I believe it was Miriam Gauci (courtesy of Naxos of America). She is a soprano from Malta.
O mio babino caro from the Opera Gianni Schichi by Giacomo Puccini
O Mio Babbino Caro is an aria from the opera Gianni Schicchi (1981), by Giacomo Puccini.
"O mio babbino caro" ("Oh My Dear Papa") is a soprano aria from the opera 1918 Gianni Schicchi, by Giacomo Puccini, to a libretto by Giovacchino Forzano.
"O Mio Babbino Caro" from the Puccini Opera Gianni Schicchi
Which commercial are you talking about first? If it is the haunting operatic solo - it's Maria Callas singing the aria "O mio babbino caro" by Puccini
O Mio Babbino Caro
O Mio Babbino Caro is sung in Italian. It translates to Oh My Dear Father. The song appears in the opera Gianni Schicchi and is sung as a Soprano aria.
O Mio Babbino caro" from Gianni Schicchi, by Puccini.
Opera: Gianni Schicchi (Puccini) Aria: O mio babbino caro
It's about a young woman that is pleaing to her father to help her marry the one she loves, they hope for money in a will along with others but the will denys them. So she sings o mia bambino caro to her father expressing that she would rather die than go on. After hearing o mia bambino caro her father helps her.
oh MI-oh ba-BI-no CA-roh