Enrico Caruso sings his signature aria "Vesti la Giuba," from Leoncavallo's "Pagliassi." When I was in college I checked out an LP of this aria from the college library to listen to it in my apartment in a cold and snowy winter night. As I used to do, I read the notes for the record and discovered I had a musical gem in my hands. It was a live recording of Caruso and Tita Ruffo at the Buenos Aires Opera House, where something spectacular happened and was recorded and present on the record. It seems that there was a great rivalry between both singers, as often is the case in the world of opera. Although Caruso was a tenor and Ruffo a baritone, one of them, I don't remember who first, stole an aria from the other and sang it in the other singer's range. Of course, once he started to sing, the other one, to whom the aria belonged, had to remain silent through its duration. As it turned out, once it was time for the offender to sing his main aria, the other one retaliated and jumped in ahead of him, and sang with equal virtuosity in the others' range. I don't remember who began the duel, but Tita Ruffo ended up singing "Vista la Giuba," which was Caruso's signature aria. I listened to it several times and could not tell the difference. Amazing, but true story. Gabe Meruelo.
Enrico Caruso sings his signature aria "Vesti la Giuba," from Leoncavallo's "Pagliassi." When I was in college I checked out an LP of this aria from the college library to listen to it in my apartment in a cold and snowy winter night. As I used to do, I read the notes for the record and discovered I had a musical gem in my hands. It was a live recording of Caruso and Tita Ruffo at the Buenos Aires Opera House, where something spectacular happened and was recorded and present on the record. It seems that there was a great rivalry between both singers, as often is the case in the world of opera. Although Caruso was a tenor and Ruffo a baritone, one of them, I don't remember who first, stole an aria from the other and sang it in the other singer's range. Of course, once he started to sing, the other one, to whom the aria belonged, had to remain silent through its duration. As it turned out, once it was time for the offender to sing his main aria, the other one retaliated and jumped in ahead of him, and sang with equal virtuosity in the others' range. I don't remember who began the duel, but Tita Ruffo ended up singing "Vista la Giuba," which was Caruso's signature aria. I listened to it several times and could not tell the difference. Amazing, but true story. Gabe Meruelo.
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