The most famous song of Sorrento “COME BACK TO SORRENTO”

The most famous song of Sorrento “COME BACK TO SORRENTO”

One hundred years ago in a Sorrento certainly different from today, even in our city the twentieth century began to spread its turmoil, its deep innovations, its sorrows and joys.
Even the good old twentieth century has passed, our city has had a very considerable economic development, however, its traditions and its most meaningful values are the common thread that links the past, present and future.
The song “Come back to Sorrento” it is the real hymn of our land.
Hear her singing as a child or a large inter
priest always generates emotion and charm.
Original enchantment of the land of the Sirens,
This centenary of the famous melody they hope will be auspicious for other cent ‘years of success and the cultural, economic and social growth.
All ‘Historical Studies Association Sorrentini and those who have allowed the realization of this publication is the praise and recognition of the’ Administration.

MAYOR

Come Back to Sorrento is a song that, beyond its undeniable musical qualities (fluid and spontaneous melodic, without falling in the obvious or trivial, structural originality) contains a mysterious charm, a sublime Naie message refers you – because no? – the myth of the Sirens.
This song expresses, in my opinion, the languor of a farewell, detachment from something that is not only Sorrento; expresses the inevitable abandonment of a light, the unstoppable flow of time, the awareness of not being able to stop the youth of life, which in the myth seems Sorrento property in the bitter sweetness of lemons, in ‘eco sea caves, in the delirium sun, whose sunset every afternoon singing for thousands of years the sirenusiche and simple notes back to Sorrento.
This is – without fear of being judged emphatic pride – that I would say, after a detached and lucid examination of the song from his musical structure point of view.
It is divided, in the verse, with a simple melodic motif of minor mode, which is repeated as a chant, almost like a sad lullaby, without producing any sense of stanchez
za or saturation; nor does it alters when the harmony clears passing to the higher way to then fold back to anxious melancholy of the minor mode; finally explodes melodic phrase, satisfying the property pending iteration, preceding
you, with a solar theme, more so, pushed into acute vocal range, without producing any music joyfulness, but only the sense of a poignant sunset on the threshold of dark.
Based on this analysis, let me explain the favor he enjoyed back to Sorrento in the ‘sphere of emigrants, of tradition, and I understand the spread of world music, the contents of which can express the bitter diaspora of those who leave their land, farewell to a love, the parting of old age to youth.
There are innumerable recordings of this song, which also had a performance tradition with hand set academically, and this is explained by the considerable breadth of melodic song. But back to Sorrento it entered tenacemen
voice, he expressed softly, softly, subliminal echoes of the soul that expresses the song.
Today, unfortunately, often we see stylistic havoc of our Neapolitan song, in which you can recognize all the cultural barbarism which we live, to the detriment of our identity. I am referring to the melodic distortion of the original musical phrases, winking to a bad overheard blues and chewed as a bolus undigested; I refer to arbitrary and poorly written arrangements with exotic rhythms, Latin American, where it seems that you are ashamed of a past which, in doing so, proves that to be repeated, it needs to be “updated” or suitable models more idiots of current consumption.
So a timely but fair running back to Sorrento, or listening to an old record recording of the early twentieth century, can make us understand what this song is current as farewell message to any of our tradi vocal style, our identity melodic, besieged and scarred by squiggles of light music, vocal grunts from those which are full landfills of television daily, those annoying and amateurish claims of innovation and “interpretation.”

THE TRUE STORY OF “BACK TO SURRIENTO”

Come back to Sorrento is the song became, over the course of a century, the symbol of the City of Sirens, sending a message of love and beauty. His verses invite you to enjoy the beauty of nature, to enjoy them and not to forget them.
On its origin and its composition there is a vivid contrast, it originated from a poor assessment of the existing documents of the time and precise information. His hundredth birthday authorizes us to believe that this is the official time and appropriate to point out how it really went the facts.
It is known that Giambattista de Curtis was – for several years – host of the comm. William Tramontano (Mayor of Sorrento since 1900) in his hotel to perform pictorial ornament works in the halls and in the rooms (some of which are still visible). Often he joined his brother Ernesto: two souls of artists.
It was on 15 September 1902. The President of the Council of Ministers, Hon. Giuseppe Zanardelli, had planned a trip, Basilicata and expressed the desire to precede it with a visit to Capri and Sorrento.
That day he embarked in Naples on “Marcantonio Colonna” directed Isola d’Azur, where he arrived and was a guest of the Mayor Federico Serena, ripartendone in the late afternoon to Sorrento where he arrived at around 19. He walked the streets between praising crowds, between lights and throwing flowers, until you reach the Imperial Hotel Tramontano where he stayed.
On that occasion it was sung – for the first time – back to Sorrento, written by Giambattista de Curtis and set to music by his brother Ernesto. After a few decades, it was born of a “story”, that would have been made for “the post office needs to Sorrento” or other requests for some pmblemi solutions that plagued the city.
On “The Messenger” of January 17, 1954 an imaginative journalist observed: “Don Guglielmo wandered through the rooms of the great hotels grudgingly. S ‘encountered the painter Giambattista De Curtis glued strips of paper painted Art Nouveau, used to decorate walls and ceilings. it would take a strong idea to get him, he repeated Tramontano. How about a song, said De Curtis, and called Ernesto, musician brother. Within hours were born verses and notes, Zanardelli listened to them, amused, and promised the post office “.
This description did (and still does) around the world, also reported in the most important stories of the Neapolitan Song, perverting the spirit of a song for materializing … the post office.
But if it was a journal (of fifty ‘years later) to trace this interpretation, other newspapers (contemporary event) and some documents restore the facts and circumstances in their reality.
Let’s start from the reading of “The South” of Naples (but not many are “La Stampa”, “Il Mattino” of Naples, the “Panaro” Modena, “The Courier Toscano” Livorno, “The Nation” in Florence , “the Adriatic”, Venice) of the time: “When it came,” Marcantonio Colonna “in Sorrento at 7:30 am (19:30) on the. Zanardelli is received by the mayor
Tramontano and the Councilor elder. Moltafolla on the shore. In the section of the route from Marina Hotel Tramontano many flares are lit, the Sorrento music plays the Royal Anthem. The on. Zanardelli tours around the city admiring the beauty of this country. After he went to the Hotel Tramontano. “” The Morning precise “on the banquet menu which was attended by 60 people – including the minister Balenzano and mayors of Naples and Rome – and continues: ” ‘During lunch, on’ adjacent loggia, a graceful female voice sings a song by De Curtis, “Come back to Sorrento”, melody worthy of the author of “Carmela.” He sang the
Miss Maria Cappiello, a pupil of St. Peter in Majello. Zanardelli churches that were repeated. Then it was also performed “Carmela” and other Neapolitan. “And what songs could be enough!
But the newspaper reports that the Champagne rose Tramontano the mayor to address the greetings to the President of the Council and thank him for the honor bestowed on Sorrento and say: “I will not do tonight allusions to administrative or political issues. It is too laborious and full of anxiety and thoughts of her life, because I come to disturb it with references to the needs of our populations. We wish, however, that she appreciates the beauty of our district and the goodness of its people. Thanking all, I hope that time will not erase the memory of Sorrento in you”.
“Il Corriere di Napoli” says (on 17 September) Sorrento the second day of the Prime Minister: “In the morning the ‘on. Zanardelli receives the mayors of Massa Lubrense, Meta and Sant’Agnello, tabled by. Giacomo de Martino, at 10.15 we leave for Meta to visit the family in Cosenza Villa Giuseppina, at 11.35 returns arriving at 12 in Sorrento to visit the art school where teachers meet the body headed by the director Francesco Grandi; after the visit we return to the hotel for dejeuner and at 16.20 the start to the desert, in Sant’Agata sui Due Golfi, 455 meters high. on the way back to the hotel Tramontano for lunch, during which ” Miss Maria Cappiello, with kind wishes expressed by ‘on. Zanardelli, rerun the beautiful GE De Curtis Song: “Come back to Sorrento”. The handsome performer is compelled, for the feeling that instills in her vibrant voice, replicarlafra to general applause. “Late in the evening the President Zanardelli and all his followers, by sea, depart for Naples.”
Obviously (analyzing the “technical” time of stay of the President Sorrento) there was no need to because they had been able to verify the facts described in the Roman newspaper in 1954 about the arrangement of the song to console the disappointed Mayor and … ingratiate l ‘on .Zanardelli to Sorrento post office classification. A song sung two hours after the politician was arriving vato in Sorrento not always wanted to visit Sorrento, whose song was he learned in elementary schools.
But the text that is the subject of bel canto is not heard from ‘on. Zanardelli, while what is deposited by Bideri in 1894.
Then the explanation – logic – appears only: excluding totally improvisation and finalizing with the Post Office, the Mayor William Tramontano will de Curtis asked to prepare a song in honor of the prime minister who had foretold his visit to Sorrento. That was the case with the adaptation of Come back to Sorrento del1894! In fact in the text sung to the Prime Minister have entered the second and fourth “quatrain” of the first part and the third and fourth of the second part which, in the original – and current – are not included. From ten overall quatrains of “performance” the official song of 1902 was reduced to six!
What is certain is that from September 15, 1902 the song has remained in the text and the music of that day, had no life until 1904, when the Casa Musicale Bideri presented it to the public. And Ettore De Mura, in his “Encyclopedia of the Neapolitan song”, about Come back to Sorrento, in the selection of “successful Songs by alphabetical order” (p. 226), the reports dated to 1904.
Finally, on that famous September 15, 1902, the same House Bideri, at the urging of comm. Guglielmo Tramontano, issued a card with a dedication “to HE the President of the Council of Ministers, Giuseppe Zanardelli” and the lyrics, which was sung by Maria Cappiello.
Since 1904 back to Sorrento has been around the world ‘and was performed by the greatest Italian and foreign singers Enrico Caruso sang at Dorothy when he declared his love, Beniamino Gigli kept her constantly in his repertoire (especially on tour in such as its hard to plan partners was just Ernesto De Curtis, author of the music), Tito Schipa, he was a great speaker, Giuseppe Di Stefano said to have among his favorites, Luciano Pavarotti has also sung in the “Night of Stars “of 1982 and with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras in various international occasions, Andrea Bocelli is the last major of the Italian opera (in time) to keep it in his repertoire.
This is the “true” story of a song that endures from one century to the wear of time, which is at the heart of all the tourists and that moves every Italian (not only Sorrentino) who listens abroad.
could be improvised, he orchestrated and learned to be a singer, still a student at the Conservatory of Naples.
It is said that the lyrics of Come back to Sorrento were ready in 1894 (vintage Carme1a) and dedicated to a girl. Indeed, there is a score – published with copyright in favor of publishing Bideri SpA – dated 1894 (see the file “Famous songs by Giambattista and Ernesto de Curtis”).
The song for a hundred years has been around the world, translated into all languages (Western and Eastern); Far East back to Sorrento is well known: when President Pertini went on an official visit to China was played as the national anthem and the Interior Minister of South Korea, on a visit to Sorrento (the early 80s), he declared I had always wanted to visit Sorrento, whose song was he learned in elementary schools.
But the text that is the subject of bel canto is not heard from ‘on. Zanardelli, while what is deposited by Bideri in 1894.
Then the explanation – logic – appears only: excluding totally improvisation and finalizing with the Post Office, the Mayor William Tramontano will de Curtis asked to prepare a song in honor of the prime minister who had foretold his visit to Sorrento. That was the case with the adaptation of Come back to Sorrento del1894! In fact in the text sung to the Prime Minister have entered the second and fourth “quatrain” of the first part and the third and fourth of the second part which, in the original – and current – are not included. From ten overall quatrains of “performance” the official song of 1902 was reduced to six!
What is certain is that from September 15, 1902 the song has remained in the text and the music of that day, had no life until 1904, when the Casa Musicale Bideri presented it to the public. And Ettore De Mura, in his “Encyclopedia of the Neapolitan song”, about Come back to Sorrento, in the selection of “successful Songs by alphabetical order” (p. 226), the reports dated to 1904.
Finally, on that famous September 15, 1902, the same House Bideri, at the urging of comm. Guglielmo Tramontano, issued a card with a dedication “to HE the President of the Council of Ministers, Giuseppe Zanardelli” and the lyrics, which was sung by Maria Cappiello.
Since 1904 back to Sorrento has been around the world ‘and was performed by the greatest Italian and foreign singers Enrico Caruso sang at Dorothy when he declared his love, Beniamino Gigli kept her constantly in his repertoire (especially on tour in such as its hard to plan partners was just Ernesto De Curtis, author of the music), Tito Schipa, he was a great speaker, Giuseppe Di Stefano said to have among his favorites, Luciano Pavarotti has also sung in the “Night of Stars “of 1982 and with Placido Domingo and Jose Carreras in various international occasions, Andrea Bocelli is the last major of the Italian opera (in time) to keep it in his repertoire.
This is the “true” story of a song that endures from one century to the wear of time, which is at the heart of all the tourists and that moves every Italian (not only Sorrentino) who listens abroad.