Enrico Caruso

On this CD:

1. Rigoletto, opera Questa o Quella
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso

2. Rigoletto, opera La Donna è Mobile
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso

3. Il Trovatore, opera Ah, Si Ben Mio
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso

4. Il Trovatore, opera Miserere
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso, Frances Alda

5. Il Trovatore, opera Ai NOstri Monti
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso, Ernestine Schumann-Heink

6. Un ballo in maschera, opera Di tu se Fedele
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso

7. La forza del destino, opera Oh, Tu Che in Segno
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso

8. Aida, opera Celeste Aida
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso

9. Otello, opera Ora e Per Sempre Addio
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso

10. Otello, opera Si, Pel Ciel Marmoreo, Giuro!
Composed by Giuseppe Verdi
Performed by Enrico Caruso, Titta Ruffo

11. L' Africaine, grand opera in 5 acts O Paradiso
Composed by Giacomo Meyerbeer
Performed by Enrico Caruso

12. La bohème, opera Che Gelida Manina
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Enrico Caruso

13. La bohème, opera O Soave Fanciulla
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Enrico Caruso, Dame Nellie Melba

14. La bohème, opera Ah, Mimi Tu Piú Non Torni
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Enrico Caruso, Antonio Scotti

15. Tosca, opera Recondita Armonia
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Enrico Caruso

16. Tosca, opera E Lucevan le Stelle
Composed by Giacomo Puccini
Performed by Enrico Caruso

17. Pagliacci, opera Vesti la Giubba
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by Enrico Caruso

18. Pagliacci, opera No, Pagliaccio Non Son!
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by Enrico Caruso

19. La bohème, opera Testa Adorata
Composed by Ruggiero Leoncavallo
Performed by Enrico Caruso

20. Parted! for voice & piano/orchestra
Composed by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performed by Enrico Caruso

21. A vucchella ("Arietta di Posilippo") for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Francesco Paolo Tosti
Performed by Enrico Caruso

22. O Sole Mio for voice & piano (or orchestra)
Composed by Eduardo di Capua
Performed by Enrico Caruso

Tracks:

Pagliacci: Vesti la giubba
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
Rigoletto: Questa o quella
Rigoletto: La donna e mobile
L'africana: O paradiso
La Juive: Rachel, quand du Seigneur
La Boheme: Che gelida manina
Aida: Se quel guerrier io fossi; Celeste Aida
Andrea Chenier: Come un bel di di maggio
La Favorita: Romanza: Spirto gentil, ne' sogni miei
La forza del destino: O tu che in seno agli angeli
Otello: Ora e per sempre addio
Les pecheurs de perles: Je crois entendre encore
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar!
Carmen: La fleur que tu m'avais jetee (Flower Song)
TOSCA: Recondita armonia
Faust: Salut, demeure chaste et pure
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Martha: M'appari tutt'amor
Serse: Ombra mai fu (Largo)
Il Trovatore: Di quella pira

Amazon.com

There's a plethora of single-disc Caruso collections, but this one's the preferred choice for opera fans who treasure this golden- voiced epitome of Golden Age singing. It's a Greatest Hits collection to beat all Greatest Hits collections. Selections span Caruso's career, from the lyric effusions of 1906-7 to the darker-voiced later recordings, including one of his last records, the 1920 La Juive aria, "Rachel, quand du Seigneur," which he invests with a heartbreaking poignancy that hasn't been bettered. Caruso shines brightest in the Italian repertory, capturing the pathos of Vesti la Giubba, the insouciance of the Duke's Rigoletto arias, and the hero's dilemma in Celeste Aida, among much else. But everything here is wonderful--great music, great singing. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Great to hear the Great Tenor.......2007-04-11

I am impressed how well these almost 100 year old recordings have been transfered to CD. Of course they aren't perfect but considering their age it is still a miracle. It is nice to hear Caruso in his prime and not on a scratchy vinyl. I would recommend this to any lover of Caruso's singing.

A childhood memory.......2006-05-28

I do not really know Opera. I am writing this review because I remember hearing Caruso's voice coming from a seventy- eight on an old Victor gramophone in my paternal grandparents house. The power and lyric quality of the voice struck me so strongly especially in 'Pagliacci'. The phrase has been with me, and comes back occasionally through all the years.
Caruso was then, and I believe still is considered at the very top of operatic singers. And it is a remarkable experience to hear so many years later , and in a stronger and clearer way sounds which one heard long ago in childhood, and have for years only lived in the mind.

Great collection........2000-11-04

This CD is an older RCA release, but still one of the best! A great introduction to Caruso.

Average customer rating:

Caruso....re-emerged...or....re-submerged
amazing technology
An Unexpected Pleasure
I was floored
A remarkable achievement

Italian Songs: The Digital Recordings

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Caruso 2000
The Legendary Enrico Caruso: 21 Favorite Arias
Prima Voce - Caruso
Great Caruso
The Very Best of Beniamino Gigli

ASIN: B00005MO14
Release Date: 2002-06-25

Tracks:

Vieni sul mar
'O sole mio
Tu can nun chiagne
Santa Lucia
Pecche?
L'Alba separa dalla luce l'ombra
Fenesta che lucive
Mamma mia che vo' sape
Musica proibita
Core 'ngrato
Luna d'estate
Ideale
'A vucchella
Vaghissima sembianza
Tarantella sincera
Senza nisciuno
L'addio a Napoli

Amazon.com

As a follow-up to its Caruso 2000 release, RCA here offers us a remastered, implemented selection of Neapolitan songs recorded by Enrico Caruso between 1906 and 1920. The gimmick is again that the old recordings have been digitally stripped of their oompah, blaring instruments. In their place, the Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra has provided modern accompaniment. It's still anachronistic--the voice remains in another acoustical era from the orchestra--but this time, the balance is a little better, and conductor Gottfried Rabl is amazingly sensitive to Caruso's style and phrasing. Moreover, of course, the pops and clicks of the old pre-electrical shellacs are gone. The voice retains its timbre and quality, thank goodness, and one can still marvel at the way the sound grew over the 14 years recorded here. It's always magnificent, but it became more baritonal and muscular with age, without losing any of its thrills. The "Ideale" from 1906 remains an exquisitely tender piece of singing; elsewhere, the sheer visceral excitement of the voice dazzles. Purists may not approve. Those unfamiliar with the Caruso phenomenon should hear him under any circumstances, and this is as good a chance as any. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

Caruso....re-emerged...or....re-submerged.......2007-02-15

I have been listening to Caruso recordings, necessarily periodically, for close on sixty years, though I didn't learn anything about music until in my mid twenties. Whilst thrilling hysterically to those top notes one couldn't help being more than a little aware, even as a child, that the trumpet-like noises, as Caruso himself once described it on hearing someone playing one of his records, emanating from the playback equipment, hardly represented a human being. Thanks to the digital restorative efforts of Thomas G Stockham we can appreciate the real art that conceals art, as C again put it, on the twelve CD edition previously published by RCA; since much of the artificial peakiness [ distortions ] has been alleviated - a tribute to the success of these may be concluded from the fact that some notes that previously sounded like he had a throatful of phlegm are simply revealed as record wear; as well as the more important sense of straining for effect being eliminated; far from it as we then appreciate how (apparently) effortlessly he puts those spectacular phrases across. As far as I can discern they have used these registrations here; so far so good. For the sake of this review attempt I listened again to this CD, for the first time since I bought it, probably well over a year ago. My humble opinion is that the orchestrations are too loud, tending to drown him out. Well done no doubt, if crass at times then, but providing little advantage over the Stockham 'recreations'. Maybe that's due to me being one of that army of Caruso lovers, or of any of a myriad of great artists' recordings for that matter, to whom the singing is paramount; the orchestra is merely lucky to be there. Is all that fuss regarding the minutiae of recent orchestral arrangements not just a bit patronising and condescending, with more accent on their problems rather than giving tribute to the singer who had no benefits of any post editing whatsoever; never mind the terribly restrictive recording environment and session period in which to do it ? I guess, like all hero worshippers, I'm possibly waxing unnecessarily defensive at this juncture. What if we could hear Caruso recorded now, as a contemporary of, say, Andrea Bocelli; would we be at his feet ? Maybe that's where this compilation really comes in, reaffirming the legend, dressed up to the nines. Does giving a monochrome phantom flash clothes, like those colourised photos, really make him more visible ?

On a personal note; it would have been an improvement had they NOT included "Vieni sul mar"; "L'Alba separa dalla luce l'ombra" and "Luna d'estate". "A Dream" would have been nice; also "I' m'arricordo e Napule" or, what I think is one of the best recordings of Caruso - Denza's "Si vous l'aviez compris" [ also Massenet's "Elegie" ], albeit they have piano/violin accompaniment, which would have presented a challenge to the engineers.

amazing technology.......2005-05-20

The Italian songs of Caruso have been a longtime favorite of mine -to hear this amazing voice - backed with a wonderful modern orchestra is just something else -I believe it is bringing 90 -100 year old recordings back to life - the voice is always clear and strong with no distortions one would expext from vintage recordings .The Vienna orchestra is wonderfully sensitive providing a lush sound behing this wonderful voice - my partner came in to see what I was playing, she said the voice was moving her to tears ," with a voice like honey" and I guess this was what the great Caruso was doing in his day to sell so many records

An Unexpected Pleasure.......2004-12-19

I have been an avid fan of Enrico Caruso for over forty years. I have heard just about every gimmicky process that has ever been attempted to make his recordings more modern sounding (read "electrical"). Each has its own virtues and inadequacies. I had not planned on purchasing this disc because, quite frankly, Caruso 2000 had been a disappointment. Caruso's voice almost always seemed to have a lid on it.

A certain fact has to be faced here. Caruso never made an electrical recording. No amount of filtering and doctoring can change that. The only way I can imagine that this barrier could ever be overcome is perhaps by computerized extrapolation of the frequencies his voice produced. A computer might some day be programmed to "figure out" from the original recordings the sound frequencies Caruso's voice produced but that the recording horn was too insensitive to record. Those frequencies could then be dubbed into the existing recording. However, it doesn't appear that technology is that advanced yet; perhaps it never will be. In my opinion, it doesn't need to be. All one really needs is a schooled ear to be deeply moved by the gifts, art, and technique Caruso exhibited on his original acoustical recordings.

Incidentally, I am both amused and appalled by individuals who doubt that he was the greatest male singer in the history of recording, perhaps of all time. Anyone who would suggest Mario Lanza's, John McCormack's, or anyone else's singing as more satisfactory isn't listening. Lanza wanted to be the next Caruso, but he was not Caruso, not even a pale imitation. Even Pavarotti willingly acknowledges that he idolizes Caruso. And McCormack was a completely different kind of singer.

The best way to enjoy Caruso, Italian Songs and even Caruso 2000 is to set them aside as seperate works of art, rather than expect them to be improvements over the original recordings. They're not. Caruso's voice is not reproduced as accurately as it is on original recordings played on the proper equipment in the proper environment, especially on Caruso 2000. But the beauty of his art and technique remains intact. It seems the recording engineers did less manipulation of the voice on this new CD; the voice is more faithful to the originals, but still not the same. It occurs to me that perhaps these recordings are best for those who cannot tolerate surface noise and Victor's almost exclsive use of wind instruments for the orchestra.

That said, the digital accompaniment added unexpected emotion, power, and drama to every piece. I was caught completely off-guard. The music on this disc had me in tears. Music is about emotions, and this disc overpowered mine. If the degree of emotion induced by a performance is the standard for its evaluation, then this disc rates five stars without question. And if this is the way more modern ears than mine must be introduced to the artistry of this great singer, let it be! The instrumentation and arrangements fit every selection, and the synchronization with Caruso's stylizing is nearly always perfect. I highly recommend this disc to budding opera and classical voice lovers as a worthy introduction to Caruso's artistry. And for the seasoned aficionado of classical voice, it is a refreshing, yet emotionally moving collection of great singing in its own right. Neither type of listener would be disappointed.

I was floored.......2004-02-14

This was a vast improvement over the last effort. When you listen to it on a regular stereo, as background music, you could swear you are listening to something that was recorded altogether, as if the singer was there. I also like the folk approach that was put forth by it. It is not Caruso trying to be the character of the song that comes from the opera, but Caruso being Caruso, without all the operatic techniques. It sounded like he was just having fun with the recordings, and the jovial personality that he had shows through clearly. I would be interested in seeing if RCA would consider doing more.

A remarkable achievement.......2004-01-19

Purists, say what you will about blending old and new recordings, but I loved this disc. I've got a number of original Caruso 78s and RCA's "Complete Caruso" CD collection, but never has he sounded so good as on this CD. The mixing of a digitally-recorded stereo full orchestra with Caruso's acoustically-recorded mono voice does at first sound very unnatural, but after a time, the effect takes shape and I'm able to get a better feel for what Caruso must have sounded like in person. The restorations of Caruso's original recordings are marvelous, I hear no surface noise or serious distortion, and the blending of the orchestra with his voice is spot-on. It's refreshing to hear him sing with a full orchestra behind him, not a small studio orchestra as in the original recordings. Naturally, Caruso buffs will want to have the original untouched recordings, but for casual listening, this disc is an excellent buy. I'm particularly impressed with "Ideale," with its beautiful, haunting melody, it's my favorite cut on the CD.

For the First Time/Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites

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Impressive performances from Lanza's final years

For the First Time/Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites

Manufacturer: Collectables
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Mario Lanza: At His Best!
Mario Lanza ~ Opera Arias & Duets, from Andréa Chenier · La Bohème · I Pagliacci · Madama Butterfly · Otello
Lanza: Greatest Hits
Sixteen Most Requested
The MARIO LANZA Collection

ASIN: B00005B523
Release Date: 2001-05-08

Tracks:

Come Prima
Tarantella
O Sole Mio
Neapolitan Dance
Hofbrauhaus Song (Wir Einmal Nur in Munchen War]
O, Mon Amour (Je Nen Connais Pas la Fin)
Mazurka
Pineapple Pickers
Pagliacci: Vesti la Giubba
Otello: Finale
Aida: Act I
Ich Liebe Dich (I Love Thee)
Ave Maria
Vieni Sul Mar
Senza Nisciuno
Musica Proibita
Vaghissima Sembianza
Serenata - Mario Lanza,
Lolita
Luna d'Estate
Alba Separa Dalla Luce l'Ombra
Pour un Baiser
Mia Canzone
Ideale
Santa Lucia

Customer Reviews:

Impressive performances from Lanza's final years.......2004-12-18

This CD contains most of the soundtrack from Lanza's final movie, the 1958 For the First Time, together with the 1959 album Mario Lanza Sings Caruso Favorites.

By 1958 Lanza's lirico spinto tenor had darkened significantly, acquiring a baritonal richness in its middle and lower registers, while still retaining the celebrated top notes for which he was justly famous. On his best days, he was also a more sensitive singer than he had sometimes been in his Hollywood period. This is immediately noticeable on the operatic selections included here: Vesti La Giubba; the Otello Death Scene (Niun Mi Tema); and the Grand March from Aida. On the first two numbers, Lanza phrases beautifully and avoids marring these arias with the hammy histrionics that many more celebrated names have indulged in elsewhere. Dark with haunting overtones, his voice is by now ideal for both Canio and Otello.

The Grand March scene is also impressive, with Lanza delivering some staggering B flats over the deafening Rome Opera Orchestra and chorus. All three operatic selections from For the First Time were recorded (and subsequently filmed) at the Rome Opera House, and the effect that Lanza had on the musicians present was extraordinary. "A very musical tenor of enormous possibilities, with an exceptional timbre" was the verdict of the theatre's then Artistic Director Riccardo Vitale.

The first half of For the First Time is much lighter, and includes the pleasant title song, Come Prima, along with a sweet and all-too-brief O Mon Amour. There is also the novelty of hearing Lanza singing in German in the rousing Hofbrauhaus Song, as well as a ridiculous rock and roll number called Pineapple Pickers. (Typically, BMG place this next to Vesti la Giubba on the CD, with no thought for the massive jump in musical style and content between the tracks.) O Sole Mio sounds a little laboured here, and rings out much more thrillingly in the movie. But with the exception of the videotape of the actual film (reviewed elsewhere on this site), many of these selections have never sounded better. There is still the ever-present sandiness that mars all of Lanza's stereo releases, but at least this is an improvement on the soundtrack's earlier outing on the Double Feature CD.

My only gripe is that the delightful Cosi Fan Tutte trio - E Voi Ridete - has been omitted. Instead we have three uneventful (and irritating) non-Lanza musical interludes. *Mercifully* missing, however, is the tenor's La Donna 'e Mobile. Uncharacteristically strained, it was his least impressive performance of the aria, and the only vocal lapse in the entire film.

The final twelve selections from the Caruso Favorites album also feature Lanza in mostly fine form. As with all the tenor's 1959 recordings, however, the reproduction of his voice (though curiously *not* the orchestra) is less than ideal, and the ever-present distortion - particularly on his top notes - mars some of the best moments. Gripes aside, this is an important album in the Lanza canon. Among the highlights are the Neapolitan song Senza Nisciuno; a tasteful Vaghissima Sembianza, replete with two beautiful High As; the daunting Serenata; and three exquisite Tosti songs: L'Alba Separa Dalla Luce L'Ombra, Pour Un Baiser and Ideale.

L'Alba Separa dalla Luce l'Ombra deserves special mention. Lanza is appropriately operatic on this miniature masterpiece, and although his voice sounds a little heavy at times, the impact of his performance is very moving. From "Chiudimi, O notte, nel tuo sen materno," (Envelop me, O night, in your maternal [...]) onwards, Lanza is in full control of the song, faltering only slightly on the climactic note on "eterno" (though this may, in fact, be due to the distortion). Lapses aside, L'Alba Separa is a fine example of Lanza's artistic maturity.

Among the few lesser moments, Mario runs out of steam in the second half of La Mia Canzone, and is subjected to an overly boisterous arrangement on Santa Lucia, which sounds more akin to a march than a lilting ode to the Bay of Naples! At times Lanza does sound tired, and as one perceptive reviewer has noted, we miss the characteristic smile of his earlier voice. Ironically, critics and habitual Lanza-knockers are much more likely to praise this album for the very reason that the tenor *is* so subdued.

Caruso Favorites and For the First Time - together with the brilliant Neapolitan album Mario! Lanza At His Best (also reviewed on this site) - represent the tenor's most impressive singing from the final period of his life. As Lanza authority Lindsay Perigo has noted, the tenor's voice on all three albums is often "hauntingly ethereal." In short, these are not performances that are easily forgotten.

Enrico Caruso: Opera Arias and Songs Milan 1902 - 1904

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Enrico Caruso: Opera Arias and Songs Milan 1902 - 1904
Bizet , Boito , Cilea , Denza , Donizetti , Franchetti , Giordano , Leoncavallo , Mascagni , Massenet , Meyerbeer , Corsi , Ponchelli , Puccini , Tosti , Trimarchi , Verdi , Zardo , and Enrico Caruso
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Legendary Enrico Caruso: 21 Favorite Arias
Match Point

ASIN: B000002S01
Release Date: 2002-08-05

Tracks:

Germania: Studenti, udite
Rigoletto: Questa o quella
Aida: Celeste Aida
Manon: O dolce incanto
L'Elisir d'Amore: Una furtiva lagrima
Mefistofele: Giunto sul passo estremo
Germania: Ah vieni qui...No non chuider gli occhi
Mefistofele: Dia campi, dai prati
TOSCA: E lucevan le stelle
Iris: Apri la tua finestra
Fedora: Amor ti veta
La Gioconda: Cielo e mar
I Pagliacci: Recitar! ...Vesti la glubba
Cavalleria Rusticana: O Lola
Non t'amo piu
La mia canzone
Adriana Lecouvreur: No plu nobile
Luna fedel
Un bacio ancora
Les pecheurs de perles: Mi par d'udir ancor
Mattinata
Les Huguenots: Qui sotto il ciel
Tu non mi vuoi piu bene

Average customer rating:

Caruso 2000 - The world's greatest Tenor ever...
Simply Disgraceful
a wonderful effort
Exellent!
A Great Effort

Caruso 2000

Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Great Caruso

ASIN: B000031WTO
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Tracks:

Rigoletto: La Donna E Mobile
Aida: Se Quel Quel Guerrier Io Fossi... Celeste Aida
Macbeth: O Figli, O Figli Miei... Ah, La Paterna Mano
Il Trovatore: Ah, Si Ben Mio
Il Trovatore: Di Quella Pira
Un Ballo in Maschera: Forse La Soglia Attinse
La Juive: Rachel, Quand Du Seigneur
L'Africaine: Mi Batte Il Cor... O Paradiso!
Manon: Je Suis Seul... Ah, Fuuyez, Douce Image
Le Cid: Ah! Tout Est Bien Fini!
Martha: M'Appari Tutt' Amor
La Gioconda: Cielo E Mar
I Pagliacci: Recitar!... Vesti La Giubba
TOSCA: Recondita Armonia
Petite Messe solennelle: Domine Deus
La Danza: Taratella Neopolitana
I Pagliacci: Comparison Track - Orig. Version: Recitar... Vesti La giubba

Amazon.com

The idea behind Caruso 2000 is actually not new. In the early '30s, RCA rerecorded some of the legendary tenor's acoustic recordings with newly added orchestral accompaniments, to rather crude results. With today's computer know-how, one can carry out this concept with infinitely more finesse and musicality, as the present release proves. What we have are some of Caruso's most famous and memorable sides, with the voice's overtones pretty much intact, minus the shellac surface noise. Likewise, the blatty orchestras are virtually rubbed out, replaced here in new performances by the Vienna Radio Symphony. It's amazing how accurately conductor Gottfried Rabl pinpoints accompaniments around Caruso's very personalized rubatos. In fact, Rabl sometimes anticipates the singer's special effects rather than reacts to them. The basic problem is that you don't get a tangible sense of Caruso's projection. Compare, for instance, the 1907 "Vesti la Giubba" from I Pagliacci (track 17) to its reconstituted counterpart (track 13). The unadulterated recording reveals the voice in proportion to the blatty orchestra in a finite space, with no dial twiddling or body miking to beef things up. In the new version, voice and orchestra are miraculously matched, yet don't blend. A vocalist will normally adjust his or her voice to the environment, but singers can't do such things when they're dead. Still, a release like this will surely instigate Caruso awareness among budding opera fans, just as Ted Turner's colorized films make classic movies palatable to viewers allergic to black and white. --Jed Distler

Customer Reviews:

Caruso 2000 - The world's greatest Tenor ever..........2007-01-11

Tenor Enrico Caruso - who died in 1921 - in the year 2000?!? YES, if you like Caruso or if you just like opera and would like to hear Caruso, this is a good starter. It is Caruso's voice with a new recorded orchestra. Almost 100 years between!
I find this CD VERY entertaining. For Caruso specialists this might be of lesser interest, because it is so different from the originals - being the scratchy old 78s recorded acoustically.

Use this CD as you would use any other music CD, listen and enjoy. I have to rate this as a 5 star release.

I love it!
René

Simply Disgraceful.......2005-04-12

What they have done to Caruso's voice for the sake of fitting his voice to the modern orchestration is simply disgraceful and offensive. The producers of this CD clearly must have assumed that anyone listening to it, would not have heard the original recordings on '78. But I have--all of arias compiled on the CD. And the Caruso voice is so distorted in most of the arias that it is almost unrecognizable. It is as though the producers sped up or slowed down the tempos of the Caruso original recordings to best fit the orchestration. If you want to hear Caruso's voice as it really sounded, don't buy this CD. Stick to the original '78's.

a wonderful effort.......2002-11-24

After reading the lastest negative reviews of this cd. I am compelled to answer the critique. Ok the cd is not perfect. But we are talking about recordings almost a century old. To be able to sit and listen to Caruso without annoyance is marvelous. The reviewer starts his dialogue by saying the Caruso's voice is over rated and this is where he is coming from. I have heard and seen the best and they are all compared to Caruso.

Exellent!.......2002-08-01

This Enrico Caruso CD sounds great! His voice has been remastered, to sound richer and clearer, more like himself. The music on the CD is just wonderful. There is no noise, or static-sound on the CD like the origional recordings. This is just one of the best Enrico Caruso CD's as far as sound, and the songs are favorites.

A Great Effort.......2002-06-24

This Caruso 2000 CD is a great effort to show us what The Great Caruso actually sounded like. Unfortunately no modern creations can really fix the old recordings and give us what He really sounded like; BUT, if you suspend your disbelief, just a little bit, this is not bad at all; and in fact is quit good. All the pops and static in the orgnakl recording is completely gone, its very clean in that regard, the vocals still sound like they were recorded mono, but with this clearer recording you can get glimpses of how great Caruso was. For example on Vesti la Giubba Caruso's vocal power is fantastic; as well as on just about every other selections hear (Great choice of song's). I give this CD a 5 for effort, and for being the best Caruso collection I have ever heard. I only wish we could go back in time with Digital recording equipment and record Caruso, then we would all know if he really was the greatest or not. But, I will tell you this, even with the mono sounding vocals hear, if he was not the best, he sure was one of them, the power and emotion are still evident even without being recorded by modern technology.

Average customer rating:

TI ADORO, LUCIANO!
Do not understand all of the complaining!
retirement seems like the best option for big pav
this CD grows on you, big time
Interesting!

Ti Adoro
Luciano Pavarotti
Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Romantica: The Very Best Of Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti - Passione - Neapolitan Songs
Pavarotti & Friends 2
Pavarotti & Friends
Amore: Romantic Italian Love Songs

ASIN: B0000AN7L5
Release Date: 2003-09-23

Tracks:

Buongiorno
Il Canto
Se sei con me
Ti adoro
Domani vera
Neapolis
Ai giocchi addio
Stella del fururo
Notte
Gladiator
Tu e il tuo mare
Aquile
Caruso (new remix with Jeff Beck) (full length version)
Caruso (new remix with Jeff Beck) (7" version)

Amazon.com

The voice, it must be said, is under great strain, but hard-core Pavarotti fans might want this anyway. There are lots of recording gimmicks--echoes, reverberation, overdubbing--and, at times, Pavarotti tries a jazzy style at which he's not very good. There's a big high C at the close of one song which is uncomfortable but shows a certain bravery, and the final song is sung in a sort of Sting-like high register which sounds totally alien. Those who never heard Pavarotti before 1990 will have no idea what all the fuss was about if they judge him by this CD; those who have loved and/or admired him all these years may be saddened and puzzled. An oddity, to be sure. --Robert Levine

Customer Reviews:

TI ADORO, LUCIANO!.......2007-04-16

I love "Ti Adoro" and I love my Luciano! I don't know what all the nitpicking is about. Pavarotti is one of the best and way above what other tenors can ever dream to be in their lifetime. My very favorites are "Il Canto", "Ti Adoro", "Buongiorno a Te" and "Caruso." My beloved
Pavarotti will always be #1 with me. Gob bless you, Maestro. Ti Adoro!

Do not understand all of the complaining!.......2006-02-20

I have most all of Pavarotti,Carreras,Domingo and Bocelli.Love them all and Ti Adoro is my favorite of Pavarotti's works.

retirement seems like the best option for big pav.......2004-12-17

While most of the songs on this album are very well written, with catchy and touching melodies, the once-great Pavarotti has lost it. His age is clearly apparent in his voice, and while he can still sing, his upper register once so thrilling, is now, at times, cringe inducing, at one noteable point, on the final note of the Il Gladiotore (the theme song from the movie Gladiator), in which Pavarotti hits a high C, which is nearly a full semitone wide in vibrato and he drops in pitch a full tone when he comes off the note. This partcular note is, amoung others, quite disgusting, and ruins one of the best-sung songs on the CD.
Probably the most enjoyable track on the album is the title track "Ti Adoro" which is a bouncy jazz-style number, and while Pavorotti doesn't alter the tone and timbre in his voice at all to sing this very different style, it is alot of fun.
The final track, "Caruso", the heartbreaking, celebrated popera number about the death of the great tenor Enrico Caruso, is probably the most disappointing on the album. Pavarotti does it in such a ridiculously high key that any enjoyment that could be derived from this beautiful song is obliterated by the strained, harsh sound from his aged vocal chords, as he pushes himself past his current limits and sing numerous, very ugly high Cs.
Another highlight of the album is the catchy "Buogoiurno a Te" (forgive my spelling), which is almost as much fun as Ti Adoro, with Pavarotti giving another decent performance.
But, all in all, this CD was a massive let down after all the hype amoung Pavarotti fans
It is worth getting, but only for the few tracks which are worth listening to. Get it for some of the great songs, not the singer.
I'm glad to hear Luciano Pavarotti is retiring next year at age 70. He is just to old to continue singing like he used to be able to.

this CD grows on you, big time.......2004-11-20

A Pavarotti fan, I bought this CD, took it home and listened to it once, then wondered who I could palm it off on, or maybe return it to the store. Then, a few weeks later, I put it as background for my writing work. I found myself not minding some of the songs. The next day I put it on again, again in the background. Then, I started listening to it every day. It grows on you. The songs come through upon repeated listening. I listen to Bach, Beethoven, Puccini, etc., but am a sucker for stirring movie soundtracks; and this CD has that kind of effect.

(Another great CD that grows on you to the point of not being able to live without it, is Bryn Terfel's Wales CD. Great, stirring, moving.)

Interesting!.......2004-10-05

Hmmmm...so the great tenor Pavarotti decided to go "Popera" in the twilight of his long and phenomenally illustrious career?!

There are a few things to be said about this CD and I'm sure die hard fans of Maestro Pavarotti will take me off their X-mas card lists this year.

To begin with, this is not a very good CD in that the song selection is uneven and..well...boring for the most part.
Maestro Pavarotti's singing is still above and beyond what most tenor's can ever hope to attain in a lifetime, but there are definite and immutable signs of aging and at times he sounds like a bad imitation of his former self.

Again, why the aging maestro choose to do "pop" in the first place and then with such sub-par material is beyond me.

There are a few songs that stand out, namely "Notte" and "Caruso". "Caruso" has been heavily critizesed because of the Maestro's decision to NOT sing it operatically, rather with a more "Pop" like tone.
This is precisely why I like the track. It's different and by and far the most "modern" sounding on the CD.

Overall the CD isn't a failure, but neither is it what one would expect from one of the pre-eminent tenors of all time...even within the confines of the "Popera" genre. On the other hand, how many tenors other than Domingo still perform much less record in their late sixties? None,and perhaps both Maestro's Pavarotti and Domingo ought to take that final bow from the limelight, but that's not relevant to this review.

My verdict is that if you want "Popera" go with Bocelli, Safina, Frangoulis, Watson or Amante...not Pavarotti. Maestro Pavarotti is and always will be one of the greatest OPERATIC tenors of all time.

On a final note, this CD may well be worth purchasing simply because it is very likely the last new recording as well as the first non-operatic CD by Maestro Pavarotti. At over 70 years of age, I doubt even the great Pavarotti will attempt to make anymore commercial recordings. Collectors beware!

Average customer rating:

Awesome!
Still going strong.
Some odd choices, but still he has the master's voice

Ti Adoro

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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The Decca Records Store | Specialty Stores | Music
ASIN: B0000CE7G7
Release Date: 2003-11-25

Tracks:

Canto
Neapolis
Starai Con Me
Ti Adoro
Notte
Come Aquile
Domani Verr
Buongiorno a Te
Ai Giochi Addio
Stella
Tu E il Tuo Mare
Gladiatore
Caruso - Jeff Beck, Luciano Pavarotti

Customer Reviews:

Awesome!.......2006-07-25

Luciano Pavarotti may be 70 odd, but that's no excuse for this extremely talented singer to stop one little bit. His voice is unique and warm, the songs are mostly cheery and upbeat.

1. IL CANTO (the chant)- a supreme uplifting ballad. Pavarotti is at his best throughout the song. 10/10.
2. NEAPOLIS (Naples)- not my favourite, but still well sung. 7/10
3. STARAI CON ME (You'll be with me)- another beautiful song with a lovely chorus. 9/10
4. TI ADORO (I adore you)- a somewhat strange background beat, but still the nearest thing to happy I've heard in a while. 8/10
5. NOTTE (Night)- a moving, heartfelt song. Pavarotti struggles a little bit to reach the eternal high note, but still is able to pass the test comfortably. 9/10.
6. COME AQUILE (Like Eagles)- a fantastic song, which allows Pavarotti to show off his soothing voice. 10/10.
7. DOMANI VERRA (Tomorrow will come)- well sung, nothing much more than that. 7.5/10
8. BUONGIORNO A TE (Good morning to you)- uplifting, cheerful tune with some inventive parts. 8.5/10
9. AI GIOCHI ADDIO (Farewell to your games)- a sad song with a lot of emotion from Luciano. 9/10
10. STELLA (Star)- another cheery song, slightly painful in parts. 8/10
11. TU E IL TUO MARE (It's you and your ocean)- an exquisite song which Pavarotti glides through imperially. 10/10.
12. IL GLADIATORE (The gladiator)- widely regarded to be one of the best songs on the album. Quite right. 10/10.
13. CARUSO- a very good song to finish with. Powerful and dramatic and from the depths of the heart. 9.5/10

GOOD:
Pavarotti is the only pensioner in the world to sing so well. No, probably the best person.
The songs feel like there being sung for a reason, unlike many modern singers who sing with no feeling whatsoever and hope when they release their song they might earn a bit of money.
This CD makes a good gift for everyone, because he is so famous and well-liked.
Good guidebook; lyrics in Italian and English plus a welcome note in 4 different languages.

BAD:
Pavarotti may make you cringe very occasionaly with his waring voice.

Still going strong........2004-09-11

Pavarotti's latest album is wonderful. Here's a collection of love songs that only the "Voice" can enhance. I've been a fan of Pavarotti for a few years now, and he'll always be a singer of opera to me. Still, I find it refreshing for him to explore new styles and genres at his age. The songs are beautiful, my favorites being Il Gladiatore and Come Aquile. Oh, how can one choose? They're all great.

Some odd choices, but still he has the master's voice.......2003-12-04

Pavarotti fans who only know him from the Three Tenors recordings may like this very much. There is lots of drama, and of course, the unique Pavarotti timbre, as well as phrasing by a master. On the song "Caruso" it would be nice to hear more of the renowned and accomplished guitarist Jeff Beck, rather than the teasing bits of background fare provided. That said, the collaboration is inspired, although Beck is the only one revealing the stretch of his artistic limits in this performance. Pavarotti's big risk on this album is the title song, which fails miserably. It sounds like a bizarre attempt at opera-singer-does-1960s-style-swinging-TV-jazz. Sometimes art works and sometimes it doesn't. Were no insiders brave enough to tell the producer and performer this was way off the mark? Listeners who love Pavarotti for his magnificent operatic performances may be disappointed in this endeavor, but it is still a joy for me to listen to him. The voice is worn a bit and aging, but it is still unmatched for sheer beauty of tone.

Average customer rating:

Tebaldi/Di Stefano Shine

Giordano: Fedora

Manufacturer: Opera D'oro
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B000055X2I
Release Date: 2001-02-06

Tracks:

Act One: Quattro! Sei! - Mariano Caruso/Gennaro Ciocca/Luigi Padillo/Renata Tebaldi/Vittorio Buccini
Act One: Rigida E Assai La Sera...O Grandi Occhi Lucenti - Renata Tebaldi/Mariano Caruso
Act One: La Camera Del Conte! - Giovanni Amedeo/Mariano Caruso/Renata Tebaldi/Mario Cioffi/Mario Sereni/Enrico Campi
Act One: Egli Mi Disse: 'Andiamo Al Tiro!' - Enrico Campi
Act One: Quelle Macchie Vermiglie - Mario Sereni/Giovanni Amedeo/Mariano Caruso/Renata Tebaldi
Act One: Continuate...Dite, Coraggio - Renata Tebaldi/Giovanni Amedeo/Mariano Caruso/Vittorio Buccini
Act One: Altra Volta Quell'uomo Vedesti? - Giovanni Amedeo/Vittorio Buccini/Renata Tebaldi/Mariano Caruso/Teatro San Carlo Chor, Naples
Act Two: Signori, Vi Presento Lazinski - Sofia Mizzetti/Mariano Caruso/Mario Frosini/Renata Tebaldi/Giuseppe Di Stefano/Mario Sereni
Act Two: Vi Presento Lazinski - Sofia Mizzetti/Renata Tebaldi/Mario Sereni/Mariano Caruso/Mario Frosini
Act Two: La Donna Russa E Femmina Due Volte - Mario Sereni
Act Two: Amor Ti Vieta - Giuseppe Di Stefano/Mario Frosini/Renata Tebaldi/Sofia Mizzetti
Act Two: Dimmi, Dunque Che Fu? - Renata Tebaldi/Giuseppe Di Stefano
Act Two: Portentoso! - Sofia Mizzetti/Mariano Caruso/Mario Sereni/Renata Tebaldi

Tracks:

Act Two: Intermezzo - Teatro San Carlo Orch, Naples/Arturo Basile
Act Two: Grech! I Vostri Uomini? - Renata Tebaldi/Giovanni Amedeo
Act Two: Silenzio!...E Lui! - Renata Tebaldi/Mariano Caruso
Act Two: Mia Madre, La Mia Vecchia Madre - Giuseppe Di Stefano/Renata Tebaldi
Act Two: Vedi, Io Piango - Giuseppe Di Stefano/Renata Tebaldi
Act Three: Dice La Capinera - Teatro San Carlo Chor, Naples
Act Three: Quanto Sei Bella! - Giuseppe Di Stefano/Renata Tebaldi/Sofia Mizzetti
Act Three: Chi Vedo! De Siriex! - Sofia Mizzetti/Renata Tebaldi/Mario Sereni
Act Three: Testolina Sventata! - Renata Tebaldi/Mario Sereni/Sofia Mizzetti
Act Three: Dio Di Giustizia - Renata Tebaldi/Giuseppe Di Stefano
Act Three: Muta E Mia Madre - Giuseppe Di Stefano/Renata Tebaldi
Act Three: Loris, Mio Loris! - Renata Tebaldi/Giuseppe Di Stefano
Act Three: Boroff? - Giuseppe Di Stefano/Renata Tebaldi
Act Three: E Vano! La Morte E Qui - Renata Tebaldi/Giuseppe Di Stefano

Customer Reviews:

Tebaldi/Di Stefano Shine.......2001-02-18

This is probably one of the MOST pirated recordings by Renata Tebaldi. First of all, because she NEVER recorded the role, second because of the tremendous work by Di Stefano.THIS time, the performance is remastered from the ORIGINAL tapes, not from an LP. FORGET those other CD editions of this, GRAB this one!! Basile's conducting is superb, and this opera has many fascinating musical moments, it's no wonder so many wish Renata had recorded this role. This is the ONLY extant recording of Tebaldi in this role, at least until, or if, the Chicago performances with Bjorling ever surface. Do yourself a favor, get this.

Average customer rating:

The Legendary Caruso
Salvatore Cottone , Georges Bizet , Paolo Francesco Tosti , Zardo , and Trimarchi
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

French | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

The Legendary Enrico Caruso: 21 Favorite Arias

ASIN: B00000I3V7
Release Date: 2002-08-05

Tracks:

Cavalleria Rusticana - "O Lola"
La Gioconda - "Cielo e mar"
I Pagliacci - "Recitar!...Vesti la giubba"
Germania - "Studenti, udite"
Mefistofele - "Dai campi, dai prati"
Tosca - "E lucevan le stelle"
Iris - "Apri la tua finestra"
Fedora - "Amor ti vieta"
Adriana Lecouvreur - "No, piu nobile"
Aida - "Celeste Aida"
Germania - "Ah vieni qui...No, non chiuder"
Mefistofele - "Giunto sul passo estremo"
The Pearl Fishers - "Mi par d'udir ancor"
Manon - "O dolce incanto"
Rigoletto - "Questa o quella"
L'elisir d'amore - "Una furtiva lagrima"
La mia canzone
Non t'amo piu
Luna fedel
Un bacio ancora
Mattinata

Amazon.com

This collection begins at the dawn of Enrico Caruso's recording career: in 1902, only four years after his breakthrough success at La Scala. Caruso's voice rings out magnificently over the primitive recording technology in a collection of Italian arias from Aida, Tosca, La Gioconda, Manon, and The Pearl Fishers that have become warhorses in our age but were so new in Caruso's time that the singer is occasionally accompanied on piano by the composer. So there's an authentic-performance value in this as well as the sheer pleasure of that famous tenor voice, which maintains its brilliant virility even when Caruso ascends into head voice for the final high pianissimo that ends "Celeste Aida." Even the upper regions of "Mi par d'udir ancor" from The Pearl Fishers have a fluid musicality that so many modern recordings lack. EMI's transfers are a bit overly filtered; there's more noise in RCA's Complete Caruso but also more voice. --David Patrick Stearns