A cadenza for Caruso

by Barbara Paul

Murder, maestro, please! Enrico Caruso plays his greatest role of all time: detective! The year is 1910, and excitement is running high at the Metropolitan Opera as the long-heralded world premiere of Puccini's La Fanciulla del West (The Girl of the Golden West) quickly approaches. The famous soprano Emmy Destinn will sing the lead and the world's greatest tenor, Enrico Caruso, expects yet another triumph, particularly with Toscanini conducting and David Belasco helping with the staging. But wait... a small-time impresario is found stabbed to death, how can this be?