Profession: Operatic Tenor
Biography: Born into poverty in Naples, Enrico Caruso was the eighteenth child born in his family and the first to survive into adulthood. He went onto become the most famous Italian tenor of his generation and one of the first singers to achieve international fame through the new technology of recording sound.
Caruso made his opera debut in Naples in 1894 before moving to Milan and performing all over Europe. His fame grew further in 1902 after performing in Giacomo Puccini's "La Bohèmee" in Monte Carlo and debuting at London's Covent Garden alongside Nellie Melba in Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto".
Caruso debuted at New York's Metropolitan Opera in 1903 and went on to open each season in New York for the next 17 years. However it was his more than 200 recordings that have made his voice immortal and known worldwide. His recording of Canio's aria from the opera "Pagliacci" was the first million-seller and the commercial success of his recordings helped establish the future of the industry.
Born: February 25, 1873
Birthplace: Naples, Italy
Star Sign: Pisces
Married Life
- 1918-08-18 Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (45) weds American socialite Dorothy Benjamin (25) in New York City, until his death in 1921
Historical Events
- 1897-01-07 Teatro Amazonas in Manaus, Brazil, opens with a performance by Italian tenor Enrico Caruso
- 1902-03-18 Italian operatic tenor Enrico Caruso becomes 1st well-known performer to make a record
- 1902-05-14 Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his Covent Garden debut opposite Nellie Melba in Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Rigoletto" in London
- 1903-11-23 Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his US debut at the Metropolitan Opera House, in New York in Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto"
- 1904-02-01 Italian tenor Enrico Caruso makes his first recordings in America, singing "Questa o quella" and "La donna è mobile" from Giuseppe Verdi's "Rigoletto" in Carnegie Hall, NYC, for Victor Talking Machine Company
- 1916-02-05 Italian tenor Enrico Caruso records "O Solo Mio" for the Victor Talking Machine Company in Camden, New Jersey
- 1920-09-20 Italian tenor Enrico Caruso finishes what becomes his final recording session, singing the "Domine Deus" and "Crucifixus" from Gioachino Rossini's "Petite messe solennelle", at Victor's Trinity Church studio in Camden, New Jersey
- 1920-12-24 Enrico Caruso gives his last public performance, with the Metropolitan Opera in NYC
Andrea Bocelli
Grace Bumbry
Jessye Norman
Luciano Pavarotti
Maria Callas
Plácido Domingo