The great opera singer Enrico Caruso was born in Naples, Italy on February 25, 1873. Apprenticed to a mechanical engineer when he was 11, Caruso also sang in church, eventually finding his true calling as a great singer.
Caruso became a popular tenor in Italy before debuting at the Metropolitan Opera in New York City in 1903. By 1904, he began his American recording career, with records bringing his wonderful voice to more people than could ever see him.
Before he died in a hotel in Naples on August 2, 1921 at the age of 48, Caruso achieved worldwide fame. Fortunately, his career coincided with the use of recorded sound so we can still hear his voice today. The timing was fortunate for Caruso too, as he managed his business affairs well and the recordings made him a wealthy man.
Below is a recording of Caruso singing “Vesti La Guiba” from Ruggero Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci (1892).
But it was the early days of movies. So, even though Caruso appeared in the Paramount Pictures film My Cousin (1918). Unfortunately, it was a silent film. Still, it is kind of cool to see him act. Check it out.
The Great Caruso
I have been to the Metropolitan Opera a number of times. My fondness for opera probably resulted from watching another Caruso movie while I was a kid. Growing up far from any place with an opera, my mom unwittingly introduced me to opera with the movie The Great Caruso (1951).
So, when I picture Caruso, I always think of him looking like Mario Lanza, who did an excellent job portraying Caruso in the movie. Many future opera stars were also inspired by their exposure to Lanza, who also died at a young age (38). In this scene, Lanza sings “La Donna E Mobile” from Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Rigoletto (1851).
There are a lot of great places to learn about Caruso. His Wikipedia page includes a large number of audio clips of the singer. And, of course, Lanza’s portrayal in The Great Caruso is an entertaining story.
Photo via public domain. What is your favorite opera? Leave your two cents in the comments.
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