The Great Caruso [Paperback]

Michael Scott (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Important less for its new biographical details than for the balance and thoroughness of its coverage, this is a comprehensive critical account of Enrico Caruso's amazing career, from his first engagements at 22 in 1895 until his tragic death at 48 in 1921, when he was the world's most famous singer. Scott, author of the noted The Record of Singing, dispels some of the Caruso myths and adds to our understanding of his significance by explaining musical developments that influenced the singer and those that he influenced in turn. Stressing the importance of the phonograph in making Caruso's voice familiar throughout the world, Scott is particularly successful in showing the tenor's constant change and development in singing technique and style. With its complete chronology of Caruso's appearances (by Thomas G. Kaufman) and detailed discography (by John R. Bolig), this authoritative study will bring much pleasure and reference information to the legions of music lovers who still thrill to Caruso's voice.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From Library Journal

Scott, author of The Record of Singing ( LJ 7/78), here turns his energies to an exhaustive and thoroughly documented biography of celebrated tenor Enrico Caruso. The result is a superb appreciation of the singer from his humble birth and his early studies to his success as the greatest singer of his time. Extensive quotations from contemporary accounts and reviews flesh out the legend, though one would have liked more on his relations with contemporary singers. A thorough chronology of Caruso appearances, with notes on local and world premieres; documentation for 498 recordings, of which 245 are known to exist; and a bibliography listing monographs, but not the very significant periodical literature about Caruso, complete the work. An excellent study. William Shank, CUNY Graduate Sch.
Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 8 pages
• Publisher: Northeastern; Reprint edition (December 15, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1555530613
• ISBN-13: 978-1555530617
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.8 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,694,963 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars made good research, January 20, 2001

By 

Floria (Dresden, Sachsen Germany) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Caruso: A Biography (Hardcover)

This biography about the best tenor of them all, Enrico Caruso,is very well written and - what is already much in the collection of the hundreds of Caruso biographies - the facts are well researched. The best is the discography at the end, if you are a collector or just a fan -that's the one to get! If you look for an even more comprehensive biography, get yourself "my father and my family" in the unabridged version by Enrico Caruso jr.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Exhaustive research?, August 12, 2006

By 

BookAddict44 "BookAddict44" (Chicao) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Great Caruso (Hardcover)

I was given this book by a friend who knows of my love for Caruso's music. The industry reviews on this page talk about the "exhaustive research" done by the author. I had to put the book down after page one: within three paragraphs, the author repeats one of the most preposterous lies about Caruso's life, that his mother had 17 previous children who died within a year of their birth. Then I flipped back to the dust flap, where it claims that Caruso performed "an astonishing 37 major roles each year" at the New York Metropolitan Opera. Newsflash: Caruso's mother did not lose 17 children: Enrico (Errico) was the third of seven children. And no tenor every performed 37 different roles in one year, let alone EVERY year. To accomplish the latter, the Met would have had to run performances 52 weeks a year, with Caruso changing roles every 10 days for 17 years. How can one trust a book that makes mistakes like that before you even get to page 2?

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars How Rare and Unique, May 21, 2010

By 

Ann B. Keller "Ann B. Keller" (Cleveland, OH USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Great Caruso (Hardcover)

The Great Caruso is a rare and wonderful exploration of the personal and professional life of one of the finest tenors of our age - Enrico Caruso. The reader is carried along in a surge of opportunities and performances too numerous to list here. At his height, Caruso handled a blistering appearance and performance schedule, one which would have done in a lesser tenor. His incredible talents shone brilliantly in operas both in the United States and overseas, in between brief and cherished weeks or months spent in his Italian retreat.

I found the tale of his personal life most engaging. Caruso's first marriage was a little rocky, but eventually he found wedded bliss and it is clear that he adored his children. Family always came first for him and my heart was so touched by Enrico's tragic end, a death which might have been avoided if the signs had been correctly interpreted and his demanding schedule lightened. Nevertheless, for all too brief a time, Enrico Caruso dazzled and inspired audiences worldwide, his star burning brightly whether it was within the intimate setting of a friend's parlor or upon the lofty boards of the Met. For anyone who adores music, this book is a treasure.