Per Elisa
| "Per Elisa" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Alice | ||||
| from the album Alice | ||||
| B-side | "Non devi avere paura" | |||
| Released | February 1981 | |||
| Genre | [1] | |||
| Length | 3:40 | |||
| Label | EMI | |||
| Songwriter(s) | ||||
| Lyricist(s) | Alice | |||
| Alice singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Audio | ||||
| "Per Elisa" on YouTube | ||||
"Per Elisa" (transl. "For Elisa") is a 1981 single by Alice. The song was the breakthrough in the singer's career, winning the 31st edition of the Sanremo Music Festival, and being an international commercial success.[2][3]
Background
[edit]The song marked a second collaboration between Battiato and Alice, following the 1980 moderately successful single "Il vento caldo dell'estate".[4][5] The title Per Elisa is a reference to Ludwig van Beethoven's composition "Für Elise", whose musical theme is reprised in the intro of the song.[5]
The lyrics on surface tell the story of a love triangle from the point of view of a betrayed woman, but according to many critics actually refer to drug addiction, with the Elisa of the title being a code name for heroin.[3][4][5][6] In this interpretation, rejected by both Alice and Battiato,[4][5][7] the song was included in the soundtrack of the Claudio Caligari's 1983 drug-themed film Toxic Love.[6][8]
The structure of the song has been described as "unusual because it lacks a refrain, but equally catchy thanks to several melodic hooks and a smooth mainstream sound".[4]
Track listing
[edit]- 7" single - 3C 006-18529
- "Per Elisa" (Alice, Franco Battiato, Giusto Pio)
- "Non devi avere paura" (Alice)
Charts
[edit]| Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Italy (Musica e dischi)[9] | 1 |
| Germany[10] | 17 |
| Austria[11] | 4 |
| Switzerland[12] | 5 |
References
[edit]- ^ Claudio Fabretti. "Alice - Le canzoni di Carla". Ondarock. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
- ^ Tinti, Andrea (26 September 2022). "Alice compie 69 anni: da Franco Battiato a "Per Elisa" la storia di Carla Bissi". Corriere di Bologna (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ a b Dario Salvatori (2001). "Per Elisa". Dizionario delle canzoni italiane. Elle U. pp. 254–5. ISBN 8888169016.
- ^ a b c d Ezio Guaitamacchi (14 January 2011). "Per Elisa". 1000 canzoni che ci hanno cambiato la vita. Rizzoli, 2009. ISBN 978-8858617427.
- ^ a b c d Zuffanti, Fabio (23 February 2021). "Alice 40 anni dopo 'Per Elisa': «Non l'ho scritta pensando alla droga» {". Rolling Stone Italia (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ a b Marzetti, Claudia (16 November 2020). "Quando Alice e Franco Battiato scrissero "Per Elisa"". StoneMusic (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ Fabretti, Claudio (14 November 2014). "Alice: Le canzoni di Carla". OndaRock (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ D'Onofrio, Tobia (19 October 2020). "Vita e cinema di Claudio Caligari, regista delle devianze". La Repubblica (in Italian). Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Classifiche". Musica e Dischi (in Italian). Retrieved 29 May 2022. Set "Tipo" on "Singoli". Then, in the "Artista" field, search "Alice".
- ^ "Offizielle Deutsche Charts". offiziellecharts.de. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Alice in AustrianCharts". AustrianCharts.at. Retrieved 29 January 2023.
- ^ "Die Offizielle Schweizer Hitparade". HitParade.ch. Retrieved 29 January 2023.