On this date in 1903 the world's greatest tenor, Enrico Caruso, made his debut in America at the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City. On that night he sang the Duke in Rigoletto.
He was a god among singers, and still is to this day. He helped popularize the gramophone and recorded for the Victor Talking Machine Company (today, it's RCA). He died in 1921, probably of throat cancer. But to this day his family still receives over $1 million per year in royalties from his recordings.
Adriana Lecouvreur, Fedora and La Fanciulla del West were written for him. And he sang most of the great Italian opera roles during his lifetime.
His recording of George M. Cohan's "Over There" made millions for the World War I bond drive. Caruso donated all his proceeds from that recording. Here is that recording. He sings it in English and in French.
Remember, Caruso never used a microphone to record. All his recordings were made singing into a "horn".
He was a god among singers, and still is to this day. He helped popularize the gramophone and recorded for the Victor Talking Machine Company (today, it's RCA). He died in 1921, probably of throat cancer. But to this day his family still receives over $1 million per year in royalties from his recordings.
Adriana Lecouvreur, Fedora and La Fanciulla del West were written for him. And he sang most of the great Italian opera roles during his lifetime.
His recording of George M. Cohan's "Over There" made millions for the World War I bond drive. Caruso donated all his proceeds from that recording. Here is that recording. He sings it in English and in French.
Remember, Caruso never used a microphone to record. All his recordings were made singing into a "horn".
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