A proposito de L’Infinito di Roberto Vecchioni. Forme e vicenda di un riuso pop della figura di Leopardi a Napoli

Abstract

This paper analyses the recent reuse of the figure of the “neapolitan” Leopardi in Roberto Vecchioni’s song L’Infinito (2018). Specifically, the research aims to identify how, within a specific context of fictional autobiography, the “Leopardi character” is creatively repurposed in light of an interpretation of his work and figure that balances tradition and innovation. At the same time, the paper aims to clarify how the dissemination and didactic purpose of the project is accompanied by a systematic intention that places the song in constant dialogue with a significant portion of the Milanese artist’s musical and literary production. The final section of the paper is dedicated to the discussion and formulation of a hypothesis surrounding Vecchioni’s choice to use the autograph’s capital letter in the reinterpretation of the title of the famous 1819 idyll.