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).