Enrico Caruso, His Career in Roles February 02 2021
An operatic life in pictures
Enrico Caruso (February 25, 1873 – August 2, 1921) was an Italian operatic tenor. He sang to great acclaim at the major opera houses of Europe and the Americas, appearing in a wide variety of roles from the Italian and French repertoires that ranged from the lyric to the dramatic. Caruso also made approximately 290 commercially released recordings from 1902 to 1920. All of these recordings, which span most of his stage career, are available today on CDs and as digital downloads.
1 Caruso´s Career Starts
After his debut in 1895 in Naples, Italy, star tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921) performed in 61 roles in 24 years.
This is a summary of his fantastic international career, shown in 49 photo-slides
2 - In the title role in Faust (Gounod)
After his debut in “L´Amico Francesco” in 1895, Faust was his first important role (Caserta, 1895)
3 - As Turiddu, in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni)
He debuted on this role also in Caserta in 1895
4 - As Turiddu, in Cavalleria Rusticana (Mascagni)
5 - A playbill from 1901 announcing a performance of Rigoletto (Verdi) in Bologna
He had debuted on this role in Napoli, 1895. By 1901, his reputation as a tenor was alredy well established
6 - Enrico Caruso as the Duke of Mantua in Rigoletto
This was the role of his debut at the Metropolitan Opera in 1903.
7 - Playbill announcing Caruso´s first performance ever at the Met Opera
Opening night season 1903-1904, Caruso singing with Marcella Sembrich and Antonio Scotti in the cast
8- As the Duke of Mantua, Met Opera (New York), season 1903-04
His debut role at the Met Opera
9 - Caruso in Carmen
As Don Jose, a role he performed at numerous times at the Metropolitan Opera in New York. Here shown is a photograph of him as Don Jose, by Hermann Mishkin.
10 - As Edgardo in Lucia di Lammermoor (Donizetti)
He debuted on this role in Cairo (Egypt) in 1895
11 - Playbill announcing Caruso in La Gioconda (Ponchielli), 1897
Performed in this opera for the first time in Cairo, Egypt, in 1895. Opera impresario Lombardi was also his teacher
12 - Caruso as Enzo in La Gioconda
A photo from later in his career.
13 - As Arturo, in I Puritani (Bellini)
His debut in this opera was in 1896 in Salerno, Italy
14 - As Fernando, in La Favorita (Donizetti) at Teatro Mercadante, Napoli
Debuted in this role in Salerno, 1896
15 - With baritone Enrico Piganataro, probably in “A San Francisco” (Sebastiani)
Debuted on this opera in 1896 in Salerno – Rare photo, from around that time
16 - As Don Jose in Carmen, Met Opera
A role he performed at the Met Opera 32 times between 1906 and 1919.
17 - As Rodolfo, in La Boheme (Puccini) in St. Petersburg, Russia, 1898 – His debut role there
Debuted in this role in Livorno, 1897
18 - Also as Rodolfo in La Boheme
A later photo, at the Metropolitan Opera (New York)
19 - As Canio, in Pagliacci – His signature role
Caruso debuted on this role in Milan, 1897 – later, it became his most famous role
20 - In Pagliacci, at the Met Opera
Starting in 1903 and for the next 17 years, Caruso performed 116 times in this opera at the Metropolitan Opera in New York
21 - As Marcello, the paiter, in La Boheme (Leoncavallo)
Caruso performed on this role for the first time in Genova, 1898
22 - As Nadir
, in Le Pecheurs de Perles (The Pearl Fishers) by Bizet
Caruso´s debut in this role at Teatro Carlo Felice in Genova, 1898 – Shown with Giuseppe de Luca as Zurga
23 - Also as Nadir, in The Pearl Fishers (Bizet)
A later photo in this opera, at the Metropolitan Opera. Shown with Giuseppe de Luca, Frieda Hempel and Leon Rothier
24 - 
As Faust in Mefistofele (by Arrigo Boito)
Caruso debuted in this role in Fiume, 1898
25 - Self caricature with Umberto Giordano (right), composer of “Fedora”
Caruso created the role of Loris Ipanov in the world premiere of “Fedora”, conducted by the composer at La Scala, Milan, 1898.
26 - As Osaka, in Iris (by Pietro Mascagni)
Caruso debuted in this role in Buenos Aires, 1899
27 - As Radames in Aida (Verdi) at the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Caruso debuted in this role in 1900 in St. Petersburg, Russia
28 - As Riccardo, in Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi) at the Metropolitan Opera
Caruso debuted in this role in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1900
29 - As Des Grieux, in Manon (Massenet)
Caruso debuted in this role in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1900
30 - As Cavaradossi, in Tosca (Puccini) at the Metropolitan Opera
Caruso debuted in this role in Treviso, Italy, in 1900
31 As Nemorino in L´Elisir d´Amore, with Frieda Hempel
Caruso debuted in this role in 1901 in Milan, Italy
32 - Self caricature as Federico Loewe in Germania (by Alberto Franchetti)
Caruso created this role in the world premiere of this opera at La Scala, Milan, in 1902
33 - As Raoul in Les Huguenots (Meyerbeer)
Caruso debuted in this role at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in 1905
34 - As Lionel in Martha (by Friedrich von Flotow) at the Metropolitan Opera
Caruso debuted in this role in 1906 at the Metropolitan Opera, New York
35 - Self caricature as Pinkerton in Madama Butterfly (Puccini)
Caruso´s first performance in this role at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, in 1906
36 - As Riccardo, in Un Ballo in Maschera (Verdi) at the Metropolitan Opera
Caruso debuted in this role in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1900
37 - As Manrico in Il Trovatore (Verdi)
Caruso´s debut in this role was at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, 1908
38 - As Renaud, in Armide (by Christoph W. Gluck) – Metropolitan Opera, New York
Caruso´s debut in this tole was at the Met in 1910
39 - As Dick Johnson in La Fanciulla del West (Puccini)
Caruso created this role in the world premiere of the opera at the Met Opera in 1910 – With the composer´s presence
40 - In La Fanciulla del West, with Emmy Destinn as Minnie
Photo from the world premiere production at the Met Opera, 1910
41 - In the title role in Julien (by Gustave Charpentier) at the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Shown with Geraldine Farrar as Louise. Opera had been premiered in Paris in 1913, Caruso performed as Julien for the first time in 1914 at the Met.
42 - As Samson in Samson et Dalila (Saint-Saens) at the Metropolitan Opera
Caruso performed this role for the first time in 1916 at the Metropolitan Opera, New York
43 - As Jean of Leyden in Le Prophete, Metropolitan Opera Caruso debuted in this role in this Met Opera production in 1918. Shown with Claudia Muzio as Berthe.
44 - As Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino (Verdi) at the Metropolitan Opera
Caruso debuted in this role in 1918 at the Met. Shown here with Giuseppe de Luca as Don Carlo
45 - Also as Don Alvaro in La Forza del Destino
Shown with Jose Mardones as Padre Guardiano and Rosa Ponselle in her debut role as Leonora
46 - As Eleazar in La Juive (by Fromental Halevy)
This was the last new role for him, which he performed for the first time at the Met Opera in 1919. Here he is shown with Rosa Ponselle as Rachel, his daughter.
47 - As Tommasso Longo, a sculptor, in the silent film “My Cousin” (1918)
Yet another role Caruso performed was in his only silent film, both as Tommaso Longo – a struggling sculptor – and Met Opera leading tenor Cesare Caroli.
We hope you enjoyed this exhibit with rare photographs of one of the greatest tenors in all operatic history.
Curated and written by Nestor Masckauchan.
SEE ALSO:
- OPERATIC GLORIES OF THE OPERA-COMIQUE
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