Italian Folk Music, Vol. 1: Piedmont, Emelia, Lombardy

Folklorist Alan Lomax, who collected many of the selections on the album, provides a historical introduction to the northern Italian regions represented here by their rural singers and bands—and even cattle (the first track features “a whole orchestra of bells” sounding around the necks of cows as villagers move the animals to mountain pastures for the summer). Love songs, lullabies, tarantellas and waltzes, patriotic songs, ballads, yodeling, and drinking songs capture life marked by community and tradition.

Liner notes include some translations of lyrics, informative context for each track, and a bibliography (in Italian).

Track Listing

101	The Bells of Alpine Cattle Cattle bells	02:51
102	Montagnes Valdotaines Small chorus of village artisans, Nus, Valle d'Aosta	02:06
103	Paparone (Tarantella) Village singers and musicians, Cogne, Valle d'Aosta	01:10
104	Nen Marìa nostra frighietta Three peasant women, Lillas, Valle d'Aosta	02:00
105	Ninì, mon pupôn Maria Glany	00:31
106	A la santé de Noé Mixed chorus of worker-artisans, Nus, Valle d'Aosta	01:12
107	La blanchisseuse Mixed chorus of worker-artisans, Nus, Valle d'Aosta	02:21
108	Jodoler (Yodeling Song) Group of women accompanied by guitar and accordion	01:54
109	Che bel felice incontro Group of peasant girls, Gurro, Navaro, Piedmont	02:06
110	Quei cacciatori Group of peasant girls, Gurro, Navaro, Piedmont	02:02
111	La ricciola (Waltz) Village band, Tonco, Piedmont	01:25
112	Eviva il Monfrâ! Village band, Tonco, Piedmont	01:21
201	Monferrina (Folk Dance) Village band, Tonco, Piedmont	01:26
202	Maria Giuanna (Drinking Song) Musicians and singers, Piedmont	02:23
203	Io parto per l'America Mixed country chorus, Casorzo, Emilia	01:41
204	Voga, voga Mixed village chorus, Biella Belbo, Lombardy	02:25
205	A March Panpipe band of Bottanuco, Bergamo, Lombardy	02:34
206	Ouverture from Rigoletto Panpipe band of Bottanuco, Bergamo, Lombardy	02:50
207	O Pinota (Ballad) Female rice harvesters Delfia, Marva, Aida, Letisia, Rita, Silvana	03:04
208	Ninna Nanna Celeste Cappelli	02:30
209	L'é 'rivato un bastimento (Ballad) Giua Bonetti and friends	02:16
210	Trescone (Folk Dance) Artisans of Riolunato, Modena	01:41