The talking machine world (July-Sept 1921)

Aucusr 15. 1921 THE TALKING MACHINE WORLD (World of Music) 133 \ RECORD TO BE PROUD OF MECHANICAL RELEASES OF THE BIG HITS CROONING WYOMING Aeolian Ampico Bennett & Whit Berliner Clark Orchestn Columbia Columbia Roll Connorized Edison Grey Gull International Kimball Link Mclodee Melodise Mills National Music Roll National Piano Okeh Otto Higel Pathe Freres 37 Phonolamp Pianostyle QRS Republic Rivoli Rose Valley Standard Starr (Gennett) U.S. Music Co. Victor Vocalstyle Wurlitzer Aeolian Grey Gull International Arto Kimball Bennett & White Link Berliner Melodec Brunswick Mills Clark Orchestra National Music Roll Columbia National Piano Columbia Roll Odeon Connorized Okch Edison Otto Higel Emerson Pathfi Freres Phonolamp Pianostyle QRS Republic Rose Vcllcy Standard Starr (Gennett) U. S. Music Co. Victor Vocalstyle Welte & Sons Wurlitzer -37 M. WITMARK & SONS, Publishers New York City ENRICO CARUSO DIES IN ITALY Famous Tenor Succumbs After Operation in Naples — Was for Many Years One of Most Popular of Opera Stars — His Victor Records Played a Big Part in Winning Popularity The talking machine trade was shocked to karn of the death of Enrico Caruso, the worldfamous tenor, in Naples, Italy, on August 2. Caruso had left the United States in the Spring for his native country in order to recuperate from the effects of his severe illness in New York last Winter. For a time it was reported that he was rapidly regaining his health, hut very recently an abscess was discovered below the singer's diaphragm and an operation for the removal of the abscess was followed by peritonitis. Caruso was forty-eight years old at the time of his death, having been born in Naples, the son of a mechanic, on February 25, 1873. The quality of his voice was recognized when he was a child and he sang in the church choir for many years. It was while he was serving in the Italian army that an officer who heard him singing took steps to have his voice properly trained. He made his opera debut in Naples in 1894 with indifferent success, but soon acquired the art of the stage and won popularity. Caruso made his debut with the Metropolitan Opera House in 1903 and proved a sensation, his popularity among opera-goers never waning since that time. He was one of the first prominent opera singers to record for the talking machine, aligning himself with the Victor Co. It was through the medium of Victor records that Caruso's voice became familiar in millions of homes in the country, and the tenor, in the last few years, realized hundreds of thousands of dollars in royalties from those same records. The passing of Caruso represents a great loss in the field of the opera, for, although there have The prominent position occupied by Caruso was strongly emphasized in the elaborate obituary articles which appeared in the newspapers throughout the country, the majority of them giving several pages to the story of Caruso's career and paying tribute to the great singer's ability, emphasizing particularly the fact that the singer's voice has been perpetuated through the medium of the many superb talking machine records which he made. As Arthur Brisbane said editorially in his column in the Hearst papers: "It is our loss, but their gain. And the loss is less because Caruso has left his genius and his voice to sing for us. Sentiment and sound written in wax and in steel to last forever. His voice will be heard a thousand years after all our voices shall have been silenced forever. That is close to immortality." Dealers in Victor records were quick to pay homage to the memory of the great artist who had contributed so much toward placing the talking machine record on a high plane, A number of talking machine houses carried special memorial announcements in the daily newspapers, and a great percentage of them arranged memorial window displays with large pictures of Caruso appropriately draped with crepe as a centerpiece in most cases. CARUSO'S GOLDEN VOICE PRESERVED FOR POSTERITY C G Child, of Victor Co., Supplies Newspapers With Interesting Information Regarding Caruso's Records and His Recording Experiences— His Master Records Imperishable Throughout in the daily newspapi death and his public car emphasis placed upon tli great tenor was dead hi: dreds stoi appearing regarding Caruso's there was continued ct that although the ce was preserved for time on talking machine records. The majority of the leading New York newspapers, in their issues of August 4, pub lished long articles each devoted to tin and his recording e: based upon a formal and well c ■ of Caruso's records ces, the articles being uthoritative statement issued by Calvin G, Child, director of the recording laboratories of the Victor Talking Machine Co., and a warm personal friend of Caruso. One (Conlmucd on foge 134) . ALL NEW YORK IS DANCING AND SINGING BRAZIL SPANISH FOX-TROT SONG REED MUSIC CO. 1639 BROADWAY //ewX>r/cCity. Edison Record No. 50794 Pathe Record No. 22485