Caruso's popular recordings and his extraordinary voice, known for its mature power, beauty and unequalled richness of tone, made him perhaps the best-known operatic star of his era.

The singer played his haunting recordings in many of the world’s great opera houses such as: La Scala in Milan, Convent Garden in London and the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  Whenever a fan of opera listens to a 78 rpm record and hears Caruso’s singing you begin to have goosebumps or even cry.  A guarantee tear-jerker is Bizet’s “Mi Par D'udir Ancora,” which is sung by Enrico Caruso.

Stated in a biography “During a performance in Naples, early in his career, Caruso was booed by the audience because he ignored the custom of hiring a claque to cheer for him. Afterwards, he said he would never again go to Naples to sing, but ‘only to eat spaghetti.’”

Enrico Caruso has been influential to many filmmakers.  Recently Woody Allen’s “Match Point” played the haunting “Una Furtiva Lagrima” in the opening credits and as well the songs stated above.  With other recordings “Mia Picarella” and “Vesti La Giubba,” it made the picture just exquisite.

The opera singer’s voice extended to the high C in his prime but this note never came easily to him. Therefore, in his recordings of the tenor's act one aria of Puccini's “La Boheme,” high B replaces the high C; while in Gounod's Faust he sings the high C of “Salut demeure” in a stylistically appropriate head (not chest) voice. This contrasts with the performances of these arias by, say, the young Jussi Bjorling, and others, who had naturally high-lying tenor voices, which were less robust and golden-toned than Caruso's.

For beginners of opera, Enrico Caruso is the first aria singer that people should listen to.  He is the most delicate, exuberant and daunting performer of the early 20^th century.