Does anyone know what language this is? (Sorry to be so dim... ) It's on the outgoing AB Grade 5 syllabus, I have to introduce it for a pupil at a concert on Saturday, and I'm not even 100% sure what language it is in order to get the pronunciation right! I had assumed (before I really started thinking about it) Italian, but some of the performance directions are in French... And it doesn't help that the composer is German! Am I right that if this word ends in -a it's Italian, and if it ends in -e it's French - meaning that this is French? I've never heard anyone say this as a French word, though - everyone says it as if it's Italian. So I suppose the ultimate question is "Does it matter?"

It's French. Chaminade was a French Composer (and a woman to boot). Just like the English Anglicise words, the French do the same. It is the French version of Tarantella, but of course as Chaminade was French, she chose to use the French form.

Hang on a mo! Again, forgive my doziness; I'm not usually so vague about what my unfortunate pupils are playing - this chap isn't doing the exam till February, but I thought it was by Burgmuller? (I don't have my own copy of the book here to check.) Am I to receive some egg on the face?

No, no egg on your face, Dulciana. The Grade 5 one is by Burgmuller.

Isnt it supposed to be how a tarantula dances ?

Very good!

How about the French pronunciation, but with a really heavy German accent then? Sorry to joke, it just struck me as very funny! There is a musician in this area who mispronounces Italian terms constantly; andante becomes andant and cantabile he says as canter-bile. It is truly horrible.

That's what I was told when I was younger, but I have since read somewhere that it's a Neapolitan dance and nothing to do with a spider! Who knows?! I'm glad there's no viva with AB!

It is a dizzily fast dance that is either induced by madness from the bite of a tarantula or done deliberately to sweat the poison out according to different versions I've heard. There is often a dreamy section in the middle as the victim hallucinates.

I think I'd be swearing at the same time as I played a tarantelle/tarantella then !

The pronunciation, syllable by syllable, is:

tah - with a really bright, open-mouthed "ah" sound
rrrawhn - "r" rolled at the back of the throat, very rounded "aw" sound, "hn" as in "n" with most of the sound coming through the nose
te - straightforward but with a fairly long "e"
luh - or perhaps "leu"

... all of which is way too much trouble. "Tarantell" in your own accent will do fine

Drifting slightly from the topic, the Tarantella movement of John Corigliano's First Symphony (written in memory of a popular and outgoing friend who went insane in the latter stages of dying of AIDS) is the most moving piece of very very fast music I've ever heard.

I'm guessing that no-one else will know how to pronounce it either! Just pick your pronounciation and state it confidently like you know exactly what you are talking about. - you'll be great!

Dulciana that's quite right, I've got it muddled up with the other Character Dance Ihad to do in those historical days when I did Ballet. Not doing well of late am I . The Tarantelle Is by Burgmuller. However if I could find the title of the piece by Chaminade I'd happily brush it up again. I thought it was great.

I danced the dance atrochiously, but I still love the piece!

I would pronouce it Tar-an-tell.

But the egg is on my face.

Scrambled eggs all round! Thanks for the info though, one and all!

I think I'll just say that "so-and-so is playing 'a tarantella' by Burgmuller, which has some interesting connotations"...and quote Boo Radley! Thanks Boo! And thanks to everyone else.

I think I'd pronounce it as a "Tarantella" too. I thought Tarantelle was just a synonym in Italian, rather than a French word, but I'm probably wrong If that's the case though, both words would sound very similar - "lah" or "luh" at the end. If it definately is French, then "ell" would be correct, but I've never heard that pronunciation before.

xxx

Ooh how exciting! I'm going to be quoted at a concert! Please credit it to "an anonymous character who goes by the name of Boo Radley on this music forums thingy that I go on where people serve virtual cups of tea and virtual slices of cake and have virtual parties and a virtual awards ceremony every now and then. . ."

According to the Oxford Companion, it's named after the seaport of Taranto, near which the tarantula spider lives. The tarantella was supposed to cure the disease caused by the bite, but actually it's bite is pretty harmless. But it gave a gig to the local fiddlers at harvest time, hoping to be hired by the bitten.

This is getting better and better! I might just print out this whole thread and take it along with me!

Actually it might be the plural. One tarantella, two tarantelle, etc.

Ah!

...I guess a Bagatelle is how a Bagatula dances?

What on earth is a Bagatula ? If it was April 1st Id have suspected a wind up!

Re plurals in Italian if singular is Tarantella , then isnt the plural Tarantelle ?
in French La Tarantelle, in plural becomes Les Tarantelles .
I guess in German it would be Die Tarantellen.

no, I think it's a traditional dance you do while balancing a French loaf on your head.

You have the makings of a very funny comedy routine here! Will you read out the last few posts for a dare?

Might do! There's somebody actually playing a Bagatelle as well!

Isnt there a Tarantella in The Pirates of Penzance?? You know --- the bit where the coppers sing 'tarantara tarantara' etc ??