Enrico Caruso sings the opening Siciliana from Mascagni's opera 'Cavalleria Rusticana'. I believe that he's singing it in a Sicilian dialect since these aren't the words one usually reads in the score.
No getting away from it- this is the man who did more than any other artist to popularize the nascent gramophone industry. Here he sings the Neapolitan favorite 'Santa Lucia'. Even today the name holds a special cachet- these records that sold for $2.00 new, command prices at flea markets that capitalize on the Caruso name no matter what condition the disk is in.
Ernestine Schumann-Heink sings Schubert's song 'Erlkönig'. A father and his feverish, young son ride late at night through the wind. The son hallucinates a willow tree to be the Earl King whose daughters entice the young lad to come with them........
Turlough O'Carolan was one of the last harpers in the Irish bardic tradition. Living from 1670-1738, he was instrumental in fusing traditional song with Baroque sensibility.
The great tenor Tito Schipa sings this aria from Handel's 'Xerxes'. Many artists sing and record this piece. My all-time favorite is Andreas Scholl's rendition on his 'Heroes' recording put out by Decca.
![Feodor Chaliapin- Siberian Prisoners\](http://img.youtube.com/vi/duXreNSb_os/2.jpg "Feodor Chaliapin- Siberian Prisoners\")
![Carolan\](http://img.youtube.com/vi/I066W7i7xTY/2.jpg "Carolan\")
![Édith Piaf- Hymne á l\](http://img.youtube.com/vi/KbiyusjTB2o/2.jpg "Édith Piaf- Hymne á l\")
![Al Jolson sings \](http://img.youtube.com/vi/yLTcRRJu2M4/2.jpg "Al Jolson sings \")
![Caruso- M\](http://img.youtube.com/vi/INREYx9uDV4/2.jpg "Caruso- M\")
