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Enrico
Caruso
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Caruso,
Enrico (1873-1921), Italian
dramatic tenor, born in Naples.
He made his debut in Naples in
1894. His first great success was
in Milan in 1898 when he created
the role of Loris in Fedora by
the Italian composer Umberto
Giordano. Engagements followed in
St Petersburg, Rome, Lisbon, and
Monte Carlo, where his 1902
performance in La Bohème
by Giacomo Puccini with Nellie
Melba established his
international reputation. He made
his Covent Garden debut the same
year in Rigoletto by Giuseppe
Verdi. In 1903 he made his debut
at the Metropolitan Opera House
in New York, also in Rigoletto.
His
repertoire included more than 40
operas (chiefly Italian). He
created roles in Adriana
Lecouvreur by the Italian
composer Francesco Cilea and The
Girl of the Golden West by
Puccini.
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He
is especially remembered for the
role of Canio in Pagliacci by
Ruggero Leoncavallo. From his
first appearance, Caruso became
the chief attraction of the
Metropolitan Opera House, his
voice being one of extraordinary
beauty and power. One of the
first singers to make phonograph
records, Caruso became
universally famous by means of
the new medium. Several of his
recordings were successively
reissued in new formats and
remain available today. His
position as the pre-eminent
dramatic tenor was unchallenged
to the end of his life. Caruso's
last appearance was at the
Metropolitan Opera House on
December 24, 1920. In 1987 the
National Academy of Recording
Arts & Sciences recognized
Caruso with a posthumous Grammy
Lifetime Achievement
Award.
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