Echoes of Naples (Thirty Neapolitan Songs)

This is one of a series of posts about books used as source material for Art Song Central.

Book Title: Echoes of Naples
Additional Title: Thirty Neapolitan Songs
Editor: Mario Favilli
Publisher: Oliver Ditson Company
Copyright: 1909

Editor’s Preface:

To Gather a sheaf of the songs of mia bella Napoli has been a pleasure indeed. What other city in the world has made its very life — light-hearted, passionate, or sad — so vocal in irresistable melody.

The few canzoni included in this volume are gathered from a field decked with myriad blossoms. Among so many it was indeed difficult to choose.

Some of the songs are traditional and belong to the Naples of long ago. Others are the outcome of the Festival of Piedigrotta, once a true festa popolare, later a religious festival at the sanctuary of the Madonna of Piedigrotta, but since 1860 secularized and become a carnival, noisy with songs that clamor for popularity.

To print a triple text in Neapolitan, Italian, and English was not practicable.

While trained singers are familiar with Italian, few are acquainted with the Neapolitan dialect. The latter, therefore, except in a few cases, appears only in the principal titles of the songs.

Contents:

  • Traditional Addio a Napole (Addio a Napoli) pdf
  • Costa ‘A Frangesa! pdf
  • Traditional Carmè (Canto Sorrentino) pdf
  • Biscardi Chello che tu me dice (Quello che tu mi dici) pdf
  • d’Atri Chi sa! pdf
  • Traditional Dimmi na vota si (Dimmi una volta si) pdf
  • Leva ‘E Spingole frangese! pdf
  • Denza Funiculi-Funicula
  • Traditional La Cianciosa (La Vezzosa) pdf
  • Traditional La Luisella (Luisella) pdf
  • Traditional La mamma de Rosa (La mamma di Rosa) pdf
  • Traditional La vera Sorrentina pdf
  • Traditional Lo Granatiello (Il Granatello) pdf
  • Biscardi Lu Carcerato p’ammore (Il Carcerato per amore) pdf
  • Labriola Lu Cardillo (Il Cardello) pdf
  • Costa Luna nova (Canzone marinaresca) pdf
  • Fassone Margarita pdf
  • di Capua Maria, Marì! pdf
  • Traditional Napole mio (Addio a Napoli) pdf
  • Traditional Nennella vienete (Fanciulla, vieni a me) pdf
  • di Capua ‘O Sole mio (Serenata)
  • Traditional Raziella (Graziella) pdf
  • Traditional Santa Lucia pdf
  • Traditional S’io fosse (Se fossi) pdf
  • Traditional Statt’ attiente! (Bada bene!) pdf
  • Traditional T’aggio ditto (Te l’ho detto) pdf
  • Labriola T’aggio visto! (T’ho veduta!) pdf
  • Traditional Te voglio bene assaje (Ti voglio bene assai) pdf
  • de Curtis Torna a Surriento pdf
  • Traditional Tradetore (Traditore) pdf

Notes:
Many of these songs appear with Italian and English texts only. A few have Neapolitan and English texts.

As songs from this collection are transcribed, we will likely make separate versions of each song in Italian and Neapolitan, if appropriate texts can be located. (And English, if there is enough demand.)

Songs from this volume are already scanned and uploaded, though many still wait for song posts to be created for them. If you would like me to give priority to a song that is not yet posted, please let me know via the contact page.