L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 12, 2024 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano C o m p o s e d i n 1 8 9 8 , ' O S o l e M i o i s a m o n g the most iconic songs to emerge from Italy. Its creation was a collaborative effort between Giovanni Capurro, a poet and journalist, and Eduar- do di Capua, a composer. Capurro's lyrics paint a vivid picture of a beautiful sunny day, a metaphor for love, hope, and longing, and an image we almost naturally a s s o c i a t e w i t h b e a u t i f u l Naples. The inspiration for the melody, however, came not from Naples but from Odessa in Ukraine, where di Capua was struck by the brilliance of the sunrise over t h e B l a c k S e a d u r i n g h i s travels with his father, a vio- linist. Interestingly, there may have been another source of inspiration for the composi- tion of'O Sole Mio, as some b e l i e v e t h a t A n n a M a r i a Vignati-Mazza, a noblewo- man from Oleggio, affectio- nately called "Nina," may have been, at least in part, a m u s e t o C a p u r r o a n d d i Capua. She was married to Senator Giorgio Arcoleo and had won Naples' first recor- ded beauty contest. Her pre- sence in the city may have inspired the song's creators, adding some extra romanti- cism to this iconic composi- tion. Despite its modest initial reception—it had famously only gained second place at a local competition during the Festa di Piedigrotta—'O Sole Mio slowly grew in pro- minence, eventually tran- scending its origins to beco- m e a g l o b a l c u l t u r a l treasure: indeed, the union o f e v o c a t i v e N e a p o l i t a n l y r i c s a n d a u n i v e r s a l l y moving melody would even- tually immortalize the song i n t h e h e a r t s a n d e a r s o f millions. Historically, di Capua has always been credited as the s o l e c o m p o s e r o f ' O S o l e M i o , a t l e a s t u n t i l 2 0 0 2 , when a legal ruling added c o m p l e x i t y t o t h e s o n g ' s authorship: a Turin court determined that Alfredo Mazzucchi, a lesser-known musician, was a co-compos- er of the melody. Records showed that di Capua had p u r c h a s e d a n d a d a p t e d musical themes from Maz- zucchi in 1897, a practice not uncommon at the time. T h i s r e v e l a t i o n n o t o n l y altered the historical narra- tive but also extended the c o p y r i g h t o f t h e s o n g ' s melody, keeping it under l e g a l p r o t e c t i o n i n m a n y countries until 2042. I f i t i s t r u e t h a t , w h e n listening to 'O Sole Mio, it's a l m o s t i m p o s s i b l e n o t t o think about Naples — which gave to the song its lyrics and enchantingly passionate atmosphere — it's melody and themes became famous f a r b e y o n d t h e h o m e o f Parthenope: Enrico Caru- s o , the legendary Italian tenor, recorded it in 1916, but it wasn't him the first singer to notice the song's potential, if it's true that a year earlier, in 1915, famous tenor Charles W. Harrison had already translated it into English, perhaps hoping to perform it to make popular among English speakers. It was, however, Caruso who introduced it to internation- al audiences and, thanks to its powerful voice, the piece gained a sense of grandeur that made it a cornerstone of operatic and classical music. Later, Luciano Pavarotti's u n f o r g e t t a b l e r e n d i t i o n earned a Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Perfor- m a n c e i n 1 9 8 0 . O u t s i d e opera houses, 'O Sole Mio became a hit even in Eng- lish, thanks to its melody's versatility and the help of the King himself, Elvis Pre- s l e y , w h o i n 1 9 6 0 t r a n s - formed it into the interna- t i o n a l h i t I t ' s N o w o r Never. Presley's version, which was based on an earli- er version by Tony Martin, featured English lyrics and became a global sensation and one of his best-selling singles. With such a widespread appeal, it isn't surprising that 'O Sole Mio moved from the world of music to that of the arts at large; over the decades, it has been featured in countless films, television s h o w s , a n d c o m m e r c i a l s , where it's been often used to evoke an Italian atmosphere. Advancing our Legacy: Italian Community Services CASA FUGAZI If you know of any senior of Italian descent in San Francisco needing assistance, please contact: ItalianCS.org | (415) 362-6423 | info@italiancs.com Italian Community Services continues to assist Bay Area Italian-American seniors and their families navigate and manage the resources needed to live healthy, independent and productive lives. Since Shelter-in-Place began in San Francisco, Italian Community Services has delivered over 240 meals, over 900 care packages and made over 2000 phone wellness checks for our seniors. One of the most memorable e x a m p l e s i s t h e s e r i e s o f British television commer- cials for Cornetto ice cream in the 1980s, which humor- o u s l y r e i m a g i n e d t h e melody with playful lyrics. Crucially, these adaptations h a v e e m b e d d e d t h e s o n g even deeper into popular consciousness, making it instantly recognizable even to those unfamiliar with its o r i g i n s . T h e s o n g a l s o appeared in many movies, including It's Always Fair W e a t h e r ( 1 9 5 5 ) a n d Philadelphia (1993). Interestingly, 'O Sole Mio played an unexpected role in sports history, too. During the 1920 Summer Olym- pics in Antwerp, 'itwas played as a stand-in for the I t a l i a n n a t i o n a l a n t h e m , which had been forgotten. But why is the song so popular and so enduring? Perhaps, it is because its themes and, let's be honest, catchiness, resonate with everyday people; or because, with its simple yet profound c e l e b r a t i o n o f l i g h t a n d warmth, it makes us think of moments of joy and happi- ness. In Naples, street per- formers and café musicians still play it regularly, so that it remains a living part of the city's colorful culture, so much so that the song has become a kind of shorthand for the beauty and passion associated with southern Italy. 'O Sole Mio: a musical legacy of light and love GIULIA FRANCESCHINI LIFE PEOPLE PLACES HERITAGE TRADITIONS Luciano Pavarotti (above) won a Grammy in 1980 for his interpretation of 'O Sole Mio (Photo: Fabio Diena/Dreamstime)

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