Raffaele Viviani

Raffaele Viviani (10 January 1888 in Castellammare di Stabia, Province of Naples – 22 March 1950) was an Italian author, playwright, actor and musician. Viviani belongs to the turn-of-the-century school of realism in Italian literature, and his works touch on seamier elements of the lives of the poor in Naples of that period, such as petty crime and prostitution. Critics have termed Viviani "an autodidact realist," meaning that he acquired his skills through personal experience and not academic education.

Viviani appeared at age 4 on the stage, and by age 20 he had acquired a solid nationwide reputation as an actor and playwright. He also played in Budapest, Paris, Tripoli, and throughout South America during his career. His plays are in the "anti-Pirandello" style, less concerned with the psychology of people than with the lives they lead. Viviani's best known-work is L'ultimo scugnizzo (The Last Urchin) (1931), scugnizzo being the underclass Neapolitan street child. Viviani composed songs and incidental music for many of his earlier works. One such well-known melodrama is via Toledo di notte, (Via Toledo by Night) a 1918 work which even incorporates American cakewalk and ragtime rhythms to tell the story of the "street people" of via Toledo, the most famous street in Naples.

Birth and Death Data: Born January 10, 1888 (Castellammare di Stabia), Died March 22, 1950 (Naples)

Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1914 - 1931

Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, author, lyricist, leader, songwriter

= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.

Recordings

Company Matrix No. Size First Recording Date Title Primary Performer Description Role Audio
Victor B-30806 10-in. 9/8/1924 'O guappo 'nnammurato Pasquale Vittori Male vocal solo, with orchestra lyricist, composer  
Victor BVE-34337 10-in. 1/18/1926 Un viaggio di nozze Pasquale Vittori Male vocal solo, with orchestra songwriter  
Columbia 28989 10-in. approximately 1912-1914 Silver trumpets march Regt. Band of H. M. Scots Guards ; Frederick. W. Wood Band composer  
OKeh W400148 10-in. 3/16/1928 Prezzettella 'a capera Roberto Ciaramella Monologue, with orchestra author  
Brunswick E25739-E25740 10-in. 12/22/1927 Che catena Raffaele Balsamo Male vocal solo, with orchestra composer, lyricist  
Gramophone 0F203 10-in. 3/31/1931 Magnetismo (In piazza della ferrovia) Raffaele Viviani Compagnia Comic scene, with accordion leader, author  
Gramophone 0F204 10-in. before 11/27/1931 'O maruzzaro Raffaele Viviani Compagnia Comic scene, with accordion leader, author  
Gramophone 4310ah 10-in. 12/28/1919 'A festa 'e Piedigrotta Raffaele Viviani Compagnia Comic scene composer  
Gramophone 4313ah 10-in. 12/28/1919 O cantante 'e pianino Raffaele Viviani Compagnia Comic scene composer  

Citation

Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Viviani, Raffaele," accessed November 22, 2024, https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102747.

Viviani, Raffaele. (2024). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved November 22, 2024, from https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102747.

"Viviani, Raffaele." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2024. Web. 22 November 2024.

DAHR Persistent Identifier

URI: https://adpprod1.library.ucsb.edu/names/102747

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