Emilio De Marchi (tenor) Tannhäuser, Turiddu, and Samson. In Buenos Aires, he was the first Rodolfo (1896), the first Cavaradossi (1900), and sang at the premiere of Beruti´sTaras Bulba (1895). He debuted at Italy's leading opera house, La Scala, Milan, in 1898 as Stolzing in an Italian-language version of Richard Wagner's "Die Meistersinger". He proved to beca success at La Scala and was chosen by the composer Puccini to sing the coveted role of Cavaradossi in the first performance of "Tosca", which occurred at Rome's Teatro Costanzi on January 14, 1900. A rising young tenor named Enrico Caruso, 12 years De Marchi's junior, had
David Hughes (tenor) David Hughes (tenor) David Hughes (born Geoffrey Paddison; 11 October 1925 – 19 October 1972) was an English pop and opera singer. Paddison was born in Bournbrook, Birmingham, England to an English mother and Welsh father. As a child he listened to records by Caruso. He found work as a railway clerk at Curzon Street, Birmingham. During his time there he was invited to sing "On the Road to Mandalay" at an office concert. This was so well received that he started taking professional singing lessons. He also was an RAF cadet and took flying lessons at Wythall airfield near