On the Origins of Canzone Napoletana: Studying the Genre

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to understand Canzone Napoletana in the context of a centuries-old national song culture. Today, the concept of Neapolitan song refers to a clearly defined layer of vocal culture with specific characteristics. The beginning of its history dates back to the 1830s, the time of the organization of the Festa di Piedigrotta song festivals. This study attempts to expand the traditional view of Neapolitan song as a phenomenon exclusively in the last decades of the 19th and first half of the 20th centuries.Research Methodology. This article is based on the traditional research methods, the leading of which are historical and genre.Results. The earliest references to the song culture of the peoples of the Apennine Peninsula date back to the 13th century. In the 1530s, the first collections of madrigals and villanelles, a genre of songs born directly in Naples, appeared. Its integration character is revealed through the unification of folk and composer lines as integral features of Italian vocal music. The specifics of the culture of the southern regions of the Apennine Peninsula and its role in shaping the poetic and music style of the Italian Renaissance are emphasized. The role of Villanella as a mega-generator, that became the mouthpiece of the Italian style in European music of the 16–17th centuries, is defined. In the evolution of national genres of songs, Canzone Napoletana is considered the next stage that inherits the frottola — villanelle — madrigal line.The novelty lies in thorough understanding of the inner unity of Italian song culture. Canzone Napoletana at the turn of the 19–20th centuries is considered part of the evolutionary process, which comes from carnival songs of the Middle Ages, through villanelles and madrigals of the 15–16th centuries, the Baroque opera style, until its heyday.The practical significance. Studying the origin of Canzone Napoletana enables to gain greater insight into these evolutionary processes, explaining the phenomenon of this genre of song at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries.