Traditional music Italian Folk/traditional Songs (also in dialects) and Dances

Back up to northern Italy, and from the tender and beautiful to the funny. "If I touch your...don't tell your father." :) Alas, as always, give them an inch and they want to go a mile! The skit and song are self-explanatory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sFb8eAxgiRM

 
The famous classical tenor Roberto Alagna, a Sicilian, singing an old Sicilian song: And you're still sleeping...E vui durmiti ancora, a Sicilian serenade song

I'm sorry, but the English just doesn't do justice to the beauty and tenderness of the original.

The sun is already rising in the sea,
and you my beautiful one, are still sleep.
The birds are tired of singing
and are chilled as they wait here outside.
They set themselves down on this little balcony
and wait for the moment that you appear.

Without you the flowers have no life
and all dangle their petals down,
each one of them not wanting to blossom.
Until you open this balcony door,
the buds will hide themselves inside the petals
and wait for you to you appear.

Enough ... don't sleep any more!
In the midst of them, behind this street
I also wait for you ....
and in order to see your face, so beautiful,
I pass by outside here every night
and wait for the moment that you appear.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cm1jOnhPV9s
 
A Tuscan folk song sung by Ginevra di Marco

L'amore e' come l'ellera-Love is like ivy

These are the complete lyrics. Sometimes it's abbreviated. Obviously, there are a lot of double meanings.

Come, my pretty dark-haired man, let’s play cards,
and we must play the games I know.
You can leave spades and clubs aside,
and if you’re missing a heart, I’ll give you mine.1


Love is like ivy:
where it sticks, it dies.
In this way, in this way my heart
has stuck to you.


And my love is called Lorenzo;
I like his pace very much,
I like his pace very much,
he takes it slowly and always comes on time.
2


Love is like ivy:
where it sticks, it dies.
In this way, in this way my heart
has stuck to you.


Once upon a time, once upon a time there was a guy;
he was sitting and pulling out a thorn;
he was enjoying it so much that
he kept pulling it out and in again.


Love is like ivy:
where it sticks, it dies.
In this way, in this way my heart
has stuck to you.


I was born for kisses, and I want them;
as youngsters make love,
I want them on my mouth and on my hair,
then I close my eyes and they can get to wherever they like!


Love is like ivy:
where it sticks, it dies.
In this way, in this way my heart
has stuck to you.


I had a little featherless bird
that was in the habit of kissing women,
was in the habit of kissing women.
The first one he kissed, fainted.


Love is like ivy:
where it sticks, it dies.
In this way, in this way my heart
has stuck."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHGUqcIu32Q
<font color="#1a1a1a" face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 13.475px;">


 
American voice teachers often assign this beautiful Italian folk song for competitions. It only dates to the 1800s and has to do with lovers separated by immigration, but its "medieval" sound means that it's often presented as a much older piece. The arcane language of the translation given to the singers is part of that.

Coraggio, Ben Mio-Be Brave My Darling

[FONT=&quot]Thine eyes are so lovely, [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]So tender thy heart, love, [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]All passion thou art, love, [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]For me thou wert born. [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Ah, no, no, don't cry,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Be brave, my darling, [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Tho' I say good-bye now, [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]Be not so forlorn.
Ah, no, no, no,

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Awake I shall see thee,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]And when I am dreaming,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Alive hardly seeming
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Until I return.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ah, no, no, etc.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]In tears thou art lovely,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Or smiling thy favor;
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]How cruel that ever
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Asunder we're torn!
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ah, no, no, etc.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]But tho' I must leave thee,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]My heart stays with thy heart,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Thou only my joy art,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Of peace thou my bourne.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ah, no, no, etc.

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Oh love, on thy beauty
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]When far I shall ponder,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Wherever I wander,
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Wherever I turn.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ah, no, no, etc.[/FONT][FONT=&quot]

[/FONT][FONT=&quot]To-day but remember
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]The promise I make thee:
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]That ne'er to forsake thee
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Till death, I have sworn.
[/FONT][FONT=&quot]Ah, no, no, etc.

[/FONT]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNoxKBcoK0Q

[FONT=&quot]
[/FONT]
 
Jonas Kaufmann singing for his 5th encore the Neapolitan "Core 'ngrato" or "Ungrateful heart", and a breathtakingly superlative job he does of it too. Brividi! As one of the comments states, " this man doesn't perform it. He lives it. Every note, every word. He actually argues with the woman who has broken his heart, and with a voice so rich, so vibrant, so virile. " Catari is a nickname for Caterina or Catherine.

Lyrics:
Ungrateful Heart

Catarì, Catarì
Why do you say these bitter words to me?
Why do you speak and my heart
torments me, Catarì?


Don't forget that I've given you my heart, Catarì
Don't forget it!


Catarì, Catarì, what do you mean by
these words, that upset me?
You don't think about my pain
You don't think about it.! You don't care!


Heart, ungrateful heart
You've stolen my life
Everything's over
And you don't think about it anymore!
Catarì, Catarì,
you don't know that I even went to church
I entered and prayed to God, Catarì,
and even said to the confessor,
"I'm suffering
for that one there!"


I'm suffering,
I'm suffering, you can't believe how
I'm suffering all the tortures...
And the Confessor who is a holy person,
said, " My son, leave her alone, let her be"


Heart, ungrateful heart
You've stolen my life
Everything's over
And you don't even think about "us" anymore!



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUoIeSsCG6I
 
Italians must be OK now, since I know for a fact that they do not go to the army any more.

Angela said:
This lilting dance tune is about a boy going off to do his military service and the tears Angiolina sheds for him. "Give me a kiss, Angiolina, for tomorrow I depart."
Click to expand...
 
Genovese Trallalero: This is a particularly nice example- Nights in Boccadasse(That's a coastal area of Genova. I think part of the reason I like Trallalero is because I've done a bit of amateur multi part choral singing, and I know how hard it is to do it spontaneosuly, and especially a cappella like this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YGiZqwVaPbU
 
From Naples this time: Massimo Ranieri sings Dicitencello Vuje-Tell her

Like a lot of the Neapolitan canon, it's often sung by operatic tenors. Bland English language versions of this song have also been released, including one by Engelbert Humperdinck.

Increasingly, I prefer them sung simply, by native dialect speakers, as in this emotional and moving rendition by Ranieri.

Please tell your friend
I lost sleep last night
and I dreamt of her.
That I think of her Lways
that she is my whole life ...
I long to tell her but
I don't know how...

I love her ...
I love her so very much

Tell her I can never
forget our passion,
it is stronger than a chain,
it haunts my soul
and wont let me live!

Say our love is a rose in May,
It's like a beautiful sunny day.
From her mouth would come the
breath of fresh violets If she would
say she loves me the same!

A teardrop fell shining there ...
tell me a little: what doyou think
with those sweet eyes ?
You only look at me.
Remove the mask my love,
and tell me the truth ...

I love you ...
I love you so very much.

love you a lot,
I love you more than a lot.
It’s you this chain
that will not ever break.
Gentle dream
my flesh is yearning for,
I seek after you like the air,
I need you in order to live

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TgC9TcJY208
 
From Pavia province, but not very far from Bobbio. They're singing "Mother, comb my hair, look at the beautiful "moretto", or brunette." This kind of thing is what I miss the most...I'm counting the days!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyCowis5x4w




 
A lovely tammuriata style dance by a lovely and talented young couple. It couldn't be more different than the music of the prior post, but still Italy and more beautiful in my opinion. (Don't tell my relatives!) I really do have to make time this summer to go south.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8azelA9Eyps

 
An Alpini song from World War I: "Sul Ponte de Bassano" or "From the Bassano Bridge". It's a lover's good bye. As a species we never learn: so much needless death.

On the Bassano Bridge we'll take each other's hand
And give each other a small love kiss
(Repeat)

From such a small love's kiss
So much heartache can flow
I never thought I would have to leave you (Repeat 3 times)

My beloved has put chains around my heart
In May she'll marry and
I will leave to be a soldier (Repeat 3 times)

Having to leave you
Loving you so much
It's a ring of chains that encircles my heart.

And I'll become a soldier
In my regiment
And I won't leave happy
Unless I have married you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUHdHVOrhIg








 
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