Opera singers have a large repertoire to choose from. Opera is a venerable art form. However, classical singers sing more than opera arias. There is a vast amount of operatic type songs that an opera singer will perform in a concert or in a recital. "E Canta Il Grillo" ("And The Cricket Sings"), originally composed for the great opera baritone Titta Ruffo, is one such "opera song" which does not actually come from an opera. It may be the best opera song that most people haven't heard. Bass-baritone Marc Berman is the soloist in this recording. (Interestingly, the late Metropolitan opera soprano Alexandra Hunt provided him with the sheet music to the song some time ago.)

The piece has not often been recorded in the past, which is a surprise. However, such classical vocal titans as Ettore Bastianni, Cesare Siepi , Giuseppe Valdengo, and, of course, Titta Ruffo himself, did record it in the studio. There is also a live recording of tenor Franco Corelli singing it in recital.

Despite the scant performance history, E Canta Il Grillo is as worthy a piece of music as any great opera aria from the best operas of Mozart, Verdi, Puccini, Rossini or Donizetti. It should be familiar to every lover of Italian opera. But, for some reason, it does not seem to be.

Vincenzo Billi composed the song circa 1911, to a poem by Ersilio Bicci. The poem evokes a pastoral harvest setting, and the arousal of love among the young men and women who work in the fields.