Authors of the Neapolitan songs

Ernesto De Curtis, Italian composer and accompanist, was born in Naples on 4th October 1875. He was the fourth of six children of the decorative painter Giuseppe De Curtis and Elisabetta Minnon. His older brother was Giambattista De Curtis, an Italian painter and poet, and his younger brother was Federico De Curtis, a painter. On his mother's side, Ernesto De Curtis was a great grandson of the Italian composer Saverio Mercadante.

Ernesto De Curtis received his first piano lessons at the age of eight from the composer Vincenzo Valente, his neighbour who lived in the house opposite on Cesare Rosaroll Street. Then he continued his piano and composition studies at the San Pietro a Majella Conservatory, where he was a student of distinguished teachers. Having received his diploma at the young age, he immediately demonstrated his talent. For a short time he helped his father in his work as a painter and decorator, but soon Ernesto De Curtis, a born accompanist, organized a variety duo with his singer friend (Ernesto was at the piano), with whom he performed in Naples, Rome and Viareggio, where he had the compliments of Giacomo Puccini.

It was the older brother Giambattista, already famous, who encouraged Ernesto De Curtis to write songs. Their first song officially presented to the public was the song "'A primma vota" (The first time) in 1897. At the presentation, the title of this song seemed ironic, but instead it was plaintive, albeit beautiful. At the "Round Table" competition (concorso della Tavola Rotonda), the song took second place. The jury of the competition called it "brilliant and charming, but too sophisticated to become popular".

Inspired by his first success, Ernesto De Curtis began a long and successful collaboration with his brother Giambattista. A cheerful, friendly young man with black hair, a curled moustache, a straw hat tilted to one side, a cane hanging over his shoulder, and a constant cigarette in his mouth, he became one of the dominant figures in Neapolitan music of the early 20th century. Having gained respect in the Neapolitan musical environment, Ernesto De Curtis was repeatedly approached by the great Neapolitan poets to collaborate. Among his most famous songs were: "'A canzona 'e Napule" (The song about Naples), "Autunno" (Autumn), "Canta pe' mme!" (Sing for me!), "Tu ca nun chiagne" (You who don't cry), "Senza nisciuno" (Without anyone), "Sora mia!" (My sister!), "'O balcone 'e Napule" (The balcony of Naples), and, of course, "Voce 'e notte" (The nightly voice).

In collaboration with his brother Giambattista, Ernesto De Curtis wrote the songs: "Amalia", dedicated to Amalia Russo, his beloved, who soon became his wife, "'A Rossa 'e copp' ô Vommero" (The red-haired girl from Vomero), "Dummeneca d' 'e Ppalme" (Palm Sunday), "'E tre Grazie" (The three Graces), "I' nun voglio 'a figlia 'o Rre!" (I don't want the king's daughter!), "Luna gentile" (Gentle moon), "'Nzieme cu tte!" (Together with you!), "Pasca d' 'e rrose" (Easter of the roses), and the worldwide success "Torna a Surriento!" (Come back to Sorrento!). Ernesto De Curtis composed the melody for the verses of this song right away. Everything stopped there; the young, then nineteen-year-old Ernesto De Curtis could not think out a melody for the refrain. Time passed and inspiration did not come. Constantly thinking about it, he almost decided to abandon this song. Then, when Ernesto was visiting his brother Giambattista in Sorrento at the Tramontano Hotel, one evening, while taking his usual walk along the short street between Sant'Agnello and Sorrento, he heard a nightingale singing among the orange trees that lined the street. The nightingale's trill inspired him and gave him the first five notes of the refrain "ma nun me lassà", they remained in the famous refrain of Torna a Surriento!, and then he developed the melody. A few years later, in 1902, his brother Giambattista chose this song as a gift to the Prime Minister Giuseppe Zanardelli with a specially written text to help his friend Tramontano get a post office in Sorrento. Then, in 1904, the publisher Bideri published the song Torna a Surriento! with the final and famous lyrics; with the new lyrics, the song was a great success all over the world.

One year later, Giuseppe Castellano wrote his lyrics to the tune of the song Torna a Surriento! His text, entitled "Si tuorne" (If you come back), was published in the Piedigrotta periodical.

During the First World War and the greatest patriotic upsurge, Ernesto De Curtis organized and triumphantly conducted concerts of Italian music in all the largest cities of America. In large hotels, in large theatres, charity concerts brought good income: everything for victory in the war. To support the Italian troops at the front, Ernesto De Curtis composed in 1915 the patriotic "'A guerra" (The war), and in 1917 the song "Sentinella" (The sentry).

In 1915 he composed "Lusinga" (Delusion), one of his first romances in Italian, followed in subsequent years by "Voi ed io" (You and me), "Una volta sola" (Just one time), "Odorano le rose" (The roses smell), "Nostalgia!", "Tutto passa" (Everything passes), "Sogno ancora!" (I still dream!), and the later "Sorrento" and "Il primo amor sei tu!" (My first love is you!).

One day, twenty-year-old Antonio De Curtis (the future Italian comedian, screenwriter and dramatist Totò), still unknown to anyone, asked Ernesto De Curtis, his influential relative, for help to gain access to the world of variety shows. But the composer refused. Either he was not confident in his abilities, or it was a matter of morality, since Totò was the illegitimate son of his cousin. But the most likely reason for his refusal was that Ernesto De Curtis did not like to give recommendations and felt like a stranger in the environment of the variety theatre. Totò was upset by the refusal and since that time denied any kinship with Ernesto De Curtis, although he maintained good relations with the younger De Curtis brothers, Federico and Eugenio.

In the summer of 1922, Ernesto De Curtis met the tenor Beniamino Gigli in Agnano, a resort town near Naples. Their acquaintance soon developed into a strong friendship. In the autumn of the same year, following Beniamino Gigli, the composer left Italy and worked for a long time as an accompanist, always accompanying the singer on his tours with great success. Together with Gigli, Ernesto De Curtis gave concerts in Paris, London, the USA, Brazil and Argentina, bringing success to his songs, there was a concert even in the American Sing Sing prison, where the tenor wanted to ease the punishment of prisoners for one evening.

The long separation from his brother did not affect their collaboration in any way. Giambattista sent his poems to New York, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Ernesto, having written music for them, immediately sent the scores to Naples.

In 1923, when Ernesto De Curtis was in New York, he composed "'A canzona 'e ll'emigrante" (Luntananza) (The song of the emigrant (Distance)) which he called "the song of pain". At that time he was forced to stay in bed because of a severe leg injury, but when he received a poetry by Ernesto Murolo by post and read it, inspiration immediately came to him. Ernesto De Curtis got out of bed and with excruciating pain went to sit down at the piano. He felt this "distance" from his native Naples through the fog and New York skyscrapers, and severe pain in his leg.

Ernesto De Curtis set to music more than 300 songs, including some songs in English and French.

Returning definitively to Naples in 1934, Ernesto De Curtis settled in a small house in the Vomero district. Despite the fact that because of a long-term and incurable lung disease he was forced to move only between his bed and armchair, Ernesto De Curtis continued to compose music. In the last years, in collaboration with Domenico Furnò, he composed two of his most beautiful romances: "Non ti scordar di me!" (Don't forget me!), in 1935, and "Ti voglio tanto bene!" (I love you so!), in 1937.

On the last day of 1937, when families were preparing to celebrate the New Year, Ernesto De Curtis faced the end of his life. Before his illness worsened again, he wanted to repeat on the piano a song which he had recently composed for Beniamino Gigli for the film "Ave Maria". He died a few hours later.

Ernesto De Curtis died on 31st December, 1937, at the age of 62, in his house on Girolamo Santacroce Street. His death ended that fateful year for Neapolitan song, in which Ernesto Tagliaferri and Rodolfo Falvo also died.