February 25, 2023 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of the most important tenor in operatic history, Enrico Caruso (1873-1921). It seems that La Scala, Staatsoper Berlin, Wiener Staatsoper, the Metropolitan Opera…NONE of the major opera companies or classical media outlets could be bothered to pay tribute to this legendary artist. The only exception I know of is Michael Vaccaro’s Opera Classica Europa, which gave a celebratory concert in Bad Schwalbach, Hesse, Germany. Thankfully, this company has further events planned for the rest of this year.
To say that I am disappointed with the opera world’s apparent dismissal of Caruso as a relic of the past is an understatement. My spirit is buoyed, however, by the many words of praise and admiration for Caruso during Dead Tenors’ Society’s tribute during the month of February. I suppose that the least I can do is extend the tribute one more week. After all, if this were a leap year, today would be February 29…
This week, I’ll wrap up the 150th birthday tribute to Caruso by posting videos of recordings I failed to include on my previous tributes. Caruso’s most celebrated role was the tragic clown Canio in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci. Although the 1907 “Vesti la giubba” is one of the tenor’s most famous recordings, the lesser known recording of the finale, “No! Pagliaccio non son”, is a marvel to listen to. Caruso puts Canio’s rage and fury on full display here, without resorting to overexaggerated screaming and shouting. The voice is rich and robust, the diction is impeccable, and the phrasing is masterful. The pain Canio feels when recalling the sacrifices he made for Nedda is palpable and the swelling Bb on the line “e fidente credeva più che in Dio stesso, in te!” is heart stopping. There is some truly fine vocal acting going on here, making this a recording I come back to again and again. This was recorded for the Victor label in Camden, New Jersey on December 28, 1910.