Old Italian songs on piano
July 9, 2013 4:14 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for a book or two that contains some old Italian songs (i.e. 20s-50s).
My girlfriend's birthday is coming up and I'd like to learn some Italian songs on the piano (she's Italian-American). I'm a trained classical pianist but what I'm really looking for is some classic songs from the 20s - 50s. I'd also consider some classic Italian opera works.
I'd be happy with either sing-along songs (which lyrics) or without lyrics.
If you can recommend some composers from that era, I can also try to find them in the Petrucci Music Archive.
If it helps, I live in Boston. I'm not a student but maybe I can avail myself of some university libraries?
Curious to hear if anyone has any suggestions!
Grazie.
My girlfriend's birthday is coming up and I'd like to learn some Italian songs on the piano (she's Italian-American). I'm a trained classical pianist but what I'm really looking for is some classic songs from the 20s - 50s. I'd also consider some classic Italian opera works.
I'd be happy with either sing-along songs (which lyrics) or without lyrics.
If you can recommend some composers from that era, I can also try to find them in the Petrucci Music Archive.
If it helps, I live in Boston. I'm not a student but maybe I can avail myself of some university libraries?
Curious to hear if anyone has any suggestions!
Grazie.
Volare (Nel blu dipinto de blu) by Domenico Modugno? Not a book, obviously, and toward the end of your time range, but fun to sing with.
posted by sigmagalator at 8:05 PM on July 9, 2013
posted by sigmagalator at 8:05 PM on July 9, 2013
Best answer: Where are her grandparents from originally? Thing is, older songs are almost all in some kind of dialect. Proper Italian only became common with the advent of television. If they're Neapolitan, you're in luck, because I can help. Also, on a cultural level, a lot of the most famous classic operas and songs (O Sole Mio for example) are in Neapolitan dialect.
This will narrow the results a little for you, because it's my experience that older generation Italians have a fondness/nostalgia for the songs of their region, more than anything else and above all else. This Link will help with that.
My advice for the grandparents is to pick a song from the region they're from, because generally and anecdotally, playing a different a song of a different region, such as, 'Oh mia bèla Madunina' (a Milanese song) for a Neapolitan, or any other southerner, doesn't really fly. Especially since North/South relations were tenser back then, too. Not only that, some people find certain dialects incomprehensible, or difficult to understand, so make sure you keep that in mind.
That list (at least for Naples, in Campania) is very basic. Off the top of my head, there's also Luna Rossa, O' Sarracino, Dicitencello Vuje... these are all classics, and have been played endlessly, and consistently. I know a few of them, so it depends what you want the song to say, and whether you want something upbeat or romantic, or even cheeky. If you want help with that, you can memail me, and I'll try to help. I can't really help with the other regions as much, because I'm not as familar with them.
For popular singers from the 20s-50s... I'm not as familiar with them either. This site should help with the exact period you're looking for though. Your best bet is probably the biography section, because it gives you people to look up in the archive. There's always Enrico Caruso, who was arguably Italy's most famous tenor, but he died in the 20s.
I recommend Volare, because it's a very well known classic and it's in proper Italian. There is Carusone's 'Tu Vuò Fà l'Americano' -- (You want to be American) which was sampled in that recent US pop song 'We No Speak Americano' as well, and is relatively famous, and kinda fun. However, it's also in Neapolitan dialect, and if they're not from there, I'd give it a miss. If they are from there, it's catchy and he sings about a friend who who imitates the American lifestlye. ('You dance rock and roll, you play baseball'). He plays piano in the clip but again, it'd be pretty difficult to sing because of the dialect.
A lot of the more popular songs, 50s onwards to today, are the ones I know better. Thing is, music kinda really took off in Italy around the 50s, after the Sanremo Music Festival became a thing, and television made things accessible. A lot of songs from that era, (and singers) such as Gianni Morandi, Mino Reitano, Gigliola Cinquetti, Domenico Modugno, Massimo Ranieri, Little Tony, Bobby Solo, still endure today. But again, they're all 1950s onwards.
Anyway hope that helps a little. Good luck.
posted by Dimes at 9:29 AM on July 10, 2013
This will narrow the results a little for you, because it's my experience that older generation Italians have a fondness/nostalgia for the songs of their region, more than anything else and above all else. This Link will help with that.
My advice for the grandparents is to pick a song from the region they're from, because generally and anecdotally, playing a different a song of a different region, such as, 'Oh mia bèla Madunina' (a Milanese song) for a Neapolitan, or any other southerner, doesn't really fly. Especially since North/South relations were tenser back then, too. Not only that, some people find certain dialects incomprehensible, or difficult to understand, so make sure you keep that in mind.
That list (at least for Naples, in Campania) is very basic. Off the top of my head, there's also Luna Rossa, O' Sarracino, Dicitencello Vuje... these are all classics, and have been played endlessly, and consistently. I know a few of them, so it depends what you want the song to say, and whether you want something upbeat or romantic, or even cheeky. If you want help with that, you can memail me, and I'll try to help. I can't really help with the other regions as much, because I'm not as familar with them.
For popular singers from the 20s-50s... I'm not as familiar with them either. This site should help with the exact period you're looking for though. Your best bet is probably the biography section, because it gives you people to look up in the archive. There's always Enrico Caruso, who was arguably Italy's most famous tenor, but he died in the 20s.
I recommend Volare, because it's a very well known classic and it's in proper Italian. There is Carusone's 'Tu Vuò Fà l'Americano' -- (You want to be American) which was sampled in that recent US pop song 'We No Speak Americano' as well, and is relatively famous, and kinda fun. However, it's also in Neapolitan dialect, and if they're not from there, I'd give it a miss. If they are from there, it's catchy and he sings about a friend who who imitates the American lifestlye. ('You dance rock and roll, you play baseball'). He plays piano in the clip but again, it'd be pretty difficult to sing because of the dialect.
A lot of the more popular songs, 50s onwards to today, are the ones I know better. Thing is, music kinda really took off in Italy around the 50s, after the Sanremo Music Festival became a thing, and television made things accessible. A lot of songs from that era, (and singers) such as Gianni Morandi, Mino Reitano, Gigliola Cinquetti, Domenico Modugno, Massimo Ranieri, Little Tony, Bobby Solo, still endure today. But again, they're all 1950s onwards.
Anyway hope that helps a little. Good luck.
posted by Dimes at 9:29 AM on July 10, 2013
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