I already knew Dame Nellie Melba as one of the mostly highly paid and esteemed entertainment figures of her day. As with most great singers of her time (and a few from our own time!) recordings don't flatter her, and as recording technology was improving she was aging. But you can still hear what a wonderfully expressive singer she was.
Listen to this Caro nome from 1904:
And this Si, mi chiamano Mimi from 1907:
Considering this blog first arose out of efforts to keep the memories of great singers alive, I think it's a good thing. Both the dessert and the historic recordings.
