A new publication
Part I RECOLLECTIONS (Emil Ledner trans. Eliot Levin) There are very many books about Caruso. Only four of them are original sources. "Recollections", the first, was by his European manager, Emil Ledner. It has been largely overlooked, perhaps because it is in German, but it repays attention for Ledner worked closely with Caruso, becoming both friend and confidante. His insights into Caruso, the artist and the man, are perceptive, interesting and scarcely touched on elsewere.
Part II RETROSPECTIVE (Stanley Henig) The second part of the book is in two sections: An essay on Caruso's significance in the history of operatic performance and an assessment of his recorded legacy, how it has survived, and a discussion of the published literature.
In appendices Hillier Wise comments on Caruso's cartoons and Stanley Henig and Eliot Levin discuss the transfer of records to modern media. Illustrations include caricatures by Caruso and photographs of him on stage, and with his family and friends. A number of these have not appeared before.
pp. 118+prelims. on Acid-Free Paper 19 illustrations A5 size. ISBN 0952436140