Gender stereotypes and interpretative paradigms in the Neapolitan song: Two case studies

The Neapolitan song is a music repertoire symbolising a large community throughout the centuries, and at the same time, a very interesting field of investigation for analytical studies going beyond musical elements and involving questions of cultural practices. This essay takes into consideration the Neapolitan song, in the early 20th century, to highlight two analytical categories, on one side sociological and on the other side aesthetic, that concern gender stereotypes and interpretative paradigms. Discussing two case studies, this reflection examines two songs composed by Evemero Nardella (1878-1950), Surdate (1910) "soldier", lyrics by Libero Bovio, and Mmiez' 'o ggrano (1909), lyrics by Eduardo Nicolardi, dealing with a scene taking place "in the middle of the wheat". The focus on gender stereotypes is based on the texts of these songs, to underline both male and female preconceived ideas, as well as the interpretative paradigms, considering the recordings of the same songs, with a wide range of interpretations available online. Methodologically, this analysis promotes an epistemic-aesthetic reconstruction of the Neapolitan song as a cultural object, including both lyrics and performances, and tries to answer the following questions: In the lyrics, which kind of elements point out gender stereotypes? Which kind of rhetorical strategy allows fluidity in interpretative practices? What relates gender to stereotypes and interpretative paradigms?