6 AUGUST 1921, Page 3

Signor Caruso, the great singer, died on Tuesday at Naples.

He had been ill for some months past, but was recovering when he had a severe relapse, and died at nine o'clock in the morning. Caruso was the premier singer of his ago according to the old fashion of recognizing a dominant reigning sovereign for each of the arts, which seems, perhaps happily, to be passing away. It was not so much in artistic talent or dramatic force that Caruso excelled, but in the sheer natural gift of an unparalleled tenor voice. Though as an actor and interpreter he was always efficient and thorough, he could never have risen to great heights but for fascination of the superb yet smooth and easy voice. His early death—he was only forty-eight—is a loss to the whole civilized world, which found joy in his singing.