Canzonissima(Italian:[kantsoˈnissima];transl. [The] Utmost Song) was an Italian musicalvariety showbroadcast byRai 1from 1958 to 1975, aired on Saturday evenings except for the last two editions, which were aired on Sunday afternoon. The program has been referred to as "the synthesis and paradigm of Italian television variety".[1]
| Canzonissima | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Variety show |
| Directed by |
|
| Presented by |
|
| Country of origin | Italy |
| Original language | Italian |
| No.of seasons | 12 |
| No.of episodes | 158 |
| Original release | |
| Network | Rai 1 |
| Release | 22 October 1958– 6 January 1975 |
During its last six editions (1969–1974), the show constituted the national selection for the artist that would representItalyin theEurovision Song Contestthe following year.[2]
History
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Originating in radio as a song tournament in 1956, with the titleLe canzoni della fortuna( "The songs of fortune" ), it shortly gained great public success. The following year it was brought on television titledVoci e volti della fortuna( "Voices and faces of fortune" ) and turned into a competition between amateurs from the various regions of Italy, with the participation of some professional singers, who competed in a separate group. In 1958, the variety took its definitive nameCanzonissima,with exception of 1963–1967 when the broadcast bore different titles:Gran Premio,Napoli contro tutti,La prova del nove,Scala realeandPartitissima.[1]
The show consisted of a musical contest where singers were paired with some national lottery numbers and which followed elaborate rules, generally different from one edition to another; the competition was interspersed with dances and comedy sketches involving special guests.[1]
The 1959 and 1970 editions contributed to the launch of the careers ofNino ManfrediandRaffaella Carrà,respectively.[1] The 1962 edition, hosted byDario FoandFranca Rame,generated large political controversities due to some of Fo's satirical sketches being censored byRAI;the couple was eventually fired, and the scandal lead to a five-year interruption of their collaboration with the broadcaster.[1][3]
Editions
editNotes
edit- ^This edition saw a competition among the regions of Italy.
References
edit- ^abcdeGrasso, Aldo; Scaglioni, Massimo (1996–2003).Enciclopedia della Televisione(in Italian). Milan:Garzanti.
- ^"Eurovision: tutte le partecipazioni italiane e piazzamento".Eurofestival News(in Italian).Retrieved24 April2024.
- ^Valentini, Chiara (1997).La storia di Dario Fo(in Italian). Milan:Feltrinelli.
External links
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Media related toCanzonissimaat Wikimedia Commons
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