'O Sole Mio
Encyclopedia
"'O sole mio" is a globally known Neapolitan song
written in 1898. The lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro
and the melody was composed by Eduardo di Capua
. Though there are versions in other languages, "'O sole mio" is usually sung in the original Neapolitan language
. 'O sole mio is the Neapolitan equivalent of standard Italian Il sole mio and translates literally as "my sun" (not "Oh, my sun").
, Mario Lanza
, The Canadian Tenors
and The Three Tenors
. It has also been performed by the Il Volo
, a trio of Italian operatic pop teenage singers, consisting of Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble. It has also been performed by rock/pop artists such as Dalida
, Anna Oxa
, Bryan Adams
, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
, Vitas
(who sings it in a high countertenor
range), Al Bano, Elvis Presley
("It's Now or Never"
) and most recently Erasure
's Andy Bell
in TV show Popstar to Operastar
. Sergio Franchi
recorded this song on his 1962 RCA Victor Red Seal debut album, Romantic Italian Songs. Luciano Pavarotti
won the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance
for his rendition of "'O Sole Mio."
In 1949 U.S. singer Tony Martin
recorded "There's No Tomorrow
," which used the melody of "'O sole mio." About ten years later, while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army, Elvis Presley
heard the recording and put to tape a private version of the song. Upon his discharge, he requested that new lyrics be written especially for him, a job that was undertaken by the songwriting duo of Aaron Schroeder
and Wally Gold, with a demo by David Hill. The rewritten version was titled "It's Now or Never
" and was a worldwide hit for Presley.
In 1998, Christopher Lee
and Rhapsody of Fire
recorded an English-Italian version.
The Montreal-based Canadian band Men without Hats also recorded a different version of 'O Sole Mio', lyrics written by Ivan Doroschuk and produced by Stefan Doroschuk. The song is featured on their 1987 album "Pop Goes the World".
declared that Alfredo Mazzucchi (1878–1972), previously considered to be only a music transcriber, was actually a legitimate third author. The song has been removed from the public domain
and is now protected by copyright until 2042.
Canzone Napoletana
Canzone Napoletana, sometimes referred to as Neapolitan song, is a generic term for a traditional form of music sung in the Neapolitan language, ordinarily for the male voice singing solo, although well-represented by female soloists as well, and expressed in familiar genres such as the lover's...
written in 1898. The lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro
Giovanni Capurro
Giovanni Capurro was an Italian poet, best remembered today as the co-creator, with singer/composer Eduardo di Capua, of the world famous song, "'O Sole Mio"....
and the melody was composed by Eduardo di Capua
Eduardo di Capua
Eduardo di Capua was an Italian singer and songwriter.-Biography:He was born in Naples in 1865. Together with the poet Giovanni Capurro, di Capua wrote the song "'O Sole Mio", which has since been recorded by many singers, both classical and popular...
. Though there are versions in other languages, "'O sole mio" is usually sung in the original Neapolitan language
Neapolitan language
Neapolitan is the language of the city and region of Naples , and Campania. On October 14, 2008 a law by the Region of Campania stated that the Neapolitan language had to be protected....
. 'O sole mio is the Neapolitan equivalent of standard Italian Il sole mio and translates literally as "my sun" (not "Oh, my sun").
Lyrics
|
|
Recordings
"'O Sole Mio" has been performed and covered by many artists, including such stalwarts of opera as Enrico Caruso, Beniamino GigliBeniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer. The most famous tenor of his generation, he was renowned internationally for the great beauty of his voice and the soundness of his vocal technique. Music critics sometimes took him to task, however, for what was perceived to be the over-emotionalism...
, Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
, The Canadian Tenors
The Canadian Tenors
The Canadian Tenors are a vocal quartet consisting of Remigio Pereira, Victor Micallef, Fraser Walters, and Clifton Murray, with Murray replacing earlier member Jamie McKnight...
and The Three Tenors
The Three Tenors
The Three Tenors is a name given to the Spanish singers Plácido Domingo and José Carreras and the Italian singer Luciano Pavarotti who sang in concert under this banner during the 1990s and early 2000s. The trio began their collaboration with a performance at the ancient Baths of Caracalla, in...
. It has also been performed by the Il Volo
Il Volo
Il Volo is a trio of Italian operatic pop teenage tenors, consisting of Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble.-Personal:...
, a trio of Italian operatic pop teenage singers, consisting of Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto, and Gianluca Ginoble. It has also been performed by rock/pop artists such as Dalida
Dalida
Dalida , born with Italian name of Iolanda Cristina Gigliotti, was a world-famous singer and actress born in Egypt with Italian origins but naturalised French with the name Yolanda Gigliotti. She spent her early years in Egypt amongst the Italian Egyptian community, but she lived most of her adult...
, Anna Oxa
Anna Oxa
Anna Oxa is an Italian singer of Albanian descent, well-known through her numerous appearances in the televised Italian song contest, the Sanremo Music Festival. In 1978, at the age of sixteen, she took second place with the song "Un'emozione da poco" at the Sanremo Festival...
, Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes
Me First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
, Vitas
Vitas
Vitaliy "Vitalik" Vladasovich Grachyov , better known by his stage name Vitas , is a Russian singer-songwriter.Known for his high falsetto voice, he has been given the nickname "Prince of the Dolphin Voice" in China...
(who sings it in a high countertenor
Countertenor
A countertenor is a male singing voice whose vocal range is equivalent to that of a contralto, mezzo-soprano, or a soprano, usually through use of falsetto, or far more rarely than normal, modal voice. A pre-pubescent male who has this ability is called a treble...
range), Al Bano, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
("It's Now or Never"
It's Now or Never (song)
"It's Now or Never" is a popular song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company, in 1960. The melody of the song is adapted from the Italian standard, "'O Sole Mio", but the inspiration for it came from the song, "There's No Tomorrow", recorded by...
) and most recently Erasure
Erasure
Erasure are an English synthpop duo, consisting of songwriter and keyboardist Vince Clarke and singer Andy Bell. Erasure entered the music scene in 1985 with their debut single "Who Needs Love Like That"...
's Andy Bell
Andy Bell (singer)
Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
in TV show Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar
Popstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
. Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
recorded this song on his 1962 RCA Victor Red Seal debut album, Romantic Italian Songs. Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
won the 1980 Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance
Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Performance
The Grammy Award for Best Classical Vocal Solo has been awarded since 1959. There have been several minor changes to the name of the award over this time:...
for his rendition of "'O Sole Mio."
English versions
In 1915, Charles W. Harrison recorded the first English translation of "'O sole mio." In 1921, William E. Booth-Clibborn wrote lyrics for a hymn using the music, titled "Down from His Glory."In 1949 U.S. singer Tony Martin
Tony Martin (entertainer)
Tony Martin is an American actor and singer.-Career:Tony Martin was born on Christmas Day, 1913 as Alvin Morris in San Francisco, California to Jewish immigrant parents. He received a saxophone as a gift from his grandmother at the age of ten. In his grammar school glee club, he became an...
recorded "There's No Tomorrow
There's No Tomorrow
"There's No Tomorrow", written by Al Hoffman, Leo Corday and Leon Carr, is one of two popular songs based on the Italian song "O Sole Mio" ....
," which used the melody of "'O sole mio." About ten years later, while stationed in Germany with the U.S. Army, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
heard the recording and put to tape a private version of the song. Upon his discharge, he requested that new lyrics be written especially for him, a job that was undertaken by the songwriting duo of Aaron Schroeder
Aaron Schroeder
Aaron Schroeder was an American songwriter and music publisher.-Biography:Born Aaron Harold Schroder , he graduated from the school now known as the Fiorello H...
and Wally Gold, with a demo by David Hill. The rewritten version was titled "It's Now or Never
It's Now or Never (song)
"It's Now or Never" is a popular song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, Elvis Presley's publishing company, in 1960. The melody of the song is adapted from the Italian standard, "'O Sole Mio", but the inspiration for it came from the song, "There's No Tomorrow", recorded by...
" and was a worldwide hit for Presley.
In 1998, Christopher Lee
Christopher Lee
Sir Christopher Frank Carandini Lee, CBE, CStJ is an English actor and musician. Lee initially portrayed villains and became famous for his role as Count Dracula in a string of Hammer Horror films...
and Rhapsody of Fire
Rhapsody of Fire
Rhapsody of Fire is an Italian symphonic power metal band led by Alex Staropoli. Since forming in 1993, the band has released eight studio albums, one live album, two EPs, and a live DVD...
recorded an English-Italian version.
The Montreal-based Canadian band Men without Hats also recorded a different version of 'O Sole Mio', lyrics written by Ivan Doroschuk and produced by Stefan Doroschuk. The song is featured on their 1987 album "Pop Goes the World".
Copyright
In October 2002 a judge in TurinTurin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
declared that Alfredo Mazzucchi (1878–1972), previously considered to be only a music transcriber, was actually a legitimate third author. The song has been removed from the public domain
Public domain
Works are in the public domain if the intellectual property rights have expired, if the intellectual property rights are forfeited, or if they are not covered by intellectual property rights at all...
and is now protected by copyright until 2042.
In popular culture
- At the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp "'O sole mio" was played when the music to the Italian national anthemMarcia RealeThe Marcia Reale d'Ordinanza or Fanfara Reale was the official national anthem of Kingdom of Italy between 1861 and 1946...
could not be found. - Because the song is so well-known, invoking in many the beauty and romanticism of Italian culture, many hotels and restaurants have been named after it.
- The song is sung with harp accompaniment in the 1931 Marx BrothersMarx BrothersThe Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act, originally from New York City, that enjoyed success in Vaudeville, Broadway, and motion pictures from the early 1900s to around 1950...
movie Monkey BusinessMonkey Business (1931 film)Monkey Business is a 1931 comedy film. It is the third of the Marx Brothers' released movies, and the first not to be an adaptation of one of their Broadway shows. The film stars the four brothers: Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, and Zeppo Marx, and screen comedienne Thelma Todd. It is...
. - A version of the song ("Just One Cornetto ...") supposedly performed by Renato PagliariRenato PagliariRenato Pagliari was an Italian singer, probably most notable for being lead vocalist it the short-lived 1980s pop group Renée and Renato, Pagliari died on 29 July 2009, aged 69, after a short battle with cancer.-References:...
(although this is disputed by Pagliari's son, Remo) was used for a decade on British television to advertise Cornetto ice cream. In the ads, it is usually sung by a Venetian gondolier, despite the fact that VeniceVeniceVenice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
is hundreds of miles from NaplesNaplesNaples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. - The song is sung in the 1962 Danish movie Han, Hun, Dirch og DarioHan, Hun, Dirch og DarioHan, Hun, Dirch og Dario is a 1962 Danish comedy film directed by Annelise Reenberg and starring Ghita Nørby.-Cast:* Ghita Nørby - Marianne Borg* Ebbe Langberg - Poul Borg* Dirch Passer - Eigil Hansen...
by Italian-Danish actor Dario CampeottoDario CampeottoDario Campeotto is a Danish singer, actor, and entertainer. He was born in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen to Italian parents, Emma and Ernesto Campeotto....
. - The song is commonly heard playing from ice cream vans all over Europe.
- It has been used several times in the round called "One Song to the Tune of AnotherOne Song To The Tune Of Another"One Song to the Tune of Another" was the first game played on the BBC Radio 4 comedy panel game I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue and is still almost always played every other episode. It consists of panellists singing the lyrics of one song to the tune of another song, accompanied on the piano.The four...
" in I'm Sorry I Haven't a ClueI'm Sorry I Haven't a ClueI'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, sometimes abbreviated to ISIHAC or Clue, is a BBC radio comedy panel game broadcast since 11 April 1972 at the rate of one or two series each year , transmitted on BBC Radio 4, with occasional repeats on BBC Radio 4 Extra and the BBC's World Service...
on BBC Radio 4. - ErnieErnieErnie is a fictional character, a Muppet on the Public Broadcasting Service's long-running children's television show, Sesame Street. He and his roommate Bert form a comic duo that is one of the program's centerpieces, with Ernie acting the role of the naïve troublemaker and Bert the world-weary foil...
from Sesame StreetSesame StreetSesame Street has undergone significant changes in its history. According to writer Michael Davis, by the mid-1970s the show had become "an American institution". The cast and crew expanded during this time, including the hiring of women in the crew and additional minorities in the cast. The...
sang this song in one skit in order to wake someone up to tell him what time it was. (It was 3:00 AM.) - On a SpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePantsSpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated television series, created by marine biologist and animator Stephen Hillenburg. Much of the series centers on the exploits and adventures of the title character and his various friends in the underwater city of "Bikini Bottom"...
episode, SpongeBobSpongeBob SquarePants (character)SpongeBob SquarePants is a main fictional character in the animated television series SpongeBob SquarePants. He is voiced by Tom Kenny and first appeared on television in the series' pilot episode "Help Wanted" on May 1, 1999. SpongeBob was created and designed by cartoonist Stephen Hillenburg...
sang this song to slow Squidward down and to stop him from performing his grand solo. - This song is the overture to a VeggieTales Silly SongSilly Songs with LarrySilly Songs with Larry is a regular feature in the Big Idea's popular 3D cartoon series VeggieTales. It generally consists of Larry the Cucumber singing either alone or with some of the other Veggie characters. Occasionally, another character or an ensemble gets the lead vocal. It is occasionally...
- "Larry's High Silk Hat" from "Lyle The Kindly Viking." - A recording by Beniamino GigliBeniamino GigliBeniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer. The most famous tenor of his generation, he was renowned internationally for the great beauty of his voice and the soundness of his vocal technique. Music critics sometimes took him to task, however, for what was perceived to be the over-emotionalism...
features in the film The Addams FamilyThe Addams Family (film)The Addams Family is a 1991 American black comedy film based on the characters from the cartoon of the same name created by cartoonist Charles Addams....
(1991). - An Easter eggEaster egg (media)Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
in the video game RivenRivenRiven is a puzzle adventure game and the sequel to Myst. Developed by Cyan Worlds, it was initially published by Brøderbund. Riven was distributed on five compact discs and released on October 29, 1997, in North America; it was later released on a single DVD-ROM, with improved audio and a...
shows the character of Gehn singing this tune. John KestonJohn KestonJohn Keston is an English-born actor and singer, and a world-record-holding runner.-Artist:...
, who portrayed Gehn, was singing between takes. - A remix of "'O sole mio," created by NamcoNamcois a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, is featured in many of the Taiko no TatsujinTaiko no Tatsujinis a series of rhythm games created by Namco. The series has seen releases for the arcade, Nintendo DS, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Wii, iOS, Advanced Pico Beena, and mobile phones....
games. The song also appears in Pastagames' Maestro! Jump in MusicMaestro! Jump in MusicMaestro! Jump In Music is a rhythm action game for the Nintendo DS and iPhone OS. It is published by BigBen Interactive and developed by Pastagames and Neko Entertainment. The game was released for the Nintendo DS in Europe on November 6, 2009...
. - The band Me First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme GimmesMe First and the Gimme Gimmes is a punk rock supergroup and cover band that formed in 1995. The Gimmes work exclusively as a cover band. The band is named after a children's book of the same name by Gerald G. Jampolsky and Diane V. Cirincione...
cover this song on their album Ruin Jonny's Bar MitzvahRuin Jonny's Bar MitzvahRuin Jonny's Bar Mitzvah is a live album by Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, released on October 19, 2004 on Fat Wreck Chords.It was recorded live at an actual bar mitzvah party, and its runtime lasts their entire performance, including a break in which little can be heard other than the sounds of...
. - The song's melody is used in a Australian commercial for Bankwest, with the lyrics changed to promote their "Happy Banking" campaign.
- Vincenzo ThomaVincenzo ThomaVincenzo Thoma is a Canadian pop singer songwriter.- History :Vincenzo Thoma was born in Rome, Italy. Charmed by Montreal's multicultural character, he decided to make it his home...
recorded this song on the CD Sognero released in 1998 in Canada. - The song is sung in episode three of The Alvin ShowThe Alvin ShowThe Alvin Show is an American animated television series. It was the first to feature the singing characters Alvin and the Chipmunks, although a series with a similar concept The Nutty Squirrels Present had aired a year earlier...
, where the chipmunks also sing their own version "Oh, Gondaliero." - A bathhouse customer in the Chinese film ShowerShower (film)Shower is a 1999 Chinese comedy-drama film directed by Zhang Yang and starring Zhu Xu, Pu Cunxin and Jiang Wu. It premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on 14 September 1999 and won the FIPRESCI Prize...
often sings the song while bathing, though he suffers from stage fright whenever he attempts to perform. - The Italian trio Il Volo performed the song live on the American Idol stage on May 19, 2011. The performance helped send their debut album to the top of the Amazon and iTunes sales charts.
External links
- Sheet music for "O Sole Mio"
- A translation for guitar alone by an Italian musician: Antonio Mucherino
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iZPbSL2EsE - Andy BellAndy Bell (singer)Andrew Ivan "Andy" Bell is the lead singer of the English synthpop duo Erasure. He also has a solo career, with the albums Non-Stop and Electric Blue.-Early life:Andy Bell originates from the Dogsthorpe area in Peterborough...
in Popstar to OperastarPopstar to OperastarPopstar to Operastar is a British television programme singing competition based around the training of pop stars of current to be able to sing opera. The show began airing on ITV on 15 January 2010 at 9pm. The show is repeated on TV3 Ireland on Saturday evening. The programme is produced by...
, 12 June 2011.