De Naples à Smyrne : L’itinéraire d’une chanson en Méditerranée au début du xxe siècle

This article explores the trajectory of the Neapolitan song “Birbantella” at the beginning of the 20th century. Originally published as a musical score in Naples in 1905 and recorded in 1906, it underwent its first transformation in Athens in 1908. There, while its original musical form was preserved, the lyrics were radically rewritten to become a social satire titled “The Modern (New) Woman”. In 1909, the song reached the Greek-speaking musicians in Ottoman Smyrna, where it retained the satirical lyrics but adopted a new musical style: the instrumentation and vocal techniques were adapted to the practices of local estudiantinas ensembles, revealing a sonic syncretism in which East and West engaged in dialogue. The comparative analysis of these three historical sound recordings highlights two distinct approaches to musical adoption. The Athenian approach, which focuses primarily on the text, aligns with Greece’s broader project of Europeanisation, whereas the Smyrnean reinterpretation reflects the syncretism of a cosmopolitan metropolis. The trajectory of this song thus nuances the East – West dichotomy, revealing complex cultural interactions and intermediate spaces characterised by creative dialogues