Enrico Caruso

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Italian opera singer with a brilliant voice, world known as one of the greatest tenors in history. Noted for his strong, romantic voice, he captivated audiences with his musical range and depth of feeling. Born into a family of 21, his mother is said to have lost 17 babies before Enrico's birth. Caruso was raised in the slums of Naples, escaping a life of poverty after his singing in the church choir gained noticed. He was tutored by the greatest singers in Italy, beginning serious study in 1891 with a Naples debut in 1894. When Puccini was struggling to win favorable notice for his new "La Bohème," young Caruso was scheduled to play the important "Rudolpho," however, Puccini's publisher was reluctant to use him with so much on the line. The decision was to have Caruso sing for the composer. He sang "Che gelida manina." Puccini said, "Who sent you to me, God?" International engagements for five years led to a long-term association with the Met where his repertory included 500 songs and more than 40 operas. Caruso's 4/18/1906 performance with the Met in San Francisco was cancelled due to the earthquake earlier in the morning. Various press reports described him running in panic in his pajamas while others had him with a fur coat over his pajamas. He slept outside that night and was quoted as saying: "Give me Vesuvius. 'ell of a place. I never come back here." He never did. A little man with a barrel chest, he attracted women with the magic of his voice. Early in his career he was betrothed to the daughter of an opera theater manager. Breaking the engagement at the last moment, he fled with a ballerina, the mistress of an elderly opera director, a torrid but brief fling. Caruso fell in love with Ada Giachetti, an opera singer ten years his senior. Their 11-year relationship produced two sons out of wedlock. This turbulent relationship ended when Caruso sought revenge for an infidelity on her part by plunging into a brief affair with her younger sister. Known to be soured on marriage, if not on women, he surprised the opera world when he was 45 years of age by marrying Dorothy Benjamin, a quiet, prim woman 20 years his junior and not a music lover. Her father disinherited her. The couple were devoted to each other during their short three years together. A daughter, Gloria, was born. Caruso had severe chest pains and was misdiagnosed as having intercostal neuritis after opening season of the Met in 1920. On December 11 while singing in L'Elisir d' Amore, he bled badly from the mouth. His doctor diagnosed "a small burst vein at the tip of the tongue." His last performance was "La Juive" on Christmas Eve at the Metropolitan Opera House. On Christmas Day, in agonizing pain, his doctor found that he had acute pleurisy. Three days later a gallon of fluid was drawn from the pleural cavity. Several relapses followed. In May Caruso, Dorothy and Gloria traveled to Italy for rest and sunshine. A family doctor probed his old incision with a dirty instrument. He died of peritonitis due to the bursting of an abscess just before 9:00 AM on 8/02/1921, Naples. Link to Wikipedia biography