Viva Napoli: nativity scenes and pizza, Maradona and music… But Naples is also home to Cimarosa, Pergolesi, Vinci, Leo, Porpora, Durante, as well as Jommelli and Gluck. These musical treasures from Naples’ Baroque libraries are awaiting to be (re)discovered ! 
By 
As you wander through the winding, densely populated alleys of Naples’ historic centre, even the most distracted observer cannot fail to notice certain distinctive features of this southern Italian metropolis. Naples is the city of presepi—the characteristic nativity scenes displayed and sold year-round. Here, the rich and the poor naturally coexist, all proudly embracing the city’s renowned Neapolitan pizza, footballer Diego Maradona, its unofficial patron saint (whose face—sometimes haloed, sometimes adorned with angel wings—graces banners and building facçades), and, above all, its rich local musical culture.
A journey back to the Baroque era reveals that these characteristics—except for the cult of Diego Maradona—have a long tradition. Pizza and presepi took their present form as early as the 18th century, when street children and idle beggars were already a familiar sight to the indifferent eyes of the wealthy and the aristocracy, and the city’s musical life attracted enthusiasts, scholars, singers, instrumentalists, and composers from all over Europe. At the time, Naples was one of the major capitals of opera: the Neapolitan school played a crucial role in the history of the genre, both in serious dramma per musica and comic opera buffa.
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