Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-02-16
CARUSO THE IDOL
OF OPERATIC WORLD

r,rico CariISo-tO whom all the
,-ssent generation turns as its operate
Eoj--was born in Naples about forty
sight wears ago. There is some un-
Certainty as to the exact date of his
birth, usually given as February 20,
is73. and conflicting stories cloud the
facts. Of his early boy yhood..
The noted tenor himself was the
frst TO deny vividly colorcd stories
which told touchingly. of his early
struggles in life and of his menial work
in public market to help support his
tamiIy, Caruso's father. according to
Ibe sons own statement, was orig.
i1alIy mechanic, but rose, step by
,ten. until he became superintendent
In cotton oil establishment. He was
sIways we'll able to support his fam.
ly.
Equally misleading, according to
raruso, are the stories Of stormy scenes
With his father over his desire to
become q singer, and his leaving home
at the age of fifteen.
His first singing was done in church
choir and while he was employed in
iog the day. q His reputation spread
until he was sought after in neigh
boring cities to sing at religious festi.
vals and in larger churches. His first
Zee was ten lire (S2) q service.
Following a required term Of serv-
Ire in the army. and spurred on by the
Glowing praises Of his teachers and
friends Caruso went to Caserta for n
season of opera which resulted in a
steady stream of successes.
All the capitals Of Europe. famous
for their opera companies and their
musical traditions. became known to
This young tenor, From Italy he went
10 Egypt and from Egypt to Paris.
thence to Berlin, Argentina, Rio
Janeiro. and finally to Covent Garden,
London. BY this time, Enrico Caruso,
the choir boy of Naples, was world
famous. To his original role in
"Cavalleria RuStiCana," he added re
narkable repertoire which includes the
works of authors old and new, and
Of many nationalities.
He first swung into the American
horizon on November %. 1903, on the
opening night of the opera season in
New York. The opera was "Rigoletto'
and Caruso's associates were Nine.
Sembrich and Signor Scott. The met
ropoltan critics were. loud in their
praises, and equally kind as the sea =
one after the other. in the roles of
Rhadamps in Aida" CavaradosSi in
"Tosca," Canio in "Pagliacci, one Of
his most famous characters, and Ro.
dofo in LA BohPme.
During the seasons Of 1904 -05.
1905 1N06-0T and 1907 -0S. the now
universally popular tenor added other
roles which now are 30 closely nsso-
ciated with his name. including those
in "L'Elisir d'Amorc," "Gioconda, ,"
Lucia, 'Traviata" and Madame
Butterfly" with Miss Farrar in the
title role of the latter, and Signor
CaruSo as Pinkerton.
Since that time the career of the
famous tenor has been public property.
Year after year, he was the leading
attraction Mt the Metropolitan Opera
House in New York city, and in Phila-
delphia. or Boston, or wherever he
chanccd to 60. His ecccntricities, which
were not as numerous or as objection
able uS those of many artists, have
been common property, his life, pub
lic and private, an open book for the
American public's eyes.
CaruSo has remained in New York
the place he called the greatest opera
city in the world" several years ago,
ever since he made his debut there in
1908 save for short trips and tours
10 Havana, South America or the Con-
tnCnt
Love affairs have been numerous in
the life Of the tenor, some of them in
Italy, others in this country, but his
marriage in the summer of 1919 to
Miss Dorothy Park Benjamin. daugh-
ter Of an old New York family. came
as the climax. lie has been, to all
intents and purposes. very happy in
his new life, and the birth of daugh-
fer, Gloria. was welcomed by Caruso as
the browning event Of his life.
Beloved Of his fellow artists, despite
his occasional but famous spats, such
as the one that made the musical world
laugh heartily when he and Geraldine
Farrar differed on the playing of Car
men, the greatest Of modern tenors
possesses to an equal degree the af-
fection and esteem of the public which
uockS in streams to hear him sing and
loves nothing better than to pay him the