Funiculì, Funiculà
"Funiculì, Funiculà" (IPA: [funikuˈli (f)funikuˈla]) is a Neapolitan song composed in 1880 by Luigi Denza to lyrics by Peppino Turco.
The sheet music was published by Ricordi and sold over a million copies within a year.
"Funiculì, Funiculà" was composed in 1880 by Luigi Denza in his hometown of Castellammare di Stabia with lyrics contributed by journalist Peppino Turco.
[1] It was Turco who prompted Denza to compose it, perhaps as a joke,[1] to commemorate the opening of the first funicular on Mount Vesuvius in that year.
[2][a] The song was sung for the first time in the Quisisana Hotel[b] in Castellammare di Stabia.
It was presented by Turco and Denza at the Piedigrotta festival during the same year and became immensely popular in Italy and abroad.
[5] Published by Casa Ricordi, the sheet music sold over a million copies in a year.
[1] Over the years the song has been performed by many artists including Joseph Schmidt, Erna Sack, Anna German, Mario Lanza, Beniamino Gigli, The Mills Brothers, Connie Francis, Haruomi Hosono (with lyrics translated into Japanese), Fischer-Chöre (with lyrics translated into German), the Grateful Dead,[6] Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli, Rodney Dangerfield, Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Wiggles, Larry Groce, VeggieTales, and Il Volo.
In 1960, Robert B. and Richard M. Sherman wrote a new set of English lyrics to the melody of "Funiculì, Funiculà" with the title "Dream Boy".
[11] German composer Richard Strauss heard the song while on a tour of Italy six years after it was written.
He thought that it was a traditional Neapolitan folk song and incorporated it into his Aus Italien tone poem.
Denza filed a lawsuit against him and won, and Strauss was forced to pay him a royalty fee.
[13] Cornettist Herman Bellstedt used it as the basis for a theme and variations titled Napoli; a transcription for euphonium is also popular among many performers.
[dubious – discuss] Modernist composer Arnold Schoenberg arranged a version for the ensemble in 1921.
[14] In Turco's original lyrics, a young man compares his sweetheart to a volcano, and invites her to join him in a romantic trip to the summit.
Addó lu fuoco coce, ma se fuje te lassa sta!
Se vede Francia, Proceta e la Spagna... Io veco a tte!
Se va comm' 'a lu viento a l'intrasatto, guè, saglie, sà!
Stu core canta sempe nu taluorno: Sposamme, oje né!
(Coro)[15] English translation I climbed up high yesterday evening, oh, Nannina, Do you know where?
(Chorus)[15] Edward Oxenford, a lyricist and translator of librettos,[16] wrote lyrics, with scant relationship to those of the original version, that became traditional in English-speaking countries.
Some think it well to be all melancholic, To pine and sigh; to pine and sigh; But I, I love to spend my time in singing, Some joyous song, some joyous song, To set the air with music bravely ringing Is far from wrong!
