FTX 617 - ANTHOLOGY OF POPULAR ITALIAN MUSIC - vol 1

INTRODUCTION When these recordings, containing folk music and songs selected from a number of early collections were first recorded and published in the mid 1950s particuilarly by the American musicologist, Alan Lomax, many Italians themselves were surprised at the richness, variety and vitality of an oral tradition that had been thought forever lost. Twenty years later, a new selection by Roberto Leydi provided further insight into Italian oral culture, bearing witness to the renewed attention by the popular music world. Research had been intensified and is presented by Roberto Leydi and some of Italy's most important folklore experts. Shortly before his death on Saturday 15th February 2003, his old friend Peter Kennedy, spoke to Roberto Leydi and, because of his depression at his recordings no longer being available, Peter gave him an undertaking to try and maintain publication of some of these early field recordings.

DANCES & MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS

1. REZIANKA ("Zagatina") - 1'54" Giovanni Di Lenardo and Lino Micelli (two fiddles: cytira), Riccardo Coss (cello: brunkula), foot stamping and dancers' mixed voices rec. by A. Negrin, San Giorgio di Resia: Udine, Friuli January 8, 1967

2. FURLANA - 0'56" Davide Frati (fisarmonica) rec. by R.Leydi Frassinoro, Modena, Emilia November 2, 1958

3. VALZER -1'09" Mario Tazzioli (fiddle), Oreste Tazzioli (guitar) rec. by R. Leydi, Barigazzo, Modena, Emilia November 2, 1958

4. MONFERRINA -1'17" Country brass band rec. by R. Leydi Tonco, Asti, Piemonte, December 19, 1965

5. SALTARELLO - 1'41" Cerqueto di Fano Adriano: Carino Misantoni (organetto), Alfonso Marconi (friction drum)rec. by R. Leydi, N. Jobby, D. Carpitella, Teramo, Abruzzo December 30, 1966

6. TARANTELLA -1'56" Andrea Sacco (chitarra battente) and vocals, Michelantonio Maccarone & Gaetano Basanisi (two guitars), Rocco di Mauro (castanets) rec. by R. Leydi, D. Carpitella, Carpino, Foggia, Puglia December 10, 1966

7. PIZZICA TARANTATA - 3'08" fiddle (Luigi Stifani), organetto (Pasquale Zizzarri), Salvatora Marzo (tambourine), Giuseppe Ingusci (guitar) rec. by D. Carpitella, R. Leydi Nando', Lecce, Puglia December 11, 1966

8. Assolo of MARANZANU (Jew's harp) -1'15" Giuseppe Giuffrida (maranzanu or "jew's harp")rec. by R. Leydi, Catania, Sicilia December 28, 1956

9. BALLO TONDO (Circle dance) - 2'03" Felicino Pili (launeddas or triple reed pipe) rec. by D. Carpitella Maracalegonis, Cagliari, Sardegna January 15, 1967

10. S'ARRUSCIADA (Circle dance) - 1'50" Francesco Ligas (cane flute or sulittu), Cesare Pisu (triangle), Silvio Falqui (tamburine) rec. by D. Carpitella, Maracalagonis, Cagliari, Sardegna January 15, 1967

11. SUS TENORES A BALLU - 3'00" Four male voices rec. by D. Carpitella, F. Cagnetta, Orgosolo, Nuoro, Sardegna 1955

12. SU BALLU - 1'52" Antonio Angelo Goddi (organetto /sonettu) rec. by D. Carpitella, Orgosolo, Nuoro, Sardegna January 14, 1967

RELIGIOUS SONGS & CHRISTMAS CYCLE

13. VO GIRAND PER GLI OSTERIE (I'm makin' the round of the taverns) - 2'54" Natalina and Luigina Bettinelli (two female voices) rec. by R. Leydi, Ripalta Nuova, Cremona, Lombardia January 29, 1967

14. SU PIZZINEDDU (The Little Boy) - 2'13" Four male voices rec. by D. Carpitella Orgosolo, Nuoro, Sardegna January 14, 1967

15. NOVENA DI NATALE (Christmas Carol) - 2'04" Oboe, bagpipe and male voice rec. Caserta, Campania c. 1935 (ODEON 9066 B, 78 rpm)

16. SAN GIOACCHINO STAVA SUI MONTI (St. Joachim was on the mountain) - 2'23" Angelina Brenna (female voice) rec. by M. Deichmann, B. Pianta, Cassago, Como, Lombardia February 21, 1965

17. LA VITA DI SANT'ALESSIO (The Story of St Alexis) - 2'02" Isabella Di Matteo (female voice) rec. by R. Leydi, N. Jobbi, D. Carpitella Cerqueto di Fano Adriano, Teramo, Abruzzo December 31, 1966

18. LITANIES FOR PILGRIMAGE AT MONTEVERGINE SANCTUARY -1'07" Female voices rec. Montevergine sanctuary by N. Jobby, Castelpoto, Campobasso, Molise May 28, 1965

19. CAROL FOR ST. ANTONY'S FEAST DAY - 1'32" Two male voices and organetto rec. by N. Jobby Spring 1965

20. TU CHI DORMI NNA STU LETTU (You Who Sleep In This Bed)/ VINNIRISANTU E VINNIRI MATINU (Good Friday And Friday Morning) - 4'04" Gaspare Napoli, Giuseppe Patti, Andrea Cipre', Angelo Barrale, Salvatore Faraone (5 male voices) rec. by E. Guggino Ciaculli, Palermo, Sicilia 1966

21. L'OROLOGIO DELLA PASSIONE (The Passion Hours) - 1'58" Cerqueto di Fano Adriano: Two male voices and friction drum rec. by N. Jobbi, Teramo, Abruzzo Spring 1965

22. MISERERE - 2'57" Four male voices rec. by D. Carpitella, Scanu Monteferru, Nuoro, Sardegna 1966 THE BALLAD (La Ballata)

23. CATTIVO CUSTODE (The Evil Custodian) (Nigra 50) - 7'00" Eight male voices (Compagnia Sacco) rec. by R. Leydi, Ceriana, Imperia, Liguria July 1969

24. MORAN D'INGHILTERRA (Moran Of England) (Nigra 42) - 5'23" Margherita Revello (female voice) rec. by B. Pianta, G. Sassoon, Castelnuovo Nigra, Torino, Piemonte February 1968

25. POTERE DEL CANTO (The Power Of Song) (Nigra 47) - 2'48" Costanza Giraudo (female voice) rec. by R. Leydi, Calchesio (fraz. di Sampeyre), Cuneo, Piemonte September 24, 1967

26. LA MONACA PER FORZA (The Unwilling Nun) - 4'24" Costantino Pesenti, Costante Cavagna, Antogno Mosca, Natale Mosca, Pietro Galizzi (five male voices) rec. by R. Leydi, A. Fumagalli Santa Croce (fraz. di San Pellegrino), Bergamo, Lombardia October 29, 1966

STORIES

27. FRANCESCO E GIOVANNI - 3'15" female voices rec. by L.Levi Oppido Lucano, Potenza, Basilicata June 1969

28. I PRINCIPESSA DI CARINI (The Princess Of Carini) - 2'31" Rosaria Pagano (female voice with background of children playing) rec. by E. Guggino Capaci, Palermo, Sicilia April 1964

1. Rezianka "Zagarina" Dances form an important element of social life in Val di Resia (Udine). During the village feasts people play and dance and on many occasions there are fancy dress balls. Usually the orchestra consists of one or two fiddles and a cello and the rhythm is augmented by the foot stamps of the musicians Several of the illustrations are only instrumentals, others, as the one published here, are accompanied by a chorus of alternating female and male voices.

2-3. Furlana & Valzer The furlana is one of the most illustrious among all Italian popular dances and used in the Courts until circa the 18th century. The furlana is a dance for couples, usually defined as "courtship"; it is widespread in all of Northern Italy and above all in Veneto, Emilia Romagna and Lombardia. Alternating with more recent dances it is performed mostly at weddings. The other track, recorded in another village in the mountains next to Modena, is a waltz with fiddle and guitar.

4. Monferrina The monferrina, very common in Piemonte in the past, is nowadays only performed at the occasional village feast. This dance, whose name derives from a part of Piemonte called "Monferrato", is performed in couples, with a ring around the best one. One of the songs, usually associated with the so-called "bal a palchett", was danced on the movable wooden platforms which where moved from one village to another.

5. Saltarello This music is typical of central Italy and today it is still quite common during special occasions, above all at weddings, played and danced by young people. In the execution in Cerqueto, recorded in this volume, the saltarello is very rhythmical and with much jumping and emphasised movements of the legs. The two instruments accompanying the dance are the modern button accordion and the ancient friction drum.

6. Tarantella This tarantella belongs to the pastoral tradition of Gargano and is completely different from the stylised ones of modern folkloristic groups. It expresses the characteristic of "courtship" in this kind of dance, full of aggressiveness and energy. The instruments used are the "chitarra battente", common in Southern Italy, as well as guitars and castanets which help support the rhythm.

7. Pizzica tarantata This music was one of the songs used as a ritual treatment for the bite of a mythical spider called the "tarantula" that made its appearance at the the time of the reaping of the wheat harvest. In July and August, the farm labourers like to recover the feeling of the imaginary bite, known by the singers as therapeutic music. The technique used is very rhythmical with lots of dynamic acceleration and deceleration and variations of timbre.

8. Assolo di marranzanu The "marranzanu", in Sicilian dialect, is the instrument known in Italian as "scacciapensieri", the Jew's harp. The instrument is made of different materials and models were once widespread all over Europe from about the 14th century. In Italy the instrument was made of metal and was common both in the North and the South but today it's still used above all in Sicily and Sardinia. In the Sicilian tradition it's used to accompany both singing and dancing along with other instruments.

9- 10. Assolo di launeddas e S'Arrusciada These performances are recorded in Maracalagonis, a village in Campidano. The launeddas is a typical instrument of Sardinia very common in the entire island until two or three centuries ago, but today only in certain areas of Campidano. It consists of three single-reed pipes of various lengths. The longest pipe, without holes, produces a deep pedal tone, and is lashed together with the medium one, while the smallest pipe, played with the left hand, is kept free from the others. Both launeddas and the other instruments played in S'Arrusciada are used to accompany the "ballu sardu" or circle dance.

13. Vo girand per gli osterie This track features a narrative song on the subject of the nativity. The text is a transposition in form of narrative song with some scenes of "shepherd Gelindo" one of the traditional Christmas performances in Piemonte. The interesting fact is that this song was recorded near Cremona in Lombardia.

14. Su pizzineddu This is a Christmas song also used as a lullaby, very common in the North of Sardinia. 15. Novena di Natale This song is one of the many Christmas carols sung and accompanied by oboe and bagpipe. The text and music belong to St. Alfonso di Liguori but here the song is sung and performed in a popular way and in dialect.

16-17. St. Joachim stava sui monti e la vita di Sant'Alessio These two tracks are examples of religious narrative songs. While the first one is quite recent, probably deriving from a broadside ("foglio volante") of about the 19th century, while the story of St. Alexis is an old example, in fact the most archaic document of this legend goes back to the first decade of the 13th century.

18. Litanie per il pellegrinaggio alla Madonna di Montevergine The Sanctuary of Montevergine is one of the most famous in all Southern Italy, the destination of several pilgrimages of groups of peasants coming from all the regions in the South. The group of women from Castelpoto, recorded here, did the pilgrimage on foot wearing traditional costume.

19. Canto di questua per la festa di St. Antonio The feast for St.Anthony, on the 17th of January, was in the countryman's world one of the most important days of the year. Today the tradition is almost lost yet the songs for St. Anthony are still well known. The song performed here is used for begging by groups of young people as they go from door to door seeking gifts of food to prepare the banquet.

20. Tu che dormi nna stu lettu / vinniri santu e vinniri matinu These two songs were performed during Holy Week. Among all the songs referring to the Passion this is surely one of the most intense and unisual. During the night of Good Thursday, in Ciarulli, a village near Palermo, groups of men walk about the streets of the village, at first they sing: "tu chi dormi nna stu letto" (with alternating voices) and then "vinniri santu e vinniri matinu". The recording is a synthesis of the event.

21. L'orologio della Passione This song was performed during the Easter period when groups of young people went begging from door to door. It was widespread in all Central Italy and above all in Abruzzo, Molise, Marche and Umbria. What is interesting are the characteristic, not at all "mystic" or religious, melodies that accompanied the song, which seem more like those used for dancing.

22. Miserere This is a song from Sardinia performed to accompany the rituals during Holy Week, the text being in Latin.

23. Cattivo custode This ballad was widespread above all in Northern Italy and also in France. In Italy we can find it in the different collections of Piemonte Lombardia, Veneto and Emilia. For Liguria the ballad performed here is adapted. The style is typical of the Ligurian mountains and very similar to that of trallallero but having polyvocal characteristics.

24. Moran d'Inghilterra The first mention of this ballad is due to C. Nigra who published it in "Rivista Contemporanea" (October 1862). Nigra underlined the similarities of Moral of England with two Spanish romances ("El Conde Sol" and "Gerineldo"), with the Catalan ballad "La boda interrompida" and above all with the Anglo-Scottish ballad "Young Beichan" (Child #53). The example recorded has an archaic melody typical of the very best ballads of Piemonte.

25. Potere del canto The subject of music and song with its surprising consequences is apparent in all European culture, both literary and popular, first appearing in the Orpheus myth. This ballad was particularly common in the Catalan area as well as in France, while in Italy its presence was first identified in Piemonte by Nigra. The version published here was always performed in Piemonte but in a different village. The text is shorter because there is no description of the powerful effects of song, but all the other parts of the performance are completely similar to the one first recorded by Nigra.

26. La monaca per forza This ballad is a passing point from archaic to the later type of broadside. While the subject of the unwilling nun is very old, the text and music date from the 19th century,. The nun writes to her father because she wants to leave the convent but, as he refuses, so she begins her damnation.

27. Francesco e Giovanni This is the typical "story" and even if we don't have sufficient documentation we can presume that it was once quite common in all Southern Italy. The performance is interesting because of its polyvocal structure.

28. A principessa di Carini This song was inspired by bloodshed, a crime of honour, which really happened in December 1563 at Carini castle near Palermo. According to the recent reconstruction the victim was Laura, the daughter of Cesare Lanza, killed as a punishment for her guilty love for her cousin Ludovico Vernagallo.

Field recordings are by Diego Carpitella (Roma), Mathias Deichmann (Milano), Elisabetta Guggino (Palermo), Nicola Jobbi (Cerqueto di Fano Adriano), Roberto Leydi (Milano), Alberto Negrin (Milano), Bruno Pianta (Milano), Annabella Rossi (Roma).