Mario Lanza - Santa Lucia

Details

Description

Photos and voice of Mario Lanza along with master paintings and photos of Napoli's Santa Lucia waterfront district are combined in this video.

Santa Lucia is the name of the patron saint of Naples. It is also the name of Napoli's waterfront area which gets its name from the parish sanctuary of Santa Lucia a Mare there.
For the history of the Borgo Santa Lucia, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Borgo_Santa_Lucia.

The song Santa Lucia:
"Santa Lucia is a traditional Neapolitan song. It was transcribed by Teodoro Cottrau (1827--1879) and published by the Cottrau firm, as a "barcarolla", at Naples in 1849. Cottrau translated it from Napolitano into Italian during the first stage of the Risorgimento, the first Neapolitan song to be given Italian lyrics. Its transcriber, who is very often credited as its composer, was the son of the French-born Italian composer and collector of songs Guillaume Louis Cottrau (1797--1847).
The Neapolitan lyrics of 'Santa Lucia' celebrate the picturesque waterfront district, Borgo Santa Lucia, in the Bay of Naples, in the invitation of a boatman to take a turn in his boat, to better enjoy the cool of the evening."
Quote is from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Lucia.

The Italian and English song lyrics sung here by Mario are as follows:

Italian
Sul mare luccica l'astro d'argento.
Placida e l'onda, prospero il vento.
Venite all'agile barchetta mia!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

O dolce Napoli, o suol beato,
ove sorridere volle il creato!
Venite all'agile barchetta mia!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

English translation:

The silver star shines on the sea,
the waves are gentle, the wind is favorable.
Come to my swift little boat!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

O dear Naples, o blessed land,
where creation was pleased to smile!
Come to my swift little boat!
Santa Lucia! Santa Lucia!

The photos of Mario: the initial one is from his film The Great Caruso, the others are from the film The Seven Hills of Rome. These films and more are available for purchase from Turner Classic Movies.
Photos of the Santa Lucia area of Napoli:
First two photos by unknown photographers
Final photograph from Tuttogratis Attualità - 12-12-2011

The following is a listing of the master paintings and their artists in the order of their appearance in the video:
1) Winslow Homer (1836 -- 1910) - The Herring Net
2) Joseph Mallord William Turner April (1775 - 1851) - Fishermen at Sea
3) Joseph Rodefer DeCamp (1858 - 1923) -- Venice
4) Attilio Pratella (1856-1932) - Neapolitan Fishermen
5) Antonio Joli (1700 -- 1777) - View Of Naples From The Strada Di Santa Lucia
6) Attilio Pratella (1856-1932) -- The Marketplace
7) Guillaume Bodinier (1795-1872) - A Melancholy Ballad
8) Adolphe Piot (1850-1910) -- An Italian Beauty
9) Pierre-Louis-Joseph de Coninck (1828-1910) -- Girls at the Fountain
10) Frans Vervloet (1795 -- 1872) - Napoli, da Toledo, (1834)
11) Giovanni Battista Pittoni (1687-1767) - The Nativity With God The Holy Ghost (detail)
12) Eugenio Zampighi (1859-1944) -- A Happy Tune
13) Michelangelo (1475-1564) - Creation of Adam (detail)
14) Silvestr Fedosievich Shchedrin (1791-1830) - View of Naples, the Santa Lucia Embankment, 1829
15) Attilio Pratella (1856-1932) - Fishing Vessels Off A Coast