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Paolo Tosti
April 9, 1846 - December 2, 1916
born in Otranto sul Mare, composed during the Romantic period
Biography
In Italy and around the world, songs such as O Sole Mio and Santa Lucia epitomize the melodic beauty, tremendous passion, inimitable charm, and expressive spontaneity that constitute the essence of the Italian song. However, Neapolitans would beg to differ because these songs, and many others, exemplify la canzone napoletana, a genre that is neither pure folk music, for many of the songs are composed, nor pure art music, since the Neapolitan song draws on the region's rich folk tradition. Among the masters of the genre is Paolo Tosti, whose enchanting Lamento d'amore, Non m'ama piu, and L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra remain in the repertoire of many noted singers, including Luciano Pavarotti, José Carreras, and Andrea Bocelli. Born in 1846 in Ortona sul Mare in the Abruzzi region of Italy, Tosti began his academic musical studies in 1858 at the Naples Conservatory. Tosti's teachers included Saverio Mercandante, the eminent opera composer who recognized his young student's talent. After graduation, Tosti found employment as a tutor, but returned to Ortona in the late 1860s to recover from illness. Around this time, Tosti composed Lamento d'amore and Non m'amo piu, which eventually established his fame.