Ombra mai fu - direct transfer from original 78

Contemporay or later tenors may have had technically better voices than Caruso, but I have still to hear a voice - and heart - so emotionally expressive as Caruso's.

Serse

Frondi tenere e belle,
del mio platano amato,
per voi risplenda il Fato.
Tuoni, lampi e procelle
non v’oltraggino mai la cara pace
nè giunga a profanarvi mostro rapace.

Ombra mai fu di vegetabile
cara ed amabile soave più.

It would be very difficult ( I imgine ) to find a better voice than Caruso's especially after listening to his marvellous rendering of Ombra mai fu. Does he sing Ambra mai fu?. I can only remember Martinelli outsinging him in O tu che in seno, but there we have two outstanding performances.

Yes, but you have to remember when he got into recording, he was damaging his voice. How can a man stand the strain of making each fresh record anew?

My daughter and I, she is soprano in training, says that their is a kind of globalization of singing technique atm, which is turning out competent, even moving, but identical sounding women.

This is why I love Pavarotti, because he has a vocal colour of his own. Surely each human voice was and is as unique as the owner. I do hope they don't mediocratize her colour.