Caruso, Enrico b. February 27, 1873 d. August 2, 1921 Opera Singer. Enrico Caruso was born in Naples, Italy. His singing was always in demand, either at the local church or some special festivities. At the age of fifteen his mother was seriously ill, she insisted he must sing, upon return after mass found her dead. His father remarried and the family ultimately reached 22 children. With very little formal or musical education he learned and refined his theatrical skills throughout his life on his own. Singing first in provincial theaters and...[Read More] (Bio by: Donald Greyfield (inactive)) Cimitero Monumentale di Poggioreale, Naples, Provincia di Napoli, Campania, Italy
Curtis, Totò de (Antonio) b. February 15, 1898 d. April 15, 1967 Noted Italian-born Screen Actor. He created the role of Totò. He is remembered for films such as "L'Allegro Fantasma" (1941), "Il Ratto delle Sabine" (1945), "Totò le Mokò" (1946), "Dov`è la Libertá" (1952), "I Tre Ladri" (1954), "Totò, Peppino e le Fanatiche" (1958), "Le Belle Famiglie" (1964), and "Capriccio all'italiana" (1967). (Bio by: José L Bernabé Tronchoni) Cimitero Monumentale di Poggioreale, Naples, Provincia di Napoli, Campania, Italy
De Lucia, Fernando b. October 11, 1860 d. February 21, 1925 Opera Singer. A tenor controversial in his own time and later, he is chiefly remembered for the vast recorded legacy which gives insight into a now-obsolete style of performance. Trained in his native city, he made his March 9, 1885, professional bow at Naples' Teatro San Carlo as the title character of Charles Gounod's "Faust"; originally a 'tenore di grazia' ("tenor of grace") typified by Count Almaviva in Rossini's "The Barber of Seville", he sang such fare as Nemorino in Donizetti's "L'...[Read More] (Bio by: Bob Hufford) Cimitero Monumentale di Poggioreale, Naples, Provincia di Napoli, Campania, Italy Plot: Chapel of San Filippo di Chaiaia.
Mercadante, Saverio b. September 17, 1795 d. December 17, 1870 Composer. An important developer of 19th Century Italian opera, he strongly influenced the early music of Giuseppe Verdi. Mercadante was born in Altamura, near Bari, Italy. He studied flute, violin and composition at the Naples Conservatory (1816 to 1820) and became the favorite student of that institution's director, Niccolo Zingarelli. Rossini was impressed enough with his talent to write Zingarelli, "My compliments...your pupil Mercadante begins where we leave off", and encouraged the young...[Read More] (Bio by: Robert Edwards) Cimitero Monumentale di Poggioreale, Naples, Provincia di Napoli, Campania, Italy
b. February 27, 1873 d. August 2, 1921