Through Giovanni Caramiello (Naples, 1838-1938), the city will be explored not as tourists, but as local. He began studying the harp under the guidance of his elder brother, Sebastiano (1828-1903), who had been a pupil first of Filippo Scotti (1790-1865), founder of that school, then of Elias Parish Alvars, who had lived in Naples between 1843 and 1846. Subsequently, Giovanni became a pupil of Scotti’s as well. Giovanni taught, first at the Liceo Musicale of Parma and later at the Conservatories of Palermo and Naples, where he taught from 1886 to 1915. The result of this long period devoted to teaching was a great number of pupils and a rich output of harp music. In that period the musical fashion in Naples was changing. Aristocrats began to have a fascination for popular music.

When discussing Giovanni Caramiello, it is essential to pay tribute to Letizia Belmondo1, harpist and teacher at the Lausanne Conservatory, who rediscovered Caramiello and, by recovering his scores, recorded all his works. Her work is crucial, as it helped make the composer better known2. My research, which aims to provide a broader view of the period, includes Naples as an essential stop for a complete narrative of the music of the time, and thus had to address Caramiello. However, in my interpretations, I have sought to distance myself from Letizia Belmondo’s approach, not only to develop my own interpretative style, but also to document my process within historical-musical framework.

In this chapter, I will analyze three pieces by Giovanni Caramiello that I have studied: two solo works and one duet with piano. The aim of this analysis is to provide an example of how composers incorporated Neapolitan folk music into their compositions. Furthermore, by presenting these works, I hope to demonstrate how appealing they are, even to those unfamiliar with the specific historical period, showing how the music of this era and region remains captivating.

Example 27. Fenesta 'ca lucive

Now it is possible to appreciate how Caramiello developed this folk song on the harp. In interpreting the song, I followed a process that has become my method for approaching this type of music. First, I listened to the original song, read the lyrics, and understood their meaning. Then, I returned to Caramiello's score, aiming to maintain the original tempo or deviate from it as little as possible.

This is because these folk songs were widely known, and when interpreting elements such as fantasy, entertainment, or variations, I must have a clear understanding of how they resonated at that time. By doing this, I can take the interpretative liberties I choose later, ensuring they remain rooted in a coherent musical and historical context.

Example 28. Fenesta 'ca lucive in the piece of Caramiello "Rimembranza di napoli"

By emphasizing the bass, I was able to add a dramatic tone to the entire passage. However, in moments where Caramiello introduces variations, I chose to give them a lighter character. This decision stems from my understanding of popular music, which often contrasts very sorrowful lyrics with lighthearted melodies or onomatopoeic sounds. I wanted to reflect this contrast in my interpretation of the variations within the piece.

 In particular, I was inspired by a piece of Sicilian popular music known to me through oral tradition: "Vitti na crozza". This song also talks about a life lost, this time due to a war; but between one verse and another the onomatopoeic sound "traralallero, lallero, lallero..." is inserted. A sound that resonates in clear contrast with the text. There are many versions on YouTube, and some have removed this "happy" part, but here I bring an example of a recording of how it was passed down to me and it is one of the closest versions to the one that inspires me.

Example 29. "Vitti na crozza" song

As it can be seen, even the musical accompaniment does not completely lead to a sad song, this is because these popular songs often told true events, which needed to be passed down, but also played down; therefore these tricks were devised to make the song catchier and more danceable. The story thus passes from mouth to mouth, passing on a sad story but without making you cry.

The second piece that Caramiello uses in his Rimembranza di Napoli is Santa Lucia.  The music of this piece was written by Teodoro Cottrau, instead, the text was written before in Napolitan by Michele Tezza and, then, in Italian by Enrico Cossovich. Initially, the title was "Lu Varcaiolo de Santa Lucia"(the boatman of Santa Lucia). The first version in Napolitan was published in 1849, and then Enrico re-wrote an Italian version in accordance with Cattrau. However, this second version succeeded worldwide, creating a dispute between the two authors. 

The verses of the song celebrate the beautiful corner of the seaside district of Santa Lucia, on the Gulf of Naples, sung by a boatman who invites you to take a ride on his boat, to enjoy the cool of the evening better. The song immediately became a national success, becoming a triumph that projected it outside the peninsula and still preserved it in all the repertoires of Italian music performed in the world by the best singers. 

Image 17. Giacinto Gigante, View of the Gulf of Naples, https://itoldya420.getarchive.net/amp/media/view-of-the-gulf-of-naples-unknown-date-giacinto-gigante-52f657, public domain.

One of the first translations outside Italy was by the British poet Theo Marzials, who is sometimes credited as the actual composer of the piece. In the United States, the first edition in English was by Thomas Oliphant, published in Baltimore by M. McCaffrey, although the definitive and most widespread version today is the one recorded at the beginning of the 20th century by the great Neapolitan opera singer Enrico Caruso (Example 31). Among the artists who have attempted the song is Elvis Presley, who in 1965 included it in the album “Elvis for Everyone!”

In the Scandinavian countries, Santa Lucia is very famous, and, with a different text, it is sung during the feast of Saint Lucia, which in the northern hemisphere, before the Calendar Reform, fell in the darkest period of the year, during which tradition has it that the saint travels through every city and town to bring gifts and sweets to children and announce the coming advent of light that takes over the darkness. The most famous version among the Scandinavian ones is certainly the Swedish one, entitled Luciasången or Sankta Lucia. In Bohemia and Slovakia, a translation entitled Krásná je Neapol (Naples is beautiful) is the most heard. 

Example 30. Santa Lucia (italian version) - Enrico Caruso, "Sul mare luccica (Santa Lucia)," recorded March 20, 1916, YouTube video, posted by Gino Di Ruberto, March 26, 2014, https://youtu.be/rgtRQPTsLFU?si=OCjOkKcJtgixwX-Td (accessed February 19, 2025).

This time, Caramiello develops the theme almost as one would do in a classic "theme and variations": first he presents the theme, embellishing it with small arpeggios, but keeping it clearly recognisable, and then he creates a complete variation on the theme just presented.

Example 31. Santa Lucia in the Caramiello's fantasy

This piece is part of a repertoire expressed through the recall of shared vocal traditions. His songs, in fact, maintain their identity even when the poetic lyrics are modified because they are widely known and passed down through tradition. A rise of this repertoire is therefore outlined which from the mere oral tradition, then passing through the circulation of printed collections, brings Neapolitan song into very different contexts and musical genres.

Caramiello also inserts small cadences into the piece:

• one at the beginning that anticipates "feneste ca lucive"
• one that divides the first theme from the second
• and finally a coda to conclude the piece

Here it is possible to listen to the three cadences separated from the rest of the song. More particular attention requires the cadence that divides the two themes: in fact, interpreting it as a real cadence, I also wanted to include a small improvisation before starting with the Santa Lucia theme, as can be seen by comparing the recording with the corresponding score page.

Example 32. First Cadenza

Example 33. Second Cadenza

Example 34. Ending coda

Image 18. Second Cadenza, example 34 - Score

Video 4. Francesca Campo, Rimembranza di Napoli by G. Caramiello, recorded December 28, 2024, at the Selinunte Archaeological Park during the concert Eco dal popolo.

"Palummella, zompa e vola" is a popular Neapolitan song of the late nineteenth century. The song underwent significant variations in its lyrics during the events between the late eighteenth and the second half of the nineteenth century, giving it the significance of a patriotic song for Neapolitan exiles both from the Parthenopean Republic and from the uprisings of 1820-21 and 1848, as well as for the civil war that broke out in some areas of the South in opposition to the Unification of Italy. 

Actually, the original lyrics of "Palummella zompa e vola" became a satire against the Kingdom of Italy and a lament for the lost freedom of the South in the aftermath of what was considered an unjust conquest. The lyrics currently sung are attributed to Domenico Bolognese in 1869, but without conclusive evidence. Another possible author could be Teodoro Cottrau again. 

In any case, the earlier lyrics, which contained satirical and political allusions, have been lost. The original text is a love song in which the lover invites a butterfly to bring greetings to his beloved and, after celebrating her, to kiss her in his place. It is, therefore, a poetic text that highlights the lover's physical absence or inability to reach the beloved, which could easily adapt to the songs of Neapolitan exiles from every historical repression.

Example 35. "Palumella, zompa e vola" song

In Caramiello's version, the song is somewhat repetitive, especially in the first part. Therefore, I decided to modify it slightly. In the first part, in fact, the theme is given entirely to the right hand which plays it in the octave, but when the theme is taken up for the second time, as there is no singing, the piece is probably the same.

Document 5. Score of "Piccolo divertimento per arpa sulla palummella di T. Cottrau  by G. Caramiello

 At first, I experimented playing with the forte/piano dynamics, but I felt it was not sufficient. The first phrase, which in the original melody is pleasant, when switched to the harp is very repetitive, but the change of dynamics does not reduce this sensation. 

Example 36. Attempt to play the passage as it is written, but they play more with the dynamics - F. Campo

So I decided to add a third to the octave: in this way the timbre is naturally more decisive and also "strong". In this case although there is not a big change in the theme, the character seems different and the octave resonates louder without losing "roundness" in the sound.

Example 37. Attempt to play the passage with the third in the octave - F. Campo

Furthermore, in measure 21 I slightly modified the harmony to make the passage more dramatic. In fact, instead of E flat I play E natural, creating an E diminished chord with a seventh.

Example 38. Passage from bar 21 as is written - F. Campo

Example 39. Passage from bar 21 with a slightly change in the harmony - F. Campo

In the next part, which seems like a small variation on the theme just presented, I tried to be coherent. The second time the same phrase is repeated I insert the descending sixth (therefore the ascending third if we consider the lowest note of the octave which in this case however is replaced with the new note).

Example 40. Passage as is written - F. Campo

Example 41. Same passage with the small change - F. Campo

Video 5. Francesca Campo, Fantasia sul tema della Palummella by G. Caramiello, based on T. Cottrau, recorded on December 28, 2024, at the Selinunte Archaeological Park during the concert Eco dal popolo.

To conclude the Naples stop with the last piece by Giovanni Caramiello that I selected for this research, namely La forza del Destino20. A piece that allows us to understand the variety of songs that were played in the salons. La forza del destino by Giovanni Caramielo demonstrates how fantasie on popular themes, but also music that aristocrats knew, were proposed in the salons. The aristocrats who wanted to listen to music  were not very different people from an average music consumer today: they accept the new, but they also want to hear what they already knew. Thus, musicians and composers proposed fantasie on pieces that they knew very well, the opera themes. Furthermore, this piece by Caramiello proposes an ensemble that is not very common today but which was very popular at the time, harp and pianos.

I chose this fantasy among the many fantasies on opera themes that Caramiello composed, both because it is in my opinion the most beautiful, and because Verdi himself in his original work demonstrates that he is a composer rooted in the popular spirit. In the work the characters face situations that anyone can understand: impossible love, remorse, the need for redemption. So, this work makes it not only close to the people of that period, but easy to understand for today's generations. Through Caramiello's notes audiences appreciate that echo that still resonates today.

The aim of this part of research is not to analyze a well-known opera by Verdi, but rather to shed light on Caramiello once again. When performing this piece, I did not focus on identifying which section corresponded to specific parts of the opera. The only liberty I allowed myself was occasionally incorporating the characteristic theme of Destiny into the piano part, as Verdi himself presents it at various moments in the opera, serving as a reminder of its profound significance.

Example 42. Fabio Pecorella, part of piano as written by Giovanni Caramiello in La Forza del destino di G. Verdi, duetto per arpa e pianoforte, Op. 91, 19th century.

Example 43. Fabio Pecorella, La Forza del destino di G. Verdi, duetto per arpa e pianoforte, Op. 91, by Giovanni Caramiello. with "Destiny Theme" added.

Moreover, the work focused on creating a dialogue between harp and piano, which was not easy at first -both because neither pianists and harpists rarely perform together, and because the piano sometimes overpowers the harp. Caramiello helps us in this with his compositional technique. The harp and piano parts during the song seem to marry perfectly together.

Video 6. Francesca Campo and Fabio Pecorella, Fantasia sulla Forza del Destino di G. Verdi by G. Caramiello. Recorded December 28, 2024, at the Selinunte Archaeological Park during the concert Eco dal popolo.