Sentimentale

We’ve hand-picked a selection of Italian love songs from the 50s and 60s (plus a couple of tunes from the early 70s) that encompasses the broad emotional, tonal and rhythmic palette of the genre. Legendary Italian singers such as Nilla Pizzi and Tony Dallara, along with great composers such as Piero Umiliani and Ennio Morricone (here serving as an arranger), will take you back to the days when couples danced cheek to cheek or playfully together, rather than side by side.

Opening our selection is the beautifully orchestrated “Na Sera Pe’ Fatalità”, where famous fifties singer Gloria Christian returns to the street where her man kissed her, wondering why she keeps hoping to feel again the joy she felt the night that destiny brought them together. The song sets the tone for other nostalgic and sentimental tracks that follow.

On the other hand, the cheerful and cheeky side of love finds expression in more rhythm-oriented and lyrically mischievous songs, such as the quintessentially Neapolitan “Tu Sì Tu”, brilliantly arranged by no other than Ennio Morricone, and there is room also for bittersweet breakup songs and pieces à la Burt Bacharach.

Last but not least, “Un Amore a Roma” and “A Roma Tutto È Bello”, both from the soundtrack of Dino Risi’s 1960 film and sung by actress Miranda Martino, reflect the two sides of the coin of love – nostalgia and elated joy – and almost bring a classic Hollywood comedy vibe to Italy’s dolce vita.