The Making of La Passione - Part 1

For a long time it's been a dream of mine to make this album. Some of these songs were probably, unconsciously, my first experiences of ever hearing classical music. Certainly the first time I ever heard "O Sole Mio" was at age five, madly running after the ice cream van as it flew down the streets of my hometown. That's what's so great about the Neapolitan repertoire is that it's instantly recognizable -- even if it's from a commercial for ice cream. Everyone has some visceral connection with these tunes.

The main idea is to reach a wider audience with classical music and to show that you don't have to be a musical genius to enjoy it. The Neapolitan songs demonstrate this idea so simply, so eloquently and with so much...here's the word...passion.

It's classical folk music; It is 'per la gente' - written by the people for the people. It is tradition to sing these songs, the music being passed through many generations. Most of them are so old and steeped in tradition that no one knows who actually wrote them, they've just always seemed to be. They are songs of the street musician, the cantautore, and the social protester. They are instinctive songs about loves lost and won, about grief and about the agony of leaving home.

This music is universal. It is part of the roots of classical music with songs dating back from when classical music began. It is sung in the most glamorous of opera houses and on the most ordinary of street corners. Which means this music truly belongs to everyone, as should all classical music.

Knowing Italian or the literal translations of these songs is not necessary to understanding this music. No matter what these songs mean to you, hopefully there is one thing they will make you feel -- La Passione.