Enrico Caruso’s health
One hundred years ago today … Enrico Caruso was the biggest star in the opera world, as significant a 1921 celebrity as anyone this side of Babe Ruth.
New York Tribune, 12 December 1920, p.1. Chronicling America.
On this day, his fever dropped.
New York Daily News, 8 January 1921, p.2 Chronicling America.
In the early days and months of 1921, Caruso’s health was a popular obsession, spurring daily updates in the press, even when there was nothing to report except his temperature. The relentless coverage of his health had started nearly a month earlier, when the tenor had snapped a blood vessel onstage at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.
New York Tribune, 12 December 1920, p.1. Chronicling America.
In the days after the accident, the newspapers offered detailed diagnoses by Caruso’s physician Phillip Horowitz and others, all of which were reported as positive.
New York Daily News, 13 December 1920, p..1 Chronicling America.
Caruso returned to the Metropolitan Opera on December 13 to intense acclaim.
New York Tribune, 14 December 1920, p.15. Chronicling America.
He continued singing over the next ten days to strong reviews, although the music world was worried.
New York Herald, 19 December 1920, p.38. Chronicling America.
On December 24, he performed in Halévy’s La Juive (probably with a prosthetic, “Jewish” nose, as reported in our post of 21 January 1920). But his next appearance, December 27, was cancelled after an attack of pluerisy. The Herald reported his absence, and that Caruso would forfeit $3,000 for every missed show.
New York Herald, 27 December 1920, p.1. Chronicling America.
On December 29 the Metropolitan Opera issued two separate bulletins in succession announcing that Caruso had undergone surgery. Caruso spent the next few weeks recuperating in his rooms at the Vanderbilt Hotel. Daily updates on his health saturated the papers. On January 3, one doctor weighed in that Caruso would never sing again.
New York Daily News, 3 January 1921, p.1 Chronicling America.
Dr. Thomas W. Edgar was responding to the diagnosis of empyema, one of several ailments that had been cited as the reason for Caruso’s struggles. Years later, the nature of Caruso’s deteriorating health and the way it was handled continue to be a topic of debate. Indeed, even the cause of the decline is in doubt. For example, there is speculation that Caruso’s problems date to as early as January 3, 1920, when, amidst a production of Samson and Dellilah, a pillar from the set fell on his back and injured his kidney (Moran,295).
Further reading
Cascella, M. The Illness and Death of Enrico Caruso (1873–1921): A Medical Chorus Out of Tune?. J Relig Health 55, 217–225 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10943-015-0054-1
Moran, William R., et al. Enrico Caruso : my father and my family. United States, Amadeus Press, 1997.
– Jonathan Goldman, January 7, 1921
TAGS: opera, music, fame, health, medicine, doctor