WHY ENRICO CARUSO RECORDED THE COAT SONG, 78rpm, Vecchia Zimmara, w/commentary
$
50
Favourite Auctions
To save auctions to your favourites, please login
If you don't have an account, please register
Description
One 10" 78rpm on the RCA VICTOR label, though never issued commercially
ENRICO CARUSO, tenor, singing a bass aria Side 1: Vecchia Zimarra from La Boheme Date of recording: 02/23/1916 Side 2: Why Caruso Recorded the Coat Song, Frances Alda and Wally Butterworth Commentary Recorded New York Circa 1950s Condition: VG+
During a performance of La Boheme in Philadelphia, Segurola, the basso, who was about to sing the "Coat Song" ("Vecchia Zimarra"), turned to Caruso and whispered "I’ve lost my voice". Caruso replied, "You just stand still and move your lips and I’ll sing it for you." And so, with his back turned to the audience, Caruso sang the aria for Segurola. Segurola then acknowledged the cheers from the audience, who didn’t realize that it was Caruso who had done the singing.
Grand opera is full of great stories, and the tale of Caruso singing an aria for an ailing bass during a performance is one of the best known. This is a wonderful little record published by Wally Butterworth, a famous and influential radio personality of that time, with the private recording of Caruso singing a well known bass aria, and Frances Alda relating the humorous story of how this unique record came to be. Listen to Caruso singing this aria as a bass (not a tenor) and then listen to Frances Alda relating the story of why Caruso made this curious recording. Never issued commercially, this is the only 78rpm edition of a very unique Caruso recording. The record is in excellent condition, with no surface marks and no defects whatsoever.
price rating
