Raffaele Viviani
Encyclopedia
Raffaele Viviani was an Italian
author, playwright, actor and musician. Viviani belongs to the turn-of-the-century school of realism
in Italian literature, and his works have to do with seamier elements of the lives of the poor in Naples of that period, things such as petty crime and prostitution. Critics have termed Viviani "an autodidact realist," meaning that he acquired his skills through personal experience and not academic education.
Viviani appeared at the age of 4 on the stage and by 20 had acquired a solid reputation as an actor and playwright throughout Italy. He also played in Budapest
, Paris
, Tripoli
, and throughout South America
. His plays are in the "anti-Pirandello" style; that is, they are less concerned with the psychology of people than with the lives they lead. Vivian's best known-work is L'ultimo scugnizzo (The Last scugnizzo) (1931), scugnizzo being the underclass Neapolitan street kid. Viviani composed songs and incidental music for many of his earlier works. One such well-known melodrama is via Toledo di notte, (Via Toledo by Night) a work from 1918 in which Viviani even employs American cake-walk and ragtime rhythms to tell the story of the "street people" of via Toledo, the most famous street in Naples.
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
author, playwright, actor and musician. Viviani belongs to the turn-of-the-century school of realism
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
in Italian literature, and his works have to do with seamier elements of the lives of the poor in Naples of that period, things such as petty crime and prostitution. Critics have termed Viviani "an autodidact realist," meaning that he acquired his skills through personal experience and not academic education.
Viviani appeared at the age of 4 on the stage and by 20 had acquired a solid reputation as an actor and playwright throughout Italy. He also played in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Tripoli
Tripoli
Tripoli is the capital and largest city in Libya. It is also known as Western Tripoli , to distinguish it from Tripoli, Lebanon. It is affectionately called The Mermaid of the Mediterranean , describing its turquoise waters and its whitewashed buildings. Tripoli is a Greek name that means "Three...
, and throughout South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. His plays are in the "anti-Pirandello" style; that is, they are less concerned with the psychology of people than with the lives they lead. Vivian's best known-work is L'ultimo scugnizzo (The Last scugnizzo) (1931), scugnizzo being the underclass Neapolitan street kid. Viviani composed songs and incidental music for many of his earlier works. One such well-known melodrama is via Toledo di notte, (Via Toledo by Night) a work from 1918 in which Viviani even employs American cake-walk and ragtime rhythms to tell the story of the "street people" of via Toledo, the most famous street in Naples.