Torna a Surriento
Encyclopedia
“Torna a Surriento” is a Neapolitan song said to have been composed in 1902 by Ernesto De Curtis
to words by his brother, Giambattista
. The song was copyrighted officially in 1905; it has since become wildly popular, and has been sung by performers as diverse as Beniamino Gigli
, Elvis Presley
, Dean Martin
, José Carreras
, Plácido Domingo
, Luciano Pavarotti
, Meat Loaf
, Mario Lanza
, Franco Corelli
, Robertino Loreti, Giuseppe Di Stefano
, Muslim Magomayev
, Francesco Albanese
, Jerry Adriani, Roberto Carlos
, and Anna Calvi
. Sergio Franchi
covered the song in debut Billboard Top 200 album (17th)in 1963 (Romantic Italian Songs}.
Claude Aveling wrote the English lyrics, which are titled “Come Back to Sorrento.” Doc Pomus
and Mort Shuman
re-arranged it and wrote a new set of lyrics for Elvis Presley (“Surrender
”).
The song was supposedly written at the request of a friend of Giambattista's, Guglielmo Tramontano, who was mayor of Sorrento
in 1902 when the prime minister of Italy
, Giuseppe Zanardelli
, stayed at his hotel in that town; it was claimed that the piece was meant to celebrate Zanardelli's stay. 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.
Ispira tantu sentimento,
Comme tu a chi tiene a' mente,
Ca scetato 'o faie sunnà.
Guarda gua' chistu ciardino;
Siente, sie’ sti sciure arance:
Nu profumo accussi fino
Dinto 'o core se ne va…
E tu dice: "I’ parto, addio!"
T’alluntane da stu core…
Da sta terra de l’ammore…
Tiene 'o core 'e nun turnà?
Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
famme campà!
Vir 'o mare de Surriento,
che tesoro tene nfunno:
chi ha girato tutto 'o munno
nun l'ha visto comm'a ccà.
Guarda attuorno sti Serene,
ca te guardano 'ncantate,
e te vonno tantu bene...
Te vulessero vasà.
E tu dice: "I' parto, addio!"
T'alluntane da stu core
Da la terra de l'ammore
Tiene 'o core 'e nun turnà?
Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
Famme campà!
it inspires so many emotions,
like you do with the people you have at heart.
You make them dream while they are still awake.
Look at this garden
and the scent of these oranges,
such a fine perfume,
it goes straight into your heart,
And you say: "I am leaving, goodbye."
You go away from my heart,
away from this land of love,
And you have the heart not to come back.
But do not go away,
do not give me this pain.
Come back to Surriento,
let me live!
Look at the sea of Surriento,
what a treasure it is!
Even who has travelled all over the world,
he has never seen a sea like this one.
Look at these mermaids
that stare, amazed, at you,
that love you so much.
They would like to kiss you,
And you say: "I am leaving, goodbye."
You go away from my heart,
away from the land of love,
And you have the heart not to come back.
But please do not go away,
do not give me this pain.
Come back to Surriento,
let me live!
” is an English version recorded by Elvis Presley
.
“Take Me In Your Arms” is an English version recorded by Dean Martin
.
Ernesto De Curtis
Ernesto De Curtis was an Italian composer.Born in Naples, the son of Giuseppe De Curtis and Elisabetta Minnon, he was a great-grandson of composer Saverio Mercadante and the brother of poet Giambattista De Curtis, with whom he wrote the song "Torna a Surriento"...
to words by his brother, Giambattista
Giambattista De Curtis
Giambattista de Curtis was an Italian painter and poet remembered today for his song lyrics.-Biography:Born into a noble family in Naples, de Curtis was the firstborn of the fresco painter Giuseppe de Curtis and his wife, Elisabetta Minnon, and was a great-grandson of composer Saverio Mercadante...
. The song was copyrighted officially in 1905; it has since become wildly popular, and has been sung by performers as diverse as Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli
Beniamino Gigli was an Italian opera singer. The most famous tenor of his generation, he was renowned internationally for the great beauty of his voice and the soundness of his vocal technique. Music critics sometimes took him to task, however, for what was perceived to be the over-emotionalism...
, Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
, José Carreras
José Carreras
Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini...
, Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo
Plácido Domingo KBE , born José Plácido Domingo Embil, is a Spanish tenor and conductor known for his versatile and strong voice, possessing a ringing and dramatic tone throughout its range...
, Luciano Pavarotti
Luciano Pavarotti
right|thumb|Luciano Pavarotti performing at the opening of the Constantine Palace in [[Strelna]], 31 May 2003. The concert was part of the celebrations for the 300th anniversary of [[St...
, Meat Loaf
Meat Loaf
Michael Lee Aday , better known by his stage name, Meat Loaf, is an American hard rock musician and actor...
, Mario Lanza
Mario Lanza
right|thumb|[[MGM]] still, circa 1949Mario Lanza was an American tenor and Hollywood movie star of the late 1940s and the 1950s. The son of Italian emigrants, he began studying to be a professional singer at the age of 16....
, Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli
Franco Corelli was a famous Italian tenor who had a major international opera career between 1951 and 1976. Associated in particular with the spinto and dramatic tenor roles of the Italian repertory, he was celebrated universally for his powerhouse voice, electrifying top notes, clear timbre, a...
, Robertino Loreti, Giuseppe Di Stefano
Giuseppe Di Stefano
Giuseppe Di Stefano was an Italian operatic tenor who sang professionally from the late 1940s until the early 1990s. He was known as the "Golden voice" or "The most beautiful voice", as the true successor of Beniamino Gigli...
, Muslim Magomayev
Muslim Magomayev
Muslim Mahammad oglu Magomayev , "King of Songs" or "Soviet Sinatra" as some refer him was an iconic Soviet and Azerbaijani baritone operatic and pop singer of the 1960s and 1970s...
, Francesco Albanese
Francesco Albanese
Francesco Albanese was a lyric tenor, particularly associated with the Italian repertory....
, Jerry Adriani, Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos
Roberto Carlos may refer to:*Roberto Carlos , Brazilian singer**Roberto Carlos *Roberto Carlos , Brazilian footballer*Roberto Carlos , Spanish footballer...
, and Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi is an English musician who plays in the band of the same name. On 6 December 2010, Calvi was announced as a nominee for the BBC's Sound of 2011 poll. Her self-titled debut album was released in the UK on 17 January 2011, where it debuted at number 40 on 23 January...
. Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
covered the song in debut Billboard Top 200 album (17th)in 1963 (Romantic Italian Songs}.
Claude Aveling wrote the English lyrics, which are titled “Come Back to Sorrento.” Doc Pomus
Doc Pomus
Jerome Solon Felder, better known as Doc Pomus , was a twentieth-century American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lyricist of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of non-performer in 1992. He was also inducted into...
and Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman
Mort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"...
re-arranged it and wrote a new set of lyrics for Elvis Presley (“Surrender
Surrender (Elvis Presley song)
"Surrender" is a #1 song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music in 1961. It is an adaptation by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman of the music of a 1902 Neapolitan ballad by Giambattista and Ernesto de Curtis entitled "Torna a Surriento" . It hit number one in the US and UK in 1961...
”).
The song was supposedly written at the request of a friend of Giambattista's, Guglielmo Tramontano, who was mayor of Sorrento
Sorrento
Sorrento is the name of many cities and towns:*Sorrento, Italy*Sorrento, Florida, United States*Sorrento, Louisiana, United States*Sorrento, Maine, United States*Sorrento, Victoria, a township on the Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia...
in 1902 when the prime minister of Italy
Prime minister of Italy
The Prime Minister of Italy is the head of government of the Italian Republic...
, Giuseppe Zanardelli
Giuseppe Zanardelli
Giuseppe Zanardelli was an Italian jurisconsult, nationalist and political figure. He was the 24th Prime Minister of Italy from February 15, 1901 to November 3, 1903.-Biography:...
, stayed at his hotel in that town; it was claimed that the piece was meant to celebrate Zanardelli's stay. 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.
Neapolitan lyrics (“Torna a Surriento”)
Vir 'o mare quant’è bello,Ispira tantu sentimento,
Comme tu a chi tiene a' mente,
Ca scetato 'o faie sunnà.
Guarda gua' chistu ciardino;
Siente, sie’ sti sciure arance:
Nu profumo accussi fino
Dinto 'o core se ne va…
E tu dice: "I’ parto, addio!"
T’alluntane da stu core…
Da sta terra de l’ammore…
Tiene 'o core 'e nun turnà?
Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
famme campà!
Vir 'o mare de Surriento,
che tesoro tene nfunno:
chi ha girato tutto 'o munno
nun l'ha visto comm'a ccà.
Guarda attuorno sti Serene,
ca te guardano 'ncantate,
e te vonno tantu bene...
Te vulessero vasà.
E tu dice: "I' parto, addio!"
T'alluntane da stu core
Da la terra de l'ammore
Tiene 'o core 'e nun turnà?
Ma nun me lassà,
Nun darme stu turmiento!
Torna a Surriento,
Famme campà!
English translation (“Come Back to Sorrento”)
Look at the sea, how beautiful it is,it inspires so many emotions,
like you do with the people you have at heart.
You make them dream while they are still awake.
Look at this garden
and the scent of these oranges,
such a fine perfume,
it goes straight into your heart,
And you say: "I am leaving, goodbye."
You go away from my heart,
away from this land of love,
And you have the heart not to come back.
But do not go away,
do not give me this pain.
Come back to Surriento,
let me live!
Look at the sea of Surriento,
what a treasure it is!
Even who has travelled all over the world,
he has never seen a sea like this one.
Look at these mermaids
that stare, amazed, at you,
that love you so much.
They would like to kiss you,
And you say: "I am leaving, goodbye."
You go away from my heart,
away from the land of love,
And you have the heart not to come back.
But please do not go away,
do not give me this pain.
Come back to Surriento,
let me live!
See also
“SurrenderSurrender (Elvis Presley song)
"Surrender" is a #1 song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music in 1961. It is an adaptation by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman of the music of a 1902 Neapolitan ballad by Giambattista and Ernesto de Curtis entitled "Torna a Surriento" . It hit number one in the US and UK in 1961...
” is an English version recorded by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
.
“Take Me In Your Arms” is an English version recorded by Dean Martin
Dean Martin
Dean Martin was an American singer, film actor, television star and comedian. Martin's hit singles included "Memories Are Made of This", "That's Amore", "Everybody Loves Somebody", "You're Nobody till Somebody Loves You", "Sway", "Volare" and "Ain't That a Kick in the Head?"...
.