What makes a performer great? Howie Mandel tells us every week on “America’s Got Talent” that the answer is the “wow factor.”

As we watch contestants on TV shows like “American Idol” we ask ourselves, “Did this performance wow me?”

Over a hundred years ago audiences asked themselves the same thing and they responded with a resounding “YES!” when the performer was Enrico Caruso.

As we all know , talent is not enough to make you a star, you need charisma, stage presence, personality, technical skills that can surprise and delight audiences, the willingness to give 100%, and a pathway into the mass market.

Enrico Caruso had all this and more. Born in Naples, Italy in 1873 his name has come to mean “someone capable of the highest level of operatic performance.” There is no greater praise than to call an aspiring young male singer “the next Caruso.”

Discover more recordings at Recorded Sound Archives

Here at the Recorded Sound Archives, you can listen to over 169 recordings by  Enrico Caruso.

Please note, due to copyright some items may only be available as a 45 second snippet.

Are you a Researcher or Educator in need of full access to these recordings? Visit the Recorded Sound Archives website to apply for Research Station Access by click here.