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In
the previous issue of "Lunario", I remembered some distinctive episodes
in the history of the Olympics, telling the story of what happened at
the Games in Antwerp, the first held after the Great War 1914-1918.
It was Saturday afternoon, 14 August, Opening day. The procession of
the teams marched before King Albert of Belgium, each one accompanied
by its respective national anthem. When it was Italy's turn, however,
the band did not strike up the "Royal March". No one ever discovered
whether this was an error or a deliberate decision. The fact is that
the notes of "O Sole Mio" began to float into the gray skies of Antwerp.
There was a brief moment of confusion, but just a moment. Then, as if
it was the most natural and normal thing in the world, the spectators
crowding the stadium sang along with the tune, which still today can
be considered a melody without boundaries.It is also true that Italian
national anthems have always been controversial and often give rise
to debates. After winning the World cup in Formula One for the Ferrari
team, the pilot Schumacher directed the notes of the Anthem by Mameli
from atop the podium of the Suzuka speedway, just as any band leader
would, making light of the solemnity of that triumphant moment. The
Italian national football team players have always been reprimanded
because they don't sing the words (which, truth be told, are atrocious)
that the patriot and poet Goffredo Mameli wrote in 1847 for the music
by Michele, Novaro. And more than once it has been suggested that the
anthem be changed, from the one beginning "Brothers of Italy/Italy has
awakened..." to the splendid chorus of "Nabucco" by Verdi that begins,
"Thoughts take flight on golden wings". Objections have been made because
this chorus was originally sung by people under slavery, and therefore
not suitable for the anthem of a free country. But let's return to the
"virtual anthem" of "O Sole Mio" and retrace its history. The song is
102 years old, as it was first published in 1898 by the Bideri publishers
in Naples, which purchased it for twenty-five lire from its authors:
the composer Eduardo Di Capua (1865-1917) and the poet Giovanni Capurro
(1859-1920).
"'O
Sole Mio" could not escape becoming a legend. Story has it that the
melody was born during Eduardo Di Capua's trip to Moscow, who was the
happy victim of nostalgia for Naples in the middle of so much snow and
frigid temperatures. Others see evident hints of Leopardi's influence.
Imaginary
anecdotes, or simple coincidences? They are rather attempts to explain
a success that could not otherwise be explained, if not by the mysterious
path of popularity, with the invisible waves that propagate sounds and
words to the secret corners of the memory. The music by Di Capua is
beautiful: that much is true. But how many other beautiful songs have
remained national, or even local, secrets?
Not
even the metaphor of the sun -not the one shining in the sky, but rather
the one that "is before you" - can be considered completely new.
Better
to leave "O Sole Mio" to its mysterious popularity, without tackling
the difficult questions of its "international-popularity" or attempting
to exhaust the limitless list of its interpretations: from Enrico Caruso
to Beniamino Gigli, from Tito Schipa to Mario Del Monaco, from Giuseppe
Di Stefano to the "three tenors" (José Carreras, Placido Domingo, Luciano
Pavarotti). Let's rather discuss its author, Eduardo Di Capua, who also
composed the wonderful and extremely melodious "I' te vurria vasà!"
.
Di
Capua was a self-taught master whose life, despite his successes, was
full of hardships. He was a widower with three children when he met
his future second wife, Concettina Coppola, at the inauguration of the
Santarello cinema in Vomero. Di Capua was playing the piano to accompany
the passionate scenes in the silent films, the ones that often featured
starlets of that period grabbing on to heavy draperies: Francesca Bertini,
Pina Menicheli, Italia Almirante Manzini, Lyda Borelli.
Poverty
was the order of the day for Di Capua. And chance did not help him much
in the game of lotto, despite the updated register of the stakes that
the musician always kept in his pocket in the hopes that sooner or later,
life would reward his perseverance with good luck in numbers.
But
it was all in vain, as fortune never seemed to take notice of this faithful
follower. He was forced to sell carpets, paintings and furniture.
Di
Capua took ill and died shortly after in the hospital. The year was
1917, the war was raging and dramatic turns of event shook Italy. Just
remember the defeat at Caporetto and Italy's decision to never surrender
along the banks of the Piave.
Meantime,
the song by Di Capua spread round the world without finding boundaries
and seemed to unite entire populaces, beyond the alliances imposed by
war and politics. But that's not all: future would later prove that
"O Sole Mio" was able to overcome the grim barriers of fashion and time.
(traduzione
Interpres sas-Giussano)
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