140 years of Funiculì Funiculà. New appointment of CantaNapoli, the section dedicated to the Neapolitan song. Today we will talk about “Funiculì Funiculà”.
It was 1880 when Giuseppe Turco, a Neapolitan journalist, wrote the text of one of the best known Neapolitan songs in Italy as well as in the world. The piece was set to music by Giuseppe Denza and subsequently presented at the Piedigrotta festival.
The piece tells of the first Vesuvian funicular inaugurated in 1879, also having an informative purpose, both for the Neapolitans and for tourists, describing the advantages offered by the means of transport, which reduces fatigue by showing a wonderful panorama. In a short time the melody became famous, managing to sell even a million copies in a single year. “Funiculì Funiculà” was sung by the greatest tenors in the world, including Pavarotti, Gigli, and Lanza. It was also made in orchestral form by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov with the title “Neapolitan song”.
A little curiosity, this song has been used in several films, both Italian and foreign. In “No thanks, coffee makes me nervous”, is the song that plays in the background whenever the killer comes into action. In the award-winning film “Shine” it is played during a wedding by the actor Geoffrey Rush who plays the role of the Australian pianist David Helfgott, and is also the soundtrack in the film “Welcome to the North”.
In these 140 years of Funiculì Funiculà, we have realized that a song, if beautiful, can be immortal and known for many generations.
In partnership with Tourist in Naples
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