What did Caruso die from? Enrico Caruso: biography, interesting facts, photos. The main stages of the biography
Not only the greatest talent, but also a person with a unique character, the facets of which can be judged by interesting cases that happened to the artist.
Joker and prank lover
An amazing voice, a legendary personality - Enrico Caruso is known to the public as an unsurpassed genius, but the singer's contemporaries also knew him as a person with an excellent sense of humor. And he sometimes showed it right on stage. They still remember the incident: one of the singers accidentally lost her lace pantaloons while performing a part. But no one noticed this, because the girl managed to kick them under the table. Nobody but Caruso. He slowly walked up to the table, picked up his trousers and important look brought them to the singer.
His disdain for politicians is also known. So, at a meeting with the Spanish king at his residence, Caruso appeared with his pasta, assuring that it was tastier than the royal one. He is still quoted today famous appeal to the American President - “Mr. President, you are almost as famous as I am.”
Tenor disaster
Enrico Caruso witnessed and sometimes participated in disasters several times. Once in San Francisco, where Caruso was touring, there was an earthquake. The hotel where the singer lived was also damaged. But then Caruso escaped with only fear and again found a place for humor. When the tenor's friends met him in a dilapidated hotel with a wet towel on his shoulder, he shrugged and said: “I told you that something irreparable would happen if I hit the top note.” Several more times the singer’s life was in danger: once, right during the performance, there was an explosion in the theater, after which robbers entered Caruso’s mansion, and the singer was also blackmailed by scammers, extorting a large sum money.
Enrico Caruso. Photo: www.globallookpress.com
Election professional
Caruso was one of the first opera singers began recording on gramophone records, and did it on a large scale. So, the singer recorded about 500 albums, each of which sold a huge number of copies. The best-selling ones were “Laugh, Clown!” and "Clown". It is also known that Caruso was extremely sensitive to compositions and preferred to perform all parts in the original language. He believed that no translation could convey to the audience all the composer’s ideas.
Bad actor
Despite his impeccable voice, which was admired by the whole world, Caruso was often reproached for his lack of acting skills. The press and envious people especially tried. But the phrase that I once uttered Fyodor Chaliapin silenced all the haters: “For those notes, that cantilena, that phrasing that he has great singer, you must forgive him everything.”
Faithful to the profession
Enrico Caruso knew not only all his parts, but also the parts of all his partners in the play: getting used to the character, he did not leave it until the last applause died down. “In the theater I’m just a singer and actor, but in order to show the public that I’m not one or the other, but a real character conceived by the composer, I have to think and feel exactly like the person the composer had in mind,” said Caruso.
Caruso performed his last performance, his 607th, when he was already seriously ill. He endured all the painful 5 acts of the opera, after which he finally fell ill. The audience shouted "Encore", not knowing that they heard the famous tenor in last time.
Enrico Caruso / Enrico Caruso
Ruggero Leoncavallo, "Pagliacci", ariozo Canio "Recitar!" - "Vesti la giubba"
Giacomo Puccini, Tosca-Act I, Recondita armoni(Cavaradossi)
The great Italian tenor Enrico Caruso is called the king opera art. His voice amazes with its beauty and extraordinary expressiveness of sound. Enrico knew more than a hundred operas in different languages, and performed countless songs of any genre. Publicist Nicola Daspuro considered him “the ruler of people’s hearts.” The newspaper Le Figaro wrote about Caruso as an artist “with a tear in his voice,” a singer who sang with such expressiveness and with such warmth as no one else. The artist himself, listing the qualities necessary to become a great singer, called “a wide chest, a big throat, excellent memory, intelligence, a lot of work and ... something in the heart”!
Enrico Caruso was born on February 25 (according to some sources - 26 or even 27) February 1873 in Naples, in the family of a mechanic worker. Since childhood he was captivated opera music and Neapolitan songs. Young Caruso sang on holidays in the choir of the Church of St. Anne. Assessing his talent, maestro Guglielmo Vergine invited 19-year-old Enrico to his singing school, Temple of Bel Canto.Caruso's official debut took place at the Teatro Nuovo in Naples on December 24, 1895. Morelli's little-known opera Francesco's Friend was booed by the audience. True, the gallery applauded Caruso furiously, but his friends were there.
On young singer drew the attention of theatrical agent Francesco Zucchi. He printed a poster on which was written in large letters: “The wonderful tenor Enrico Caruso will perform at the opera.” Zucchi's trick was a success: his ward gained success.
The singer's triumph grew from performance to performance. But eight years would pass before Caruso won recognition not only in Italy, but also beyond its borders. The young tenor toured largest theaters peace. La Scala in Milan, the Metropolitan Opera in New York, Colon in Buenos Aires, San Carlo in Naples, the famous opera houses Petersburg and Moscow and many other theaters in Europe and America want to see Caruso on their stage.
In 1903, Enrico came to the United States. He signed a contract with the Metropolitan Opera and soon became its first soloist. In America, Caruso enjoyed continued success from the very beginning. The chronicle of the Metropolitan Opera Theater states that no other artist had such success here. The large hall of the theater could not accommodate everyone. We had to open the theater eleven hours before the start of the performance!
Enrico Caruso was considered the highest paid opera singer in the world, his fees grew from 15 Italian lire at the beginning of his career to 2.5 thousand dollars for each performance at the Metropolitan Opera. The head of the theater, Giulio Gatti-Casazza, argued that “no fee can be excessive for him.”
Billionaire Henry Smith, in order to get Caruso's consent to perform in his house, offered the artist a dollar more than the Metropolitan Opera. Another billionaire was negotiating with an Italian tenor about a series of concerts in the hall of his palace.
Caruso was a trendsetter in America and Europe. Many artists imitated his manner of acting on stage. The Caruso hairstyle was very popular at the beginning of the century. His love for things was legendary. The singer's wardrobe always included at least fifty suits and eighty pairs of shoes.
According to biographer Vittorio Tortorelli, the great Caruso was a master of the crowd. But he was kind cheerful man, reacted sharply and deeply to friendly feelings; Despite his wealth and eminence, he was ready to generously help people, bring them joy and happiness.
His colleagues had a high opinion of him. Giacomo Puccini, when he first heard Cavaradossi’s aria from Tosca performed by 24-year-old Caruso, exclaimed: “You were sent to me by God himself!”
Fyodor Ivanovich Chaliapin, with whom Caruso was associated not only with several joint performances, but also with warm friendly relations and a common passion for drawing, in one of his interviews spoke about his first meeting with the great Italian on the stage of La Scala: “Caruso made the most impression on me.” a charming impression, his whole appearance personified heartfelt kindness. And his voice is a perfect tenor. What a pleasure it was to sing with him!”
In the fall of 1907, a large group of emigrants from Italy gathered in the port of New York. In order to get to America, they needed to have at least 50 dollars with them. Most families did not have that amount. And then someone remembered Caruso. When the singer was informed about the problem of his compatriots, he immediately allocated the necessary amount to the emigrants. Later he arranged more than once charity concerts in favor of fellow countrymen.
The story with the emigrants had an unexpected continuation. In winter, a boy came to the singer with a bouquet of flowers and an envelope containing 50 dollars. It was the Italian family of bakers who gratefully returned the debt to the singer. Enrico immediately went to visit the baker. Caruso spent a fun, family-like evening with his fellow countrymen. And, of course, I didn’t forget to return the money to them.
Every year Enrico visited Naples. He helped his friends as best he could: he clothed them, gave them money, and got them jobs. Caruso sang Neapolitan songs for them in the tavern.
Fame and fortune did not go to Caruso's head even when he reached his zenith and gained idolaters. He remained modest, although not without extravagance - such was his nature.
In one of summer days wandering musicians performed in the garden of a Parisian cafe. The boy played the accordion, and the old man, probably his father, walked around the tables with a plate in his hands. An elegant, respectable gentleman in a straw hat, smoking a cigar, watched what was happening with curiosity. He was extremely surprised when he saw only a few coins in the plate - the boy played beautifully. Finding out that the musicians were Italians from Bari, he asked the boy to play “Oh My Sun.”
When the melody sounded, the gentleman, putting his straw hat down on his forehead, began to sing at the top of his voice. famous song di Capua, with a hand gesture, inviting the old man to go around the visitors. Very soon the plate was filled to the brim with coins, and then again and again. Someone recognized Caruso by his voice. The wandering musicians stood shocked. Enrico Caruso - and it was really him - beamed with pleasure, laughing joyfully. People were already crowding at the entrance of the garden-restaurant. Friends hastened to take the singer away from the cafe.
Caruso, how true great person, laughed at his fame and often told next story. One day, Caruso's car broke down, and while it was being repaired, he was forced to stop with a local farmer. When the singer identified himself, the farmer jumped up, shook Caruso’s hand and said excitedly: “Could I ever have thought that I would see the great traveler Robinson Caruso in my little kitchen!”
And here's another one famous story. When Caruso, already a famous singer, came to the bank to receive a significant amount from a check, it turned out that he had no credit.
documents for yourself.- But I’m Caruso! - he exclaimed.
- How will you prove this? - asked the clerk.
The singer frowned, then his face brightened. He sang Cavaradossi's aria from the opera Tosca. The performance was so magnificent and pure that the delighted bank employee immediately gave him the money.
They said that, having somehow struck a high note, Caruso broke the chandelier hanging nearby. American otolaryngologist William Lloyd recorded 560 vibrations per second in Caruso's voice. Such vibration could cause window panes to burst.
In Berlin, in one of the theaters, they learned that Caruso was a heavy smoker and threw unextinguished cigarette butts everywhere. He was assigned a fireman who followed him with a bucket wherever he went.
In Mexico City, Caruso sang Carmen in the open air on the Plaza de Toros in the presence of thirty thousand spectators. The announcement of Caruso's performance was posted only the day before the performance. The poster had a simple inscription: “Caruso sings.” The Mexicans took the place by storm. More than ten thousand people were unable to attend the concert. Neither the forces of the authorities nor the rain that fell on the improvised theater during the performance could force the seething crowd, overcome with ecstasy, ready to make any sacrifice, to leave the square.
At the end of the last scene, which caused general delight, Caruso left under the protection of the police assigned to monitor public order. It was necessary to protect Caruso from the fury of enthusiastic fans.
What is the reason for Caruso's triumph? The singer tried to answer this question in his letter to his wife Dorothy: “Probably because this time I sang as never before in my life. With superhuman exertion of all my strength, I managed to convey my feelings and experiences to the public through my voice, and achieve spiritual unity with it. And it grabbed her."
Caruso enjoyed great success with women. Fans - heiresses - were on duty at the door of his hotel room richest families America. In August 1918, the 45-year-old tenor married an American, Dorothy Park Benjamin. A year later their daughter Gloria was born. In addition, Caruso had two illegitimate son— Enrico and Rodolfo.
On December 24, 1920, Caruso performed at the Metropolitan Opera Theater for the last time. This was the six hundred and seventh appearance of the artist on the stage of this theater. Caruso sang five acts of The Cardinal's Daughter. The audience applauded furiously and shouted “encore.” But the singer was already seriously ill. Caruso developed severe purulent pleurisy, and numerous operations only prolonged his life.
Enrico Caruso died on the morning of August 2, 1921 in Naples. He was only 48 years old. The body of the great singer was embalmed and displayed in central hall hotel "Vesuvio" in a crystal coffin. For three days and three nights the Italians said goodbye to their idol. Caruso's ashes were buried in Naples, in the Pianto cemetery, in a specially erected chapel.
In September 1921, a huge wax candle weighing five hundredweight, a gift from the American people. It was planned to light the candle once a year in front of the image of the Mother of God in memory of the great artist, the idol of millions. This giant candle was cast in New York by order of the United Hospitals, Institutes and Orphanages of America, to which Caruso provided assistance.
Thousands of tourists from all over the world flock annually to the seaside suburb of Naples Santa Lucia, visit the small cemetery of Pianto, the San Carlo Theater - places associated with the name of Caruso, to honor his memory.
The guards of the closed chapel where Caruso rests protect it from the whims of visitors. One New York student stayed at the cemetery after it closed in order to be in the company of the great singer until the moon rose. An elderly woman, also an American, was ready to give her last money to be allowed to sit until nightfall on the steps of the chapel and resurrect the memory of how, in the distant days of her youth, she listened to Caruso.
Fortunately, recordings of Enrico Caruso's voice remained: he became the first singer whose repertoire was recorded on records, and the famous arioso “Laugh, clown!” sold millions of copies. In total, Caruso sang about 500 records with more than 200 works!
Many tenors admire the talent of Enrico Caruso. One day Luciano Pavarotti stayed at the Excelsior Hotel. Having learned that Caruso usually lived at the nearby Hotel Vesuvius, he told himself that next time he would definitely stay at the Vesuvius and, if possible, in his room. “It’s difficult to explain why I wanted it so much,” wrote Pavarotti. “Maybe it’s a tribute, maybe it’s gratitude, maybe it’s superstition.” Perhaps I thought that while I lived there, he would teach me something more about the art of singing.”
It is difficult not to agree with Tortorelli, who stated: “The memory of Caruso will live until the love for music, singing and great artists fades in the hearts of people.”
Recitar!… mentre preso dal delirio
Non so più quel che dico e quel che faccio!
Eppur… è d’uopo… sforzati!
Bah! Sei tu forse un uom?
Tu se" Pagliaccio!
Vesti la giubba, e la faccia infarina.
La gente paga e rider vuole qua.
E se Arlecchin t'invola Colombina, ridi,
Pagliaccio, e ognun applaudirà!
Tramuta in lazzi lo spasmo ed il pianto,
in una smorfia il singhiozzo e’l dolor - Ah!
Ridi, Pagliaccio, sul tuo amore infranto.
Ridi del duol che t'avvelena il cor.
Recondita armonia di bellezze diverse!
È bruna Floria, l'ardente amante mia.
E te, beltade ignota, cinta di chiome bionde,
Tu azzurro hai l'occhio,
Tosca ha l'occhio nero!
L'arte nel suo mistero,
le diverse bellezze insiem confonde…
Ma nel ritrar costei,
Il mio solo pensiero,
Ah! il mio sol pensier sei tu,
Tosca, sei tu!
Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) - Italian Opera singer. He was born on February 25, 1873 into a family of poor workers. Parents saw their son as an engineer, but since childhood he dreamed of becoming a musician. Only incredible hard work coupled with talent helped the boy get out of poverty and become famous throughout the world. Even now, people continue to honor his memory, remember the magnificent performance of lyrical and dramatic works. The musician was especially good at traditional Neapolitan songs. It is noteworthy that Caruso had minimal musical education. He studied at evening school. The tenor's teacher was the pianist Schirardi and Maestro de Lutneau. The young man was also taught by the velvety baritone Missiano.
Hard childhood
Enrico was the third child in a poor family; after his birth, Marcello and Anna Maria Caruso had four more children. As you know, the mother gave birth to 18 children in her life, but only 12 of them survived. The family lived in one of the poor industrial areas of Naples. After finishing primary school, the boy refused to study further, although his parents saw him as an engineer. He wanted to follow his dream, to devote his life to music, so he joined the choir of a small local church.
At the age of 15, the future singer lost his mother. After her death, he got a job in his father's auto repair shop. At the same time, Enrico began to earn extra money, performing at church holidays in San Giovanello. Caruso believed that in the church dead mother will be able to hear him sing, so he devoted all his time to this activity. Parishioners admired his tenor, sometimes even offering to sing for their lovers. For this they generously paid the talented guy.
Later he began performing on the streets. It was then that teacher Guglielmo Vergine heard Enrico. He invited the young man to audition, and he soon became a student famous conductor Vincenzo Lombardi. The teacher supported his student in everything; it was he who organized the first concerts for Caruso in local bars and restaurants. In addition, the teacher advised changing the name Errico (given at birth) to a more harmonious pseudonym.
First appearance on stage
On November 16, 1894, the performer made his debut on the stage of the Teatro Nuovo. He performed the role in Morelli's opera "Friend Francesco", the singer managed to immediately attract the attention of audiences and critics. After some time, he sang in the opera “Honor Rusticana”, then performed the title role in “Faust”. In 1895, Enrico went on tour abroad for the first time.
One of the first countries that Caruso visited was Russia. After that he performed in many populated areas, winning an army of fans around the world. In 1900, the musician first appeared on the stage of the legendary La Scala theater, which is located in Milan.
Worldwide success
After touring in Europe, the singer performed for the first time in London, this happened in 1902. A year later, he repeated his success in New York, performing the role of the Duke of Mantua on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera. The audience highly appreciated the tenor's talent, and from that time on he became the main star American theater. Enrico regularly sang parts from French and Italian operas. His repertoire included a huge number of works.
The singer spent his first serious fee on entertainment venues. Later, he appeared on stage drunk several times, and because of this he almost ruined his career. In addition, Enrico smoked two packs of Egyptian cigarettes every day. He risked his health and voice for the sake of an addiction, without thinking about the consequences.
It was Caruso who became the first opera performer who agreed to record his voice on gramophone records. Thanks to this, his repertoire has been preserved long years. Now there are about 500 recorded discs of the singer.
Personal life
Enrico made an incredible impression on women. When his career was just beginning, the young man intended to marry the daughter of the theater director. But in last moment he changed his mind and ran away from the ceremony with the ballerina. After some time, the musician met his colleague Ada Ghiachetti. She was ten years older than him, but the age difference didn't hurt whirlwind romance.
Soon after they met, the lovers began to live in a civil marriage. Over the course of 11 years, the wife gave birth to four sons. Of these, only Rodolfo and Enrico, named after the characters in Rigoletto, survived. The woman sacrificed her career for the sake of her family, but Caruso did not want to settle down. He flirted regularly, although he did not cheat on Ada. As a result, the wife couldn’t stand it anymore and ran away with the family’s driver.
The tenor got angry with his lover, and in revenge he started dating her younger sister. Ghiachetti filed a lawsuit demanding the return of the stolen jewelry, she was not going to put up with ex-husband. This story ended with Ada managing to get payment from her husband monthly allowance.
At the age of 45, Enrico met his first official wife. She became the daughter of American millionaire Dorothy Park Benjamin. She was 20 years younger than her husband. The father refused to give his blessing to their union, he even disinherited his daughter. At this time, the musician was going crazy with jealousy. He wanted to fatten his wife to such a state that other men would not consider her attractive.
Caruso's last appearance on stage dates back to December 24, 1920. He became very ill due to the accident, so he returned to Italy. The tenor died of pleurisy on August 2, 1921, and was buried in Naples. The funeral took place in the Church of San Francesco di Paola. After her husband's death, Dorothy published two books about his life. They were written in 1928 and 1945 and consisted mainly of love letters from the singer to his beloved wife.
Enrico Caruso, whose biography excites the minds of many generations, - great name which is known in all corners of the planet.
Born and raised in Naples, surrounded by the scorching sun, blue skies and marvelous nature, the opera performer enchanted the whole world with his hot, passionate vocals - an example of the ideal musical art, which cannot be confused with anyone else. The impressionable, impulsive and hot-tempered Enrico Caruso, whose biography and photos arouse genuine interest among admirers of his work, expressed all his feelings and experiences with a timbre, the charm of which lay in the variety and richness of colors. It is for this reason that his compositions easily crossed the borders of continents and countries, glorifying the name of the Italian tenor for many decades.
Enrico Caruso: short biography
Enrico was born in 1873 in the San Giovaniello area on the outskirts of Naples. His parents Marcello and Anna Maria Caruso were generous and open people, although quite poor. The boy grew up in an industrial area, lived in two-story house and from childhood he sang in the local church choir. His education was limited to elementary school only. Later, after sudden death mother, she had to use her singing talent to earn money: Enrico is quite happy with his compositions long time performed on the streets of Naples.
One of these concerts became fateful: the talented young man was noticed and invited to an audition by vocal school teacher Guglielmo Vergine. Soon Enrico began to seriously study music with the famous teacher and conductor Vincenzo Lombardi, who later organized his debut concerts young performer in restaurants and bars in the resort towns of Naples. Gradually Enrico gained popularity. His concerts were always attended by a large number of people, and after the performances they came up famous representatives Italian culture and offered the singer cooperation.
Incredible rise
Enrico Caruso, whose biography resembles an incredible rise, was talked about as an established star of the Italian stage when he, a 24-year-old talent, performed O sole Mio - the role of Enzo from the opera Gioconda. Such a triumphant success served as the beginning of the first foreign tour in his life, and it took place in distant Russia.
Leading soloist of the Metropolitan Opera
Performances with his participation took place with incredible success, but the truly inimitable and magical concerts of Enrico Caruso, whose biography is presented in the article, were at the Metropolitan Opera (New York City). Having performed here for the first time in 1903, the Italian tenor became the leading soloist of the famous New York theater for almost two decades. The artist's fee increased from the initial 15 lire to $2,500 per performance. The appearance of the name Enrico Caruso on posters each time became a grandiose event in the city. The large hall of the theater was unable to accommodate the huge number of people wishing to attend. It had to be opened 3-4 hours before the start of the performance so that the temperamental audience could calmly take their seats. When Caruso performed, the theater management significantly increased ticket prices, and dealers who bought them at any price then resold them for several times more.
Demand for Caruso
Enrico Caruso, whose biography is being studied with interest modern generation, preferred to perform opera works only in the original language, because he believed that no translation could convey to the viewer all the composer’s ideas. He was very fond of operas by French authors.
Any operatic works, mainly of a dramatic and lyrical nature, came easily to Enrico, and throughout his life traditional Neapolitan songs sounded in his repertoire. Many composers fought for the right to work with the singer, and Giacomo Puccini, hearing Caruso’s voice, considered him a messenger of God. The partners who had the chance to perform on stage with the Italian tenor were absolutely delighted with him. Curiosity is raised by the fact that Enrico had no acting skills at all, for which he was repeatedly reproached by envious people and pedants. But the singer was engaged in composing his own works: “Sweet Torments”, “Old Times”, “Serenade”.
The first gramophone recordings with Caruso's voice
What caused Enrico Caruso's worldwide popularity? Biography, Interesting Facts confirm that the Italian was one of the first performers on the world stage to decide to record his performances on gramophone records: approximately 500 discs with more than 200 original works were released. Recordings of the operas "Pagliacc" and "Laugh, Clown!" sold millions of copies. Perhaps it was precisely this circumstance that brought Caruso world fame and made his original work accessible to the masses.
Legend in life
Already during his lifetime, Caruso, who had the gift of a caricaturist and knew how to play many musical instruments, became a legend of vocal art and to this day remains a role model for many contemporary performers. He regularly worked on absolute mastery of the vocal apparatus and expanding the possibilities of breathing control; he could beautifully hit a high note and hold it for a long time, which was not possible in his younger years.
Caruso's success lay not only in his magical voice. He knew the parts of his stage partners perfectly, which allowed the tenor to better understand the work and the composer's intentions and feel organically on stage.
Enrico Caruso: biography, interesting facts from life
Caruso had a subtle sense of humor. There was such a case: one of the artists lost her lace pantaloons right during the performance and unnoticedly managed to push them under the bed with her foot. Enrico, who saw her trick, lifted her panties, then carefully straightened them and handed them over to the lady with a ceremonial bow, which caused an uncontrollable fit of laughter from the audience. An opera singer invited to dinner by the Spanish king came with his pasta, believing that it was much tastier, and offered the treat he brought to the guests.
Caruso knew only a few words in English, but this did not bother him at all. Thanks to his good pronunciation and artistry, he always got out of a difficult situation with ease. Only once did poor knowledge of the language lead to a curious incident: Caruso was informed about sudden death one of his friends, to which the singer joyfully exclaimed: “Wonderful! Say hi from me when you meet him!”
Caruso's life was not cloudless, as it seemed at first glance. During one of the performances, there was an explosion in the theater, there was an attempt to rob his mansion, extorting $50,000. There were constant attacks from the press in the form of devastating articles.
Personal life of an opera artist
In his youth, Enrico was in love for a long time with the singer Ada Giachetti, with whom he was in a civil marriage. Despite such an ardent romance, the girl one day exchanged Caruso for a young driver, with whom she ran away. Caruso's constant companion was the devoted Dorothy, who bore his last name until the end of her days and always remained by her beloved's side.
Caruso's last game
Enrico Caruso, whose biography was nearing completion, sang his last role at the Metropolitan on December 24, 1920. During the performance, he felt very bad, he had a fever and an unbearable pain in his side. The singer courageously performed his parts, standing on stage confidently and firmly. The audience shouted: “Encore”, applauded furiously, not realizing what they were listening to last performance the great Italian tenor.
Enrico Caruso passed away on August 2, 1921; The cause of death was purulent pleurisy. He was buried in Naples, and in memory of him, a special candle of impressive size was made to commemorate his soul by order of American hospitals, shelters and boarding schools, to which the singer had repeatedly provided assistance. Every year it is lit in front of the face of the Holy Madonna, and only after 500 years (according to estimates) this wax giant will burn out to the end.
Caruso left behind about seven million (insane money at that time), estates in America and Italy, several houses in Europe and the United States, collections of antiques and rare coins, a large number of expensive suits, each of which was accompanied by a pair of patent leather shoes. But the most precious thing that remains after leaving the world famous singer, - This creative heritage, which has become a standard for many generations. One of the modern performers, tenor Nicola Martinucci, said that after listening to Caruso’s performance, you want to bang your head against the wall: “How can you sing after him?”
"He had the Legion of Honor and the English Victorian Order, the German Order of the Red Eagle and Golden medal on the ribbon of Frederick the Great, the order of an officer of the Italian Crown, the Belgian and Spanish orders, even a soldier's icon in a silver frame, which was called the Russian "Order of St. Nicholas", diamond cufflinks - a gift from the All-Russian Emperor, a gold box from the Duke of Vendôme, rubies and diamonds from the English king ... - writes A. Filippov. “They still talk about his tricks to this day.” One of the singers lost her lace pantaloons right during the aria, but managed to push them under the bed with her foot. She was not happy for long. Caruso picked up his pants, straightened them and presented them to the lady with a ceremonial bow... Auditorium burst out laughing. He came to the Spanish king for lunch with his pasta, assuring that it was much tastier, and invited the guests to try it. During a government reception, he congratulated the President of the United States with the words: “I am happy for you, Your Excellency, you are almost as famous as I am.” He knew only a few words in English, which was known to very few: thanks to his artistry and good pronunciation, he always easily got out of a difficult situation. Only once did ignorance of the language lead to a curiosity: the singer was informed about the sudden death of one of his acquaintances, to which Caruso beamed with a smile and joyfully exclaimed: “Wonderful, when you see him, say hello from me!”
He left behind about seven million (for the beginning of the century this is crazy money), estates in Italy and America, several houses in the United States and Europe, collections of rare coins and antiques, hundreds of expensive suits (each accompanied by a pair of patent leather boots).”
And here is what the Polish singer J. Wajda-Korolewicz, who performed with the brilliant singer, writes: “Enrico Caruso, an Italian born and raised in magical Naples, surrounded by marvelous nature, the Italian sky and the scorching sun, was very impressionable, impulsive and quick-tempered. The strength of his talent was made up of three main features: the first is a charming, hot, passionate voice that cannot be compared with any other. The beauty of its timbre did not lie in the evenness of the sound, but, on the contrary, in the richness and variety of colors. Caruso expressed all feelings and experiences with his voice - at times it seemed that the game and stage action unnecessary for him. The second feature of Caruso’s talent is the unlimited palette of feelings, emotions, and psychological nuances in singing; finally, the third feature is his enormous, spontaneous and subconscious dramatic talent. I write “subconscious” because his stage images were not the fruit of careful, painstaking work, were not refined and finished to the smallest details, but as if they were immediately born with his warm southern heart.”
Enrico Caruso was born on February 24, 1873 on the outskirts of Naples, in the San Giovaniello area, into a working-class family. “At the age of nine he began to sing, and with his sonorous, beautiful contralto he immediately attracted attention,” Caruso later recalled. His first performances took place near his home in the small church of San Giovaniello. Enrico graduated only primary school. In terms of musical training, he received the minimum required knowledge of music and singing, acquired from local teachers.
Already a teenager, Enrico entered the factory where his father worked. But he continued to sing, which, however, is not surprising for Italy. Caruso even took part in theatrical production- musical farce “The Robbers in Don Raffaele’s Garden.”
A. Filippov describes Caruso’s further path:
“In Italy at that time, 360 tenors of the first class were registered, 44 of whom were considered famous. Several hundred singers of lower rank were breathing down their necks. With such competition, Caruso had few prospects: it is quite possible that his lot would have remained life in the slums with a bunch of half-starved children and a career as a street soloist, walking around the audience with a hat in his hand. But here, as usually happens in novels, His Majesty Chance came to the rescue.
In the opera Francesco's Friend, staged by the music lover Morelli at his own expense, Caruso had the opportunity to play an elderly father (the son's part was sung by a sixty-year-old tenor). And everyone heard that “dad’s” voice was much more beautiful than that of “little son.” Enrico was immediately invited to join an Italian troupe going on tour to Cairo. There Caruso went through a tough " baptism of fire“(he happened to sing without knowing the role, attaching a sheet of text to his partner’s back) and for the first time earned decent money, having a great time with the dancers of a local variety show. Caruso returned to the hotel in the morning riding on a donkey, covered in mud: he fell into the Nile while drunk and miraculously escaped from a crocodile. The fun party was just the beginning " long way“, - while touring in Sicily, he went on stage half-drunk, instead of “fate” he sang “gulba” (in Italian they are also consonant), and this almost cost him his career.
In Livorno he sings “Pagliacci” by Leoncavallo - the first success, then an invitation to Milan and the role of a Russian count with a sonorous Slavic name Boris Ivanov in Giordano’s opera “Fedora” ... "
The critics' admiration knew no bounds: “One of the most beautiful tenors we have ever heard!” Milan welcomed a singer like no other in the opera capital of Italy.
On January 15, 1899, St. Petersburg first heard Caruso in La Traviata. Caruso, embarrassed and touched by the warm welcome, responding to numerous praises from Russian listeners, said: “Oh, don’t thank me - thank Verdi!” “Caruso was a wonderful Radames, who aroused everyone’s attention with his beautiful voice, thanks to which one can assume that this artist will soon become one of the first ranks of outstanding modern tenors,” wrote critic N.F. in his review. Soloviev.
From Russia, Caruso went overseas to Buenos Aires; then sings in Rome and Milan. After the stunning success at La Scala, where Caruso sang in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, even Arturo Toscanini, who was conducting the opera, very stingy with praise, could not resist and, hugging Caruso, said. "My God! If this Neapolitan continues to sing like this, he will make the whole world talk about himself!”
On the evening of November 23, 1903, Caruso made his debut in New York at the Metropolitan Theater. He sang in Rigoletto. Famous singer immediately and forever conquers the American public. The director of the theater was then Enri Ebey, who immediately signed a contract with Caruso for a whole year.
When Ferraran Giulio Gatti-Casazza later became director of the Metropolitan Theater, Caruso's fee began to grow steadily every year. As a result, he received so much that other theaters in the world could no longer compete with New Yorkers.
Commander Giulio Gatti-Casazza led the Metropolitan Theater for fifteen years. He was cunning and calculating. And if sometimes exclamations were heard that the fee of forty, fifty thousand lire for one performance was excessive, that no artist in the world had received such payment, then the director only chuckled.
“Caruso,” he said, “is worth the least as an impresario, so no fee can be excessive for him.”
And he was right. When Caruso participated in the play, the management increased ticket prices at its own discretion. There were dealers who bought tickets at any price, and then resold them at three, four and even ten times the price!
“In America, Caruso enjoyed constant success from the very beginning,” writes V. Tortorelli. “His influence on the public grew day by day. The chronicle of the Metropolitan Theater states that no other artist had such success here. The appearance of Caruso's name on posters was every time a big event in the city. It caused complications for the theater management: Big hall The theater could not accommodate everyone. It was necessary to open the theater two, three, or even four hours before the start of the performance so that the temperamental gallery audience could calmly take their seats. It ended with the theater opening at ten o’clock in the morning for evening performances with Caruso’s participation. Spectators with bags and baskets filled with provisions occupied the most comfortable seats. People came almost twelve hours in advance to hear the singer’s magical, enchanting voice (the performances then began at nine o’clock in the evening).”
Caruso was only employed at the Met during the season; at the end of it, he went to numerous other opera houses, which besieged him with invitations. Wherever the singer performed: in Cuba, Mexico City, Rio de Janeiro and Buffalo.
Let's say, from October 1912, Caruso made a grand tour of European cities: he sang in Hungary, Spain, France, England and Holland. In these countries, both in Northern and South America, he received an enthusiastic reception from joyful and reverent listeners.
Once Caruso sang in the opera “Carmen” on the stage of the Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. At the end of Jose's arioso, false notes sounded in the orchestra. They went unnoticed by the public, but did not escape the conductor. Having left the console, he, beside himself with rage, headed towards the orchestra members with the intention of reprimanding them. However, the conductor noticed that many of the orchestra's soloists were crying, and did not dare say a word. Confused, he returned to his place. And here are the impressions of the impresario about this performance, published in the New York weekly Folia:
“Until now, I believed that the rate of 35 thousand lire that Caruso requested for one evening performance was excessive, but now I am convinced that for such a completely unattainable artist no compensation will be excessive. Bring tears to the orchestra members! Think about it! After all, this is Orpheus!
Success came to Caruso not only thanks to magical voice. He knew the parts and his partners in the play well. This allowed him to better understand the work and the composer's intentions and live organically on stage. “In the theater I’m just a singer and an actor,” said Caruso, “but in order to show the public that I’m neither one nor the other, but a real character conceived by the composer, I have to think and feel exactly like the person he had in mind.” composer".
On December 24, 1920, Caruso performed in his six hundred and seventh, and his last, opera performance at the Metropolitan. The singer felt very bad: throughout the entire performance he experienced excruciating, piercing pain in his side, and he had a strong fever. Calling upon all his will to help, he sang the five acts of “The Cardinal’s Daughter.” Despite the severe illness, great artist stood firmly and confidently on stage. The Americans sitting in the hall, not knowing about his tragedy, applauded furiously and shouted “encore,” not suspecting that they had heard the last song of the conqueror of hearts.
Caruso went to Italy and courageously fought the disease, but on August 2, 1921, the singer died.
