April 11, 1902: Enrico Caruso, the preeminent opera singer of the era, records "Vesti la giubba," for the Gramophone Company in Milan, Italy. It becomes the first record, anywhere in the world, to see over one million copies.Vesti la giubba
"Vesti la giubba" means "Put on the costume," and comes from the 1892 opera Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo. Pagliacci is the tale of Canio, actor and leader of a commedia dell'arte theatrical company, who, seeing his wife Nedda, who plays Columbina, who is unfaithful to Canio's character of Pagliaccio the clown, make life imitate art by fooling around with Silvio, ends up killing both of them in revenge.
At the conclusion of Act I, between his discovery and his decision to commit the murders, he sings "Vesti la giubba," because he must prepare for his performance as Pagliaccio, because, as an already-old saying went, "The show must go on."
Born in Naples on February 25, 1873, Caruso made his stage debut in 1895, and became a legend for his portrayals of Canio and Rodolfo in Giacomo Puccini's La bohème. He put his performances on record, making him the world's 1st recording star. He toured all over the world, and was in San Francisco at the time of their 1906 earthquake. While not injured, he swore he would never return, and he kept that vow.
Too old to be drafted in World War I, he entertained troops of Allied nations, including holding Liberty Bond drives in the U.S. He died on August 2, 1921, only 48 years old, after battling lung and kidney trouble for a year.
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April 11, 1902 was a Friday. Baseball was in Spring Training. Football was out of season. Basketball barely existed. And the Stanley Cup was awarded the previous month, to the Winnipeg Victorias. So there were no scores on this day.
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