How Well Do You Know Enrico Caruso? Quiz

Answer: Errico

Caruso was born to an invalid mother and an alcoholic father and was one of only three of his siblings to survive infancy. Incidentally, the house of his birth and the church in which he was baptized next door still stand to this day.

Answer: His only shirt was in the wash

His only shirt was in the laundry that day. Caruso's family was so poor that he didn't get his first pair of shoes until he was 18, and he had to buy them using the money he made singing at an Italian resort.

Answer: The phonograph

Invented by Edison in 1877 and commercially available as early as 1878, the phonograph/gramophone, or, "the machine," is what launched Caruso's voice into thousands of households worldwide.

Answer: Red Seal

Recordings by Caruso and other great musicians of the time were produced on records marketed as "Red Seal" records. Because of his smooth tone and range, Caruso's records were often used by Victor to showcase product quality in demonstrations to customers, which further marketed his voice. Most people who owned a phonograph also owned at least one Caruso record!

Answer: Metropolitan Opera in New York City

Although he also performed at the others periodically, the answer is the Metropolitan Opera in New York City. Caruso debuted in 1903 and over the years, made more than 600 appearances in over 30 different productions. At the end of his reign, he distributed to his friends 24-carat gold coins stamped with his profile, as tokens of remembrance for his Metropolitan performances.

Answer: Banker

Pasquale Simonelli was an Italian immigrant to the US who, after brief stints as a teacher and librarian, developed not only a passion for opera but a successful banking career, before retiring to his native Naples where he lived out his life as a country gentleman.

Answer: Vecchia zimarra

"Vecchia zimarra" is a musical farewell to an old coat in Puccini's "La Bohčme", and the part was written for a basso (baritone). So how did Caruso, a tenor, come to record it? As the story goes, during a performance of the opera in Philadelphia, Segurola, the basso, was not feeling well, so Caruso offered to sing the part. Unbeknownst to the crowd, Segurola lip-synced the lyrics while Caruso actually sang the song. Since the performance was well-received by the audience, Caruso later recorded the song and made just enough copies to distribute to those that were involved.

The records were rare until the late 40's when a copy was found and used as a master to create more.

Answer: Naples

Although beloved by many people, not everyone was enamored with Caruso's voice and style, and he was sensitive to criticism. When he was booed by the audience after a performance at San Carlo, his home opera theater in Naples, he vowed to never return except to eat spaghetti!

Answer: Mario Lanza

Mario Lanza starred in "The Great Caruso" and due to his incredible voice and ability to mimic the mannerisms of his subject, the film was a great success and inspiration to other musicians such as Domingo and Carreras. Although popular, Lanza did not achieve Caruso's operatic success and passed away at the early age of 38.

Answer: Rear Window

The TV series "Six Feet Under" used "L'elisir d'amore" in the episode "A Private Life" (2001). The film "Match Point" used "Una furtiva lagrima", "Mal reggendo all'aspro assalto", "Mi par d'udir ancora", "Mia piccirella", and "O figli, o figli miei!" in 2005.

The film "The 'Burbs" featured "Questa o quella" in 1989. If you aren't already a Caruso fan and your appetite is whetted, you can hear some great clips on his Wikipedia site online. I hope you had as much fun taking, as I had making, this quiz!