Halévy: La Juive: “Rachel! Quand du Seigneur la grâce tutélaire” by Enrico Caruso 1920

Halévy: La Juive: “Rachel! Quand du Seigneur la grâce tutélaire” by Enrico Caruso 1920

On December 24,1920 Enrico Caruso, perhaps the most successful Metropolitan Opera star in history, sang his last performance just a few months before he died at age 48. A tragic end to a wonderful career. Luckily we have over 200 recordings done by him. Had he lived just 5 more years we would have had electrically recorded records which would have given us an even better idea of what his voice was actually like. Even in the acoustic recordings we do have, including this one, we hear a sensitive and powerful voice that must have been a delight to hear live.

Caruso recorded this aria on September 14, 1920 just 4 months before his final performance of it on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. His final role in the French opera La Juive as the character Eléazar is a very difficult role to sing and act. I am sure he loved the intense role.

This video was posted December 24, 2020, 100 years later.

DAHR Link:
https://adp.library.ucsb.edu/index.ph...

From Britannia.com:
Caruso made his American debut in Rigoletto at the opening night of the Metropolitan Opera in New York City on November 23, 1903, and continued to open each season there for the next 17 years, presenting 36 roles in all. His last public appearance—his 607th performance with the Metropolitan Opera—was as Eléazar in La Juive (December 24, 1920).

Enrico Caruso Wikipedia LInk:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrico_...

Enrico Caruso briannia.com Link:
https://www.britannica.com/biography/...

Fromental Halévy Wikipedia LInk:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Froment...

Metropolitan Opera Wikipedia Link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metropo...