Enrico Caruso: The Complete Recordings, 1902-1920 (12 CD box set, FLAC)

Audio CD
SPARS Code: DDD
Number of Discs: 12 CD box set
Format: FLAC (tracks+cue)
Label: Naxos
Size: 2.23 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes

Volume 1: Recorded 1902-1903
01. Studenti, udite (Franchetti – Germania)
02. Ah, vieni qui… No, non chiuder gli occhi (Franchetti – Germania)
03. Questa o quella (Verdi – Rigoletto)
04. Celeste Aida (Verdi – Aida)
05. O dolce incanto (Massenet – Mannon)
06. Una furtiva lagrima (Donizetti – L’elisir d’amore)
07. Dai campi, dai prati (Boito – Mefistofele)
08. Giunto sul passo estremo (Boito – Mefistofele)
09. E lucevan le stelle (Puccini – Tosca)
10. Apri la tua finestra (Mascagni – Iris)
11. Dai campi, dai prati (Boito – Mefistofele)
12. Amor ti vieta (Giordano – Fedora)
13. Celeste Aida (Verdi – Aida)
14. Cielo e mar! (Ponchielli – La Gioconda)
15. Vesti la giubba (Leoncavallo – Pagliacci)
16. O Lola (Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana)
17. Non t’amo piu (Denza)
18. La mia canzone (Tosti)
19. No, piu nobile (Cilea – Adriana Lecouvreur)
20. Luna fedel (Zardo)
21. Un Bacio ancora (Trimarchi)
22. Luna fedel (Zardo)
23. Una furtiva lagrima (Donizetti – L’elisir d’amore)
24. E lucevan le stelle (Puccini – Tosca)
25. No, non chiuder (Franchetti – Germania)
26. La donna e mobile (Verdi – Rigoletto)
27. O Lola (Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana)
Piano accompaniment by Salvatore Cottone, except 12 and 19 accompanied by composer.
Recorded in the Grand Hotel, Milan on 11th April 1902 (1-10), 30th November 1902 (11-17),
1th December 1902 (18-20) and 19 April 1903 (21-27)

Volume 2: Recorded 1903-1906
01. Tu non mi vuoi piu bene (Pini-Corsi)
02. E lucevan le stelle (Puccini – Tosca)
03. Qui sotto il ciel (Meyerbeer – Les Huguenots)
04. Questa o quella (Verdi – Rigoletto)
05. La donna e mobile (Verdi – Rigoletto)
06. Una furtiva lagrima (Donizetti – L’Elisir d’Amore)
07. Celeste Aida (Verdi – Aida)
08. Recondita armonia (Puccini – Tosca)
09. E lucevan le stelle (Puccini – Tosca)
10. Siciliana (Mascagni – Cavalleria Rusticana)
11. Vesti la giubba (Leoncavallo – Pagliacci)
12. Il Sogno: Chiudo gli occhi (Massenet – Manon)
13. Mattinata (Leoncavallo)
14. Mi par d’udir ancor (Bizet – I Pescatori di perle)
15. Serenata: Com’e gentil (Donizetti – Don Pasquale)
16. Il fior che avevi a me (Bizet – Carmen)
17. Bianca al par di neve alpina (Meyerbeer – Les Huguenots)
18. Cielo e mar! (Ponchielli – La gioconda)
19. Brindisi (Mascagni – Cavalleria Rusticana)
20. M’appari tutt’amor (Flotow – Martha)
21. Che gelida manina (Puccini – La boheme)
22. Salut, demeure chaste et pure (Gounod – Faust)
23. Di quella pira (Verdi – Il Trovatore)
24. Romanza: Spirito gentil, ne’ sogni miei (Donizetti – La Favorita)
Recorded in October 1903 in Milan (1-3); on 1st February 1904 in room 826, Carnegie Hall, NY(4-11);
9th February 1904 in Carnegie Hall, NY (12); 8th April 1904 in Milan (13-14); 27th February 1905, New York (15-19);
11th February 1906 in New York (20-24)

Volume 3: Recorded 1906-1908
01. Celeste Aida (Verdi – Aida)
02. Solenne in quest’ora (Verdi – La forza del destino)
03. Triste ritorno (Barthelemy)
04. Ideale (Tosti)
05. O paradiso (Meyerbeer – L’africana)
06. Bella figlia dell’amore (Verdi – Rigoletto)
07. Un di all’azzurro spazio (Giordano – Andrea Chenier)
08. Vesti la giubba (Leoncavallo – Pagliacci)
09. O Mimi, tu piu non torni (Puccini – La Boheme)
10. Del tempio al limita (Bizet – The Pearl Fishers)
11. O soave fanciulla (Puccini – La boheme)
12. Deserto in terra (Donizetti – Don Sebastiano)
13. Deserto in terra (Donizetti – Don Sebastiano)
14. Adorables tourments (Barthelemy)
15. Bella figlia dell’amore (Verdi – Rigoletto)
16. Chi mi frena in tal momento? (Donizetti – Lucia di Lammermoor)
17. O quanti occhi fisi (Puccini – Madame Butterfly)
18. Ackho, dolce svegliare alla mattina (Puccini – La Boheme)
19. Bella figlia dell’amore (Verdi – Rigoletto)
1-2 rec. 13/3/06; 3-4 rec. 30/12/06; 5-6 rec. 20/2/07; 7-9 rec. 17/3/07; 10-11 rec. 24/3/07;
12-14 rec. 10/1/08; 15-16 rec. 7/2/08; 17-18 rec. 10/3/08; 19 rec. 20/2/07.

Volume 4: Recorded 1908-1910
01. Lolita (Buzzi-Peccia)
02. Questa o quella (Verdi – Rigoletto)
03. La donna e mobile (Verdi – Rigoletto)
04. Ah, si ben mio (Verdi – Il Trovatore)
05. Ai nostri monti ritorneremo (Verdi – Il Trovatore)
06. Celeste Aida (Verdi – Aida)
07. Pour un Baiser (Doncieux-Tosti)
08. Mamma mia, che vo’ sape (Russo-Nutile)
09. O tu che in seno agli angeli (Verdi – La Forza del destino)
10. Recondita armonia (Puccini – Tosca)
11. E lucevan le stelle (Puccini – Tosca)
12. La fatal pietra (Verdi – Aida)
13. O terra addio (Verdi – Aida)
14. Magiche note (Goldmark – Die Konigin von Saba)
15. Il fior che avevi a me tu dato (Bizet – Carmen)
16. La fleur que tu m’avais jetee (Bizet – Carmen)
17. Bianca al par di neve Alpina (Meyerbeer – Les Huguenots)
18. Miserere: Ah! che la morte ognora (Verdi – Il Trovatore)
19. Miserere: Ah! che la morte ognora (Verdi – Il Trovatore)
20. Solo, profugo, reietto! (Flotow – Martha)
Recorded in Camden, New Jersey by the Victor Talking Machine Co.
Accompanied by the Victor Orchestra.
1-4 rec. 16/3/08; 5 rec. 17/3/08; 6 rec. 29/3/08; 7-11, 13 rec. 6/11/09; 12, 14-17 rec. 7/11/09;
18 rec. 27/12/09; 19 rec. 6/1/10; 20 rec. 12/1/10

Volume 5: Recorded 1908-1910
01. O merveille! (Gounod – Faust)
02. Seigneur Dieu, que vois-je? (Gounod – Faust)
03. Eh! quoi! toujours seule? (Gounod – Faust)
04. Il se fait tard (Gounod – Faust)
05. Eternelle? O nuit d’amour (Gounod – Faust)
06. Que voulez-vous, messieurs? (Gounod – Faust)
07. Mon coeur est penetre d’epouvante (Gounod – Faust)
08. Attends! Voici la rue (Gounod – Faust)
09. Alerte! Ou vous etes perdus! (Gounod – Faust)
10. Studenti! Udite! (Franchetti – Germania)
11. No, non chiuder gli occhi vaghi (Franchetti – Germania)
12. Amore o grillo (Puccini – Madame Butterfly)
13. Non ve l’avevo detto? (Puccini – Madame Butterfly)
14. Cielo e mar! (Ponchielli – La Gioconda)
15. No! Pagliaccio non son (Leoncavallo – Pagliacci)
16. Ora e per sempre addio (Verdi – Otello)
17. For You Alone (Geehl)
18. O Lola (Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana)
19. Mal reggendo (Verdi – Il Trovatore)
20. Se m’ami ancor, Ai nostri monti (Verdi – Il Trovatore)
21. Addio (Tosti)
22. Gia i sacerdoti adunansi (Verdi – Aida)
23. Misero appien mi festi (Verdi – Aida)
Tracks 1,6-13 recorded in NY. Tracks 2-5,14-23 recorded in Camden, NJ.
All tracks accompanied by the Victor Orchestra.

Volume 6: Recorded 1911-1912
01. Di’ tu se fedele (Verdi – Un ballo in maschera)
02. Eternamente (Massoni-Mascheroni)
03. Io non ho che una povera stanzetta (Leoncavallo – La Boheme)
04. Musette! O gioia della mia dimora! (Leoncavallo – La Boheme)
05. L’importuna insistenza (Gomes – Lo Schiavo)
06. Core ‘ngrato (Cordiferro-Cardillo)
07. Invano, Alvaro (Verdi – La forza del destino)
08. La minaccie i fieri accenti (Verdi – La forza del destino)
09. Una furtiva lagrima (Donizetti – L’elisir d’amore)
10. Canta pe’me (Bovio-de Curtis)
11. Love Is Mine (Teschemacher-Gartner)
12. Forse la soglia attinse (Verdi – Un ballo in maschera)
13. Ah! fuyez, douce image (Massenet – Manon)
14. Se quel guerrier io fossi; Celeste Aida (Verdi – Aida)
15. Siam giuinti, o giovinette (Flotow – Martha)
16. Questo camero e per voi!…Che vuol dir cio? (Flotow – Martha)
17. Presto, presto andiam (Flotow – Martha)
18. T’ho raggiunta, sciagurata!…Dormi pur (Flotow – Martha)
All tracks recorded Camden, NJ, except tracks 15-18 which were recorded in NY.
All tracks accompanied by the Victor Orchestra.

Volume 7: Recorded 1912-1913
01. Qual volutta trascorrere (Verdi – I Lombardi)
02. Crucifix (Faure)
03. Chi mi frena in tal momento? (Donizetti – Lucia di Lammermoor)
04. Tarantella sincera (De Crescenzo)
05. Bella figlia dell’amore (Verdi – Rigoletto)
06. La danza (Rossini)
07. Dreams of long ago (Caruso)
08. The Lost Chord (Sullivan)
09. Because (D’Hardelot)
10. Hosanna (Granier)
11. Manon! On l’appelle Manon (Massenet – Manon)
12. O soave fanciulla (Puccini – La Boheme)
13. Domanda al ciel Dio (Verdi – Don Carlo)
14. Se m’ami ancor…Ai nostri monti (Verdi – Il trovatore)
15. Pimpinella (Tchaikovsky)
16. Ella mi fu rapita!…Parmi veder le lagrime (Verdi – Rigoletto)
17. Agnus Dei (Bizet)
18. Donna non vidi mai (Puccini – Manon Lescaut)
19. Ave Maria (Kahn)
20. Elegie (Massenet)
All tracks recorded in New York City except for tracks 7 and 8 which were recorded in Camden, NJ.
Tracks 1-14, 16 and 18 accompanied by the Victor Orchestra.
Tracks 15 and 17 accompanied by Gaetano Scognamiglio, piano.
Tracks 19 and 20 accompanied by Percy B. Kahn, piano.

Volume 8: Recorded 1913-1914
01. Lasciati amar (Leoncavallo)
02. Guardann’a luna (De Crescenzo)
03. Your eyes have told me what I did not know (O’Hara)
04. Fenesta che lucive (Cottrau)
05. Stabat Mater – Cuius animam (Rossini)
06. Les rameuax (Faure)
07. Addio alla madre (Mascagni – Cavalleria rusticana)
08. Oh! mostruosa colpa! Si, pel ciel (Verdi – Otello)
09. Serenade de Don Juan (Tchaikovsky)
10. Amor mio (Ricciardi)
11. Manella mia (Valente)
12. Les rameuax (Faure)
13. Trusting eyes (Gartner)
14. Serenade espagnole (Ronald)
15. Parted (Tosti)
16. La rivedra nell’estasi (Verdi – Un ballo in maschera)
17. O scherzo od follia (Verdi – Un ballo in maschera)
18. La Partida (Alvarez)
19. Flores purisimas (Chapi – El milagro de la Virgen)
All tracks recorded in New York City.
Tracks 1-17 accompanied by the Victor Orchestra.
Tracks 16-17 with Metropolitan Opera Chorus.
Track 2: Francio Lapitino, harp.
Tracks 18-19 accompanied by Gaetano Scognamiglio, piano.
Tracks 12-15 conducted by Gaetano Scognamiglio.

Volume 9: Recorded 1914-1916
01. Brindisi: Libiamo, libiamo (Verdi – Traviata)
02. Sento una forza indomita (Gomes – Il Guarany)
03. Hantise D’amour (Szulc)
04. Parle-moi de ma mere (Bizet – Carmen)
05. Parle-moi de ma mere (Bizet – Carmen)
06. La Mia canzone (Tosti)
07. Pecche? (Pennino)
08. Cielo Turchino (Ciociano)
09. Ingemisco (Verdi – Requiem)
10. Angelo casto e bel (Donizetti – Il duca d’Alba)
11. Si vous l’aviez compris (Denza)
12. Les duex serenades (Leoncavallo)
13. La procession (Franck)
14. Ah! tout est bien fini!; O Souverain, o Juge, o Pere! (Massenet – Le Cid)
15. Luna d’estate (Tosti)
16. ‘O Sole Mio (di Capua)
17. Faiblesse de la race humaine!…Inspirez-moi, race devine (Gounod – La reine de Saba)
18. Mia sposa sara la mia bandiera (Rotoli)
19. Ah, la paterna mano (Verdi – Macbeth)
20. Vecchia zimarra (Puccini – La boheme)
21. Cantique de Noel (Adam)
Tracks 1-12 recorded in New York City. Tracks 13-21 recorded in Camden, NJ.
All tracks accompanied by the Victor Orchestra.
Tracks 1 and 2 with Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Giulio Setti, conductor.
Tracks 3-10 and 13-21: Walter B. Rogers, conductor.
Tracks 11 and 12: Mischa Elman, violin, Gaetano Scognamiglio, piano.

Volume 10: Recorded 1916-1917
01. Sancta mater (Faure)
02. Tiempo Antico (Caruso)
03. Santa Lucia (Folk song arr. Cottrau)
04. Pourquoi? (Tchaikovsky)
05. Pour moi ce jour eset tout mystere (Tchaikovsky – Eugene Onegin)
06. Chanson de Juin (Godard)
07. Come un bel di di maggio (Giordano – Andrea Chenier)
08. Vois ma misere, helas (Saint-Saens – Samson et Dalila)
09. Je crois entendre encore (Bizet – Les Pecheurs de perles)
10. De mon amie, fleur endormie (Bizet – Les Pecheurs de perles)
11. Bella figlia dell’amore (Verdi – Rigoletto)
12. Bella figlia dell’amore (Verdi – Rigoletto)
13. Chi mi frena in tal momento (Donizetti – Lucia di Lammermoor)
14. Chi mi frena in tal momento (Donizetti – Lucia di Lammermoor)
15. M’appari tutt’amor (Flotow – Martha)
16. Musica proibita (Gastaldon)
17. Uocchie Celeste (de Crescenzo)
18. L’Alba separa dalla luce l’ombra (Tosti)
19. L’Alba separa dalla luce l’ombra (Tosti)
20. Ah! lumiere du jour (Rubinstein – Neron)
21. Ah! lumiere du jour (Rubinstein – Neron)
Tracks 1-7, 15-21 recorded in New York City. Tracks 8-14 recorded in Camden, NJ.
Track 8 with Metropolitan Opera Chorus, Giulio Setti, conductor.
Tracks 1-3 accompanied by the Victor Orchestra, Walter B. Rogers, conductor.
Tracks 4-9,11-21 accompanied by the Victor Orchestra, Josef Pasternack, conductor.
Track 10 accompanied by Francis Lapitino, harp and Adams, oboe.

Volume 11: Recorded 1918-1919
01. A la luz de la Luna (Michelena)
02. Sei Morta Ne la Vita Mia (Costa)
03. La Partida (Alvarez)
04. Ne gustare m’e dato; Sleale! Il segreto fu dunque violato? (Verdi – La forza del destino)
05. Over There (Cohan)
06. Pieta, Signore! (Niedermeyer)
07. A Granada (Alvarez)
08. Campane a sera ‘Ave Maria’ (Billi)
09. Inno di Garibaldi (Olivieri)
10. La Campana di San Giusto (Arona)
11. Le Regiment de Sambre et Meuse (Planquette)
12. Sultanto a Te (Fucito)
13. Je viens celebrer la victoire (Saint-Saens – Samson et Dalila)
14. Venti scudi! (Donizetti – L’elisir d’amore)
15. ‘A vucchella (Tosti)
16. Vieni Sul Mar (Italian Traditional)
17. Tu, ca nun chiagne (de Curtis)
18. Addio a Napoli (Cottrau)
All tracks recorded in Camden, NJ with the Victor Orchestra, conducted by Josef Pasternack.

Volume 12: Recorded 1902-1920
01. Nina (Ciampi)
02. Premiere caresse (de Crescenzo)
03. Senza nisciuno (de Curtis)
04. Mia piccirella (Gomes – Salvator Rosa)
05. Serenata (Bracco)
06. Scordame (Fucito)
07. Love Me or Not (Secchi)
08. Ombra mai fu (Handel – Serse)
09. Noche Feliz (Posadas)
10. Rachel, quand du Seigneur (Halevy – La Juive)
11. I’ M’Arricordo ‘E Napule (Gioe)
12. Vaghissima sembianza (Donaudy)
13. Deh, ch’io ritorni (Meyerbeer – L’Africaine)
14. Bois epais (Lully – Amadis de Gaule)
15. A Dream (Bartlett)
16. Domine Deus (Rossini – Petite messe solennelle)
17. Crucifixus (Rossini – Petite messe solennelle)
APPENDIX
18. Liberty Forever (Caruso)
19. My Cousin Caruso (Edwards)
20. Studentii, udite (Franchetti – Germania)
Tracks 1-17 recorded in Camden, NJ with the Victor Orchestra, conducted by Josef Pasternack.
Track 18 played by the Victor Millitary Band.
Track 19 sung by Billy Murray.

Additional information if you are hesitating

I can fill in some information on the boxed set. The 12 disks are each in a paper and glassine envelope. The envelope flap has a light adhesive, so one has to carefully work it open the first time. The box also contains a booklet giving the essential information about each track/recording. This consists of the date and location of the recording session, matrix number, record number if issued, other artists, pianist or conductor, and for some but not all disks, the timing of the track. It is attractive and easy to read.

There is no German. In fact, no narrative, although Ward Marston is briefly mentioned on the back of the box. The commentary by Hugh Griffith is not provided. You can go to the Naxos web site and easily find the page for each disk. On that page is a link “About this recording”, which opens to the Griffith commentary, which you can copy. It is worth taking the time to go through this exercise 12 times to get these notes.

The transfers are very fine. I now hear what I am convinced is a truer reproduction than I ever got from my 78s or LPs, and hear a sweeter, more truly tenor voice. Caruso is better than I remembered. Act accordingly.