Antonio Scotti (1866-1936)

Eri tu
Un Ballo in Maschera by Giuseppe Verdi

Antonio Scotti, another in the line of Neapolitans, made his debut in Naples in 1889, then performed in Malta, Madrid, Buenos Aires and Moscow. He first appeared at La Scala in 1898 and at Covent Garden and the Met a year later. Thereafter, he primarily sang in the U.S. and England. Scotti was known for his smooth delivery, variety of color, fine legato, facility in the upper register and elegance in acting. This particular disc is in poor shape. I used CoolEdit to reduce the surface noise by about half, but the voice still seems almost overwhelmed. However, after the first few measures, I think you will be able to discern the beauty and elegance of Scotti's singing.