"Torna a Surriento" () is a Neapolitan song composed in 1894 by Italian musician
Ernesto De Curtis
Ernesto De Curtis (4 October 1875 – 31 December 1937) was an Italian composer.Giambattista De Curtis. The song was copyrighted officially in 1905, and has become one of the most popular of this traditional genre; others include "
'O sole mio
"O sole mio" () is a well-known Neapolitan song written in 1898. Its Neapolitan language lyrics were written by Giovanni Capurro and the music was composed by Eduardo di Capua (1865–1917) and Alfredo Mazzucchi (1878–1972).. The title tran ...
Tradition holds that the origin of the song dates to 1902, when Guglielmo Tramontano, mayor of
Sorrento
Sorrento (, ; nap, Surriento ; la, Surrentum) is a town overlooking the Bay of Naples in Southern Italy. A popular tourist destination, Sorrento is located on the Sorrentine Peninsula at the south-eastern terminus of the Circumvesuviana ra ...
, asked his friend Giambattista De Curtis to write the song for the
Prime Minister
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Giuseppe Zanardelli
Giuseppe Zanardelli (29 October 1826 26 December 1903) was an Italian jurist and political figure. He served as the Prime Minister of Italy from 15 February 1901 to 3 November 1903. An eloquent orator, he was also a Grand Master freemason. Zan ...
, then vacationing at his seaside hotel, the Imperial Hotel Tramontano; it was claimed that the piece was meant to celebrate Zanardelli's stay.
Some claim the song is a plea to Zanardelli to keep his promise to help the impoverished city of Sorrento, which was especially in need of a sewage system. The song reflects the beauty of the city's great surroundings and the love and passion of its citizens.
More recent research indicates that the song may merely have been reworked for the occasion; family papers indicate that the brothers deposited a copy with the Italian Society of Authors and Editors in 1894, eight years before they claimed to have written it.
Ahmad Zahir
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Jerry Vale
Jerry Vale (born Gennaro Louis Vitaliano; July 8, 1930 – May 18, 2014) was an American singer, songwriter and actor. During the 1950s and 1960s, he reached the top of the pop charts with his interpretations of romantic ballads, including a cover ...
*
Anna German
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*
Connie Francis
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known professionally as Connie Francis, is an American pop singer, actress, and top-charting female vocalist of the late 1950s and early 1960s. Called the “First Lady of Rock & Roll” ...
Plácido Domingo
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Meat Loaf
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*
Mario Lanza
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Roberto Carlos
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Anna Calvi
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*
Karel Gott
) Sinatra of the East( cs, Sinatra Východu, link=no)Divine CharlieIl Volo
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Anatoliy Solovianenko
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Sergio Franchi
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covered the song for his 1962 RCA Victor Red Seal debut album (''Romantic Italian Songs''), which peaked at No. 17 on the
Billboard Top 200
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.
*A comedic version by
Billy Connolly
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entitled, "Saltcoats at the Fair".
* Claude Aveling wrote the English-language lyrics, which are titled "Come Back to Sorrento".
Doc Pomus
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and
Mort Shuman
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re-arranged it and wrote a new set of lyrics for Elvis Presley ("
Surrender
Surrender may refer to:
* Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy
* Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power
Film and television
* ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...
").
*
Roberto Alagna
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The Honeymooners
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'', Ralph Kramden identifies the song in preparing for his appearance on a quiz show called "The $99,000 Answer". He mistakenly identifies it as "Take Me Back to Sorrento" and says it was written by "Ernesto Dequista", which his friend Ed Norton says is "absolutely correct".
See also
* Bing Crosby recorded a version titled "The Story of Sorrento" on December 11, 1947, with
Victor Young
Albert Victor Young (August 8, 1899– November 10, 1956)"Victor Young, Composer, Dies of Heart Attack", ''Oakland Tribune'', November 12, 1956. was an American composer, arranger, violinist and conductor.
Biography
Young is commonly said to ...
and His Orchestra.
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Surrender
Surrender may refer to:
* Surrender (law), the early relinquishment of a tenancy
* Surrender (military), the relinquishment of territory, combatants, facilities, or armaments to another power
Film and television
* ''Surrender'' (1927 film), an ...
" is an English version recorded by
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...