Evening of Neapolitan songs, duets and Italian arias

April 19, 2012
Thursday, 7:00 PM
Concert Hall of the Philharmonic

Evening of Neapolitan songs, duets and Italian arias
Anna Lichorowicz - soprano
Tomasz Maleszewski - tenor
Katarzyna Neugebauer - piano
Maciej Michałkowski - host
Program:
Neapolitan songs, arias and duets from operas by G. Verdi, G. Puccini, G. Rossini, G. Donizetti
"To see Naples and die" - this famous saying by Johann Wolfgang Goethe has attracted travelers to the capital of the Italian south for years, an extraordinary city with many faces, nestled at the foot of a volcano. It was said that whoever sees the beauty of Naples once will want to return there constantly. For a long time, it was considered the main opera center in the 18th century. There, opera buffa was born, in which the themes of everyday life were addressed and veiled references to contemporary events were present. The characters of these comedies were then common people. The beginnings of Neapolitan songs written in the local dialect date back to this period. Librettists of opera buffa created texts of popular songs that were performed both in theaters and on the street for those who could not afford to buy a ticket. Over time, Neapolitan song became synonymous with Italy worldwide, and its greatest flourishing occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries, when it gained popularity beyond the country's borders. Italian music has exerted a huge influence on the culture of other nations for centuries, and Italy - a country recognized as the cradle of vocal music - has played a central role in the musical life of Europe for many centuries.
The concert will feature charming, melodic, heart-touching songs and arias from the works of the greatest composers of Italian opera music.