This is a 73-minute compilation of arias sung by Caruso, all of which will be familiar to Caruso collectors and most of which will be familiar to even casual, one-collection-only listeners. There’s Mattinata, O sole mio, La donna e mobile, Che gelida manina, Ombra mai fu, the Flower Song from Carmen, the Lucia sextet (with no identification of the other singers), and two versions of Vesti la giubba, which, as with all of the 25 selections here presented, are not dated (although we’re told that the recordings were made between 1900 and 1919–helpful, no?). There is no information at all, except for the names of the arias and composers (“Che gelida mania” being an example of the former; “Mayerbeer” being an example of the latter). The transfers are tinny. And did I forget to mention that many–indeed most–of the selections are pitched a half-tone high? This is a catastrophe; stick to RCA or Naxos. [2/23/2004]
