Peter Walsworth

2/26/2013
Enrico Caruso: The Tenor
I. Enrico Caruso (1873 1!21"
#. $e was %orn in &a'les on (e%ruar) 2*+ 1873.
,. $is -ather ha. hi/ a''rentice to a /echanical en0ineer at a0e 11.
C. $e %e0an ta1in0 2oice lessons at the a0e o- 16.
3. $is -irst recor.in0 was /a.e in 1!02 in a hotel roo/+ an. his lan./ar1 recor.in0 o- 45esti
la 6iu%%a7 -ro/ Pa0liacci was the -irst recor.in0 to sell a /illion co'ies.
E. $e a''eare. at the 8etro'olitan 9'era (in &.:." -or o2er 800 'er-or/ances.
(. $e .ie. at the hei0ht o- his 'owers at the earl) a0e o- ;8 -ro/ a 1i.ne) in-ection.
II. Pre<Caruso Tenors an. =t)lin0
#. # .i--erence in 'ower
i. The >$el.entenor> e/er0e. in the /i..le o- the 1!
th
Centur).
ii. Wa0ner>s enor/ous wor1s o- .ra/a an. /usic calle. -or a chan0e in the st)le o-
o'eratic sin0in0 in or.er to /atch it.
iii. The 0rowin0 si?e o- orchestras an. o'era houses re@uire. a -uller an. /ore 'ower-ul
2ocal 'ro.uction.
,. Chest 5oice 2s. $ea. 5oice (-alsetto"
i. In the earl) 1!
th
Centur)+ Tenors o-ten ha. a wi.er ran0e -ro/ #2 to 3*. ,oth a thir.
lower an. hi0her than what is o-ten consi.ere. the tenor>s ran0e to.a).
ii. This was acco/'lishe. with a li0hter soun. an. a -re@uent use o- the hea. 2oice in
hi0her ran0es.
C. # s/atterin0 o- 2ar)in0 2ocal techni@ues were %ein0 use. an. tau0ht+ an. there was not a
uni-or/ /etho..
III. Caruso>s Era
#. # 8ore Ani-or/ Pe.a0o0)
i. With the newer+ /ore ro%ust soun. 'ro.uction+ an un.erstan.in0 o- 2ocal techni@ue
%eca/e a /ore necessar) su''le/ent to a 0oo. 2oice.
ii. &atural 2oice 'ro.uction was the new e/'hasisB a -ocus that is still hol.in0 swa) to this
.a).
,. The sin0ers o- the earl) 20
th
Centur) were still wor1in0 with an. sin0in0 the wor1s o- li2in0
co/'osers an. this /eant that the) were wor1in0 in a li2in0 tra.itionB so/ethin0 that is not
nearl) as true in to.a)>s o'eratic worl..
I5.Enrico Caruso as 5ocal ='eci/en
#. &atural 5oice
i. Caruso was a /aster o- this natural -or/ o- sin0in0.
ii. $e .i. not rel) on a shoute. or straine. tone+ %ut rather /a.e use o- the natural hu/an
creation o- soun..
,. The Phono0ra'h an. Caruso
i. =u'erstar.o/
a" Caruso>s recor.in0s hel'e. to /a1e the 'hono0ra'h a success+ an. in the sa/e wa)
it /a.e hi/ a 'heno/enon.
%" The Phono0ra'h 'ro2i.e. a wa) -or 'eo'le to hear 9'era in the co/-ort o- their
own ho/e.
c" It also allowe. those without access to an o'era house to %oth hear o'era an. -all in
lo2e with Caruso>s sin0in0+ hel'in0 his -a/e s'rea. in lea's an. %oun.s.
ii. $is Castin0 In-luence
a" Caruso 'ro2i.e. a /ol. %) which other sin0ers coul. %e /easure..
%" With the recor.in0s that he /a.e+ his wor1s coul. %e listene. to an. cate0oricall)
co/'are. with another sin0er in the sa/e role.
c" In this wa)+ Caruso %eca/e the stan.ar. %) which a Tenor is Du.0e..
5. Conclusions
#. Caruso too1 i.eas that ha. %een slowl) co/in0 to the -ore-ront an. s)nthesi?e. the/
,. $e create. the /o.el -ro/ which sin0ers to this .a) are co/'are.
C. $is eE'losion o- 'o'ularit) co/%ine. with the a.2ent o- the 'hono0ra'h /eant that he
woul. %e e/ulate. the worl. o2er an. -or )ears to co/e throu0h recor.in0s that allowe.
/an) to hear his wor1 that woul. ne2er %e-ore ha2e %een a--or.e. that o''ortunit).
,i%lio0ra'h)
Pri/ar) =ources
FWhen Caruso =in0s $i0h FCF.FThe Lotus Magazine. *. no. 3 (1!13": 17;<182.
Caruso+ Enrico+ an. Cuisa Tetra??ini. The Art of Singing. &ew :or1: Courier 3o2er Pu%lications+ 1!0!.
Caruso+ Enrico. F9'era #rias an. =on0s+ 8ilan 1!02<0;.FGreat Recordings of the Century. E8I
Classics. 9cto%er 1; 2008. co/'act .isc+
htt'://lon0).naEos/usicli%rar).co//catalo0ue/ite/.as'Gci.H007777610;6*2.
=cri'ture+ E.W. FThe Cur2es o- Caruso.F The Musical Times. 6*. no. !76 (1!2;": *17<*1!.
=econ.ar) =ources
$owar. 8a)er ,rown+ et al. F9'era (i".F 6ro2e 8usic 9nline. Oxford Music Online. 9E-or.
Ani2ersit) Press+ accesse. (e%ruar) 26+ 2013+
htt'://www.oE-or./usiconline.co//su%scri%er/article/0ro2e//usic/;0726'06.
3a2i. (allows+ et al. FTenor.F 6ro2e 8usic 9nline. Oxford Music Online. 9E-or. Ani2ersit) Press+
accesse. (e%ruar) 26+ 2013+
htt'://www.oE-or./usiconline.co//su%scri%er/article/0ro2e//usic/27667.
Ie)+ Pierre 5.J. Enrico Caruso: A iogra!hy. ,oston: Cittle+ ,rown+ an. Co/'an)+ 1!22.
8ara-ioti+ P. 8ario. Caruso"s Method of #oice $roduction. &ew :or1: 3. #''leton an. Co/'an)+
1!22.
Potter+ Kohn. Tenor: %istory of a #oice. Con.on: :ale Ani2ersit) Press+ 200!.