This CD features ten gems of the Canzona Napuletane; from the well-known classic, Mamma; to the exquisite, plaintive ballads, Palomma ‘E Notte and Dicitencello Vuje. This richly orchestrated CD is sung in the authentic dialetto Napuletano and spans the Neapolitan composers of the early to mid-20th Century (De Curtis & Nicolardi, Bovio & Valente, Russo & Di Capua, Bixio & Cherubini, Fusco & Salvo, DiGiacomo & Buongiovanni, Capaldo & Gambardella and Bonagura & Carosone,). This era marked a time of upheaval and mass European immigration to America. These songs capture the longing and often desperation of immigrants who found themselves strangers in a new land. At their core these songs are about love: for country, for a parent, unrequited love and often forbidden love. They are filled with wit, sentiment and often the torment of love. Written from a predominantly male perspective, most, if not all of these selections are standard repertoire for tenors, and few female vocalists have recorded these songs. With Desiderata Ms. Lucente demonstrates that her richly colored, passionate voice resonates the same sentiments that any hot-blooded Italian male would. Her ability to perform ‘popular’ Neapolitan ballads with the precision and fluidity of a classically trained singer, but with the authenticity and rawness of a folk singer is proof of her vocal flexibility. From the sensuous, seductive Maruzzella, the tender ballad Palomma ‘E Notte , the sassy Comme Facette Mammeta, and the sentimental favorite Torna A Surriento, few vocalists capture the true essence of the ‘Canzona Napuletana’. Recorded by the Czech National Symphony Orchestra, Ms. Lucente’s vocals are perfectly complimented by the luscious orchestral arrangements of Ludek Drizhal.