, technically speaking, it really is not transposed at all. Just performed in the original key.

[tomfroekjaer]

You may be right. It just said so on the cd...

[Lovelytenor1]

When EC sang this for GP, EC said that he had to sing it in G. GP said, "Thats fine. Too many sing it badly in order to sing the C well. I would rather hear it sung well in its entirety". When EC sang it thats when GP said the famous, "Who sent you, God?"

[tomfroekjaer]

Yes, Lovelytonor1, that is correct. Puccini - a genius himself - was able to recognize the genius of Caruso - high C or not....

[jd1906sf]

I just saw the posting from someone who says this does not compare to Pavarotti. Please. This was done in 1906, with one square recording horn and a few Caliopi-sounding instruments, without any of the technical benefits Pavarotti had. And yet the heart, power and emotion of Caruso shines through. Pavarotti, Placido, DelMonaco, all of them recognized Caruso as the greatest. Listen to the digitally remastered Caruso, and the difference is stunning.

[tomfroekjaer]

Yes, jd1906sf, on YouTube there are several "Cults" and one of these is the "Pavarotti Cult" and it seems that in the opinion of its members, there has never been in the history of singing any other tenor worth listening to than Luciano Pavarotti.

I am myself also a member of a cult - the Enrico Caruso Cult, but I do not think that Caruso was the only tenor ever to sing a brilliant aria. There have been many exceptional tenors - including Pavarotti - that has given us immense joy.

[Lovelytenor1]

Well, just listen to what Pavrotti had to say about Caruso. Believe me, ALL of us tenors know who was the greatest. LP had a long, grand career- nothing can change that. However, Caruso was THE voice/singer.

[normannielsen]

Yes, Caruso created the modern tenor. He broke with the bel canto tradition - without really wanting or intending to. He just couldn't help singing out his own emotion - and how ...

[hiyadroogs]

@Lovelytenor1 It should always be borne in mind, that Caruso & other singers of the period, had to sing these live, in one take. If they made a mistake, or a note didn't quite come off, the entire aria had to be sung again in its entirety. Unlike today, splicing from many different takes or editing was impossible. It's very possible that Caruso may have had to sing these aria's 10 or 15 times before everyone was happy with the result! That can take the spontaneity & stamina out of any voice!

[Lovelytenor1]

@hiyadroogs Your points are well taken. Are you referring to my remarks about EC singing it "down"? He did this regularlyy, as he did when he auditioned for Puccini. (See my earlier comments of what Pucinni said about the audition.) I realize even Pavarotti commented aboy EC having lost his "C", but as even LP admitted- what did it matter?

[hiyadroogs]

@Lovelytenor1 No, not referencing transposition as such, just remarking that in effect, we are listening to live recordings, faults an all. Not perfection created out of the splicing of 15 retakes! : )

[Lovelytenor1]

@hiyadroogs A "fan" of mine recently sent me an article reviewing the recordings of Caruso, written by a friend of his. He noted the "hits" & "misses". He put this one on the "miss' list. He, like you, noted that EC probably had to squeeze this aria in the recording limitations & probably sang it much differently.

I had to sing this aria earlier this year & you can bet that this old tenor sang it a half step down. Like most old guys my "C" is all but gone but the "B-flat" is really something.

[hiyadroogs]

@Lovelytenor1 Far too much is made of this one note. (C) & the insistence upon hearing it eliminates many tenors who could otherwise sing a part beautifully, but for the inability to perform that one note satisfactorily in public.

As Pavarotti once remarked, you can sing like an angel all evening, but crack on your high C & the public will boo you off the stage. Or you can sing like a stuck pig all night, but come in strong on your high C & they will forgive you anything! Sigh...

[joelweisberg]

@tomfroekjaer Well said tomfroe! I agree 100%. So many wonderful tenors. Each different but all so enjoyable. Bravo.

[tomfroekjaer]

Yes, Joel, if one opens ones ears and soul and actually listens, there are so many great singers/tenors for Mankind to be proud of !!!

Tom

[joelweisberg]

@tomfroekjaer Agreed Tom. I'm a singer

and pianist in Chicago for 35 years. Mid way thru I went back to school to study opera. I saw the 3 tenors in 1990 and it became a passion to sing Puccini and speak Italian. The results are on You Tube. Just enter my stage name Joel Barry. I sing Nessun Dorma to a track.

It was a family party 11 yrs ago. It was put up by a cousin and she gave it the title.

I'm a tenor too, and 65 yrs OLD! Love those Italian tenors!!!!

[tomfroekjaer]

@joelweisberg: your Nessum Dorma is really great ! Thanks.

[joelweisberg]

@tomfroekjaer Your kind words were appreciated. And I have appreciated your well thought out commentary on THE TENORS. BTW, have you seen Rafael Moras? He's 22 and still in school. He's

a brilliant tenor already. Try him on you tube.

[tomfroekjaer]

@joelweisberg: Rafael Moras is really impressive ! Beautiful lyrical tenor reminding me of Gigli or Björling - his soars just like them ! -

You know how to pick them !

[joelweisberg]

@tomfroekjaer I wouldn't stear you wrong tom. Moras will be big. Yep, Gigli and Bjorling were amazing. They were my grandpa's favorite tenors. Love DeSefano and Corelli also. Like we've said before, they were ALL wonderful.

Tito Schipa too!

[chakani0001]

Notwithstanding the limitations of the recording, there is something nasal, restrained and subdued about Caruso's version. It does not compare with Pavarotti's version, which is much more profound and moving.

The orchestra is schmaltzy, like a circus fair rendition.

Thanks for posting this: we learn to appreciate by comparing and studying history.

[tomfroekjaer]

Hi, chafani001. We fortunately all have our own experiences and opinions and I respect yours fully. For me there isn't a valid reason to compare Pavorotti to Caruso. For me two different leagues.

Cheers,Tom

[AZo9jojo]

I'd say that it is the recording quality...

[jd1906sf]

This recording was acoustically: the machine made little indents in the recording disc. And yet the power of Caruso's voice overcame the limits of the equipment. For a "big voice" tenor to have this much warmth, heart and reverence is astonishing.  He is the greatest ever, and this lyric marvel is one of his best. But aren't they all??

[tomfroekjaer]

I like many tenors, but for me he's the greatest of them all. Could we hear him as he sounded live, I think almost everybody would agree.

[vstasov]

A miracle that so much of his singing was preserved.

Thank you.

[rupepill]

Caruso and his fellow prankster Antonio Scotti once pushed aside the bed on which reclined Melba, as the dying heroine of La Boheme, revealing a crockery receptacle commonly found under beds in the early twentieth century, but seldom featured on operatic stages. The shocked prima donna and a startled audience had some difficulty in controlling their respective reactions at seeing the unexpected item.

[tomfroekjaer]

:-) funny indeed! Thank you.

[ShawDAMAN]

Nice post and that's hilarious about the sausage :D

[jfs78]

Caruso loved to play tricks on Melba. Melba always was chewing gum off stage. She had a habit of taking out the gum out and placing on some fixture to pop back in her mouth after she was done on stage. Caruso once replaced it with chewing tobacco..This did not win him any points with her. Sadly we do not have Melba'a reactions either. She was not the only one to suffer from his tricks, and La Boheme seemed to be the opera he had the most fun with. I will share a few of the jokes he played later.

[tomfroekjaer]

Another great anecdote! Pls keep them coming!

[grandmagrumpy]

These old recordings are amazing. Thanks for posting this, Tom. Love the story you included here!

[tomfroekjaer]

Sad that we've lost a lot of the original intensity of his voice in these recordings...