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Thread: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

  1. #1
    Registered User bob_mc's Avatar
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    Default Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Spent an amazing afternoon this past Sunday with my friend's extended family, most of whom were born and raised in Calabria Italy. After much (much) home made wine and a feast, 2 "organettos" (sp?) were brought out. From grandfather to grandson they took turns playing variations on a few dance tunes in 3 (mostly).

    It sounded like magic and the effect on the party was instantaneous. Women danced pots were tapped, and oddly enough, I drank more wine.

    As a sign of respect, I would like to try and learn some basic tunes for the next visit; and this was just past the Delaware Water Gap, not Carnegie Hall.

    One of the younger guys called the organetto 'diatonic' but no one could explain key or harmony; the one tune was really just two chords and sounded like the Tarantella.

    Any advice? Source recordings?

    TIA

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    Unfamous String Buster Beanzy's Avatar
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    Registered User Martin Jonas's Avatar
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    I'll second those recommendations. The John LaBarbera books are great -- at one stage I was playing those tunes compulsively. The tunes are simple, even primitive, but most of them need to be played at blistering speed in order to work and sound authentic. Great fun all around, even if I never got the tarantellas and pizzicas fast enough.

    The Italian Folk Music blog was great a few years ago to get a taster of albums one never sees anywhere else (many long out of print), but I think most of the links are now dead and it was stronger on Northern Italian folk music in any case.

    Martin

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by bob_mc View Post

    One of the younger guys called the organetto 'diatonic' but no one could explain key or harmony; the one tune was really just two chords and sounded like the Tarantella.


    TIA
    It was all in whatever major scale the organetto was tuned to. I love this sort of music! The harmony is basic diatonic, the instrument may only have a I and a V chord or a couple more - much of the music actually came from bagpipe music and other earlier musical strata.

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    Registered User bob_mc's Avatar
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Beanzy, Martin and David,

    It's folks like you that make the innerwebz great. Off to check out your recommendations.

    Thanks again!

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    Mando-Accumulator Jim Garber's Avatar
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    This guy is great and I don't think the tune is all that difficult if you could slow it down.



    This polka sounds a lot more complicated. The notes under the video say "Organetto Alparizio Palma in Fa# musette del 1995". I think that means the organetto is tuned to F#? Sounds like it would hard to play in that key.

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    And I thought this waltz would be simpler but it isn't. Wonderful music.

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Just watching the fingers is fascinating.
    - Jeremy

    Wot no catchphrase?

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    and we need a Quadiglia to round it out:


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    Michael Reichenbach
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    I ave played a Tarantella Calabrese some time ago:
    you ca get the sheet music for two mandolins for free at musicaneo
    Tarantella Calabrese
    but you can also find the melody in the abc world
    Homepage: www.mandoisland.de / Blog: www.mandoisland.com / Freiburg / Germany

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    How is it possible that this has not been mentioned yet?

    https://www.amazon.com/Italian-Treas...words=calabria

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    This guy is great and I don't think the tune is all that difficult if you could slow it down.



    This polka sounds a lot more complicated. The notes under the video say "Organetto Alparizio Palma in Fa# musette del 1995". I think that means the organetto is tuned to F#? Sounds like it would hard to play in that key.

    Both of the instruments that I saw on Sunday had pretty girl pictures (albeit brunettes) like in the screen grab of bottom video; I think they are a crucial to getting the sound right!

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    Michael Reichenbach
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    You can find a series of radio programs with Alan Lomax with music from Calabria, Sicily and Sardinia

    "An 8-part series of Italian folk music produced and hosted by Alan Lomax for the BBC's Third Programme. The recordings were made by Lomax during his Italian field trip in 1954 and early 1955; the series was compiled before his return to England in the early spring of 1955."
    Homepage: www.mandoisland.de / Blog: www.mandoisland.com / Freiburg / Germany

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by jesserules View Post
    How is it possible that this has not been mentioned yet?

    https://www.amazon.com/Italian-Treas...words=calabria
    My hunch is that it is because the thread is only a day old.

    The Lomax Collection you reference is on the Blog site that Beanzy and Martin refer to here above. I got a copy of it from that site a number of years back.

    My guess it is part of the collection that Michael is referring to.

    Mick
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    This guy is great and I don't think the tune is all that difficult if you could slow it down.



    This polka sounds a lot more complicated. The notes under the video say "Organetto Alparizio Palma in Fa# musette del 1995". I think that means the organetto is tuned to F#? Sounds like it would hard to play in that key.

    Fun stuff, even more so for me since I've been switching over from piano accordion to button box. Just started working on some Italian folk pieces.

    BTW, I figured David would have flagged this. A scacciapensieri is a jaw/jew's/juv's harp. Pretty funny idea for a polka.

    In Sicily they call them a marranzanu which is probably what David knows them as.

    Mick
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by brunello97 View Post
    Fun stuff, even more so for me since I've been switching over from piano accordion to button box. Just started working on some Italian folk pieces.

    BTW, I figured David would have flagged this. A scacciapensieri is a jaw/jew's/juv's harp. Pretty funny idea for a polka.

    In Sicily they call them a marranzanu which is probably what David knows them as.

    Mick
    I've heard both names!

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    I've heard both names!
    Can you imagine a polka played on one!

    Mick
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by brunello97 View Post
    Can you imagine a polka played on one!

    Mick
    Wow, I had completely forgot about the harp!!! 2 of the older guys tried to describe it and I wish I had video taped it as it was truly hilarious. They spoke no English and I no Italian, we resorted to wine inspired impressions. I assumed they meant the jaw harp but couldn't imagine it. More wine, more charades; I had tears rolling down my face at the end.

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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by brunello97 View Post
    Can you imagine a polka played on one!

    Mick
    How about a tarantella with marranzanu and frisculetta?




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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Amazing. Thanks, David.

    Mick
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    I played a trantella calabrese too. I got the score from the Mandolin Cafe. A little bit slow but can pass
    “Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.”
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by DavidKOS View Post
    How about a tarantella with marranzanu and frisculetta?

    What is a "frisculetta"? Sounds like the main melody instrument is an ocarina. Is that another word for ocarina or something else.
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  43. #23
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Garber View Post
    What is a "frisculetta"? Sounds like the main melody instrument is an ocarina. Is that another word for ocarina or something else.
    It's a small cane fipple flute, not an ocarina, which is a vessel flute.

    https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...ry=frisculettu

    I misspelled it - frisculettu


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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Ah, that explains why I could not find it in a search.
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    Default Re: Calabrese 'folk' tunes

    Thanks, David. What a great word. Fischiare means --to whistle -- in "Northern" Italian. A whistle is a fischio or fischietto--the instrument.

    Friscalettu morphs into or out of Fischietto. Or versa vice-a. Rs certainly appear and disappear in regional versions of English, too.

    Mick
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