Enrico Caruso - O Lola (Cavalleria rusticana) 1905

[theonewiththeface922]

The most amazing part to me is that there are recordings that are over 100 years old. Go humanity!

[trajan75]

Who are the 3 guys who didn't like this?

[MrGer2295]

Enrico Caruso(1873-1921)

was an Italian operatic tenor with beautiful and tender voice.

Stupefacente!!! Thank you tomfroekjaer for posting this video.

[paulostroff99]

TY Tom for posting. Lovely singing.

[giancarlomonsalve]

GRANDE MAESTRO CARUSO!! UNICO!!!! :)

[goodboybuddy1]

Dear Tom.

I'm having a 'Caruso' day, thanks to you, Sir. For my money, this is the definitive recording of this very difficult aria. And, it was done early on, when he was still having a little trouble with 'La donna'. Interesting!

[tomfroekjaer]

@goodboybuddy1 Hi James, I also have a Caruso day today :-)

This aria is indeed very difficult, but he pulls it off beautifully.

... Today I received a personal message from a youtube user who has uploaded some of her own 78 Caruso recordings - absolutely worth listening to: youtube etc slash user/thegirlofmusic1

Great that people all over the world "rediscover" Caruso.

Cheers, Tom

[goodboybuddy1]

@tomfroekjaer Great minds...I've already subscribed to her channel. Have a great evening, and thanks again.

[tomfroekjaer]

@goodboybuddy1 You're very welcome, James - great channel she has indeed, and not only just Caruso uploads.

[MTRISTANL]

despite that technolgy is not the same he sound so good Bravo!!!!

[Emerson24041]

BRAVISSIMOOOOO, CARUSOOOOOOO

[paulostroff99]

Superb! TY for posting this gem.

[Joelomite]

I'd like to see this in a Quentin Tarantino movie. Maybe as the intro....

[tamaz1955]

Прекрасно!

[Paran0idblues]

does someone have the sheets of this song?

[Joelomite]

I heard this song near the end of the new HBO show "Boardwalk Empire." A man was listening to this when getting killed. I cannot explain the EMOTION that scene exuded when it was being played.

Fantastic use of the song and a fantastic song in general.

[1codcod]

@Joelomite The man was James Colosimo a.k.a Big Jim Colosimo, and yes, It's really emotive

[wollestoncraft]

BRAVO! Caruso & Bjorling, stll unmatched! Thank u for this video.

[tomfroekjaer]

@wollestoncraft: Thanks, Carole. I hope that these (any) masters of singing with the heart will never be forgotten !

[DanyelHawkes]

Most modern tenors I cant even listen to anything they sing. 10 seconds in and I feel my ears being murdered by exagerrated nazel tones lacking color ,emotion and carrying power. Caruso is a diffrent story. Top quality UNBEATABLE

[tomfroekjaer]

@DanyelHawkes: 1905 - miserable recording quality.

- The empathetic genious of an (almost) illiterate Neapolitan "peasant" conquers the world...

[Tenorbravo]

BEAUTIFULL...UNIQUE AND ORIGINAL...THANKS FOR SHARING IT.

[31122051]

SUBLIME. 

[noceci]

Não canso de ouvir. É perfeito demais!!!

[churunmerun]

wonderful,belle,bellisima.muy linda

[irakli220570]

განუმეორებელი!!!!!!!!!!!

[Aetion]

The right voice for thsi aria.

Tks for posting.

[eleninefeli]

Émouvant ! 5*****

[borgoantico44]

Grande Caruso!!!

[Alex618mir]

thats a pretty sad story

[dimakauffman]

HOW COULD ANYBODY EXPLAIN CARUSO´S CHARM? Not the best technique, not a big voice, not that beatiful, SIMPLY CHARMING

[meltzerboy]

I beg to differ. Caruso's tone IS that beautiful, his technique the best, while his voice IS big and powerful, all of which are complemented by the charm of his singing. While he also has considerable interpretive skill, there may be other artists who surpass him in this regard.

[65attila]

I doubt if in 1905 we get a total picture of Caruso"s singing on record. He still sounds much better than anyone else. That is what is amazing and why my grandad who heard him on stage was only so-so about the recordings.

Thank tou for posting, John

[Webarton]

WOWOWOOWOWOWWOWOW

[bodiloto]

+  100 !!!! IMMORTALE !!!!

[koala501]

Stunning. No one comes close to this singing.

[OdysseyArts]

The REAL reason why Edward Bernays could use Uncle Siggy's PR/brainwashing tech, and make Caruso a household name: He was Caruso.

[gomongio]

yes... Pippo did it.

[ShawDAMAN]

Beautiful, the kind of music that makes the heart ache- when sung well as it is here.

One of Mascagni's most beautiful passages.

As always, makes you wish for better sound. :-|

[tomfroekjaer]

ShawDAMAN, yes - unfortunately mostly poor recordings. Just uploaded a 1910 recording of the same aria (video response).

Cheers, Tom

[SchreinerUwe]

You are absolutely right. New music can not compared with this - in my opinion.

Cheers.

Uwe

[Escarpialetto]

No, but check out Cortis...he was pretty sweet as well...thanks to Pertile23 for showing me the Cortis recording!

[tomfroekjaer]

Just listened to the Cortis version and you're right - spectacular!

[paulostroff99]

tomfroekjaer-Cortis O Lola is IMHO the best of all recorded performances of this gorgeous aria.

[tomfroekjaer]

Yes, you are right - sounds better than Caruso. His rendition is absolutely fabulous!

Maybe, though, we have to take into account that Cortis had two definite advantages over Caruso:

1. He was able to sing into a microphone (and the recording techniques in 1905 were so misrable that 50% of the overtones were lost)

2. And he also had the advantage of heard Caruso's interpretaion of the aria ...

[paulostroff99]

tomfroekjaer-Those are 2 very valid points. I also very much like the di Stefano and the Gigli versions.

[tomfroekjaer]

Yes, paulostroff99, certainly both Gigli and di Stefano were spectacular tenors and a pride of Mankind. I do not at all disregard these - or any other fantastic tenors like Bjorling, Lanza, Pavarotti, etc.

My purpose of posting these around 90 arias on YouTube with Caruso was to remind people of the person who created the standard for modern tenors.

[paulostroff99]

tomfroekjaer.Yours is a noble and historically positive attitude -in thanking the grand master for all that he has given to us.

[tomfroekjaer]

Nice to have a civilized exchange of viewpoints with you. - And by the way the Cortis Nessum dorma is, I believe, the best I've ever heard.

[paulostroff99]

tomfroekjaer- Thank you so much for your response and opinion. Not only is this IMHO the finest version of this lovely aria,but it is also one of the best singing performances that I have ever had the pleasure of hearing. Besides Cortis there are a few others worth hearing and they are named,Fleta,Lazaro,and Pertile. They are all so great that I could not choose between them. Have a great day.

[Webarton]

You can't hear overtones on recordings. Please go read what overtones are.

[tomfroekjaer]

According to the definition, you're right. I was basically just parroting others who had English as their mothertongue and seemed to know what they were talking about :-)

How about 50% of the nuances were lost ?

[Webarton]

The nuances you want to hear aren't there. The nuances happen when people sing in front of you and manipulate the "space" they are singing into via throat muscles, depending on the opera/aria/role/phrase. Even with technology as it is, you can only hear, crescendo/decrescendo, cover, no cover, dark, bright; However, what you don't hear/feel, is how these singers manipulate the sound, and that is the magic of opera. And this is why opera has become so sad, because no one can do this anymore.

[tomfroekjaer]

Makes sense, technically. Can't think of a single word/term that would describe this accurately, so I'll just call it lost sound.

[alfemv76]

Que hermosa versión... Definitivamente única!!

[meltzerboy]

Has any other tenor sung this with such a rare combination of sweetness, sensuality, concentrated power, brilliant technique, and artistic phrasing as Caruso? Even Bjorling, even Gigli? I doubt it.

[paulostroff99]

meltzerboy-IMHO Cortis did better even Caruso on this gordeous aria. He is beyond phenomenal on this and other arias.

[meltzerboy]

Cortis is a phenomenal singer with a beautiful tone and skilled technique, and I thank you for sharing some of his great recordings. His performance of "Nessun Dorma" is unlike any other, much more intimate and much less showy. But I do not agree that he is better than Caruso in this particular aria.

[paulostroff99]

melzerboy-Thank you for your kind comment. Music being subjective-I respect your view. In certain ways I even agree with it,but for beauty of voice I think Antonio Cortis excels. I'm pleased that you believe as I do -that his Nesun Dorma is as good as it gets.

[paulostroff99]

@meltzerboy -Antonio Cortis ruled on this aria.

[oldoperafan]

@meltzerboy Martinelli's Lola is good.