Maestros and their motor cars (18): Caruso goes cruising
OperaEnrico Caruso never learned to drive a car. He could afford a chauffeur.
Here’s he’s faking the driving role while the passenger behind him (with mustache) holds on for dear life. He is Giulio Setti, Chorus Master of the Met for 27 years, from 1908.
Giulio Setti might be the most recorded chorus master in Met history since he not only recorded many of the opera chorus basics for Victor records, but also conducted the Camden studio orchestra for the greatest Met singers who recorded for Victor from the time of Caruso himself to about 1930. Victor was not recordings complete operas but sometimes it is possible to piece together nearly an entire scene in those recordings. I think there is even one 78 rpm disc where he is credited with singing a line or two for a part that was not deemed important enough to have a singer engaged for the session. He may have led performances in the Met opera house itself but I’d leave that to Met scholars.