L'Italo-Americano

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2025 www.italoamericano.org 18 L'Italo-Americano T h e r e i s a p l a c e b e t w e e n P i e d - mont, Lombardy, L i g u r i a , a n d Emilia-Romagna meet, where valleys circle around Monte Chiappo and share a musical language unlike anywhere else in Italy. Locals call it simply "our dance," while outsiders know i t a s t h e d a n c e o f t h e Quattro Province. The tradition belongs to feast days, weddings, and w i n t e r g a t h e r i n g s ; t o kitchens and farmyards as m u c h a s v i l l a g e h a l l s ; i t s steps are fast, its tunes are brisk, and the sound is car- ried by a piercing double- reed pipe called the piffero, o n c e p l a y e d a l o n g s i d e a small bagpipe known as the musetta. B e c a u s e t h e s e v a l l e y s were so hard to reach until recent decades, their music a n d d a n c i n g ' s s t y l e s remained unusually intact, w i t h i n s t r u m e n t m a k i n g moving from family to fami- ly, and music being passed on by ear and hand rather than through written scores. C h i l d r e n a b s o r b e d t h e r h y t h m s a t h o m e , w h i l e dancers picked them up by joining the circle with their parents and friends. Musi- c i a n s w e r e n e v e r d i s t a n t from the floor but played within arm's reach, keeping the atmosphere intimate. G r e e t i n g s , l a u g h t e r , a n d shared movement built the night from a slow tune into a room moving in unison. At the heart of the sound, yesterday like today, was the piffero, whose reedy voice c u t t h r o u g h c h a t t e r a n d filled crowded rooms, while the musetta's drone tied t h e r h y t h m t o t h e f l o o r . Together they produced a r a w b u t f o c u s e d b a l a n c e , with the bagpipe anchoring the steps, and the flute pro- p e l l i n g t h e m f o r w a r d . Indoors, a player might turn slightly away to soften the sharpness; outdoors, that same edge gave the music enough force to travel across a square. As the twentieth century advanced, the musetta slow- ly lost ground to the accor- dion: the newer instrument was portable, louder, more versatile, and could provide a drone, carry harmonies, and cover the tune when the piffero paused. By mid-cen- tury, the combination of pif- f e r o a n d a c c o r d i o n h a d become the standard, yet the b a g p i p e n e v e r v a n i s h e d completely: a few makers continued to build it, and players sometimes still bring it out for special sets, where its distinctive sound imme- diately recalls older gather- ings. T h e m o s t t r a d i t i o n a l movement of the dances is the passo delle Quattro Province, a triple step with one strong beat followed by two lighter rebounds, which keeps time with the quick pace of the music. Feet tend to lift high from the ground, a habit born of dancing on cobbles, packed earth, and grass, but figures remain straightforward (a small cir- cle, a brief promenade, a change of direction) so that even newcomers can join after watching a minute or two. Mind, though, these are very energetic dances, each in their own way; monferri- na, for instance, drives for- ward with shifting figures, alessandrina turns dancers quickly, and gighe bring a l i v e l y , s k i p p i n g r h y t h m . There are also older forms such as perigurdina or sest- rina, which survive only in certain villages and are pre- served through recordings and memory. Over time, waltzes, polkas, and mazurkas entered the evenings as well, but local musicians gave them their own accent in tempo, orna- m e n t a t i o n , a n d s w i n g . Which brings us to the most interesting question: what should we expect from an evening of Quattro Province dancing? Musicians usually begin with a slower piece as people arrive, then launch into a monferrina that fills the floor; between tunes, t h e y t r a d e r e m a r k s w h i l e dancers catch their breath. C h i l d r e n c i r c l e t h e e d g e s until someone pulls them in, s h o w i n g t h e m t h e t r i p l e step; older couples come for- ward for waltzes. No amplifi- c a t i o n i s n e e d e d , a n d n o stage separates the perform- ers from the dancers: close- ness is part of the form. Today, the tradition still thrives across Val Borbera and Val Curone in Piedmont, the Staffora in Lombardy, and the upper Trebbia in Emilia. Summer festas spill i n t o v i l l a g e s q u a r e s w i t h tents, food, and long tables, w h i l e w i n t e r g a t h e r i n g s move into barns and halls, while museums and ecomu- seums collect instruments, p h o t o s , a n d r e c o r d i n g s . There are also groups, most- ly formed in the 1980s and 1 9 9 0 s , w h o r e c o r d e d t h e repertoire, have been run- n i n g w o r k s h o p s , a n d ensured the piffero stayed c e n t r a l e v e n a s y o u n g e r m u s i c i a n s e x p l o r e d n e w arrangements. Visitors who join the circle are welcomed when they move with care, s o m a k e s u r e t o o b s e r v e before you step in, and try to keep movements modest to help keep the flow. Prome- nades follow the lead of the p l a y e r s , a n d f i l m i n g o r recording should be done with permission; if you'd like to support the scene, you could buy a CD or a hand- made reed, which are often sold at festivals, and if you are really curious about the c r a f t , y o u c a n t r y a n d arrange visits to workshops, where the choice of tools and woods explains much about the instruments' distinctive voices. That's why, besides the dancing, it's essential to pay close attention to the sound, because a reed may seem simple, but it can turn bright or gritty depending on the maker and the player. Loca- tions count, too, as some val- leys keep the drone promi- nent, while others prefer more moving harmonies. Far from being errors, these are true style signatures, as distinctive as a voice or a dialect. Familiar with this, dancers always adjust with- out comment, and the same t u n e a c q u i r e s a n e w g a i t when carried across a ridge into another valley. Quattro Province dancing: fast feet, bright reeds LUCA SIGNORINI LA VITA ITALIANA TRADITIONS HISTORY CULTURE Between four provinces and regions, there is a dance that keeps people connected; bottom right, an old "musetta" (Images created with DALL-E 2)

• Cover