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Quiz about How Well Do You Know Enrico Caruso
Quiz about How Well Do You Know Enrico Caruso

How Well Do You Know Enrico Caruso? Quiz


How much do you know about Enrico Caruso? This quiz covers basic details about the life of the famous Italian tenor, so if you're a fan of operatic music, it should be facile!

A multiple-choice quiz by carsonwells. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
carsonwells
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
304,852
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Tough
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
153
- -
Question 1 of 10
1. Caruso was born in Naples, Italy on February 25, 1873, but "Enrico" wasn't his Christian name. What was it? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. Why was Caruso wearing a toga-draped bed sheet in his first publicity photo? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. What did Caruso call "the machine"? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Caruso enjoyed a mutually beneficial and successful marketing partnership with the Victor Talking Machine Company, the leading producer of phonographs and records at that time. Victor marketed Caruso's records, along with those of other well-known singers, as a special series of recordings known as what? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. At which famous opera theater did Caruso perform as leading tenor for 17 years? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. Key to Caruso landing his position with the aforesaid opera house was his agent, Pasquale Simonelli. What was Simonelli's occupation? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. Caruso's recording of Leoncavallo's "Vesti le gubba" (from "Pagliacci") eventually sold over a million records. But perhaps his rarest recording is a song written for a basso, not a tenor. What song is this? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. There were two places where Caruso performed but vowed never to perform again. One was San Francisco, after fleeing from the great earthquake in April, 1906. (His eyewitness account can be found online.) What was the other? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. In 1951, MGM released "The Great Caruso", a biography of Caruso's life. Although portions of the film are fictionalized, the film has been and continues to be an inspiration to musicians. Who portrayed Caruso in this biography? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Caruso's voice is still alive and new fans are being created every day, in part thanks to the fact that his recordings are still used in TV and movie soundtracks. Which of these shows or films have NOT used a Caruso recording? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Caruso was born in Naples, Italy on February 25, 1873, but "Enrico" wasn't his Christian name. What was it?

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.
2. Why was Caruso wearing a toga-draped bed sheet in his first publicity photo?

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.
3. What did Caruso call "the machine"?

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.
4. Caruso enjoyed a mutually beneficial and successful marketing partnership with the Victor Talking Machine Company, the leading producer of phonographs and records at that time. Victor marketed Caruso's records, along with those of other well-known singers, as a special series of recordings known as what?

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!
5. At which famous opera theater did Caruso perform as leading tenor for 17 years?

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.
6. Key to Caruso landing his position with the aforesaid opera house was his agent, Pasquale Simonelli. What was Simonelli's occupation?

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.
7. Caruso's recording of Leoncavallo's "Vesti le gubba" (from "Pagliacci") eventually sold over a million records. But perhaps his rarest recording is a song written for a basso, not a tenor. What song is this?

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.
8. There were two places where Caruso performed but vowed never to perform again. One was San Francisco, after fleeing from the great earthquake in April, 1906. (His eyewitness account can be found online.) What was the other?

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!
9. In 1951, MGM released "The Great Caruso", a biography of Caruso's life. Although portions of the film are fictionalized, the film has been and continues to be an inspiration to musicians. Who portrayed Caruso in this biography?

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.
10. Caruso's voice is still alive and new fans are being created every day, in part thanks to the fact that his recordings are still used in TV and movie soundtracks. Which of these shows or films have NOT used a Caruso recording?

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!
Source: Author carsonwells

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor ertrum before going online.
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