How do great opera singers of the past measure up to today's talent? Would Caruso be a huge sta



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Just wondering if modern opera performers are better trained, better conditioned, etc as is the case in many other human endeavours.

Since you mention Caruso, I'm assuming that "of the past" means more than, say, 50 years ago.

As you know, recording technology back in the early 20th century was pretty bad. I have dozens of old 78s, and a lot of sopranos sound like they had very fast vibratos [and no, my turntable isn't playing them faster]. I've long since surmised that this may be due to the recording technology being ill-equipped to properly capture the sound wavelengths.

Tenors fare better vibrato-wise, and although Caruso SOUNDS like he had a strong upper range, it also sounds a bit strained/pinched. With the absence of a more realistic recording to judge his voice, no one can ever know if he would be a star today. I've also heard from contradicting reports that he was a good actor, and from others that he was a bad actor. I can't imagine him being any less interesting to WATCH than Pavarotti, so there you are. :-)

I can't speak to training decades ago, but modern opera artists can get excellent and comprehensive training, either at a school or with superb private teachers/coaches [I loathed my professors, so I dropped out and studied privately]. The one thing I do know is that more singers during the past 20 years have been cognizant of the need for acting skills -- in this era of fighting to remain interesting to a shrinking public, "park & bark" [just standing there singing] no longer cuts it. Artists now truly act the plot, rather than just singing the score and grudgingly moving around.

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