Caruso Enrico

Caruso Reflects on His Debut With Professional "Clappers"



Two leaves (representing eight autographed pages) of a bi-fold autograph letter signed on Caruso's personal stationary stock, 5" x 6.5". Dated "25/11/909", and signed by "E Caruso". Accompanied by a separate autographed envelope postmarked earlier than the date of this letter. Penned extensively on rectos and versos. A lovely letter in fine condition with bold vibrant ink.



A fascinating and humorous letter offering insight into Caruso's early debuts and his professionally hired "Clappers" , referred to as "Claques". A claque is an organized body of professional applauders in theatres and opera houses. Members of a claque are called claqueurs. Caruso made his operatic debut on March 15, 1895 at a back street theatre in Naples. A string of further engagements in provincial opera houses followed, and he received instruction from the conductor and voice teacher Vincenzo Lombardi that improved his high notes and polished his style. Money continued to be in short supply for the young Caruso. One of his first publicity photographs, taken on a visit to Sicily in 1896, depicts him wearing a bedspread draped like a toga since his sole dress shirt was away being laundered. At a notorious early performance in Naples, he was booed by a section of the audience because he failed to pay a claque to cheer for him. This incident hurt Caruso's pride. He never appeared again on stage in his native city, stating later that he would return "only to eat spaghetti".


The letter offered here, entirely in the hand of Caruso, is written in Italian. He writes of his early experiences with professional claques. The full translation in English is shown below and a copy of the translation will accompany this lot:




"Egregious Mr. Tagliapietro,

I had already read the article from you that you sent to me and I congratulate you for the energy you put into this article. Please present my compliments to your wife. About some anecdotes, I don't remember anything that has to do with Christmas. Ah! Here is one. I don't know if it will be of interest. In Naples, there are different claques—each is a hired group of ten or so people to do this for work, they say, in the theater according to the courses, those who applaud get paid and those who stay silent do not get paid. In 1896, I sang at Teatro Fondo. The head claque did not offer to share their work with any of the others. He told them that there was nothing to lose from me and that he could also stay silent because what would be paid was not enough for me. I made my debut and no one stayed silent. The man came to see me and told me: did you see what we did for you? I told them thank you and then after we will talk about it. I sang, and no one ever stayed silent. Finally, Christmas came and I was coming and going to and from my house. He stopped me on the day of Christmas Eve in the middle of the street and said to me, Erri, today "the pipe makes water" (Neapolitan phrase that denotes extreme poverty) and I don't want to swindle you because twill not succeed. You sing very well and they are never silent. Now, I said to him, I see that you have very little and are living "the pipe makes water", I have nothing else to do but ask you for a kilogram of eel (a Christmas dish popular locally) to take home with me. I asked how much it cost, and he responded that he could sell it for 10 lire. Then, I told him to come with me to buy it. He did not want to, but finally I convinced him and with 36 bucks I made him happy by buying a kilogram of eel. And thus is the story of the time I paid a claquer with esteem. Best wishes to you and your wife. E Caruso"



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