Biography of Enrico Caruso. Enrico Caruso: biography, interesting facts, photo Caruso biography

"He had the Order of the Legion of Honor and the English Victorian Order, the German Order of the Red Eagle and a gold 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 salary, which was called the Russian "Order of St. Nicholas", diamond cufflinks - a gift from the Emperor of All Russia, a gold box from the Duke of Vendôme, rubies and diamonds from the English king ... - writes A. Filippov. - They still talk about his tricks. One of the singers lost her lace pantaloons right during the aria, but managed to stuff them foot under the bed. She did not rejoice for long. Caruso lifted his pants, straightened them and with a ceremonial bow brought the lady ... The auditorium exploded with laughter. For dinner, he came to the Spanish king with his pasta, assuring that they were much tastier, and invited the guests to taste. 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." In English, he knew only a few words, 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 of the sudden death of one of his acquaintances, to which Caruso beamed with a smile and joyfully exclaimed: “It’s great, when you see him, say hello from me!”

He left behind about seven million (for the beginning of the century this is insane money), estates in Italy and America, several houses in the United States and Europe, collections of the rarest coins and antiques, hundreds of expensive suits (each was accompanied by a pair of lacquered boots).

And here is what the Polish singer J. Vaida-Korolevich, who performed with a brilliant singer, writes: “Enrico Caruso, an Italian born and raised in magical Naples, surrounded by wondrous 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 bewitching hot, passionate voice that cannot be compared with any other. The beauty of his timbre was not 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 redundant for him. The second feature of Caruso's talent is a palette of feelings, emotions, psychological nuances in singing, boundless in its richness; finally, the third feature is his huge, spontaneous and subconscious dramatic talent. I write "subliminal" because his stage images were not the result of careful, painstaking work, have not been refined and finished to the smallest details, but as if they were immediately born with his hot southern heart.

Enrico Caruso was born on February 24, 1873 on the outskirts of Naples, in the San Giovanello area, in a working class family. “From the age of nine, he began to sing, with his sonorous, beautiful contralto immediately attracted attention,” Caruso later recalled. His first performances took place close to home in the small church of San Giovanello. He graduated from Enrico only primary school. With regard to musical training, he received the minimum necessary knowledge in the field of music and singing, acquired from local teachers.

As 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 theater production- musical farce "Robbers in the garden of Don Raffaele".

The further path of Caruso is described by A. Filippov:

“In Italy at that time, 360 tenors of the first class were registered, 44 of which were considered famous. Several hundred singers of lower rank breathed into the back of their heads. With such competition, Caruso had few prospects: it is quite possible that life in the slums with a bunch of half-starved children and the career of a street soloist, with a hat in his hand going around the listeners.But then, as is usually the case in novels, His Majesty Chance came to the rescue.

In the opera The Friend of Francesco, staged by the music lover Morelli at his own expense, Caruso had a chance to play an elderly father (a sixty-year-old tenor sang the part of his son). And everyone heard that the voice of the "dad" is much more beautiful than that of the "son". Enrico was immediately invited to the Italian troupe, going on tour to Cairo. There Caruso went hard baptism of fire”(He happened to sing without knowing the role, attaching a sheet of text to the back of his partner) and for the first time earned decent money, famously skipping them with the dancers of the local variety show. Caruso returned to the hotel in the morning riding on a donkey, covered in mud: drunk, he fell into the Nile and miraculously escaped from a crocodile. The merry feast was just the beginning big 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 Leoncavallo's "Clowns" - 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 admiration of critics knew no bounds: "One of the finest tenors we have ever heard!" Milan welcomed a singer who was not yet known in opera capital Italy.

On January 15, 1899, Petersburg already heard Caruso for the first time in La Traviata. Caruso, embarrassed and touched by the warm reception, responding to the numerous praises of Russian listeners, said: “Oh, don’t thank me - thank Verdi!” “Caruso was a wonderful Radamès, who aroused everyone's attention with his beautiful voice, thanks to which one can assume that this artist will soon be in the first row of outstanding modern tenors,” critic N.F. wrote in his review. Solovyov.

From Russia, Caruso went overseas to Buenos Aires; then sings in Rome and Milan. After a stunning success at La Scala, where Caruso sang in Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore, even Arturo Toscanini, who was very stingy with praise, conducted the opera, could not stand it and, embracing Caruso, said. "My God! If this Neapolitan continues to sing like that, he will make the whole world talk about him!”

On the evening of November 23, 1903, Caruso made his New York debut at the Metropolitan Theatre. He sang in Rigoletto. famous singer conquers the American public immediately and forever. The director of the theater was then Enri Ebey, who immediately signed a contract with Caruso for a whole year.

When Giulio Gatti-Casazza from Ferrara later became the 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 directed the Metropolitan Theater for fifteen years. He was cunning and prudent. And if sometimes there were exclamations that a fee of forty, fifty thousand lire for one performance was excessive, that not a single artist in the world received such a fee, then the director only chuckled.

“Caruso,” he said, “is the impresario the least, so no fee can be excessive for him.”

And he was right. When Caruso participated in the performance, the directorate increased ticket prices at their discretion. Traders appeared who bought tickets at any price, and then resold them for three, four and even ten times more!

“In America, Caruso was always successful 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: the large hall of 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 audience of the gallery would calmly take their seats. It ended with the fact that the theater for evening performances with the participation of Caruso began to open at ten o'clock in the morning. Spectators with handbags and baskets filled with provisions occupied the most convenient places. Almost twelve hours before, people came to hear the singer's magical, bewitching voice (performances started then at nine o'clock in the evening).

Caruso was busy with the Met only during the season; at the end of it, he traveled to numerous other opera houses, which besieged him with invitations. Where only the singer did not perform: in Cuba, in Mexico City, in Rio de Janeiro and Buffalo.

For example, since October 1912, Caruso made a grandiose tour of the cities of Europe: he sang in Hungary, Spain, France, England and Holland. In these countries, as in North and South America, he was awaited by an enthusiastic reception of joyful and tremulous listeners.

Once Caruso sang in the opera "Carmen" on the stage of the theater "Colon" in Buenos Aires. At the end of Jose's arioso, false notes sounded in the orchestra. They remained unnoticed by the public, but did not escape the conductor. Leaving the console, he, beside himself with rage, went to the orchestra with the intention of reprimanding. However, the conductor noticed that many soloists of the orchestra were crying, and did not dare to say a word. Embarrassed, he returned to his seat. And here are the impressions of the impresario about this performance, published in the New York weekly Follia:

“Until now, I thought that the rate of 35,000 lire that Caruso requested for one evening performance was excessive, but now I am convinced that for such a completely unattainable artist, no compensation would be excessive. Bring tears to the musicians! Think about it! It's Orpheus!

Success came to Caruso not only thanks to his magical voice. He knew the parties and his partners in the play well. This allowed him to better understand the work and intentions of the composer and to live organically on stage. “In the theater I’m just a singer and actor,” said Caruso, “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 I had in mind composer".

December 24, 1920 Caruso performed in the six hundred and seventh, and his last, opera performance at the Metropolitan. The singer felt very bad: during the whole performance he experienced excruciating, piercing pain in his side, he was very feverish. Calling on all his will to help, he sang the five acts of The Cardinal's Daughter. Despite the cruel illness, the great artist kept on stage firmly and confidently. The Americans sitting in the hall, not knowing about his tragedy, applauded furiously, shouted "encore", not suspecting that they had heard last song conqueror of hearts.

Caruso went to Italy and courageously fought the disease, but on August 2, 1921, the singer died.

- Not only 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 prankster

amazing voice, legendary person- Enrico Caruso is known to the public as an unsurpassed genius, but the singer's contemporaries also knew him as a person with a great sense of humor. And he showed it sometimes right on stage. Until now, they remember the case: one of the singers accidentally lost her lace pantaloons during the performance of the part. But no one noticed this, because the girl managed to shove them under the table with her foot. Nobody but Caruso. He slowly walked up to the table, picked up his trousers and, with an air of importance, offered them to the singer.

His dismissive attitude towards politicians is also known. So, at a meeting with the Spanish king at his residence, Caruso came with his pasta, assuring that they were tastier than royal ones. Until now, his famous address to the American president is quoted - "Mr. President, you are almost as famous as I am."

Tenor Disaster

Enrico Caruso several times became a witness and sometimes a participant in disasters. 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 a fright 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 his shoulders and said: "I told you that the irreparable would happen if I hit the top note." A few more times, the singer’s life was in danger: once, right during the performance, there was an explosion in the theater, after that robbers entered Caruso’s mansion, and the singer was blackmailed by scammers, extorting a large sum money.

Enrico Caruso. Photo: www.globallookpress.com

Electoral professional

Caruso was one of the first opera singers began to record 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 "Pack". It is also known that Caruso was extremely sensitive to the compositions and preferred to perform all parts in the original language. He believed that no translation could convey to the audience all the ideas of the composer.

bad actor

Despite the impeccable voice that the whole world admired, Caruso was often reproached for his lack of acting skills. The press and envious people especially tried. But the phrase that once said Fyodor Chaliapin silenced all the haters: "For those notes, that cantilena, that phrasing that a great singer possesses, 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 performance: 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.

His last performance, the 607th in a row, Caruso played already seriously ill. He endured all the painful 5 acts of the opera, after which he finally fell ill. The audience shouted "Bis", not knowing that they had heard the famous tenor for the last time.

Enrico Caruso, whose biography excites the minds of many generations, - great name which is known all over the world.

Born and raised in Naples, surrounded by the scorching sun, blue sky and marvelous nature, the opera performer enchanted the whole world with his hot, passionate vocals - an example of an ideal musical art, which cannot be confused with anyone else. The impressionable, impulsive and quick-tempered Enrico Caruso, a biography whose photos are of genuine interest to admirers of his work, expressed all his feelings and experiences with a timbre, the charm of which was in the diversity 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: a short biography

Enrico was born in 1873 in the San Giovanello area on the outskirts of Naples. His parents Marcello and Anna Maria Caruso were generous and open people, although rather poor. The boy grew up in an industrial area, lived in a two-story house and sang in the local church choir from childhood. His education was limited to elementary school. Later, after the sudden death of his mother, his singing talent had to be used to earn money: with his compositions, Enrico was quite long time performed on the streets of Naples.

One of these concerts became fateful: the talented young man was noticed and invited to audition by the teacher of the vocal school Guglielmo Vergine. Soon Enrico began to study music seriously with the famous teacher and conductor Vincenzo Lombardi, who later organized debut concerts young performer in restaurants and bars of the resort towns of Naples. Gradually Enrico gained popularity. His concerts were always attended by a large number of people, and after the performances famous representatives Italian culture and offered the singer cooperation.

Incredible takeoff

About Enrico Caruso, whose biography is similar to an incredible rise, as an accomplished star of the Italian stage, they started talking when he, a 24-year-old talent, performed O sole Mio - the part of Enzo from the opera Gioconda. Such a triumphant success served as the beginning of the first foreign tour in my life, and it took place in distant Russia.

Principal Soloist of the Metropolitan Opera

Performances with his participation were held with incredible success, but the truly inimitable and magical concerts of Enrico Caruso, whose biography is presented in the article, became 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 on the posters of the name of Enrico Caruso each time became a grandiose event in the city. Big hall The theater was not able to accommodate a huge number of applicants. It had to be opened 3-4 hours before the start of the performance, so that the temperamental audience could safely take their seats. When Caruso performed, the theater management significantly increased ticket prices, and the horse dealers, who bought them at any price, then resold them several times more expensive.

Demand for Caruso

Enrico Caruso, whose biography is being studied with interest modern generation, preferred to perform operatic works only in the language of the original, because he believed that no translation could convey to the viewer all the ideas of the composer. He was very fond of operas by French authors.

Any operatic works, mostly of a dramatic and lyrical nature, were easy for 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 the voice of Caruso, considered him a messenger of God. Partners who happened to perform on stage with the Italian tenor were completely delighted with him. Curiosity is the fact that Enrico did not have acting skills at all, for which he was repeatedly reproached by envious people and pedants. But the singer was engaged in writing his own works: "Sweet torments", "Old times", "Serenade".

First gramophone recordings with Caruso's voice

What caused the worldwide popularity of Enrico Caruso? Biography, Interesting Facts confirm that the Italian was one of the first performers of the world scene to decide to record his performances on gramophone records: approximately 500 discs with more than 200 original works. Recordings with the operas "Pagliac" and "Laugh, clown!" sold out in millions of copies. Perhaps it was 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 cartoonist and knew how to play on many musical instruments, became a legend vocal art and remains a role model for many to this day. contemporary performers. He regularly worked on the absolute mastery of the vocal apparatus and the expansion of breathing control, he could beautifully take high note and keep it for a long time, which was not possible in his younger years.

Caruso's success was not only in his magical voice. He perfectly knew the parts of his stage partners, which allowed the tenor to better understand the work and the composer's intention 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 imperceptibly managed to shove them under the bed with her foot. Enrico, who saw her trick, picked up her panties, then carefully straightened them and handed them to the lady with a ceremonial bow, which caused an uncontrollable fit of laughter. auditorium. Invited to the Spanish king for dinner Opera singer came with his pasta, believing that it was much tastier, and offered the brought treat to the guests.

In English, Caruso knew only a few words, but this did not bother him at all. Thanks to his good pronunciation and artistry, he always easily got out of a difficult situation. Only once did poor knowledge of the language lead to a curious case: Caruso was told about sudden death one of his acquaintances, to which the singer joyfully exclaimed: “Great! Say hello for 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 dollars. From the side of the press there were constant attacks in the form of devastating articles.

The personal life of an opera artist

In his youth, Enrico was in love with the singer Ada Giachetti for a long time, with whom he was in a civil marriage. Despite such a passionate 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 until the end of her days bore his last name and always remained near her beloved.

Caruso's last game

Caruso Enrico, whose biography was nearing completion, sang his last part in the Metropolitan on December 24, 1920. During the performance, he felt very unwell, he was in a fever, and his side hurt unbearably. The singer courageously performed his parts, holding on to the stage confidently and firmly. The audience shouted: "Bis", applauded furiously, not realizing that they were listening to the last performance of the great Italian tenor.

Enrico Caruso died on August 2, 1921; The cause of death was purulent pleurisy. They buried him in Naples, and in memory of him, for the remembrance of the soul, by order of American hospitals, shelters and boarding schools, to which the singer repeatedly provided assistance, a special candle of impressive size was made. Every year it is lit in front of the face of the holy Madonna, and only after 500 years (according to estimates) will this wax giant burn out to the end.

Caruso left behind about seven million (mad 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 left after leaving the world famous singer, - This creative heritage which has become the standard for many generations. One of the modern performers - tenor Nicola Martinucci - said that after listening to Caruso's performance, you want to beat your head against the wall: "How can you even sing after it?"

Enrico Caruso is an Italian operatic tenor who successfully performed at the best theater venues in Europe and America with a repertoire ranging from lyrical songs to dramatic arias. During his life, the singer released about 260 recordings made from 1902 to 1920, which covered most of his stage career and currently continue to be popular.

Childhood and youth

Enrico Caruso was born on February 25, 1873 in Naples, Italy into a poor family. He was the third son of parents with many children to survive infancy. In the memoirs dedicated to the life of the singer, there was an interesting fact, according to which his mother gave birth to 21 children - 20 boys and 1 girl. This legend, voiced by the tenor's widow and some of his friends, was subsequently refuted by biographers and researchers.

Caruso's father, who worked as a mechanic and foundry worker, believed that his son should continue the profession. At the age of 11, Enrico was apprenticed to an engineer who built city fountains and involved the boy in this process.

At the urging of his mother, Caruso attended school and received basic education under the care of a local priest. He learned to draw letters and numbers beautifully, studied technical drawing and began to sing in the church choir. The boy's voice was so good that he and those around him thought that he should have left design and construction and started musical career.

Enrico's mother supported her son's desire for creativity. After her death in 1888, Caruso found work as a street singer in Naples, and to earn money to support his family, he began performing at local cafes and parties.

In his youth, the tenor gave concerts in Italian resorts, which brought in a good income. He completed a mandatory military training course, after which he established himself in the idea that music was the only thing he wanted to do.

Music

In the spring of 1895, Caruso made his debut on the stage of the Teatro Nuovo of Naples in an amateur opera by the composer Mario Morelli called Amico Francesco. This was followed by a series of performances at provincial concert venues, combined with vocal lessons that Enrico took from the conductor Vincenzo Lombardi.

There was not enough money to live on, as evidenced by the appearance of the singer in an 1896 publicity photo in a bedspread draped like a toga, since the only shirt was in the wash. At an early stage creative biography tenor during one of the concerts in Naples, Caruso was booed because he did not pay the clackers. This incident touched the singer to the core, and he vowed never to perform in his homeland again.

In 1900, a breakthrough came in Enrico's career. He signed a contract with the famous Italian opera house La Scala and on December 26 made his debut as Rodolfo in the composer's La bohème. Caruso toured with a theater troupe in European and American capitals, sang for a high-ranking audience, including the Russian tsar, who came to listen to the performance of the Italians on stage Mariinsky Theater in St. Petersburg.

Enrico's first major role was as Loris in Umberto Giordano's Fedora, which he first performed at Milan's Teatro Lirico in 1898. He then took part in grand concert on the stage of "La Scala", dedicated to the memory of the composer. The other participants in the performance were the presenters Italian tenors Francesco Tamagno and Giuseppe Borgatti.

At the end of his contract with the theater in 1902, Caruso was hired to record records, offering a fee of £100. 10 discs quickly became bestsellers and helped young singer become famous in the English-speaking world. As a result, the management of the London Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, engaged Enrique for a season of performances in 8 operas, among which were Aida by Giuseppe Verdi and Don Giovanni.

Caruso's debut at Covent Garden took place in mid-May 1902 as Mattui in a production of Rigoletto. His partner was the highest paid opera diva Nellie Melba, who praised the voice of Enrique, but considered him a less refined musician than the great tenor of the time, Jean de Reske.

After spending the 1902 theatrical season in London, Caruso moved to New York and signed a contract with the famous Metropolitan Opera. At the same time, Pasquale Simonelli, who became an agent, banker and impresario of the tenor, arranged for Enrique to collaborate with the Victor Talking Machine record company for the rest of his life. In February 1904, the 1st collection of songs was released, which brought the performer a good income. "Santa Lucia" was also recorded there, one of the most famous songs from the repertoire of the great tenor.

Enrico Caruso performs the song "Santa Lucia"

In addition to regular engagements in New York, Caruso gave solo concerts in American and European cities. He toured Europe before the outbreak of the First World War, returning to the Covent Garden stage on numerous occasions on a British tour. In 1906, during a tour of the Metropolitan Opera in San Francisco, Enrique was at the epicenter of an earthquake. Fortunately, he and his colleagues were not injured, but the theater lost a significant part of the costumes, props and scenery.

IN mature years the timbre of Caruso's voice became lower, and he moved from lyrics to the performance of heroic opera parts. The singer toured the countries South America- Argentina, Uruguay and Brazil, gave a concert in Mexico City, he received $ 10 thousand for the only performance in Cuba in 1920. In September 1920, Caruso completed the studio recording, which became the last of his life.

Personal life

In 1904, Caruso purchased a luxurious villa in Italy, not far from Florence. There he rested in between performances. In New York, the singer lived in a suite at the Manhattan Knickerbocker Hotel. Having finished with financial difficulties, Enrico ordered from the famous jewelers of Tiffany & Co. gold medal, decorated with his own profile, which he gave to his agent and friend Pasquale Simonelli.

An unpleasant incident happened to Caruso in 1906. He was charged with indecency for pinching a married lady at the New York Zoo. The tenor blamed a nearby monkey in a cage, but was still arrested and fined $10. This situation almost put an end to the singer's career, but thanks to extraordinary voice and talent he managed to keep the love and devotion of the public.

Prior to the outbreak of the First World War, Caruso had a connection with the Italian opera singer Ada Giacetti, who was married to the manufacturer Gino Botti. During their relationship, the woman bore Enrico four children, of whom two died in infancy. The diva left her husband and settled in the house of the famous tenor, but did not become his wife. 11 years after the beginning of the novel, the couple broke up, and Ada tried to get a significant part of Caruso's fortune through the courts.

In 1918, Enrique arranged a private life by marrying a young socialite Dorothy Park Benjamin. A year later, the couple had a daughter, Gloria. During the tour, the husband and wife exchanged romantic letters, some of which were included in the memoirs written by Dorothy after Caruso's death. Their relationship is dedicated to the musical film "The Great Caruso", filmed by American director Richard Trope in 1951. The role of the tenor was played by an actor and singer.

Death

A sedentary lifestyle and a passion for smoking strong Egyptian cigars weakened Caruso's health. By 1920, his health left much to be desired. In addition, during one of the concerts, the scenery fell on Enrique, knocking off the singer's left kidney and injuring his back. After this incident, the tenor was diagnosed with intercostal neuralgia and acute bronchitis.

After some time, Caruso began to bleed from his throat, and the singer canceled a number of performances. In 1921, purulent pleurisy and empyema were added to the list of diseases found in the singer. He underwent 7 operations to pump fluid from the chest cavity and lungs, after which there was a temporary relief.

In the summer of 1921, Enrique suffered from unbearable pain in his side, after being examined by a local Neapolitan doctor, his health deteriorated sharply. After consultation with Roman surgeons, it was decided to remove the singer's left kidney.

Caruso stayed at the Vesuvio Hotel in Naples on his way to the capital's clinic in early August 1921. Suffering from insomnia, he took morphine and went to rest. The tenor did not survive the night, he was found dead on August 2, 1921. The doctors considered the probable cause of death to be peritonitis, which arose against the background of a subdiaphragmatic abscess.

Farewell to the great Italian and his work took place in the Royal Basilica of the Church of San Francesco di Paola. His embalmed body was preserved in a glass sarcophagus in the Neapolitan cemetery of Del Pianto. About 15 years later, Caruso's coffin was closed and the grave was decorated with the image of a mourner.

Luciano Pavarotti sings the song "In Memory of Caruso"

last days Enrique's life is dedicated to the song "In Memory of Caruso", most famously performed.

Repertoire

• Musica proibita
• La donna e moblie
• O sole mio
• Torna a surriento
• Santa Lucia
• Musica proibita
• Amor ti vieta
• Oh soave fanciulla
• Siciliana
• A vucchella

Personal life of Enrico Caruso

Enrico Caruso is still considered one of the most talented and popular opera singers ever known. music world. There was a lot in his short and bright life: a semi-impoverished childhood, and phenomenal popularity, millions of dollars in his account and bomb explosions at performances, spectators crying with happiness and joy, and devastating articles in the press ...

And in his life there were two women - in different time they gave him a family and children. They gave him inspiration.

Enrico Caruso was born on February 25, 1873 in a poor industrial area of ​​Naples, in a large family. Father, Marcello Caruso, was a worker, mother, Anna Maria, was a housewife. Enrico realized as a child that he had a truly "golden" voice. True, his school singing teacher claimed that he was completely devoid of both hearing and voice.

Enrico, who did not agree with her, made a living by singing songs on the streets and in the cafes of Naples, in order to somehow help his family, who did not live richly at all. After graduating from only three classes, he dropped out of school, sang in the church choir and earned money by serenading beloved rich parishioners.

The marvelous voice of an 18-year-old Italian boy was accidentally heard by singer Edoardo Missiano - and this incident became for young Enrico a kind smile of Lady Luck. Six years later, after hard work with various singing teachers and debuts in the theaters of Naples and Palermo, Enrico Caruso was offered to perform on the stage of the famous La Scala theater in Milan. The performance ended with a long standing ovation from the audience, and inspired Caruso went on his first tour - to Russia.

Enrico Caruso had a voice that left no one indifferent. Many prominent composers of the time dreamed of working with Caruso. Giacomo Puccini, hearing the singer's voice for the first time, called him "a messenger of God"!

Short, stocky, with a broad chest and a large, comically bulging mustache, Caruso bewitching magic his voice made an irresistible impression on women. Being a "violent Neapolitan", Caruso very quickly "flared up" - short stories he had many passions, including very scandalous ones.

But was in the life of Caruso and real love. True and tragic in many ways.

On his first tour - Russian - Caruso performed with opera singer Ada Giachetti, and they immediately had a stormy romance. And I must say that, despite the abundance of love affairs, Enrico was very serious about choosing a candidate who could take his place. official wife. And when it seemed to him that Ada could occupy him, he did not even allow himself to think about any flirting on the side! Officially, they never married, although they lived together for 11 years and Ada bore him sons - Rodolfo and Enrico Jr.

But what a family! Being ten years older than Enrico, having more stage experience and not only graduating from school, Ada managed to give Enrico a lot - both in the development of artistry and in filling gaps (more precisely, one continuous gap) in education). But all this happened in the "peaceful" periods of the existence of two "fiery" Italians.

Both are quick-tempered, with well-trained voices - their loud quarrels were listened to with interest by neighbors throughout the district. Living together their was marked by numerous scandals and mutual accusations of adultery. Enrico looked through his fingers at his amorous adventures, but anything could become a reason for his jealousy. Moreover, Ada, apparently, allowed herself to give quite serious reasons. In the end, Ada still left Caruso, running away from him with a young driver who served them!

Caruso was in shock and suffered a nervous illness, but, despite the humiliation he experienced, he continued to love Ada to the point of madness. As one would expect from a "violent Neapolitan", a frenzy of love was followed by a frenzy of revenge. Trying to annoy the unfaithful fugitive, Caruso started a short but stormy affair with her younger sister Rina. When even such tactics did not force Ada to return to the family, Caruso surrounded himself with a crowd of enthusiastic admirers, many of whom became his mistresses. But he only achieved that Ada sued him, demanding that he return the jewels “stolen” from her. True, the case did not reach the court, prudence on both sides prevailed: Caruso offered Ada a regular payment of a certain amount of money, and she “favorably” accepted this offer.

Memories of the time spent with Ada remained an unhealed wound for him. Disappointed in love and lost faith in family happiness, Caruso turned his life into the enjoyment of wealth. He spent a fortune to surround himself with luxury, and never denied himself anything. A heavy smoker, he smoked two packs of cigarettes a day, risking losing his unique voice in the process. ON tour in Berlin, by order of the theater management, a fireman followed him everywhere with a bucket of water, extinguishing cigarette butts scattered by the great tenor.

But, having become a rich man, Caruso did not become greedy and never refused to help anyone, he donated a lot to charity. In this field, he has no equal among artists: during the years of the First World War, the artist brought $ 21 million to the Red Cross alone with his performances!

In early 1918, shortly before his 45th birthday, Caruso's life changed dramatically - he met his truly beautiful love in the face of a young American woman, Dorothy Benjamin. Fate brought them together at the christening of the son of Fernando Tanara, a former teacher of Caruso. Dorothy came from a well-known aristocratic family in America. Her grandfather was a newspaper magnate, friends with Edgar Allan Poe and Henry Longfellow. When Caruso first visited her family, he realized that Dorothy was exactly the one he had been looking for for so long. The girl was well educated, had nothing to do with the world of music, and in communication she was modest and balanced. Meeting her radically changed the life of the great tenor. Dorothy became the subject of his passionate adoration and tender care, and on August 21, 1918, the lovers got married.

Having experienced many stormy novels, Caruso wanted simple and warm family relations. He was not mistaken in his choice - Dorothy lived up to his expectations. And he poured out on her all the unspent tenderness accumulated over the years.

At 46, Caruso became the father of a daughter, whom he named Gloria and who, like his wife, filled up with a huge number of gifts. Caruso just went crazy with happiness, because he finally had everything he had been striving for all his life: faithful and loving wife and now my beloved daughter.

Alas, their happiness was short-lived ... For only three years he was loving husband and only two years - a happy father. On August 2, 1921, Enrico Caruso died. But, as Dorothy wrote in her book of memoirs, these three years of happiness are equal to another thirty years of ordinary human life!

The singer began to be tormented by severe attacks of headache, then purulent pleurisy was added. On the last tour, Enrico, with difficulty overcoming a sore throat, nevertheless managed to brilliantly perform his part in the first act, without letting go of the bloody towel with which he constantly wet his lips. The dumbfounded audience watched him in horror, shouts were heard: “Stop the performance! Stop Caruso!

Enrico Caruso was buried in Naples, in a specially erected chapel in the Pianto cemetery. By the way, if you are interested in where to go today, visit moow.life