At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe is living in peace and prosperity. The “Belle Époque” is an outgrowth of previous important historical events and developments. The networks that are created and which evolve funnel both people and their products, tangible and intangible. It is within this multi-layered world that sound recording and sound reproduction is invented. Early record labels send mobile crews literally all over the world to record local musicians. The range of the repertoire is endless. Cosmopolitanism in large urban centers favors polystylisms and polymorphisms. Colonialism, revolutions, conflicts, refugee flows; the theater, cinema, radio, photography, orchestras’ tours, but also circulations in all kinds of commercial channels in a world that evolves dynamically and anisotropically, form a complex network of “centers” and “peripheries” in alternating roles setting musical idioms in motion, both literally and figuratively. The networks in which the Greek-speaking musics participate, constantly conversing with their co-tenants, are magnificent. Discography has already provided important tools in understanding the relationships that developed between “national” repertoires. The result of this ongoing research is “Cosmopolitanism in Greek Historical Discography”.

There was no previous management model in the early period of discography. Each company creates their own networks, something that will allow them to take a dynamic lead in the market. New specialties and professions are created and new conditions emerge, or the need to update older facts, with the most serious being intellectual property. The latter, until then, concerned mostly printed commercial musical scores and the publishers’ rights. Discography is not only embedded in this context, but also plays a key role in its transformation. This time, the network is adjusted in a programmatic manner, under different terms and via new paths. The circulation of musics is already a reality before the 20th century with theatrical and musical performances tours, but also with the networks of music publishing houses. Although popular repertoires play a very important part in the vital issue of the movement of musical tunes from place to place, and in their adoption, recording and often complete incorporation into the repertoires of other ethno-cultural groups, scholar musical forms also participate in this transportation network: symphonic or soloistic pieces, arias, duets and trios from all kinds of operas, but also songs by composers such as Schubert, are translated and recorded in other languages, often with diversified orchestral ensembles. “Classical” music, originating mainly from the German-speaking, Italian-speaking and French-speaking world, through the new diffusion tools offered by discography, seek not only to penetrate international markets as a new medium, but to enter, in fact, into people’s own homes.

This recording is an arrangement with Greek lyrics of the song "Sérénade" from the first act of the comic ballet "Les Millions d'Arléquin" (Миллионы Арлекина, Milliony Arlekina), set to music by the Italian composer Riccardo Eugenio Drigo and libretto/choreography by the French dancer and choreographer Marius Ivanovich Petipa. The ballet premiered on February 23, 1900 at the Hermitage Imperial Theater, in St. Petersburg, by the "Imperial Ballet".

The musical score of Sérénade for piano was published in 1901, in Leipzig, by Jul. Heinr Zimmermman.

It was a global hit and was recorded many times in historical discography in various formats, languages and locations (see here, here and here). For example:

- "Millions d'Arlequin" - Sérénade (Valse boston), K.u.k. Infanterie-Regiment 51 "Freiherr von Probszt" Wien, 1906 (Odeon X 38233)
- "Harlequin's serenade", Arthur Pryor's Band, February 11, 1909, Camden, New Jersey (Victor C 6796 - 68270)
- "Visschersbede", Willy Derby, Paris 1919 (Pathé 61257 - 30266)
 - Love's nocturne (Notturno d'amore), Beniamino Gigli, New York, March 3, 1922 (Victor C 26061 - 74742)
- Los Millones D’Arlequín - Serenata, José Moriche, New York, March 1923 (Columbia 93413 - C4187)
- Jack Hylton and his Orchestra and Cinema Organ, London, November 11, 1927 (Gramophone BR 1572 - B5391 - 7-699)
- "Serenade aus dem Ballett "Les Millions d'arlequin", Berliner Mandolinen - und Lauten-Orchester E.V. 1896, Berlin, 1927 (Odeon Be 5746 2 - O 2383 a)
- "Serenada", Viktor Koščica, Zagreb, probably in 1929 (Edison Bell Penkala SZ806 - SZ 1448)
- "Les millions d'Arlequin", Marjal, Paris 1931 (Parlophon 85.187 - A 106.864-2)
- "Touha lásky (Notturno d´amore)", Antonín Drábek, Saša Večtomov, L. Pluhař, Prague, July 12, 1932 (Ultraphon 14342 - A 10502)
- Arlekīna mīlas serenāde, Pauls Sakks, Riga 1934 (Bellacord Μ 3707 - 3336)
- "Os Milhões De Arlequim", Vicente Celestino, Brazil 1954 (Continental C 3444 - 17039-a)

The Greek musical score with lyrics by Nikos Vlyssidis was published in Athens, in 1917, by Stefanos Gaitanos.