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	Bells hanging from cattle	02:51
102	Montagnes Valdotaines	Small artisan chorus	02:06
103	Paparone	Piedmontese musicians, singers	01:10
104	Nen Marìa nostra frighietta	Three older female singers	02:00
105	Ninì, mon pupôn	Maria Glany	00:31
106	A la santé de Noé	Worker-artisan mixed chorus	01:12
107	La blanchisseuse	Worker-artisan mixed chorus	02:21
108	Jodoler	Alpine musicians, female yodelers	01:54
109	Che Bel Felice Incontro	Seven Piedmontese female singers	02:06
110	Quei Cacciatori	Seven Piedmontese female singers	02:02
111	La Ricciola	Tonco village artesan band	01:25
112	Eviva il Monfrâ!	Monferrato musicians	01:21
201	Monferrina	Tonco village artesan band	01:26
202	Maria Giuanna	Piedmontese musicians, singers	02:23
203	Io parto per l'America	Emilian mixed chorus	01:41
204	Voga, voga	Lombardy mixed chorus	02:25
205	A March	Lombardy panpipe band	02:34
206	Lombardy: Ouverture from Rigoletto	Lombardy panpipe band	02:50
207	O Pinota	Female rice harvesters: Delfia, Marva, Aida, Letisia, Rita, Silvana	03:04
208	Ninna Nanna	Celeste Cappelli	02:30
209	L'é 'rivato un bastimento (A Ship Has Come to Port)	Giua Bonetti, female singers	02:16
210	Trescone	Riolunato artisan violinist, guitarist, dance caller	01:41