Enrico Caruso was born at Naples, February 25th, 1873. His fondness for
music dates from his earliest childhood; and he spent much of his spare
money in attending the opera at San Carlo and hearing the foremost
singers of his time in many of the roles in which he appeared later on.
His actual study, however, did not start until he was eighteen, when he
came under the tuition of Guglielmo Vergine. In 1895 he made his debut
at the Teatro Cimarosa in _Caserta_. His first appearances drew
comparatively little attention to his work and his future greatness was
hardly suspected by many of those who heard him. However, by dint of
long application to his art he gained more and more recognition. In 1902
he made his debut in London. The following year he came to New York,
where the world's greatest singers had found an El Dorado for nearly a
quarter of a century. There he was at once proclaimed the greatest of
all tenors and from that time his success was undeviating. Indeed his
voice was so wonderful and so individual that it is difficult to compare
him with any of his great predecessors; Tamagno, Campanini, de Reszke
and others. In Europe and in America he was welcomed with acclaim and
the records of his voice are to be found in thousands of homes of music
lovers who have never come in touch with him in any other way. Signor
Caruso had a remarkable talent for drawing and for sculpture. His death,
August 2d, 1921, ended the career of the greatest male singer of
history.
[Illustration: ENRICO CARUSO.]