Raffaele Viviani, the scugnizzo of Castellammare di Stabia

Raffele Viviani was born in Castellammare di Stabia The night of January 10, 1888.

It was poet, playwright, songwriter and theatrical actor. He spent most of his life in Naples, where he died on March 22, 1950. Before he died, after 12 hours of silence, he found the strength to ask, with one last effort and a faint edge to his voice: "Arapite a' fenesta, let me see Napule..."

His real surname was actually Viviano, and only when he reached a certain fame did he change it to Viviani for artistic reasons.

He is known, as Eduardo De Filippo, for being one of the exponents of twentieth-century Neapolitan dramaturgy. Still today in Naples his many successes are documented through playbills, letters, and song scores.

The childhood of Raffaele Viviani

Raphael Viviani, or Papiluccio, as he was called in the family, had a fairly difficult childhood. He moved to Naples After some financial problems in the family, the father, who was already a showman, founded i Masaniello, small theaters, assisted by young Raphael, who is already passionate about the shows.

At only four and a half years old, in fact, Papiluccio fell in love with a show by puppets of his father, learning his songs by heart. One event in particular sparked the beginning of Viviani's career: once the star and tenor of the show, Gennaro Trengi, became ill; immediately they proposed to put little Raphael on stage. The choice gave birth to a success, so much so that he was described by the press as a little prodigy.

Thus, from an idea that started as a joke, more and more people wanted to pay to attend the little singer's performances.

Unfortunately, with the death of Viviani's father in 1900, the game turned into real hard work, necessary to feed all the family's mouths. Raphael was forced, at the age of 12, to take the reins in his own hands and "replace" the father figure.

At that moment Raffaele Viviani realized that he would have to create something different from others, so he began writing songs and developing the idea of creating his own theater. Despite the difficulties and misery, these were years that allowed him to study and train in the world of theater.

Viviani's rise to success.

Due to economic difficulties caused by the death of his father, the very young Raphael sought employment, and in fact was hired by Don Ciccio Scritto, an undertaker who introduced him to work starting with a meager pay, that is, only 50 cents a day, working from two o'clock until midnight.

He was then cast a second time, together with his sister Luisella, as a singing duo. The two left, together with their mother for a tour in Italy, but was not at all successful. Back in Naples, Viviani managed to be cast by the Petrella Theater 1904.

Here he interpreted Scugnizzo, which was such a success that it was taken off the scene. Peppino Villani, who played this role previously, and more. Hence the legend of Viviani was born, appreciated because he gave voice and realistically represented on stage the ordinary people of Naples.

After about 1905, Viviani was cast in the Eden Theater, who in those very years had become a well-known as well as the only coffee concert of the city of Naples. At this time he began to work on his own issues, writing texts that could distinguish him from others.

Indeed, we recall a piece in Viviani's biography that reads, "Thus began for me a threefold travail. First learning how to write, then the repertoire; and I devoted every day and part of the nights to the work; the music I had written for myself after humming it to maestro Enrico Cannio, and so, in fifteen days came my first six realistic and folk-inspired types that were to give the triumphant start to my rise."

In fact, works such as: Prezzetella 'a capera, 'O tammurraro, 'O pezzaiuolo and Pascale d' 'a cerca, all characters from popular Neapolitan life. His economic situation finally began to take a turn for the better, and his success grew so great that he was called to theaters all over Italy by 1910.

The knowledge that he had learned in previous venues where he had been cast, and that he understood the needs of the audience, prompted Viviani to establish a variety company in 1916, which he called "Viviani Tour". The goal was to produce complete evenings with different numbers performed by actors chosen by Viviani himself. He therefore became more and more his own impresario, and this was also possible thanks to the help and collaboration of his sister Luisella. The company was a great success, which led the group to perform in theaters throughout the Italian peninsula.

The transition to prose and one-acts

After the defeat of Caporetto, in December 1917, due to a government ban that deemed venues for variété performances unsuitable for the veterans, many coffee concert were closed. Viviani jumped at the chance, as he was already hoping to devote himself to the prose, adapting as best they can to this sudden change.

Therefore, in 1917 he presented himself to the impresario of the Umberto Theater by Naples, the knight John Del Piano, asking him to enact his unique acts. He gladly accepted: Viviani's company debuted at the Umberto Theater with the'one-act play O' vico December 27, 1917.

Due to the success of this play, Viviani founded a theater company focused on the prose, which he called "New Neapolitan art company". Always helped by first actress and sister Luisella, the company was stable at the Umberto Theater in Naples.

The artist revolutionized the classical canons of theater because he added music, song and dance to one-acts, but not only that. Viviani abolished the prompter, therefore all performances were acted in memory. As Viviani himself recalls, "Every line was meticulously rehearsed and rehearsed. Rehearsals therefore lasted hours and hours. I wanted everyone to give their best so that there would be no gap between me and my actors (...)."

The outcome of Viviani's innovative theater.

Viviani's theater company became increasingly successful in the years leading up to the World War I. His most important works include such as. Gypsies, Swimming pools, Circus Sgueglia, Fact 'e chronicle, Death of Carnival, Guappo 'e cartone and Boat owners.

He worked enormously hard to fill the role of actor, playwright, as well as director. His efforts were repaid by the enormous appreciation and, above all, the great turnout of audiences in the theaters. The company in fact became national, present in all theaters of Italy, from south to north.

In August 1928, Viviani's much-loved sister and first actress in his company decided to separate from her brother in order to start her own company. It was a very hard blow, but in a short time a replacement was found: Armida Cozzolino.

He continued to be successful, in fact, in 1929 Viviani made a tour at Latin America, and on his return he was cast for about 20 parts in various Italian theaters.

The effect of war on theater

Around the 1930s the company began to be less successful, mainly due to the difficult historical period Italy was facing, namely the years of the fascist regime.

Viviani's choice to represent a social theater, in which the protagonists staged the reality of misery, social emancipation, and the drama of everyday life, was frowned upon. The Fascist regime aimed to stage plays that focused on grandeur, wealth, and apparent reassurance.

Raffaele Viviani was no longer experiencing the success he once had, so much so that he was relegated to theaters of lesser fame, charged with bringing to the stage what was considered shameful in Italy at the time. So it was that in 1937, while there was an air of war in the country, Viviani decided to set aside the theater to devote himself to the art of theinterpreter.

Ugo Betti, playwright and poet, proposed several roles for him, including. The immortal sick person by Molière in 1936, Misery and Nobility by Scarpetta 1939, Chicchignola by Petrolini in 1939 and We are all Petito's brothers in 1941.

Toward the end of the 1930s, however, with Italy's entry into the war, Viviani faced additional and objective difficulties. Performance in the theater became complicated and often during the bombings performances were interrupted to allow people to escape.

The last years of the artist's life

In the 1940s, due to an illness that was later the cause of his death, Viviani began to appear less and less during performances. His last public appearance was in 1945. He starred in O' vico, the same work with which his success had begun years ago.

Raffaele Viviani passed away on March 22, 1950, in Naples, at the age of 62. His last wish was only one: "Arapite, faciteme vede' Napule." He thus wanted to see his beloved city for the last time from his window. He currently rests at the Poggioreale Cemetery by Naples, at Square of Distinguished Men.

Around Viviani's Naples

Thanks to Viviani's contribution, it is now possible to know many details of his life and career thanks to theautobiography written by the artist, entitled From life to stage. The other autobiography.

To the complete artist he has become, many public streets and even multiple high schools have been dedicated, both in Naples that at Castellammare di Stabia.

At Corso Vittorio Emanuele by Castellammare, his hometown, was dedicated a marble bust, located in the municipal villa.

A Naples, moreover, a park was also dedicated to him. Viviani himself said these words: "Stu ciardiniello what happiness. N'angulo e Paraviso sciso 'nterra." The park is located in Via Girolamo Santacroce at Vomero and it is downhill; it starts, in fact, from theArenella all the way to Corso Vittorio Emanuele. Inside the park, in addition to there being numerous viewpoints, there are also present benches with poems and works of art.

Of course, a theater dedicated to the artist could not be missed. Located in the Fork by Naples, the Trianon Viviani Theater is the theater of the Neapolitan song, still active with numerous engaging performances.

We at Movery want to remember the great Viviani with one of his best-known songs, Bammenella:

So" Bammenella 'e copp "e Quartiere:

For all Napule I make speak',

When, nestled, by the alleys, 'at night,

I'm going to dance on the floor...

Vene 'ambulanza?...'Int'a niente mm "a squaglio!

And, if he grabs me, he'll come back and leave me!

'Ncopp "a quistura, si e vvote ce saglio,

Is pe pe furmalita'...

Cu 'a bona maniera,

I make 'o brigadier fall...

I take and I ve'ngo 'o craft: