The Kingdom of the two Sicilies definitively lost its independence in 1860. After losing its status of capital, Naples underwent a complicated and conflicting period. On the one hand, a new sense of freedom permeated the society and culture regenerated after the oppressive and dark years of the Bourbon’s ruling. On the other side, however, the city sensed the dramatic risk of losing its prestige and strong identity.
As per the artistic field, this ambiguity led to the oscillation between two opposite poles: between the praise of local traditions and the opening towards the most updated national and international trends; between the search of authenticity and the rethinking of music production and diffusion according to new commercial values.