L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, MAY 15, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 14 L'Italo-Americano T h e l i r a c a l - abrese is one of the most distinc- t i v e t r a d i t i o n a l i n s t r u m e n t s o f Southern Italy, known also for its long and varied cul- tural history. As its name s a y s , t h e l i r a c a l a b r e s e comes from Calabria, the rugged region forming the "toe" of Italy's boot, and is v e r y c o n n e c t e d w i t h t h e region's folk music and sto- rytelling traditions. After having fallen into obscurity for decades, this traditional instrument has been experi- encing a significant revival in more recent times, thanks to its peculiar, almost hunt- ing sound. The lira belongs to the broader family of Byzan- t i n e l y r e s , a g r o u p o f stringed instruments that spread across southeastern E u r o p e a n d t h e M e d i t e r - ranean during the time of the Byzantine Empire. Its relatives include the lyra cretensis from Crete, the g a d u l k a f r o m B u l g a r i a , and the kemençe found in Turkey. All of these instru- m e n t s s h a r e a c o m m o n ancestor and are played with a bow, unlike the plucked lyres of ancient Greece. The Calabrian variant, however, evolved with unique charac- teristics, influenced by the region's specific cultural, linguistic, and musical her- itage, a heritage that is rich and varied because, despite being geographically isolat- ed by mountains and coast- l i n e , C a l a b r i a h a s l o n g served as a melting pot of influences from Greek, Arab, Norman, and Byzantine civi- lizations. This lively blend of people, histories and culture is evident in the lira cal- abrese's structure, playing technique, and musical role. The lira is a very compact instrument and has a round- ed, pear-shaped body, typi- cally carved from a single block of wood – often olive, w a l n u t , c h e r r y , o r e l d e r , depending on local availabil- ity; the soundboard, made of spruce, features one or two simple sound holes, usually c i r c u l a r o r h a l f - m o o n shaped. But its most pecu- liar feature is how the neck and body are not separate, because the instrument is s c u l p t e d a s a c o n t i n u o u s form, which gives it a solid, handmade quality. O n t h i s r u s t i c w o o d e n body, three gut or synthetic strings are stretched over a movable wooden bridge. Of these three, one is used to p l a y m e l o d i e s , w h i l e t h e other two act as drones, pro- viding a steady background n o t e t h a t e n h a n c e s t h e m o d a l c h a r a c t e r o f t h e music, a feature especially important in Southern Ital- ian folk music, where the emphasis is on rhythm and mood rather than harmonic complexity. But, perhaps, the most striking feature of the lira calabrese is its playing tech- nique: the musician does not press the string down onto a fingerboard, as with a violin or viola, instead, they touch the side of the melod- ic string with the nail or fin- gertip to produce different pitches. This approach pro- duces a sound that is both delicate and slightly rough- edged, giving the music its characteristic ancient and almost vocal quality. The bow used is typically curved and strung with horsehair or p l a n t f i b e r , f u r t h e r c o n - tributing to the instrument's unique sonic texture. Inter- estingly, because the bridge a n d s o u n d p o s t a r e n o t fixed, players often make subtle adjustments to modi- f y t h e i n s t r u m e n t ' s t o n e , depending on the acoustics of the space or the reper- toire being performed. Historically, the lira cal- abrese was especially com- mon in rural areas of the region, particularly in the regions of Locride (on the Ionian coast) and Monte P o r o (on the Tyrrhenian side); it was a central feature o f v i l l a g e c e l e b r a t i o n s , played by itinerant Musicians – often self- taught – who passed down their techniques and songs orally from generation to generation. It accompanied traditional dances such as the tarantella, a fast-paced and rhythmic couple's dance that still thrives in Calabrian folk culture today. The lira was also used to accompany improvised poetry and sto- rytelling, which transformed it into a true vehicle for cul- tural memory and expres- sion. H o w e v e r , b y t h e e a r l y 20th century, the lira cal- abrese had begun to disap- pear from the musical land- s c a p e , i n d u s t r i a l i z a t i o n , urban migration, and the increasing popularity of the accordion and mandolin all contributing to its decline. Many musicians abandoned i t , f a v o r i n g o t h e r i n s t r u - ments, and few artisans con- t i n u e d t h e t r a d i t i o n o f building it. But, as many of Italy's traditions, the lira calabrese h a s b e e n e n j o y i n g a n e w l e a s e o f l i f e , i t s r e v i v a l beginning in earnest in the late 20th century, when eth- nomusicologists, instrument m a k e r s , a n d p a s s i o n a t e musicians recognized the importance of preserving regional musical traditions. One of the key figures in this m o v e m e n t w a s S e r g i o Berardo, who, along with others in the folk revival c o m m u n i t y , s o u g h t t o reconstruct and study the lira's technique, sound, and historical use. Workshops and festivals dedicated to Southern Ital- ian music began to feature t h e l i r a c a l a b r e s e m o r e prominently and, soon after that, many contemporary musicians, including mem- bers of traditional ensem- b l e s a n d w o r l d m u s i c groups, have helped reintro- d u c e t h e i n s t r u m e n t t o wider audiences, both with- in Italy and internationally. T o d a y , t h e l i r a i s a g a i n b e i n g b u i l t b y s k i l l e d luthiers using both tradi- t i o n a l a n d m o d e r n t e c h - niques, and it is taught in s p e c i a l i z e d c o u r s e s a n d summer schools on tradi- tional Italian music. The sound of the lira cal- a b r e s e i s h a u n t i n g a n d earthy, often described as somewhere between a fiddle a n d a h u m a n v o i c e ; i t s modal tuning and droning b a c k g r o u n d c r e a t e a n atmosphere that is at once meditative and expressive. In ensemble settings, espe- c i a l l y w h e n p a i r e d w i t h frame drums like the tam- b u r e l l o o r t a m m o r r a , i t becomes a driving musical force, that makes Calabrian sound even more recogniz- able. Soundscapes of Calabria: the revival of the lira calabrese GIULIA FRANCESCHINI An illustration of a lira calabrese (Image created with DALL-E 2) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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