Caruso 2000

Editorial Reviews
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

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:

Enrico Caruso Edition Vol.6

Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Il Trovatore: 'Quel sunon, quelle preci' Miserere From Act 4
Il trovartore: 'Se m'ami ancor...Ai nostri monti' From Act 4
Il Trovatore: 'Se m'ami ancor...Ai nostri monti' From Act 4
Il Trovatore: 'Se m'ami ancor...Ai nostri monti' From Act 4
La Traviata: 'Libiamo,libiamo' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Amici miei, soldati...La rivedra nell'estasi' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Di tu se fedele' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Cosi scritto e lassu...E' scherzo od e follia' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Forse la sogliaattinse...Ma se m'eforza perderti' From Act 3
La forza del destino: 'Della natal sua terra... O tu che in seno agli angewli' From Act III
La forza del destino: 'Solenne in quest'ora
La forza del destino: 'Ne gustare n'e dato un'ora...Sleale! Il segreto fu dunque violato?' From Act 3
La forza del destino: 'Invano, Alvaro...Le minacce, i fieri accenti' From Act 4
Don Carlo: 'Domanda al ciel...Dio, che nell'alma infondere' From Act 1

Average customer rating:

Giacomo Puccini: The Maestro's Voice

Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
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
ASIN: B0000067RT
Release Date: 1998-03-17

Tracks:

Maestro's Voice, Now York, 1912 - Enrico Caruso/Antonio Scotti
Madama Butterfly (1904): Non ve L;avevo detto.. Addio fiorito asil Avt II - Enrico Caruso/Geraldine Farrar
La Boheme (1896): O Soave Fanciulla Act I - Pasquale Amato
Tosca (1900): Tre sbirri Una carrozza (Te Deum) Act I - Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
Manon Lescaut (1893): Ah non v'avvicinate.. No! pazzo son Act II - Luigi Bargonovo
Turandot (1926): Nessun dorma Act III - Giacomo Lauri-Volpi
La fanciulla del West (1910): laggiu nel Soedad - Gina Cigna
La Boheme (1896): Donde lieta usci Act III - Claudia Muzio
Tosca (1900): Vissi djarte Act II - Claudia Muzio
Manon Lescaut (1893): Donna non vivi mai Act I - Aureliano Pertile
Manon Lescaut (1893): Ah Manon mi tradisce Act II - Aureliano Pertile
La Boheme (1896): Si, mi chiamano Mini Act I - Giannina Arangi-Lombardi
La Boheme (1896): O Mimi, Ti piu non torni Act IV - Giuseppe De Luca/Beniamin Gigli
Tosca (1900): Recondita armonia Act I - Beniamino Gigli
Manon Lescaut (1893): In quelle trine morbide Act II - Rosa Ponselle
La Boheme (1896): Che gelida manina Act I - Gievanni Martinelli
Madama Butterfly (1904): Un bel di vedremo Act II - Rosetta Pampanini
Turandot (1926): Signore, ascolta! Act I - Rosetta Pamapanini
Gia mi dicon venal Act II - Riccardo Stacciari
La Boheme (1896): Vecchia zimarra Act IV - Exio Pinza
Tosca (1900): E lucevan le stelle Act III - Tito Schipa
Tosca (1900): E lucevan le stelle Act IIi - Giuseppe De Stefano

Average customer rating:

Enrico Caruso Edition Vol. 5

Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000J828
Release Date: 1999-05-18

Tracks:

Manon Lescaut: Donna Non Vidi Mai
La Boheme: Che Gelida Manina
La Boheme: O Soave Fanciulla
La Boheme: O Soave Faniulla
La Boheme: Addio, Dolce Svegliare
La Boheme: O Mimi, Tu Piu Non Torni
La Boheme: Vecchia Zimarra, Senti
Tosca: Recondita Armonia
Tosca: Recondita Armonia
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Tosca: E Lucevan Le Stelle
Madama Butterfly: Amore O Grillo
Madama Butterfly: Un Poco Di Ver C'e
Madama Butterfly: Non Ve L'avevo Detto?

Average customer rating:

Enrico Caruso Edition, Vol. 7

Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

Aida: 'Celeste Aida' (April 11, 1902)
Aida: 'Celeste Aida' (November 30, 1902)
Aida: 'Celeste Aida' (Ferbuary 1, 1904)
Aida: 'Celeste Aida' (March 13, 1906)
Aida: 'Celeste Aida' (March 29, 1908)
Aida: 'Se Quel Guerrier Io Fossi ... Celeste Aida'
'Gia I Sacerdoti Adunansi...Misero Appien Mi Festi...Aida A Me Togliesti'
Aida: 'La Fatal Pietra' From Act IV
'O Terra Addio'
Otello: 'Nell'ore Arcane...Ora E Per Sempre Addio' From Act II
Otello: 'Oh! Mostruosa Colpa...Si, Pel Ciel'
Otello: 'Ingemisco'

Opera Stars Sing Verdi's Un ballo in Maschera

Average customer rating:

Opera Stars Sing Verdi's Un ballo in Maschera

Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
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
ASIN: B000003UFK
Release Date: 1995-03-28

Tracks:

Prld to Act One - Orch del Teatro dell' Opera di Roma/Tullio Serafin
La rivedro nell'estasi - Aureliano Pertile/Ines Maria Ferraris/Cesare Baromeo/Antonio Righetti
Alla vita che t'arride - Titta Ruffo
Re dell'abisso - Fedora Barbieri
Di tu se fedele - Enrico Caruso
E scherzo od e follia - Alessandro Bonci/Aurora Rettore/Salvatore Baccaloni/G Menni/Emilia Rubadi
Prld to Act Two - Metropolitan Orch/Bruno Walter
Ma dell arido stelo divulsa - Gina Cigna
Teco io sto - Beniamino Gigli/Maria Caniglia
Morro...ma prima in grazia - Gina Cigna
Eri tu - Lawrence Tibbett
Ma se m'e forza perderti - Enrico Caruso
Saper vorreste - Luisa Tetrazzini
Ella e pura - Gloria Marion/A Beomi/Giovanni Zenatello

Enrico Caruso Edition, Vol. 4: Verdi (I Lombardi, Macbeth, Rigoletto, Il trovatore)

Average customer rating:

life time experience - depth, musicality and interpretation

Enrico Caruso Edition, Vol. 4: Verdi (I Lombardi, Macbeth, Rigoletto, Il trovatore)

Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Italian | Languages | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Tracks:

I Lombardi alla prima crociata (1843): 'Qual volutta trascorrere'
Macbeth (1847): 'O figli, o figli miei... Ah, la paterna mano'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Questa o quella'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Questa o quella'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Questa o quella'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Ella mi fu rapita...'
Rigoletto (1851): 'La donna e mobile'
Rigoletto (1851): 'La donna e mobile'
Rigoletto (1851): 'La donna e mobile'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Bella figlia dell'amore'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Bella figlia dell'amore'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Bella figlia dell'amore'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Bella figlia dell'amore'
Rigoletto (1851): 'Bella figlia dell'amore'
Il Trovatore (1853): 'Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto'
Il Trovatore (1853): 'Ah si, ben mio, coll'esser io tuo'
Il Trovatore (1853): 'Di quella pira'
Il Trovatore (1853): 'Quel suon, quelle preci' Miserere

Customer Reviews:

life time experience - depth, musicality and interpretation.......1999-06-04

One of the great interpretoers of Verdi - so musical - not rushed - great success in "cleaning" the sound.

Average customer rating:

Great Opera Arias
Enrico Caruso
Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Arias | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
ASIN: B00000C2IV
Release Date: 1998-09-15

Tracks:

La Favorita: 'Spirto Gentil'
L' Africana: 'Mi Batte Il Cor...O Paradiso'
I Pescatori Di Perle: 'Mi Par D' Udir Ancora'
Rigoletto: 'La Donna E Mobile'
Trovatore: 'Ah Si, Ben Mio'
Aida: 'Celeste Aida'
Tosca: 'Recondita Armonia'
Tosca: 'E Lucevan Le Stelle'
Carmen: 'Il Fior Che Avevi A Me Tu Dato'
Un Ballo In Maschera: 'Forse La Soglia Attinse...Ma Se M' E Forza Perderti'
Pagliacci: 'Recitar!...Vesti La Giubba'
L' Elisir D' Amore: 'Una Furtiva Lagrima'
Manon Lescaut: 'Donna Non Vidi Mai'
Don Pasquale: 'Com' E Gentil'
Marta: 'M' Appari Tutt' Amor'
La Boheme: 'Che Gelida Manina'
Faust: 'Salut Demeure Chaste Et Pure'
Otello: 'Nell' Ore Arcane Della Sua Lussuria...Ora E Per Semper Addio' From Act II
Lo Schiavo: 'L' Importuna Insistenza...Quando Nascesti Tu' From Act II
Macbeth: 'O Figli, O Figli Miei...Ah, La Paterna Mano' From Act IV

Average customer rating:

Enrico Caruso Edition Vol.6

Manufacturer: Grammofono 2000
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

Tracks:

Il Trovatore: 'Quel sunon, quelle preci' Miserere From Act 4
Il trovartore: 'Se m'ami ancor...Ai nostri monti' From Act 4
Il Trovatore: 'Se m'ami ancor...Ai nostri monti' From Act 4
Il Trovatore: 'Se m'ami ancor...Ai nostri monti' From Act 4
La Traviata: 'Libiamo,libiamo' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Amici miei, soldati...La rivedra nell'estasi' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Di tu se fedele' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Cosi scritto e lassu...E' scherzo od e follia' From Act 1
Un Ballo in Maschera: 'Forse la sogliaattinse...Ma se m'eforza perderti' From Act 3
La forza del destino: 'Della natal sua terra... O tu che in seno agli angewli' From Act III
La forza del destino: 'Solenne in quest'ora
La forza del destino: 'Ne gustare n'e dato un'ora...Sleale! Il segreto fu dunque violato?' From Act 3
La forza del destino: 'Invano, Alvaro...Le minacce, i fieri accenti' From Act 4
Don Carlo: 'Domanda al ciel...Dio, che nell'alma infondere' From Act 1