Titanic benefit: Caruso sings "The Lost Chord"

[Hirvassalo]

Arthur Sullivan? Hang on, wasn't that the guy who also composed the "Propior Deo" version of "Nearer, My God, To Thee?" Considering bandleader Wallace Hartley's (and cellist John Woodward's) Methodist background this song seems appropriate to the extreme.

[tomfroekjaer]

@Hirvassalo Yes, you are right. Arthur Sullivan also composed the "Propior Deo" version of "Nearer, My God, To Thee."

Don't know if Caruso was aware of any Methodist connection - (if so he wouldn't have minded anyway).... Good historical account. Thanks.

[fromthesidelines]

An electrically "re-recorded" version (with new accompaniment) was issued in 1934.

[drpenning]

We might not do so well singing in Italian either. :)

[ThePlanetchild]

@drpenning good point

[MsRuthes]

Dear tom froekjaer: Again, thanks so much. I just love this, Caruso was one in a billion.

[tomfroekjaer]

@MsRuthes You are very welcome. Yes, Caruso was indeed an unsually great spirit with an unparalled empathetic voice.

[MsRuthes]

I love hearing Caruso singing "Over There" for the war effort. It is priceless. If someone could post, would be most appreciative.

[tomfroekjaer]

@MsRuthes Yes, "Over There" is a good one. Just search YouTube for "Enrico Caruso Over There".

Several users have uploaded it.

[marktenor227]

@MsRuthes And George M. Cohan is conducting too. Talk about getting it straight from the horse's mouth!

[JLHoopes1]

Caruso was obviously amazing and was very famous in his time. As one can hear, he had some difficulty with English, and about 3:35 he missed the words " in heav'n," but he belted out a lovely climaxing note and probably no one knew the difference. Makes me feel better when I mess up when singing. Thanks for posting this.

[31operafan]

@JLHoopes1 His awesome voice totally makes up for his struggle with English. :) English can be a difficult language for non-native speakers to learn. He actually did OK; he learned enough to communicate somewhat effectively with English speakers.

[GeorgeVreelandHill]

Enrico Caruso had an amazing voice.

In fact, he is one of the very best talents in music history.

I don't have to tell you that.

You can hear for yourself how good he was.

The benefit must have been a sad event.

So many people died on the Titanic and the result affected more than that number of families alone.

Caruso was moved by it all.

George Vreeland Hill

[justinbieberforking]

Caruso is good, but he ain't no Justin Bieber!

[tomfroekjaer]

@justinbieberforking: no, he certainly is not comparable to Justin Bieber.

[31operafan]

I saw the film "Titanic" several days ago. That was when I realized the sadness of the event. It has gone down in history as one of the world's most devastating shipwrecks.

[LePrince1890]

With all truly due respect to the lost 1,522 souls on Titanic, I wish to remind anyone listening to Caruso's serious attempt to do justice to this song that Jimmy Durante did a comic number , "So let's celebrate, I'm feeling great, I'm the guy who found "The Lost Chord". One should heart that one after this number.

[lpvcrcd]

I was at that benefit . If anybody could have raised the dead that day it would have been the glorious voice of Caruso He was stirring and his sound shook you to the bone! He sang this song and an aria from Pagliacci and Rigoletto. Tetrazzini was wondeful as well! She sang a Traviata aria.. I haven't heard singing like that since. Caruso's voice, especially on the top notes, was remarkable in person. That I remember. This recording brings back fond memories of that day.

[tomfroekjaer]

Wow. You actually recall the benefit from a past life? - No problem as far as I'm concerned! I recall a performance of his in Paris - it made a such an impression on me that I never forgot it (that's why I keep uploading his work).

[CurzonRoad]

The power & conviction of his delivery overrides the accented diction some may be concerned (and  amused) with. Confess to not being aware of the date of the recording, and what... just hours before the benefit concert? Another great, albiet tragic piece of history. THANK YOU! All Best. Doug --

[capachemolle]

cedimento strutturale?

[tomkellycartoons]

Hahah....soccer talk okay....I agree with Sullivan..the songs that "come to me" are better than the ones I compose from my scanty musical knowledge.

[tomkellycartoons]

I know a little bit of singing, and nothing of football/soccer, but I do know about an organ (or in my case, piano) speaking to me" from it's soul and entered into mine." The lovely miracle of inspiration. Thank you. Very moving, both in the circumstance of the Titanic, and the death of the author's beloved brother.

[tomfroekjaer]

Sorry about soccer talk ... I've deleted the messages :-)

Yes, very moving. And the miracle of inspiration.

Sullivan was proud of the song and later noted: "I have composed much music since then, but have never written a second Lost Chord."

[tomfroekjaer]

Absolutely ! Don't know the first thing about singing :-)

But I know what I like :-)

[ShawDAMAN]

Powerful high B(?) at the end, wow.

[tomfroekjaer]

Wouldn't know :-) but yes, very powerful ending.

[LordMgls]

Curious. It seemed to me a C, but it is an F (I checked in the score).

[ShawDAMAN]

Well perhaps Caruso did not sing it in the written key....? Because that final high note on "heav'n!" is certainly not an F.... =P

[LordMgls]

It seems to me like an F, or maybe my violin needs to be tuned. I use to tune it well... I mean, high F. The little ball in the upper of the five lines.

Anyway, if I am once wrong in the note you are referring to, consult the manuscript in the wikipedia's entrance for The Lost Chord.

[lpvcrcd]

Has to be maybe an A flat. You are right ..certainly not an F as user LordMgls suggested

[ShawDAMAN]

Yeah.

Lol you guys are funny. :D

Let's see- I'm pretty sure I was at the premiere of Beethoven's 9th symphony.... =D

[tomfroekjaer]

Well, one has to be a bit nutty to cherish a tenor that died almost a century ago - or for that matter a deaf and somewhat crazy German composer that died several centuries ago (I love Beethoven, by the way) :-)

[ShawDAMAN]

Heh heh maybe so. I've always thought that people who didn't appreciate opera and classical were nuts, but maybe we're the nutty ones. :D

It's fun though, thinking about what great musical events you could have attended had you been alive then ;-D

[douginz19]

@ShawDAMAN Bb and yes, amazing.

[ShawDAMAN]

Quite beautiful. I was not aware Caruso did this benefit concert, very nice. I would imagine, given his popularity, that the fund raising did well?

[tomfroekjaer]

I'm sure the fund raising went well - and the subsequent record sales .... planned ?

[meltzerboy]

Caruso's voice itself sounds like an organ in this recording, and that's meant as a compliment, not a criticism. The song is one of faith and hope and to some may sound overly sentimental. However one may feel about the song's musical merits, Caruso does a great job if one can pardon his less-than-perfect English. My favorite recording of this song, however, is Clara Butt's, whose voice also resembles the sound of an organ, although she lightens it beautifully.

[tomfroekjaer]

Yes, he sounds like an organ :-) He's choir boy background may have come in handy.

His English is quite intelligible, but he puts heart to it.

The Clara Butt version is absolutely devine.