Canzonissima

{{Infobox television

| image = Panelli Scala Manfredi.jpg

| caption = Paolo Panelli, Delia Scala and Nino Manfredi hosting {{lang|it|Canzonissima}} in 1959

| genre = Variety show

| creator =

| developer =

| writer =

| director = {{plainlist|

Antonello Falqui
Mario Landi
Eros Macchi
Vito Molonari
Romolo Siena

}}

| presenter = {{plainlist|

}}

| voices =

| theme_music_composer =

| opentheme =

| endtheme =

| composer =

| country = Italy

| language = Italian

| num_seasons = 12

| num_episodes = 158

| list_episodes =

| executive_producer =

| producer =

| editor =

| runtime =

| company =

| channel = Rai 1

| first_aired = {{start date|1958|10|22|df=y}}

| last_aired = {{end date|1975|1|6|df=y}}

| related =

}}

{{lang|it|Canzonissima}} ({{IPA|it|kantsoˈnissima|lang}}; {{translation|[The] Utmost Song}}) was an Italian musical variety show broadcast by Rai 1 from 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".{{cite encyclopedia|first=Aldo|last=Grasso |first2=Massimo|last2=Scaglioni|title=Enciclopedia della Televisione|language=it|publisher=Garzanti|location=Milan|year=1996–2003}}

During its last six editions (1969–1974), the show constituted the national selection for the artist that would represent {{esccnty|Italy}} in the Eurovision Song Contest the following year.{{cite web|url=https://www.eurofestivalnews.com/eurovision-tutte-le-partecipazioni-italiane-piazzamento/|title=Eurovision: tutte le partecipazioni italiane e piazzamento|language=it|work=Eurofestival News|access-date=24 April 2024}}

History

File:Dalida Dan dan dan.jpg won the 1967 finals with "Dan dan dan", a song that reflected her recent loss of her unborn child.]]

Originating in radio as a song tournament in 1956, with the title {{lang|it|Le canzoni della fortuna}} ("The songs of fortune"), it shortly gained great public success. The following year it was brought on television titled {{lang|it|Voci 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 name {{lang|it|Canzonissima}}, with exception of 1963–1967 when the broadcast bore different titles: {{lang|it|Gran Premio}}, {{lang|it|Napoli contro tutti}}, {{lang|it|La prova del nove}}, {{lang|it|Scala reale}} and {{lang|it|Partitissima}}.

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.

The 1959 and 1970 editions contributed to the launch of the careers of Nino Manfredi and Raffaella Carrà, respectively.

The 1962 edition, hosted by Dario Fo and Franca Rame, generated large political controversities due to some of Fo's satirical sketches being censored by RAI; the couple was eventually fired, and the scandal lead to a five-year interruption of their collaboration with the broadcaster.{{cite book|first=Chiara|last=Valentini|title=La storia di Dario Fo|language=it|url=https://archive.org/details/lastoriadidariof00vale|url-access=registration|publisher=Feltrinelli|location=Milan|year=1997}}

Editions

class="wikitable sortable" ! width="1%"\| # ! width="3%"\| Year ! width="60%"\| Presenters ! width="36%"\| Winner(s)
style="text-align:center" \| 1	1956	Adriana Serra, Antonella Steni, Raffaele Pisu and Renato Turi	"{{lang\|it\|Mamma\|i=no}}" (Nunzio Gallo) and "{{lang\|it\|Buon anno, buona fortuna\|i=no}}" (Gino Latilla)
style="text-align:center" \| 2	1957	Enzo Tortora, Silvio Noto, Antonella Steni and Renato Turi	"{{lang\|nap\|Scapricciatiello\|i=no}}" (Aurelio Fierro)
style="text-align:center" \| 3	1958	Renato Tagliani with Walter Chiari, Raimondo Vianello, Lauretta Masiero, Scilla Gabel and Corrado Pani	"{{lang\|it\|L'edera\|i=no}}" (Nilla Pizzi)
style="text-align:center" \| 4	\| 1959	Delia Scala, Paolo Panelli and Nino Manfredi	"{{lang\|it\|Piove\|i=no}}" (Joe Sentieri)
style="text-align:center" \| 5	1960	Alberto Lionello, Lauretta Masiero, Aroldo Tieri and Lilli Lembo	"Romantica" (Tony Dallara)
style="text-align:center" \| 6	1961	Sandra Mondaini, Enzo Garinei, Toni Ucci, Carletto Sposito and Anna Maria Gambineri, with Paolo Poli, Alberto Bonucci and Tino Buazzelli	"{{lang\|it\|Bambina bambina\|i=no}}" (Tony Dallara)
style="text-align:center" \| 7	1962	Dario Fo and Franca Rame, then Tino Buazzelli, Sandra Mondaini and Corrado	"{{lang\|it\|Quando, quando, quando\|i=no}}" (Tony Renis)
style="text-align:center" \| 8	1963	Various (one for each region of Italy)	Sicily{{efn\|This edition saw a competition among the regions of Italy.}}
style="text-align:center" \| 9	1964	Nino Taranto and Nadia Gray	{{"-}}{{lang\|nap\|'O sole mio\|i=no}}" (Claudio Villa)
style="text-align:center" \| 10	1965	Corrado with Walter Chiari and Kessler Twins	"{{lang\|it\|Non son degno di te\|i=no}}" (Gianni Morandi)
style="text-align:center" \| 11	1966	Peppino De Filippo	"Granada" (Claudio Villa)
style="text-align:center" \| 12	1967	Alberto Lupo, Franco and Ciccio	"Dan dan dan" (Dalida)
style="text-align:center" \| 13	1968	Mina, Walter Chiari and Paolo Panelli	"{{lang\|it\|Scende la pioggia\|i=no}}" (Gianni Morandi)
style="text-align:center" \| 14	1969	Johnny Dorelli, Raimondo Vianello and Kessler Twins, with Sandra Mondaini and Paolo Villaggio	"{{lang\|it\|Ma chi se ne importa\|i=no}}" (Gianni Morandi)
style="text-align:center" \| 15	1970	Corrado and Raffaella Carrà	"{{lang\|it\|Vent'anni\|i=no}}" (Massimo Ranieri)
style="text-align:center" \| 16	1971	Corrado and Raffaella Carrà, with Alighiero Noschese	"{{lang\|it\|Chitarra suona più piano\|i=no}}" (Nicola Di Bari)
style="text-align:center" \| 17	1972	Pippo Baudo and Loretta Goggi	"{{lang\|it\|Erba di casa mia\|i=no}}" (Massimo Ranieri)
style="text-align:center" \| 18	1973	Pippo Baudo and Mita Medici	"{{lang\|it\|Alle porte del sole\|i=no}}" (Gigliola Cinquetti)
style="text-align:center" \| 19	1974	Raffaella Carrà, Cochi e Renato and Mike Bongiorno	"{{lang\|it\|Un corpo e un'anima\|i=no}}" (Wess & Dori Ghezzi)

Notes

References

External links

{{official website}}

Category:1958 Italian television series debuts

Category:1974 Italian television series endings

Category:Italian music television series

Category:RAI original programming

Category:Black-and-white television shows

Category:1950s Italian television series

Category:1960s Italian television series

Category:1970s Italian television series

Category:Variety television series

Category:Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest

Category:Eurovision Song Contest selection events