SKU: UT.HS-231

ISBN 9790215324558. 9 x 12 inches.

Tarascone; Tarantella Capuanese; Valzer; Polka di Vittorio; Tarantella Stiglianese

The history of the Viggianesi, strolling musicians, winds over a period of about four centuries and esprimeun ‘unicum’ musically and anthropologically. Heirs of a travelling musical tradition that from the late Middle Ages inhabited more than just the streets of the Kingdom of Sicily and Naples, the harpists of this extraordinary story made their first appearances as early as the end of the 1600s engaged in musical practices at shrines.
Armed with an urgent need to make a living together with a strong musical inclination, adaptability and versatility, the groups of musicians, almost always belonging to the same family circle, became the promoters of the great Italian musical tradition (Southern in particular), and with their harps on their shoulders they became the identification symbol of a well-defined and limited area of Italy: the Agri Valley, in Basilicata.
From the many documents examined, a very wide and varied musical repertoire emerges mixing the pastoral tradition with classical tradition (mainly opera, devotional music with songs from the cities (from the Neapolitan tradition to international production). The pastoral repertoire, the subject of this publication, consists of a strongly characterized native repertoire which the Viggianesi had consolidated in both public and private ritual occasions in their native land, even if performing in distant lands.

This collection is included among the compulsory pieces of The 7th International Harp Contest in Italy Suoni D’Arpa, 2017, Category A – Associazione Italiana dell’Arpa – www.associazioneitalianarpa.it

SKU: BT.ALHE31254

French.

Pastoreles De Noël by André Jolivet is a piece for Flute, Bassoon and the Harp lasting nearly 13 minutes. This piece is really gentle and restrained which demonstrates the quality ofJolivet’s work but also reflects that period of WWII when France was under occupation. These scores are of medium level of ability.

Pastoreles De Noël features four sections:L’étoile (the Star), Les Mages (the Wisemen), La Vierge et l’Enfant (the Virgin and the Child) and Entrée et Danse des Bergers (the Shepherds’ dance). Each of these parts describes a part oftheChristmas story, starting with the Flute and the Bassoon in a duet, followed by the entrance of the Harp to settle the first part. The second section is quieter, expressing the walk in the desert. The Virgin and the Child islike a lullaby and the piece finishes on a joyful dance to express happiness and devotion.

André Jolivet is a French composer who was really inspired by the Antiquity, and had a strong interest foratonality. He also wrote many chamber music pieces, eleven concertos, some orchestral and some vocal music.