View source for Charles Anthony (tenor)

{{Short description|American tenor}}
{{Other people|Charles Anthony}}
[[File:Charles Anthony 1974.JPG|thumb|Anthony in 1974.]]
'''Charles Anthony Caruso''' (né '''Calogero Antonio Caruso'''; July 15, 1929&nbsp;– February 15, 2012), better known by his [[stage name]] of '''Charles Anthony''', was an American [[actor]] and [[tenor]] noted for his portrayal of [[comprimario]] characters in [[opera]]. Anthony had the distinction of appearing in more performances at the [[Metropolitan Opera]] than any other performer.<ref name = "NYT1">Woolfe, Zachary (15 February 2012). [https://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/16/arts/music/charles-anthony-dies-at-82-tenor-sang-2928-times-at-met.html "Charles Anthony Dies at 82; Sang 2,928 Times at Met"]. ''[[The New York Times]]''. Retrieved 16 February 2012</ref> He celebrated his fiftieth anniversary with the company in 2004, and gave his farewell in the role of the aged Emperor Altoum in ''Turandot'', at the Met, on January 28, 2010.<ref name ="NYT2">Barron, James (27 January 2010). [http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/01/27/tenor-post/ "After 57 Years at the Met, a Tenor's Swan Song"], ''The New York Times'' (City Room). Retrieved 30 January 2010</ref>

==Early years==
Anthony was born in [[New Orleans, Louisiana]], the child of immigrants from [[Sicily]]. He studied music at [[Loyola University New Orleans]], where he studied under Dorothy Hulse, also the teacher of [[Audrey Schuh]] and [[Harry Theyard]]; he graduated in 1951. The tenor sang the role of the Messenger in ''Il trovatore'' at the [[New Orleans Opera]] Association in 1947. At the age of twenty-two, he auditioned under his birth name for the Metropolitan Opera's Auditions of the Air. He won the auditions, but Sir [[Rudolf Bing]] convinced him to drop his surname, saying that it would invite comparisons with [[Enrico Caruso]].

==At the Metropolitan==
Anthony made his debut at the Metropolitan on March 6, 1954, playing the role of the Simpleton in ''[[Boris Godunov (opera)|Boris Godunov]]'', which was sung in English. Critics were impressed; ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote, "Mr. Anthony had better be careful. If he does other bit parts so vividly, he'll be stamped as a character singer for life." This proved prescient; although Anthony performed some larger roles early in his career (including Don Ottavio, to the Donna Anna of [[Herva Nelli]], in ''Don Giovanni''), he made his mark as a ''[[comprimario]]'' singer.

On February 17, 1992, following Act II of a performance of [[Giacomo Puccini|Puccini]]'s ''[[Tosca]]'', Anthony was honored in an onstage ceremony on the occasion of his breaking the record of [[George Cehanovsky]] for most appearances by an artist at the Metropolitan Opera. By the time of his retirement, Anthony had performed 2,928 times with the company, over fifty-six seasons.<ref>[[Metropolitan Opera]], [http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/gisrch2k.r?Term=Anthony,%20Charles%20%5BTenor%5D&limit=5000&vsrchtype=no&xBranch=ALL&xmtype=&Start=&End=&theterm=An%74hon%79,%20Cha%72l%65s%20%5B%54%65no%72%5D&srt=&x=0&xHome=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/bibpro.htm&xHomePath=http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/ Performance record: Anthony, Charles (Tenor)] on the MetOpera Database. Retrieved 30 January 2010</ref> He was also an honorary member of [[International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees]] Local One in New York City. Following his retirement from the Metropolitan Opera, he lived in [[Tampa, Florida]], where he died at his home from kidney failure at the age of 82.<ref name= "NYT1" />

==On television==

Anthony was included in many of the Met's telecasts, including ''Otello'' (conducted by [[James Levine]], 1979), ''Elektra'' (with [[Birgit Nilsson]], 1980), ''Un ballo in maschera'' (with [[Katia Ricciarelli]], 1980), ''Il trittico'' (with [[Renata Scotto]], 1981), ''Rigoletto'' (with [[Louis Quilico]] in the title role, 1981), ''Der Rosenkavalier'' (with Dame [[Kiri Te Kanawa]], 1982), ''Idomeneo'' (produced by [[Jean-Pierre Ponnelle]], 1982), ''Tannhäuser'' (with [[Richard Cassilly]], 1982), ''Don Carlos'' (opposite [[Plácido Domingo]] and [[Mirella Freni]], 1983), ''Ernani'' (with [[Luciano Pavarotti]] in the name part, 1983), ''Lohengrin'' (with [[Peter Hofmann]], 1986), ''Dialogues des Carmélites'' (directed by [[John Dexter]], 1987), ''Ariadne auf Naxos'' (with [[Jessye Norman]], 1988), ''Il barbiere di Siviglia'' (1988), ''Un ballo in maschera'' (staged by [[Piero Faggioni]], 1991), ''La fanciulla del West'' (1992), ''Stiffelio'' (1993), ''Il tabarro'' (with [[Teresa Stratas]], 1994), ''Simon Boccanegra'' (1995), ''Otello'' (1995), ''Die Meistersinger'' (2001), ''Fedora'' (1997), ''Samson et Dalila'' (1998), and, finally, ''Turandot'' (with [[Maria Guleghina]], 2009).

Early in his career, he appeared on live network television for [[CBS]] in an adaptation of [[Hector Berlioz]]' sacred oratorio ''[[L'enfance du Christ]]'' (1964) under the musical direction of [[Alfredo Antonini]] (with [[Sherrill Milnes]], [[Giorgio Tozzi]] and [[Ara Berberian]]).

== Studio recordings ==

In 1956 and 1957, the tenor recorded excerpts from ''Les contes d'Hoffmann'', ''Pagliacci'', ''La périchole'' (with [[Patrice Munsel]] and [[Theodor Uppman]]), and ''Don Pasquale'' (with [[Salvatore Baccaloni]]) for the Metropolitan Opera Record Club.

In 1982, Anthony recorded Gastone, in ''La traviata'' (which he had sung opposite [[Maria Callas]], in 1958), with Levine leading Stratas, Domingo, and [[Cornell MacNeil]]. In 1990, he recorded the role of the Messenger, in ''Aïda'', conducted by Levine.

== Videography ==
* [[Idomeneo (Luciano Pavarotti film)|Mozart: ''Idomeneo'']] (1982), Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4234
* ''[[The Metropolitan Opera Gala 1991]]'', Deutsche Grammophon DVD, 00440-073-4582 
* ''[[James Levine's 25th Anniversary Metropolitan Opera Gala]]'' (1996), Deutsche Grammophon DVD, B0004602-09

==Death==
Anthony died on February 15, 2012, in [[Tampa, Florida]], from kidney failure, aged 82.

==References==
{{Reflist}}
* Hamilton, David. (1987). ''[http://www.folklib.net/index/discog/bibliog7.shtml#kq The Metropolitan Opera Encyclopedia: A Comprehensive Guide to the World of Opera]''. New York, London, Toronto, Sydney, Tokyo: Simon and Schuster. p.&nbsp;23. {{ISBN|0-671-61732-X}}.
*Porterfield, Christopher, [https://archive.today/20130204091825/http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,598517,00.html "A Tenor For All Seasons"], ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'', March 7, 2004
* Sadie, Stanley and Christina Bashford. (1992). ''[http://www.folklib.net/index/discog/bibliog7.shtml#kn The New Grove Dictionary of Opera]''. London: Macmillan Publishers Ltd. Vol. 1, p.&nbsp;146. {{ISBN|0-935859-92-6}}.

==External links==
*{{YouTube|SfzsrJEdou8|Charles Anthony in an excerpt from ''Il trovatore''}} (as Ruiz, with Renata Scotto and Luciano Pavarotti (1976).
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20060111235356/http://www.iatselocalone.org/news/press27.html Tribute from Theatrical Stage Employees IATSE Local One]
*[http://www.operadis-opera-discography.org.uk/CLSIANTH.HTM Discography] (Capon's Lists of Opera Recordings)

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Anthony, Charles}}
[[Category:1929 births]]
[[Category:American operatic tenors]]
[[Category:2012 deaths]]
[[Category:American people of Italian descent]]
[[Category:Musicians from New Orleans]]
[[Category:Loyola University New Orleans alumni]]
[[Category:Deaths from kidney failure in the United States]]
[[Category:20th-century American male opera singers]]
[[Category:21st-century American male opera singers]]
[[Category:Singers from Louisiana]]
[[Category:20th-century musicians from New Orleans]]
[[Category:21st-century musicians from New Orleans]]