Enrico Caruso - Pimpinella 78 RPM - December 30, 1912

ENRICO CARUSO "PIMPINELLA" - VICTROLA RECORD 518-B
(TSCHAIKOWSKY, OP.38, N.6)
*****
The Op. 38 romances were composed by Tchaikovsky at Florence, Clarens, Kamenka, Brailov and Verbovka. between 11/23 February and 13/25 July 1878. Composition of the romances began after work was completed on the Symphony No. 4 and Evgenii Onegin.

The first romance was written at Florence on 11/23 February 1878, "between lunch and dinner" . This was the romance The Love of a Dead Man (No. 5)—the only one of Tchaikovsky's romances set to words by Mikhail Lermontov. "I wrote it because in one of your letters you mentioned to me your view of his poetry set to music. This was in February at Florence" .

The second romance to be written, it seems shortly after the first, was PIMPINELLA. Tchaikovsky heard this song in Florence performed by a street-singer named Vittorio: "The day before leaving I listened to him once more and noted down the words and music to one song, which I am sending you with my accompaniment. Isn't it a delightful tune? And such peculiar words!"

The composer finished the romances in Russia, while staying at Kamenka from 11/23 April to 12/24 May 1878, at Brailov from 17/29 May to 30 May/11 June, at Kamenka from 13/25 June to 26 June/8 July, and at Verbovka from 4/16 July to 5/17 August 1878.

[James]

Once again Enrico makes a delighful song into a minor masterpiece. And thank you very much indeed for the italian words so brilliantly set out on screen - such a help - I never could get all of them before!

[meredithanthraxelrod]

I ADORE this record. Thank you so much for posting this! Isn't this another Tchaikovski - not Peter?

[mrnasty]

More scary (and retared) bullshit...that you can listen to in the dark. I am beyond happy that my alternative nerd days are long over.