Tosti is remembered for his light, expressive songs, which are characterized by natural, singable melodies and sweet sentimentality. He is also known for his editions of Italian folk songs entitled "Canti popoliari Abruzzesi". His style became very popular during the Belle Époque and is often known as salon music. His most famous works are Serenata (lyrics: Cesareo), Goodbye (lyrics: George J. Whyte Mellville) which is sometimes performed in Italian as Addio (lyrics: Rizzelli), and the popular Neapolitan song, Marechiare, the lyrics of which are by the prominent Neapolitan dialect poet, Salvatore Di Giacomo.
As a composer, Tosti is exceptional. Since the beginning of the recording era, numerous recording artists specializing in classical Italian repertoire have recorded Tosti songs, yet Tosti never composed opera. Notable examples on recording include Alessandro Moreschi (the only castrato who ever recorded) singing "Ideale", Nellie Melba singing "Mattinata" and Jussi Björling singing "L'alba separa dalla luce l'ombra".
Francesco Paolo Tosti received most of his music education in his native Ortona, Italy, as well as the conservatory in Naples. Tosti began his music education at the Royal College of San Pietro a Majella at the age of eleven. He studied violin with Pinto and composition with Saverio Mercadante,who became so impressed with Tosti that he appointed him student teacher, which afforded the young man a meagre salary of sixty francs a month. Poor health forced Tosti to leave his studies and return home to Ortona. He was confined to his bed for several months. During this time he composed several songs, two of which he submitted to the Florentine Art Society, and two others he submitted for publication to Ricordi. All four were rejected.
Once recovered from his illness, Tosti moved to Ancona, where his poverty was such that for weeks at a time he subsisted on nothing but oranges and stale bread. His travels brought him to Rome, where his fortunes turned. He met the pianist and composer Giovanni Sgambati, who became his patron. Sgambati arranged for Tosti to give a concert at the Sala Dante at which the Princess Margherita of Savoy (who later became Queen of Italy) was present. She was so impressed with his performance that she appointed him her singing professor. She later appointed him curator of the Musical Archives of Italy at the Court.[2]
In 1875 Tosti traveled to London, England. He made several powerful friends who introduced him to the highest levels of English society. Tosti was a staple in fashionable drawing rooms and salons, and in 1880, he was made singing master to the Royal Family. His fame as a composer of songs grew rapidly while he was in England. One of his compositions, For ever and ever was introduced by Violet Cameron at the Globe Theatre. This song became a favorite overnight, and there was an enormous demand for his compositions. By 1885 he was the most popular composer of songs in England. His publishers paid him a staggering retaining fee for twelve songs a year.
In 1894 Tosti joined the Royal Academy of Music as a professor. In 1906, he became a British citizen and was knighted two years later by his friend, King Edward VII. In 1913 he returned to Italy to spend his last years there. He died in Rome on December 2, 1916.
Aprile
Francesco Paolo Tosti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Il profumo che spande primavera?
Non senti tu nell'anima
Il suon di nuova voce lusinghiera?
Non senti tu nell′aria
Il profumo che spande primavera?
Non senti tu nell'anima
Il suon di nuova voce lusinghiera?
È l'april, è l′april
È la stagion d′amore
Deh, vieni, o mia gentil
Sui prati in fiore
È l'april
È l′april
È l'april
Il piè trarrai fra mammole
Avrai sul petto rose e cilestrine
E le farfalle candide
T′aleggeranno intorno al nero crine
Il piè trarrai fra mammole
Avrai sul petto rose e cilestrine
E le farfalle candide
T'aleggeranno intorno al nero crine
È l′april, è l'april
È la stagion d'amore
Deh, vieni, o mia gentil
Sui prati in fiore
È l′april
È l′april
È l'april
In Francesco Paolo Tosti's song "Aprile," the lyrics paint a picture of the arrival of spring and the joy it brings. The first two lines ask the listener if they can feel the fragrance of the new season and hear the alluring sound of a new voice. The repetition of these lines emphasizes the importance of the senses, indicating that spring can be felt and heard before it can be seen. The subsequent lines suggest that this change in the air signals the arrival of April, and the season of love. The song invites the listener to enjoy the beauty of spring, and to bask in the pleasures of love.
The second stanza goes on to describe the beauty of spring in more detail. The singer mentions walking among the flowers and having them adorn the chest, while also being accompanied by fluttering white butterflies. The repetition of "È l'april, è l'april, è la stagion d'amore" emphasizes that April is the month of love and that one should seize the opportunity to experience it fully. The use of the phrase "deh, vieni, o mia gentil" indicates a desire for someone to come and share in the pleasures of spring.
Overall, Tosti's "Aprile" is a joyful tribute to the beauty of spring and the opportunities it brings for love.
Line by Line Meaning
Non senti tu nell′aria
Do you not smell in the air
Il profumo che spande primavera?
The fragrance that spreads spring?
Non senti tu nell'anima
Do you not feel in your soul
Il suon di nuova voce lusinghiera?
The sound of a new flattering voice?
È l'april, è l′april
It is April, it is April
È la stagion d′amore
It is the season of love
Deh, vieni, o mia gentil
Come, my gentle one
Sui prati in fiore
On the flowering meadows
Il piè trarrai fra mammole
You will draw your feet among daisies
Avrai sul petto rose e cilestrine
You will have roses and periwinkles on your chest
E le farfalle candide
And the white butterflies
T′aleggeranno intorno al nero crine
Will flutter around your dark hair
Writer(s): Pagliara; Faris, Tosti
Contributed by Camilla C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.