Whenever I tell people that I collect old Italian records, the first person that they usually mention is Enrico Caruso. No Italian singer was more popular than Caruso, and while some may argue that there were better singers, none were more influential. Caruso made approximately 290 recordings and was a superstar in his day. The image on the right is from a Victor record sleeve which boasted, "Caruso makes records for the Victor Company exclusively".
For the most part I don't collect opera records, I instead focus on folk and popular music. When I heard this 1915 record, Siciliana, from the opera Cavalleria Rusticana by Pietro Macagni, I was amazed at the power and presence of Caruso's voice. I think it helps that he is only accompanied only by a harp rather than a full orchestra, but the recording makes it clear why Caruso was king.
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