Paolo Tosti - Penso! Sogno & Luna d'Estate! (1880/1911)

Sir Francesco Paolo Tosti KCVO (9 April 1846, Ortona, Abruzzo – 2 December 1916, Rome) was an Italian composer and music teacher. Today, he is remembered mostly for his light-hearted songs, which are popular among vocal students.

Please support my channel:
https://ko-fi.com/bartjebartmans

1. Penso! (1880) (0:00)
Librettist: Rocco Pagliara (1855-1914)

2. Sogno (1886) (2:41)
Librettist: "Lorenzo Stecchetti" (= Olindo Guerrini (1845–1916))
Dedication: Mrs. Arthur Vaughn

3. Luna d'estate! (1911) (5:53)
Librettist: Riccardo Mazzola (1892-1922)
Dedication: Donna Lina Morani

Orchestrations by Daniele Gatti
Carlo Bergonzi, tenor and the Orchestra Da Camera Di Roma conducted by Edoardo Müller

Luna d'estate! was dedicated to Donna Lina Morani who was a well-known Italian operatic soprano, noted for her performances in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The song’s romantic seaside imagery reflects the same style that made it one of his most beloved works.
It was frequently recorded by Enrico Caruso in 1916, as preserved in the Library of Congress’s National Jukebox.

After a difficult beginning of his young career Tosti's 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 which the Princess Margherita of Savoy (who would become Queen of Italy in 1878) attended. Impressed with his performance, she appointed him as her singing professor. She later appointed him curator of the Musical Archives of Italy at the Court.

In 1875 Tosti travelled to London, England. He made several powerful friends who introduced him to the highest levels of English society. Tosti became a staple in fashionable drawing-rooms and salons, and in 1880 he was made singing-master to the British royal family. His fame as a composer of songs grew rapidly during his time in England. One of his compositions, For Ever and For 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 (KCVO) two years later by his friend, King Edward VII. A memorial plaque on his former home at 12 Mandeville Place, Marylebone (now the Mandeville Hotel) was unveiled on 12 June 1996.

In 1913 he returned to Italy to spend his last years there. He died in Rome on 2 December 1916.