LANZA AND CARUSO

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 654, 18 January 1952, Page 5

LANZA AND CARUSO

Sir,-In the interesting but rather pointless Lanza v. Caruso debate at present in progress, I feel that there are several facts of the utmost importance which have escaped the attention of the seemingly one-eyed admirers of Lanza or Caruso who have thus far expressed themselves in print, Firstly, Lanza is definitely (as yet) not as good as Caruso -on the admission of Lanza himself. He tas not. Caruso’s polish and control, but with training this will doubtless come when his voice reaches maturity within the next half dozen or so years. His musical taste is unsettled, with the result that his singing, though powerful and moving, ‘reeks with emotional "Caruso" sobs, and throbs with music hall passion. ..To balance the ledger, on the credit side we have the fact that at Lanza’s age, Caruso cracked on high B-flat. Lanza sings the D-flat above high C with easy abandon-a fact which is not to be lightly shrugged off, considering that the Metropolitan Opera’s Jussi Bijorling is the only other present-day tenor who can duplicate this feat. And for natural quality and technical brilliance Lanza’s 18 a voice that many critics rank with the titans of Opera. Meanwhile, as the Lanza-Caruso admirers range themselves in opposing factions, it is to be hoped that the erstwhile fans of Kullman, Schipa (who, incidentally, has told Lanza, "You have the greatest given voice ever heard in a young man"), Gigli, Schmidt, and the rest will retire gracefully from the field in deference to the opinion of the late Dr. Serge Koussevitzky, who said of Lanza, "There is no doubt of it. This is the greatest natural tenor since Caruso."

VESTI LA GIUBBA

(Dunedin).