New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-08-07
Variety of Speculation
On Successor of Caruso
Time and the Public VIII Decide Upon the Next
Favorite-but the Great Tenor's Mantle
Was Peculiarly His Own

rhs death of Enrico Caruso has
brought about scattered and in some in
...nces remarkably naive speculation az
= xho viii be Caruso's successor. The
18th Of the worlds first tenor does not
.r..te a situation so simple in this re-
.n.et as that of the death of the ruler
- country. 1t is possible to mourn
!, the king of tenors, "The king is
a..d.p but the second phrase is not APP
,,opriate, sLong live the king'"
The Caruso mantle was peculiarly his
49,, Granted that there were a tenor
socally great enough to wear it--and
!. IL the general authoritative opinion
.hst there is not--there were besides
,a;osvncracies Of personality in the robe
tself which made it one-man cloak
:. yamsins for the music lovers of the
,orld to weave an entirely new mantle
Or the next king Of opera when he shall
have won his place.
Managers may groom this man or
that for the place held by Caruso critics
nav herald newcomers as successor"
hit IN the end the public will decid unon
a. next favorite-and indicate its de-
eis;on through that very sure index Of
IL feeling-the boxofffce.
Ta,e Of the 'next Caruso" is foolish.
There is no voice in this day parallel
IN that Of the great tenor. Whenever
one is heard worthy of the designa-
lion. will he not be great enough to be
simply himself" Smith" Jones"
sBrown" or the Italian of one of
those! Would not the very fact that a
singer was named the successor to Ca
nso or the "new Caruso" prove that
he was not? Fame linked to or de-
pendent upon the name of predeces-
* sor is not great of itself.
Yet in the world of music, especially
opera, the singing done by Enrico Ca
russo will have to be done this coming
season and in the years to come. Pure
lv from the standpoint Of the work
itself, Caruso must have a successor
ar rather successors. 1t is the opin-
ION of one well known musician that
several tenors will have to be con-
coded just to take the place Of Carusc
In the business of opera itself.
In spite of the overshadowing which
all other tenors Of the last few years
have had to contend with, certain very
fine singers have won recognition and
place for themselves. In some cases
they were heralded as new Carusos
They proved not such at all, but very
fine artists on their own account. Anc
the public went to hear them for them.
selves, not as make-shifts for the great
(, star. Martinelli is Martinelii; Har
rold is Harold; Mccormack is McCor-
mack, and this last season has taught
as that Gigli is Gigli-a splendid artist
1t is an interesting commentary upon
the great Caruso and his career at the
Metropolitan that during his very
reign a splendid group of tenors has
been assembled in the company. One
Of the most popular of these is Mar
tnell, who, according to certain per
sistent dispatches from London, will
succeed Caruso." Mr.. Martinelli has
sung many of the roles definitely as.
ISOLATED with Caruso and he has beer
. drawing card at the metropolitan
personally ever since he came to the
company in 1907. But the talk that he
was new Caruso died the first sea
son he was there. Since, he has beer
Martinelli, which is no small compli