L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano I taly gave the world the mandolin, but d i d y o u k n o w t h a t North America gave it a second life? In 18th-century Naples, makers – led by the Vinaccia family – defined the modern man- dolino: bowl-back, paired strings, G–D–A–E tuning made it a popular instru- ment played in salons and theaters. In the late 1800s, makers s u c h a s E m b e r g h e r a n d Calace refined concert mod- els and published method b o o k s t h a t s t u d e n t s a n d teachers carried with them a b r o a d . W h e n I t a l i a n migrants reached the United States, the mandolin came w i t h t h e m a n d q u i c k l y moved beyond parish halls and social clubs to college parlors and civic stages. In a short time, it became part of American popular and ver- nacular music, reshaped by American builders and new styles. The US chapter of the life o f m a n d o l i n o i s a b o u t immigration, industry, and reinvention. Between 1880 and 1924, roughly four million Italians arrived in the United States. They clus- tered in cities such as New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and New Orleans, where music was central to s o c i a l l i f e . B o w l - b a c k N e a p o l i t a n m a n d o l i n s turned up at weddings, bene- fit evenings, and club meet- ings. Early on, most playing stayed inside the communi- ty, but the instrument did not remain there for long. In 1880, an international touring novelty helped kick the door open: The Span- ish Students – a troupe modeled on Iberian student musicians – toured the US a n d s t i r r e d c u r i o s i t y f o r small, plucked instruments. Their success inspired imita- tions, including ensembles o r g a n i z e d b y t h e I t a l i a n musician Carlo Curti that h i g h l i g h t e d m a n d o l i n s r a t h e r t h a n b a n d u r r i a s . Newspapers started advertis- i n g l e s s o n s ; m a i l - o r d e r tutors appeared and by the l a t e 1 8 8 0 s , a " m a n d o l i n craze" was underway. High schools, settlement houses, and YMCAs formed clubs. C i v i c g r o u p s a n d u n i o n s added orchestras to their activity lists. For many sec- o n d - g e n e r a t i o n I t a l i a n Americans, these ensembles were an accessible path to music literacy and social mobility. M a n d o l i n c l u b s s o o n sounded less like home-par- lor trios and more like small orchestras. Parts were writ- ten for first and second man- dolin, mandola, guitar, and l a t e r m a n d o c e l l o a n d mando-bass. Repertoires m i x e d m a r c h e s , w a l t z e s , p o p u l a r s o n g s , a n d l i g h t classics. Some groups sur- vived the fad and became institutions: the Milwau- kee Mandolin Orchestra traces its origins to 1900 and still performs today, while in New York, a labor-linked m a n d o l i n e n s e m b l e t h a t began in the 1920s evolved into the New York Man- dolin Orchestra, which recently marked a centennial season. A m e r i c a n i n s t r u m e n t makers accelerated the shift: i n K a l a m a z o o , M i c h i g a n , Orville Gibson patented a carved, archtop mandolin in 1898 that replaced the Ital- ian bowl with a violin-like top and back; the design was louder, more durable, and better suited to ensemble use. Gibson built a national teacher-agent network, pub- lished method books, and p r o m o t e d f u l l m a n d o l i n o r c h e s t r a s t h a t i n c l u d e d mandocellos and mando- basses. For a time before World War I, the US was dotted with such groups, stocked by domestic facto- r i e s a n d s u p p o r t e d b y a growing music-education market. After the war, how- ever, tastes changed: jazz bands, dance orchestras, and the rise of the guitar pushed mandolin clubs into decline, b u t t h e i n s t r u m e n t h a d already put down roots. Italian-American virtuosi and teachers bridged the fad years and what came after. Giuseppe Pettine of Provi- d e n c e p e r f o r m e d w i d e l y , wrote influential methods and studies, and trained gen- erations of players who kept classical technique alive in America. Others organized contests, published newslet- ters, and adjudicated festi- vals, creating a national net- w o r k l o n g b e f o r e s o c i a l media could do the job. The next turning point came from the rural South w h e n , i n t h e 1 9 4 0 s , B i l l Monroe shaped bluegrass around driving tempos, close harmony singing, and his percussive "chop" on a Gib- son F-5, an archtop model refined in the early 1920s. Monroe's sound made the mandolin a lead voice again. The f-style, f-hole instru- ment became the standard for country and bluegrass, prized for projection and crisp attack. From there, the mandolin reached new audi- ences: the folk revival put it on college stages; players like Jethro Burns adapted it to jazz; Tiny Moore pushed an electric variant into West- ern swing; and later Sam Bush and David Grisman blended bluegrass with rock, swing, and world influences, p r o v i n g t h e i n s t r u m e n t could be a protagonist in almost any genre. T o d a y , t h e m a n d o l i n ' s North American life is broad rather than niche. Bluegrass festivals feature instrument workshops and contests that turn out fresh players every season. Folk and Americana acts use it for both melody and rhythm, and Celtic and old-time circles rely on it for tight ensemble work. On the classical side, orchestras continue in many cities, and national organizations run annual conventions, com- missions, and youth pro- grams. A healthy lutherie scene, from small shops to l a r g e r b u i l d e r s , s u p p l i e s e v e r y t h i n g f r o m f a i t h f u l Neapolitan bowl-backs to modern archtops and flat- tops, while repair specialists k e e p e a r l y - 2 0 t h - c e n t u r y pieces on the road. What began as a link to home for Italian migrants became part of the American soundscape, with communi- ty clubs giving newcomers a stage; American makers refit t h e i n s t r u m e n t f o r l o c a l needs and a Kentucky band- leader turned it into a star. The result is an instrument w i t h a d u a l i d e n t i t y : t h e mandolin remains a marker of Italian heritage in North America but, at the same time, it has become a thor- oughly American tool for bluegrass breaks, jazz cho- ruses, and whatever comes next. From Little Italy to the main stage: the mandolin in the US LUCA SIGNORINI Mandolin is associated with southern Italian musical tradition, but it's also very popular in the US. (Image created with DALL-E 2) LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE

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