HIS/HER HISTORY
THE ORIGINS OF A SONG
When the primitive man homo primigenius felt the need to express joy or pain, it certainly went out out of its cavern sending forth guttural sounds and looking for, in a certain way, to give outlet to its first feelings and its inexpressible state of mind. If its look, stopped besides him to admire the break of the sun or an ardent sunset, even if primigenius, could not be insensitive to so much beauty. If, then, all of this was edged by a landscape of exuberant valleys of green and luxuriant of flowers, with animals to the pasture and birds that the sky ploughed, its instinct, certainly forced him/it to break that silence making him send forth a cry of joy and a firm note, intense, happiness's flood. That has perhaps been the first sound, or I sings that the man has sent forth, trying to communicate with all of this that surrounds him/it and with all of this that belongs him.
This was not anything else other than a demonstration of love and the love it finds, in the song, the correct mean to make himself/herself/themselves is to feel whether to understand, the correct expression that reaches the heart of whom listens to us.
This way, the first song of love was born from a legend that it told the origins of this city of ours.
Partenope, whose luxuriant beauty resembled to that of Giunone and of Minerva, was a beautiful Greek young girl from the black eyes, fleshy mouth, long and black hair, velvety skin on a body made of admirable forms. She loved Cimone and you/he/she was reciprocated with equal intensity of it, but his/her father wanted not her bride to Eumeo from her beloved.
Partenope, that etimologicamente in Greek language means "sees the virgin", fair of this name was accustomed to sit on the tall rock and to fix with its look the sea expanse and losing himself/herself/itself, so, in the contemplation of the horizon of the Ionian sea he/she thought: "Over that sea, far far, where the horizon bends him, other regions, other countries; the unknown one, the admirable one, the indefinable one!"
Absorbed in these thoughts, the young girl "felt the power of his/her spirit magnify and, lifted standing, seemed her to touch the sky with the head and to be able to tighten, in his/her immense embrace, the whole world!"
"She loves Cimone with the only one, mighty, ruling love of the young girl that turns him into woman." In the great black eyes of Partenope it sprouts some tear when it decides, with the beloved his/her Cimone, to abandon all and all departing for distant beaches.
A mighty and insuperable love ties them the one to the other to induce them to depart without hope of return to go far far always submitting their fate to the billows of the sea hostile of the lovers.
"I love you!" she whispered and him, tightening her/it to itself: "Also me love, also me!" lowly so, then, intensely loving himself/herself/itself, they go wandering of beach in beach looking for a worthy abode for their love (M. Serao Leggende).
A spellbound beach waited for them from the night of the times and so many so many springs you/they had given to the fertile hills and the surrounding mountains, flowers of thousand colors in a flashing nature and extremely marvelous. Also the sea, eternally in love, it attended the lovers.
As the earth, destined to reciprocate love, it attends the seed to give back his life, so, the whole nature waited for those people that brought with themselves the love and, in the love, the life.
The hills of Posillipo, of the Vomero, for a long time of Poggioreales and of Capodimonte attended, anxious to feel the quiver and to welcome in an intense embrace the lovers in escape for a love that doesn't die, can die never.
The eros, finally, impelled eternal, it landed on the divine beach, and colà, Partenope and Cimone lived their love and then they brought him/it on the hills, on the gilded beaches, in the hidden caverns, in the valleys, everywhere. Anywhere them they were also loved the nature it intensely loved and they were them of it the first protagonists in a party without time, racing in the fields in flower and admiring the inflamed craters; comparing this incandescent explosion, this disruptive demonstration of the nature to the ardent passion of their heart.
We see the beautiful Partenope, expanse on the gilded arena of the beach of Megaride, to sing the love for Cimone caressing his curly and black hair and handing him, in an embrace without end, his/her turgid and sensitive lips.
In the spellbound gardens they picked up the most beautiful flowers; every flower was a kiss, kisses and inexhaustible flowers: this was the alive passion of the two lovers landed in this beach of love.
Often, to the break and the tramontar of the sun on the blue horizon of the sea, detached the Greek profile, very beautiful, of Partenope and that virile and vigorous of Cimone: an eternal embrace holds them tied up in an eternity, invincible love. It was his/her triumph in a luxuriant nature, enchanting, and it was this ardent passion, described in this mythical legend that turned him into inexhaustible melodious sap for our immortal Naples. A song of love kissed the hills, the valleys, the beaches, the gardens in flower: it had beginning, so, the history of the song partenopeo, an eternal harmony that, since that time it flutters on our spellbound gulf, and that, in the centuries to come, it produced a perennial song of love, from which it sprang, before, the popular song, then the folksy song and finally the true and noble Neapolitan song.
The origins of the Neapolitan song lose him in the night of the times and, between myths and legends, it finds again its roots in the sweet ones, impassioned melodious expressions of the beautiful Partenope.
Partenope, therefore, is the inspiring muse of the Neapolitan song, it is the same song in Naples, happy match of deep feelings, of strong passions, of filled of life, of sweetness and tenderness fascinatrici, of joyfulness it soaked with melancholy.
The three forms of expression of the Neapolitan song
The song of love of Partenope we consider him/it ribbon of departure of the History of the Neapolitan Song: its origins are a legend and a myth that, in the future centuries, it will become then reality and, in this reality, we find again there for better understanding the musical historical cycle of our song. Naples has always done his and sung: the joy, the pain, the love, the tragedies, the passions; in his/her song there is the most intimate essence of the world, in every aspect of his it is inherent that universal value that all envy us. Naples is a city that, in the centuries, people have always surprised for his/her peculiar song, so much to be let to the great poet L to write. Bovio in one song of his:
"... and the' I know' napulitano
and him nun I sing me dark!"
The study etnofonico of the Neapolitan people and its song loses once him in immemorial and, between myths and legends, the foundation of Neapolis makes him go up again to 1029 to.C. around three centuries before Rome. Departing from this premise is correct to find again in the legend of the song of love of Partenope the roots of our song and our immortal song.
For better understanding the musical historical meaning of the Neapolitan song it needs to have clear the concept of three expressions, that the historical Sebastiano of Mass considers fundamental to enter the worth of this type of song:
to) popular song
b) folksy song
c) noble Neapolitan song of author
Popular song or popular song
You says song or popular song, that composition that is fruit of collective or anonymous creation, in which people expresses his/her own feeling and where poetry and music (song or melody) are inseparable elements.
The Rubieri affirms that "The people, in fact, doesn't sing for creating poetry, but it creates some poetry to sing. Therefore when it loses the music it loses the verse."
The song or popular song you/he/she is exclusively transmitted for by oral of generation in generation, suffering in every region modifications to the text and, sometimes, also some varying musical, because the popular song is not the popular song in Naples city but that of a rural people and marinaro that he/she lives in the countries, in the harbors, on the mountains and in the valleys of the surrounding region.
The song of the sirens (as Humerus tells) or the song of love of the beautiful Partenope, have characterized the popular song of the inhabitants of this spellbound earth, whose echo is perpetuated, still today, in the lilts of the voices of the itinerant sellers, in the dirges marinaresche, in the frantic rhythm of its tarantelles.
Of the historical cycle of the popular song documents have not remained, but only a myth and a poetic and legendary tradition.
One of the first ones, sure moments of the poetic and melodious expressions of the people we find again him/it, for in agreement indication of researchers, in the Satyricon of Petronius Arbiter (Roman character of the court of Nerone).
The author describes continuously the song of (today "song to daughter") two young people, the cry of the seller of fruits of sea, the cry of the venditricis of vegetables and the to declaim of heroic enterprises of a cantastorie.
In the traditions and in the popular customs and rusticane I am there, of this, still so many traces and so much echo: the popular songs of love, stornelli lovers and cantilene of women, make of this song populate the dominant element that has always accompanied, in the humble houses and in the job of the fields, the work of the men.
Therefore popular song is everything how much spontaneously it is born from the people, that what transforms him/it and it hands down him/it, then, orally to the children of our children.
Folksy song
The folksy song has been defined as song of an author destined to the people and inspired by the spirit and by the feeling of the same people, this is due to the fact that the poetry and the music are born from different moments from two different artistic personalities: that of the poet and that of the musician.
The folksy song has some precise characteristics: her not impersonalitàs of the authors (poet and musician), which are inspired from the people and to it are turned and its behaviors cannot suffer transformations or, better, tamperings of sort from others preserving, in the time, that one man show artistic imprint to which the authors hardly abdicate. These authors find subject for their folksy poetry, in the real facts, in the sketches, in the quadretto of color, in the description of types and customs, in the evocation of the legends and in the popular traditions; in the reproduction, that is, of their daily life, picturesque, at times comic, at times tragic and however various and proper of the same people among which these authors live.
To this result you/they can also arrive the non cultured poets with the musicians melodisti, that is not transcribers, not experts of the music, provided that the everything is inspired by the instinctive simplicity and flood of freshness of their mind that it makes them consider genuine representatives of the people, of which you/they have known how to validly express the spirit and the feeling.
The city of Naples, in herself, it is poor of popular songs and, as such, incapable to feed his/her folksy songs. Campania and the neighboring regions have been the reservoir of the popular song and all how much they have contributed, with the contribution of their wealth, that is of the melodious patrimony of all the surrounding people, to feed the source where today it gushes out still, gushing, the poetic and musical vein of the folksy song.
Noble Neapolitan song of author
The Neapolitan song of author is noble song for excellence and for intensity of inspiration and, as Luca Torre writes in its presentation to the book of the Poetries and Songs of S. Of Giacomo, said guy of song "it transfers, in verses, attenuate crepuscular atmospheres vedutistiche vibration-visions of the I city-husk in which alive and his/her author operates."
The noble Neapolitan song of author is that song composed of a subjective lyric poetry, not writing for the people but mirroring and expressing states of mind of the poet. The musician is facilitated in his/her assignment because, in this case, the poetry is already music, it is already singable, therefore two different personalities, two states of mind that then they compete to the realization of a true noble song of author.
When the song of author comes, so, elevated to dignity of art and the public the ax, doing her/it its, the success and its immortality they are insured, as they confirm some songs of S. Of Giacomo and of other poets musicians.
The true song of author, primary cultural artistic patrimony of our city, is born, as delicious and complete form of art, in the eight hundred last ventennio and, if it raises him to dignity of art and universal value, it entirely owes him/it and only to the interest that to it the true poets and the true musicians have attributed. These are still alive songs, of success and you applaud all over the world, dearly interpreted by Caruso, from Pasquariello, from Sergio Bruni, from Aurelio Fierro, from Roberto Murolo, from Pavarotti and from so many others that, in these songs, you/they have exalted the noble mind of the city of Naples, worthy daughter of the siren Partenope.
Naples as the legend of Partenope, are an eternity song of love: it is immortal.
The historical roots of the Neapolitan song
Clarified the concept of popular song, folksy song and noble Neapolitan song of author, we can certainly pass to the historical part of his/her musical cycle.
I don't agree with that authors that choose a date in the history Neapolitan country, to affirm that in that year the Neapolitan song was born: it is a hasty way not to face the true problem, that is the study of all that historical cycles that you/they have prepared the advent and the development of the true Neapolitan song, that is that noble of author that so much shine has given to this city of ours.
The same Max Vajro writes that the problem of the origins of the Neapolitan song is still to resolve, while Sebastiano of Mass reinstates that this origin is to seek in the popular song, as every beginning of the periods or cycles of the life of it it is constantly born from a regeneration operated by now on the song folksy joint to decadence, or it is born from the popular song, that preserves him pure and uncontaminated, also transforming himself/herself/itself, constantly, according to the evolution of the popular spirit, in the different epochs.
All of this confirmation my thesis that the roots of the Neapolitan song are well rooted in the legend of the song of love of the beautiful Partenope that, in the time, you/he/she has given life to the popular song and from this, then it draws origin the folksy song, and, from the whole all these evolutions, the true Neapolitan song of author has sprung universalized in its immortality that, as legend, goes sure toward the centuries tributaries. These centuries have seen the landing, in the spellbound gulf, of the beautiful Partenope with its Cimone, listened to its songs of love impassioned and nostalgic, lived the foundation of the city of Partenope (year 1029 to.C.), of Palepolis (century VII to.C.) and of Neapolis (century V to.C.); admired the Naples Greek-Roman with his/her theaters, gyms and grammar schools, the Naples of Virgilio with his/her songs and of Stazio, the Naples of August with the cave of Priapo in the hill of Posillipo where the songs fescennini, etruschi and Latins echoed; emperor Giustiniano's Naples that jealously defends the Roman civilization against the Barbarians and to which will be lighthouse of culture and civilization, legitimate heir of the ancient Empire Romano showing himself/herself/itself.
The imperial Rome occupies Greece and the Greek cultural world he/she also offers as commodity of exchange the music of which he makes object of study to the peer of art and science. To the horizon it sprouts the Christianity with his/her religious songs; Nerone in the theater Odeon of Neapolis sings applauded by the Neapolitans. In that period Petronius Arbiter wrote the Satyricon to Cuma informing us, after so many centuries, that already then the Neapolis had and sang his/her popular songs: the fall of the Roman empire and the Middle Ages bring centuries of silence and barbarity, the Christianity triumphs with his/her Gregorian songs and, in the regions, the Hymn of the creatures of S arrives. Francis of Assisi, while people finds again himself with its popular songs. The minstrels arrive, the sirventese, while people sings the strambotto, the canzonetta, the nonsense, the ballad and the madrigal.
The Neapolitan song from 1300 to 1500
Alfonso V In Aragon conquers the city of Naples and imposes as official language of the kingdom the Neapolitan (1443) dialect; the first poets and the first Neapolitan literature are born.
Already in 1200 around, on the hills of the Vomero, the beautiful girls invoked the sun so that it went out soon for drying the spread out sheets to the wind:
"Alone Jesce, alone jesce,
not you ago cchiù suspirà.
Siente maje that the ffiglioles
they have so much from prià."
In this song he/she renews him in the centuries the song of love of the virgin Partenope, only source that the legend has brought up to us, only certain moment in which it is initiated on the shining wagon of the god Alone and on the wave iridiscente of the sea tides, the melodic trip of the Neapolitan song.
Many historiographers set this song to the origins of the dialect and the Neapolitan song, neglecting all the considerations that are born when they are analyzed together in their whole the causes of certain historical and musical trials.
They were the years when Fred II of Swabia prohibited to sing at night for the roads, really when to Naples they were in fashion her song pé amusement de 'I am carnival and, among these, The Recottaro, Him 'Nfornataro, The Polliero, The Ciardiniero, The Pisciavinnolo, etc.
S. Francis of Assisi turned since that time the known world with his/her beautiful Hymn of the creatures, while in the courts they were of fashion the minstrels and the choristers of the sirventese come from France. In the century XV reigns in Naples Alfonso V In Aragon, said "the Magnanimous one", I° Re in Naples. To his/her court the courtly poets already felt the need to innovate the forms of the poetry inspiring himself/herself/itself to the source of the spontaneous and popular feeling.
They bloom:
the strambotto: "To dò sò ghiute tant'abbracciamiente?
So many carizzes ca me holds to do?"
etc., etc.
the respect: "Thinking to my ognie serious sin,
cossì as me I find to a cave,
ease sentuto that you yes' arrived",
etc., etc.
the respect: "Nun me chiammate cchiù Donna Isabella,
chiammateme unfortunate Sabella",
etc. etc.
the couplet: "Muorto is lu purpo and is under the preta,
muorto is Ser Gianni I give birth de poet" etc., etc.
The poets and the musicis of Court gave life, with their strambottis, to the first Neapolitan folksy song, but people didn't accept the serious, heavy and artificial forms of these poets and was often sheltered in its coolness popular songs:
"Chiena de nfamità, faoza nascisti,
chiena de nfamità you produced yourself", etc., etc.
as also this alive song coming from the countries:
"The water me assuga and the sun me nfonne,
all the ccoses contrary meies go", etc., etc.
It is the century when the Italian genius dominates the scene of all the courts with its great teachers: from Leonardo from you Win, Michelangelo, Rafael, Correggio, Giorgione, Titian, up to the Veronese and to the Tintoretto; it is the century of the discovery of America with Cristoforo Colombo Columbus, while to Naples, in the roads, he sings the villanella, a popular song coming from the countries.
The '400 are the century of the first transformations in the musical field; in fact, to the Aragonese Court of king Alfonso, it hears him the influence of the more cultured and polyphonic Flemish musical school. With his/her popular song, Naples brings in the whole Europe the Neapolitan villanelles and, with this success, the Neapolitan dialect also enters to court to amuse noble and plebeians.
The '500 receive in inheritance the uproarious success of the Neapolitan villanelles and, every day, Castle Plaza becomes the musical center of this city as the tavern of the Cerriglio and the rock-cliff of S. Leonardo in the suburb of Chiaia where poets and musicians reunited to compose new villanelle that people did his and sang for the roads and in the popular parties.
It is the century of the first great poet in Neapolitan language, alias says Passaro Bernaldino Velardiniello (1400-1500), to which the sweet villanella must be attributed:
"Voccuccia de no pierzeco apreturo,
Na Mussillo fig tree lattarola,
You me you premium alone dinto de quist'uorto",
etc., etc.
while other poets rapsòdi, often choristers over that skilled musicians, participated in parties and popular dances and they were sought after and applauded everywhere. They are: Giovanni of the Wheelbarrow, Junno Ceca her (also says Compà' Junno), Jacoviello, the poet Strains, Ciardullo (said: the poet Vozza), Mucho, Mase, etc. Among the so many, then, Velardiniello, the good poet said chorister Sbruffapappa remembers us, of which the famous villanella stays us:
"Or God! what pits ciàola and that bolasse
to ssa fenestra to dirte na word;
but not that me mettisse to na gajola."
etc., etc.
Another poet and musico, called Gian Leonardo Of the harp the people it hailed him/it in his breadth it stays us:
"You havessi tantillo de hope
my punishment not so hard saria",
etc., etc.
These poets and musicians cooperated the villanelles of success, as:
to) You know that the crow has this custom,
what when it sings it always says crai:
crai - crai - crai - crai
etc., etc.
b) my Parzonarella, parzonarella,
etc., etc.
c) Vorria addeventare prevolillo
pe makes ste coscetelle caude to be,
etc., etc.
d) Done does them yours, lady Perna,
what a not haggio to make cchiù co' tico,
etc., etc.
and) Them Saracinis adore the sun,
and them Turkish the moon with the stars
and I adore these beautiful trezzes.
f) Oh, tasty chiù de the salad,
oh teneriella chiù de the latuca,
etc., etc.
All the villanelles of success are stamped on flying sheets with the texts and the music and this confirmation the to affirm out also him some villanelles to the Neapolitan of the city of Naples.
The Neapolitan song in the XVII and XVIII century
The arrives '600 stracaricos of musical culture, bringing with itself the decline of the villanella and the to evolve and the to change some madrigal and, from these, the advent of the melodrama. Many capable musicians have contributed then to this evolutionary trial, among which, the musico Charles Gesualdo Prince of Venous (1560-1616); Claudio Monteverdi (1567-1643), Alexander Stradella (1645-1682), Pier Francesco Horses (1602-1676), Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674), Alexander Scarlatti (1662-1725); them with their musical talent, with their ingeniousness you/they have given a decisive turn and you/they have contributed in conclusive way to the development of the melodrama in the century XVII leaving, with their art and creativeness, an indelible sign.
The Neapolitan opera school, finds instead in Francis Provenzale (1627-1704), composer of religious and theatrical sacred music, its initiator that gives origin, in our city with great delay in comparison to the others, to the melodramatic production partenopea.
In the '600 the villanelles conclude their evolutionary cycle being born anonymous and popular before in the "villici" suburbs of country, then folksy in the city and, finally, courtly villanelle of author to the "toscanese" in the Courts of the various kingdoms, to decay, definitely, coming I lead the spontaneity and the simplicity of when they were anonymous and popular.
The '600 give the three first great poets and writers to our city: Phillip Sgruttendio from Scafati (?), Polite (1575-1621) Giulio Cesare and Giambattista Basi her (1575-1632). In the works of these three great poets of the '600 the pure and game rush of the people feels him that participates, with this full-bodied language of his and "it toasts", to the whole culture of the time, describing the life of it, the customs and offering us, so, one long live, direct, fresh testimony of it. Despite the revolution of Masaniello in 1647, the 1656 plague and the 1688 earthquake, the people, also in these tragedies, it kept on singing for getting out of of melancholy.
The birth of the poetry and the dialect literature favored the to draw near some poets to the people and the to draw, from the life of it, inspiration for their songs. This interest secondò the development of the Neapolitan folksy song which, in fact, it reestablished the contact of the courtly art, that is cultured, with the popular song. The works of the Polite one, converse her Eclogues of the Found her and her/it 'Ntrezzatas of the Sgruttendio prepared the birth of the Dialect Comedy and the Funny (1700) work.
It is also the century of Michelemma' and of Fenesta ca lucive: each tries to give a paternity to these two successes, but they agrees with the historian Sebastiano Di Mass that, you cite her works, I am not "folksy songs" on the contrary of the pure ones "popular songs."
The social and moral conditions of the Neapolitan people at the end of the '600 are disastrous, after various foreign dominations the city was fallen in the disorder and in the blackest poverty. Only after the essay of Acquisgrana (1668) it will assure him since that time to Italy, a cinquantennio of progress and peace but suffering, then, the Austrian dominion. The Naples of end '600 and beginning '700 pour again in the roads wants her/it eternal to sing unbridledly dancing the tarantelles, a dance of fashion and, then, of great success.
The to be born ago some melodrama of this '700, the century of the theater and not of the song: the theater Florentines (1707) are built, the theater of St. Charles (1737), the theater Mercadante, said originally theater of the Fund (1780), the New (1790) theater and the theater S. Ferdinando (1790). The to spread some melodrama often brings to the exaggeration of the stage apparatuses and the musical complexities of it, therefore it hears him the necessity to relieve the solemnity of these apparatuses introducing, between an action and the other, an interval with musical clefts and scenes of lived popular life every day in the roads of the city of Naples. From this I sprout the Dialect Comedy and the Funny work they are almost contemporarily born. To the success of the Funny work they participate, over the Venetian, the De Falco, the jeweler and the De Dominicis, also the most cultured teachers what Leo, Wins, Scarlet, as well as Paisiello, Pergolesi and Cimarosa. These artists' return to the source of the popular spirit, gives back life to the Neapolitan folksy song, and he abandons the courtly melodrama, been born in the Dormitory of the House you Harness to work of erudite artists. These great artists don't disdain to take, from the mouth of the people, the most known popular songs, for then to elaborate them and to insert them in the Funny Works. Of these we remember:
- Palummella zompa and it flies
- Lu Cardillo
- Cicerenella
as well as two attractive and nice tarantelle, perhaps villanelle of the '500 great success:
- The Guarracino (anonymous popular song)
- The Rosa (Mercadante).
The century of the Funny work is closed with the epic of the Republic Partenopea (1799), lasted six months and tragically ended on the gibbets, while the return of the Borbones drags this uncertainty of the power up to the arrival of Garibaldi. The people, in regains her/it liberty, it returns to sing and to propose the successes of the funny work, that successes that prepare the advent of the noble Neapolitan song of author with the great one Of Giacomo.
The Neapolitan song in the XIX century
The 800 arrives gross of blood, with the working gibbets still on the plazas where you/he/she was beheaded and killed the whole Neapolitan culture of the aristocracy and the average intellectual middle class that wanted to return and to found in Naples the liberty and the democracy. The troubles are not ended for this city it always possesses from new masters: the arrival of Joseph Bonaparte (1814) sees in exile in Sicily Ferdinando IV and, on the throne of king, Gioacchino Murat, that on September 8 participates in the party of Piedigrotta with a great parade and with the whole royal family: people takes back courage and returns to sing for the roads it mocks her/it nova. You renewed the rite of the inn to S. Eframo Vecchio where poets and musicians were found again that, between a glass and the other, they gave life to it mocks her/it nova, done by everybody and by anybody, but sung, then, from all to the party of Piedigrotta.
The return of the Borbones to Naples and the shooting of Gioacchino Murat they delude the Neapolitan people of one found again peace and in a 1835 Piedigrotta evening it bursted for enchantment the success of Raffaele Sacco in the famous song: You I love assaje, musicata from Donizetti. Naples sings her/it in the daytime, at night and in every where, it is an obsession and therefore a great success: you/they are sold over 180 thousand copielles with the verses and the music of this song. People still sang in the illusion of one found again peace and of a pinch of liberty, but already in the air there was odor of revolt and the '48 were near by now: Garibaldi's invasion in the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies with Naples Capitale signals end of an epoch and the birth of the Kingdom of Italy. In the median years of the first one '800, apart the alive consent gotten by T and I love assaje, any poet or musician he/she succeeded in giving life to some other success of Neapolitan folksy song; only Theodore Cottrau (1827-1879) succeeded, in a certain way, to express a personal taste in the two songs: Saint Lucy and You Sorrentina (28-10-1850).
This author was child of Guglielmo Cottrau (French), arrived to Naples during the kingdom of Gioacchino Murat, student of the songs of the people partenopeo, so much to be stamped a harvest of it from the title: Musical pastimes near the typography Girard in the year 1820.
In 1824 it was printed another harvest of songs, it edits from the same Cottrau father, taken care of by the Florimo by the title: Napolitane.
In 1882 the M.° Vincent De picked up better her in three volumes, inclusive those of Cottrau, in which it brings all the anonymous popular songs and then those of the authors of the first Eight hundred, 150 popular songs from the title Echo in Naples proposed by Luca Torre.
In the same period, Luigi Molinaro of the Clear one sends the volume to the press from the title: Picked popular songs in Naples.
Other important harvest for its content is that of Max Vajro from the title: Canzonette Eight hundred napolitane edits from Pironti in 1954, what tall documentary value.
The songs had published then since 1840 in put in evidence the customs and the events that have interested the city of Naples: the poet Peppino Turco and the musician Luigi Denza, with two motives for success, they remember the invention of the telephone with 'Or telephone and the inauguration of the funicular vesuviana with Funiculì Funiculà in the year 1881.
Our Risorgimento is the beginning of an it was also new for the Neapolitan song, it is the beginning of a new cycle, the richest and complex of all of his/her life. This century contains in itself the sum of all the cycles in which the city has lived and developed its melodious and musical talent and whose roots are to seek him in the legend of the beautiful Partenope, in the anonymous and popular song of its interpreters, in the folksy song of its poets and musicians up to find again, astride such century, the soul of a great poet, that you/he/she has known how to carry and to amalgamate, with the exceptional sensibility, the traditional elements of the song and the spirit of the people of its time and to give to the Neapolitan song that will graft him to the stump of the air and the ariettes of the lyric work, thanks to the contribution of composers as F. P. You toast, M. It costs etc., the true noble form of art. This great poet is Savior Of Giacomo that in 1882 you/he/she begins his/her production with the folksy song: Nannì, in 1883 with music of Mario Costa it goes out: Yes 'to capa female, in 1884 with: Nun us jammo, Nannì. In the same year it bursts again in Naples the cholera provoking dead ventimila: the improvement of the city is decided and in May of the 1885 Umberto I it inaugurates the aqueduct of the Serino.
Naples is a continuous yard and the people it looks for in the whole way to go out of that crisis and he/she succeeds even in singing another success of S. Of Giacomo: Oilì, Oilà. The contests of songs follow him and every Piedigrotta proposes his it mocks new. Of Giacomo is the in demand poet and more sung: Marechiaro arrives, 'And French spingole, Palomma and night, Donna Amalia 'to Speranzella, 'To nuvena, Carcioffolà, Carulì, To retirata, To the alert sentinel, Lariulà, To moon nova.
These songs are considered from the same Of Giacomo to folksy character, while the first song nine, that is the true song of art: Matina matì, Serenade napulitana, Pianefforte 'and night, March And trezze 'and Carulina, 'To siren, it was de May, Ll'ore 'and ll'appuntamento.
Of Giacomo has been the first great poet that has known how to give that dignity of art to the Neapolitan song, where the song is purely lyric, that is poetry of love: this dominates, sovereign, the nineteenth-century noble cycle of the Neapolitan song.
Coetano of Of Giacomo is Ferdinando Russo; also him ago of the Neapolitan song a subjective lyric and he/she succeeds in bringing the "sketches" to the height of true creation of art. It is an impetuous, sensitive and kind poet as the people of his/her city, of which it is integral part the poet of Tammurriata palazzola, Scetate, my Mother has us from sapé, Quanno tramonta 'or sun.
Arrogant person and scanzonato it arrives the playwright Roberto Bracco, contemporary of the Of Giacomo, with his/her songs almost written for dear, in the melodious evenings of Piedigrotta: As you I want amà, Abbastà ca po', Africanella, Nu passariello spierzo, Tarantella 'ntussecosa, Salamelic. In this period of great success of the Neapolitan song also the great poet Gabriele Di I announce he/she wanted to give his/her poetic contribution to our cultural artistic patrimony with his/her delicious sonnet: 'To vucchella written for bet an evening on a table of marble of the Coffee Gambrinus and then musicata from F. P. You toast. It raced the year 1892.
The Neapolitan song to the beginnings of the '900
The first true three great poets of the noble Neapolitan song had the natives to Naples, while the assistant one for bet, was native of Pescara: Giacomo's (12-3-1860/3-4-1934) savior, Ferdinando Russo (23-11-1866 / 30-1-1927), Roberto Bracco (19-9-1858/30-4-1943), Gabriele Di I announce (Pescara 12-3-1858 / 1-3-1938). To this group of great then other interpreters of the mind of the people were added you dictate canzonieri, because they were by instinct poets, not lettered and therefore distant from any cultural influence.
To this group, above for down contemporary of the Of Giacomo, these canzonieris belong, these poets of the people that some have left each other among the most beautiful Neapolitan songs:
- Giovanni Capurro (5-2-1859 / 18-1-1920) - Poet of the immortal song: 'Or my sun, full of humor, careful observer, with his/her veiled verses of melancholy, describer of the Neapolitan types, good also in the sketches. Others his/her more known successes are: 'Or new pizzaiuolo, Quanno mammeta not us stà, To sciantosa, Lilì Kangì, pperò Perished, Totonno 'and Quagliarella, gold Threads.
- Easter Cinquegrana (21-4-1850/27-4-1935) - very beloved Poet from the people, simple and honest as you/he/she has always lived from good elementary teacher. Its more meaningful successes are: And bersagliere, Furturella, Ndringhete ndrà, Muntevergine, To care 'and mother. He/she also wrote sketches of success, as: 'Or rusecatore, Don Saverio, 'Or mbricato, 'Or braggart, 'Or bizzuoco fauzo.
- Giambattista De Curtis (20-7-1860 / 18-1-1926) - Poet painter and musician, in his/her songs always the voice of his/her Sorrento. The most known successes: It returns to Surriento, Carmela, Ninuccia, 'To picciotta, To surrentina, The' me arricordo 'and you, etc.
- Vincent Russo (16-3-1876 / 11-6-1904) - A sincere and spontaneous poet of the song; a little educated, but sensitive and lyric as not it ever died young, and the destiny stole to this city one of its most sensitive poets, a true child that was still able cantar in verses the whole feeling of its people. His/her immortal successes: Maria Marì, Me you vurria vasà, To serenade of and rrose, Returns May, it Mocks beautiful, The urdema mocks mine.
- Aniello Califano (19-1-1870 / 20-2-1919) - Canzoniere and diffuse poet, student in engineering, also he sang with love his/her Sorrento. Successes are: 'To surrentina, Serenade to Surriento, Ninì Tirabusciò, 'Or sea and' Margellina, Mandulinata sea, Tiempe and beautiful, 'Or surdato nnammurato, etc.
- Gennaro Ottaviano (25-7-1874 / 25-8-1919) - A labourer of wine merchant, but he/she offered perfumed genuine wine of poetries and songs. His/her great world success: 'Or marenariello, etc.
- Joseph Capaldo (21-4-1874 / 25-8-1919) - Spontaneous and genuine chorister of the Neapolitan soul, died young leaving so many successes: Comme facette mammeta, The art d "or sun, To cup 'and café And llampadine, etc.
- After 1799 between the populace and the average and cultured middle class an incurable abyss was created, that the new political, economic and social order of the unity of Italy didn't even succeed to cure. This miracle was operated only by the Neapolitan song that brought the dialect of the populace in the saloons of the high and cultured middle class facilitating of it, so, the interrupted dialogue after the populace had fiercely beheaded the culture partenopea on the gibbets of the city with the end of the Republic Partenopea.
Naples had found again his/her internal and external harmony alone through his/her most beautiful songs and it manifested her/it in the party of Piedigrotta where people found again him united, in the happiness and in the song. In this climate of found again trust Naples it prepared the ground for the rebirth of the Neapolitan folksy song, but above all for the arrival very attended and hoped for the noble Neapolitan song of author.
The first musical publishers are born: Bideri, Memoirs, Santojanni, Pierro, Ceccoli, etc. and to the shade of the great poet Salvatore Of Giacomo a myriad of poets and melodisti that compose to competition new songs to try to express are born, then, with their songs, the feeling of this city.
Capable musicians gave a hand to the great poets for the birth of the Neapolitan song of author: a first group was composed from great and good musicians as P. Mario Costa, F. Paul Tosti, Henry De Raises, Luigi Denza, Vincent Valente, Ernesto De Curtis.
The second group of contemporaries of S. Of Giacomo and called "canzonieri" they had, instead, teachers as: Eduardo Of Capua, Savior Gambardella, Vincent Di Chiara, Giambattista De Curtis, Joseph Capolongo, without tener account of so many others smaller.
The most important period of the Neapolitan Song has gone since 1880 to 1910 and has as protagonists poets and musicians from now on remembered; but new authors, in the respect of the great ones, they were ventured to open new roads and said authentic melody partenopea.
The Café Chantant
Other events gave impulse to this wave of poetic creativeness: it is inaugurated, November 9 th 1890, the Gallery Umberto I and, with it, the Saloon Theater Margherita, situated in her "inferior cruise" of the same Gallery.
It was born so the Café Chantant that, first of the kind in Italy, it marked the development and the to affirm him some Neapolitan and Italian variety show.
Naples, capital than a kingdom from thirty years, alive this event as thrilling and magic moment; for such intense lived he/she succeeds in proposing one unpublished image of his to national and international level.
The Saloon Margherita proposes with success the Café Chantant with international artists and ballets of the Moulin Rouge in Paris.
They dominate the sketch with Nicola Maldacea, the melody with Gennaro Pasquariello, the eccentric and eccentric songs with the famous ones "Chantose", the extemporaneous poetic exhibitions of Armando Gill, the unbridled and sensual Khan-Khan, the beauty and the song of Lina Cavalieri, the beautiful Otero and the great Fougère: this the period of the maximum shine of the enchanting Saloon Margherita (1890-1910). With the diffusion of the Cinema, the Café Chantant and for it the Saloon Margherita they begin, unfortunately, the descending phase and this temple of the variety show you/he/she is used for cinema projections with curtain-raiser or. Today, fallen in private hand, it is closed for a strange and long restauration. Who knows to when the reopening. On behalf of who? For thing? The power of the local corporate body is fugitive and doesn't hear the duty to impose the respect of the restauration for the restitution of this theatrical historical space to the city of Naples.
It leans out to the footlights of the song Neapolitan one fed and valid second generation of poets and among these they emerge:
- Rocco Galdieri (Rambaldo) (11-10-1877 / 16-2-1923) - The true poet of the new generation. Hands a new gust in the Neapolitan lyric, its veiled verses of melancholy belong to its unmistakable personality, it is the true poet that writes what feels, the motions of its mind, a subjective lyric that is justly compared to that of the Of Giacomo. His/her successes: My Sora, Vomero, 'Na votes alone, 'Or core 'and Catarina, 'To song of or pazzariello And bonasera ammore, Rundinella.
- Ernesto Murolo (4-4-1876 / 30-10-1939) - You his/her soul of poet is a palette full of colors, with which trace, with light touch, quadretti of Neapolitan life, is the poet painter of a Naples that there is not more. Its successes are so many and too many and us we remember only the most known: Tammurriata to the ancient one, Pusilleco addiruso, Suspiranno, You yes scurdato and Napule, Tarantelluccia, Ah, the ammore that ffa fà, People po', Napule ca goes, 'Or cunto 'and Maria Rosa, Piscatore 'and Pusilleco.
- Free Bovio (8-6-1883 / 26-5-1942) - The Pastures of the Neapolitan song, his/her singable verses son already music, his/her love for Naples already poetry, its characters are of a throbbing Naples of humanity a small middle class that he/she lives its usual life between vichi and piazzette of the most popular districts in the city; it is the poet that sets her roots of the melodious mind of the Neapolitan people in the song of love of the beautiful Partenope and the call of its verses is clear when it says:
"... and the' I know' napulitano
and him nun dark song."
Its successes are dearly all musicati at good and capable teachers: Does it sing pé me, Surdate, Autumn, Nun I want ago' nothing, Tarantella luciana, Guapparia, does Napule sing, Reginella, Brinneso Ncopp'a ll'onna, 'Or does sea sing, Silence cantatore, Chiove, The goodbye, does Totonno go, And ppentite, Tears napulitanne, 'Or country d '' or sun, Tarantella scugnizza, Hoer, 'And daughters, Mammà addo' stà?, Jail, Passion, How much gnawed, Busciada, Me vuò well, The urdema tarantella, black Guitar, Love of pastorello, 'Or better friend, Dear child, Pale mimosa, Signorinella.
- Edward Nicoardi (C. Or. Lardini) (28-2-1878 / 26-2-1954) - versatile Poet, its poetry binds and it moves because soaked with love, of passion, of jealousy, of torment, of resigned irony. Successes are: Voice 'and night, beautiful Sciuldezza, 'Mmiez' or wheat, black Tammurriata, 'And zucculille.
- And. To. Mario (5-5-1884 / 26-6-1961) - A poet poliedrico that succeeds in conquering a place to itself in the world of the song and the Neapolitan poetry. A new language, fresh, genuine that shines through in his/her most beautiful songs. It is the poet of the Piave. His/her great successes: Funtana allombra, Mocks napulitana, The' 'na guitar and 'to moon, May him' you, Comme if it sings to Napule, Saint Lucy luntana, Core furastiero, Duje paravie, Mierolo affurtunato, 'Or party, Mocks appassiunata, Ammore 'and femmena, Presentiment, Viper, Thievish, You legend of the Piave, it gnawed her redheads, Nostalgia of mandolins, Toys and perfumes, etc.
- Luca Postiglione (18-10-1876 / 27-8-1936) - Poet and painter, the poetries mirrored the colors of its soul, it was instinctive, refined, sincere. They remember: Canzuncella of October, Bella that saje guardà, Carmela.
- Alfonso Mangione (6-4-1891 / 5-12-1937) - unusual Character and also bizarro, poet for distraction, but with such an elegance to never be fallen in the vulgarity. They remember of him: 'To casciaforte, 'To rezza, nun there is Saturday without sun.
- Arming Gill (Michael Testa) (28-7-1877 / 2-1-1945) - One, perhaps, of the most important Neapolitan singer songwriters, it liked for his/her repertoire that him same it announced with to say: "Armando's verses, music of Gill, Armando Gill sings." Popular poet, ladylike, man of culture, a strong artistic personality. His/her successes: As it rained, 'Or quatto 'and May, 'Or zampugnaro nnamurato, Nun I know' geluso, Bella beautiful ca yes, Palomma, my Gina, new Songs, the aviator's Stornello, 'And then?.
- Raffaele Chiurazzi (24-2-1876 / 3-12-1957) - Sculptor and poet. Its poetries exalt the love, the men, the whims, the jealousy of its districts written in a pure Neapolitan. They remember of him: Duorme, Madunnella, Zì my monacella, Ammore 'ncarruzzella, Three nnammurate, Mocks piccerella, etc.
The poets of the II generation
All the poets of the second generation had available musicians endowed with temperament and spontaneity that you/they knew how to translate those poetries in easy melodies so much immediately to bring her to the success.
Among these we remember: Ferdinando Albano, Francis Buongiovanni, Henry Cannio, Ernesto De Curtis, Edward Of Capua, Rodolfo Falvo, Gaetano Lama, Evemero Nardella, Attilio Staffelli, Ernesto Tagliferri, Nicola Valente etc.
The times, unfortunately they change, and they hear again some political and social overturnings, accordingly also the song mirrors the change and records, therefore, the end of the conclusive period of the nineteenth-century cycle of the Neapolitan song her "beautiful epoque" of a magic historical moment of our song made of style of feeling. In this heavy climate it is born I sprout him/it and a versifier's anger popular Anthony Barbieri manifests him, when you/he/she launches a desperate cry as you/he/she launched him/it to his/her time G. B. Found her in to write:
"... where juto is the nomme
vuosto, where the famma,
or villanelle meie napulitane?"
with his/her song Naples is sempe Napule, musicata in 1914 from the teacher Enrico Cannio:
Nce has raised 'or I play d' 'and tamorre,
'to tarantella nun is wrapped up cchiù,
etc., etc.
A happy and melancholy song together that mirrors the state of mind of that preceding time the first world war.
Ago echo, after the same war, Edward Nicolardi that he/she writes and it sings with melancholy:
"It is us' still nu ancient guappo
ca s '' to he/she sees c '' or settesorde?
...
It is still us quacche triato
does addò laugh Pulecenella?
The same Pasquariello sings in the theater of variety:
"It returns, mine mocks, comm'a 'na votes,
simple, kind and impassioned cchiù:
It returns to 'or beautiful country addò him born,
ca already twills how much you sapimmo amà."
The same great interpreter Gennaro Pasquariello with this song unconsciously closes a period of great shine, affermando so happens him conclusion of the cycle eight-novecentesco of the Neapolitan song. It is rightful to also speak at the end of this period of the born musical publishers and working to Naples, as well as of the principal interpreters of the Neapolitan song. The first melody, submitted to the beautiful voice of Partenope, as it narrates the legend, her the diffused ones in his/her spellbound gulf with the strength of his/her love, that love that he/she knows how to overcome all the obstacles to survive for ever in the memory of his/her children that you/they have known how to preserve, in their mind the passion for how much them assigned and handed down by a generation to the other. The song has always been a serenade that the man has always sung for love or to get out of of melancholy, has challenged the times, as well as the people's patience, so much that Fred II emanated an edict to prohibit the nighttime executions and the of it to proliferate him of them. Through various vicissitudes it reached the printed copielles with the verses and the melodic song to land, then, to it parks her/it to the pianino, the first one in the restaurants to the fashion and the second in the alleys of the city where the song was submitted to the barbers, to the tailors, to the ironers and the beautiful girls that dreamt the love. To this period it placed side by side him that of the theater of "variety" with the game operations of the publishers that, of the famous auditions of Piedigrotta, (what theatrical shows for the throwing of new songs with the most known artists of that period) they did a commercial bargain of it for the diffusion of the character industrial song anticipating in the time the discografia. The most known publishers were among the first ones: Bideri, Santojanni, Neapolitan Musical Society, Memoirs, Izzo, You Canzonetta, You Poliphon, Gennarelli, Saint Lucy, Ceccoli, etc.
The book industry musical takings the start toward 1880 and it developed him up to the first world war, for then to occur again and to propose him with new publishing houses that, you/they were often reconstituted by the same authors.
Some remained only in life one year, others succeeded in overcoming the first financial difficulties for then to end in the faucis of big publishers. Furoreggiavano then the theater Eden and the Saloon Margherita and these places saw the triumph of the "entertainers" and among these they emerged for beauty and intelligence: Lina Cavalieri, Emilia Persico, Carmen Marini, Ersilia Sampieri. Of the singers men of that epoch remember him: Arthur Ciotti, Bernard Cantalamessa, Diego Giannini and the way De Lucia.
In that period two great interpreters of the song rise napoletana: Gennaro Pasquariello (8-9-1869 / 20-1-1958) and Elvira Donnarumma (18-4-1882 / 22-5-1933), as well as the great one and immortale Henry Caruso (25-2-1873 /2-8-1921). These have made the Neapolitan song eternal with their interpretations and with their unmistakable voice: Naples always remembers them and is thankful of it. Other artists leaned out later to the footlights of the Neapolitan song and they consolidated the success of it: Raffaele Viviani and his/her sister Luisella, Joseph Godano, Rodolfo Giglio, Savior Papaccio, Vittorio Pari him, Armando Gill, Gabré and Mario Pasqualillo. Among the women they excelled instead Ann Foguez, Tina Castigliana, Tecla Scarano, Ester Baroni, Ada Bruges, Lina Resal, Rià back Rosa, Guild Mignonette. The sketches what a lot of kind next to the song, had as diamonds and genial interpreters Nicola Maldacea and Peppino Villani.
The Neapolitan song today
In the years winds and thirty the song was regularly framed as culture of the fascist regime and the burst of the second world war it definitely marked the conclusion of the nineteenth-century cycle of the Neapolitan song, because the artists in all of their aspirations had gotten further forever from the feeling and from the song of the people. This decline was accented by the new means of diffusion of the sound and the image, that is from the Radio, from the sonorous Cinematography and finally from the television that you/he/she has opened new and unthinkable horizons to the s composers of light music and to the lyricists what new poets and versifiers of songs. The inspiration missing comes I lead the quality of the same production, even if the discografia sees centuplicate the sales of the disks of light music.
After the second world war the nostalgia and the love for Naples it made to shine a star in the firmament of the Neapolitan song: it was the beautiful and yearning Munastero and' Saint Michael's Galdieri Chiara with the music of Alberto Barberis. The feeling of the people in Naples manifested him pure and sincere as once in the song: Simme 'and Napule, paisà! of Joseph Fiorelli with music of Nicola Valente and the same tell him of Red Moon with verses of V. De Crescenzo and music of Vian another song, was instead an element of breakup against a method, "chiagnazzaro" to introduce and to sing the new songs of the various auditions of Piedigrotta of the various musical publishing houses in Naples, this was Scapricciatiello on you pour of Pacific Vento and music of Ferdinando Albano interpreted by a young artist in the Piedigrotta Bideri 1954: Aurelio Fierro.
Then the Festivalses of the Neapolitan Song that have gone since 1952 up to 1969 arrived where the same artist brought other Neapolitan songs to the success, what: Guaglione, Lazzarella, Vurria, 'To sonnanabula, 'To pizza etc. This success seemed to give back trust to the Neapolitan song for a resumption and a true raising, but they is departed around 24 years and the absolute silence, but not inexplicable, it dominates the horizon of the rebirth: Naples doesn't sing anymore, he/she doesn't know how to sing anymore, rather it says, that he/she still remembers the true songs been born by the popular one pure feeling of authentic Neapolitans. Around, even if rarely, not entirely guests, the symptoms of a happy to awakening are felt our song: he/she sleeps as the Vesuvius, however every now and then he/she sends a signal for it stuffed to understand that it is still alive and that to the sudden one you/he/she can burst a successso that will mark the beginning of this return to the ancient shine.