Tarantella Napoletana
Primer Level, A
This is the Tarantella for many Italian-Americans. It is named after the tarantula spider (in Italian, “tarantola”) and its place of origin, Naples. Yet the Tarantella may be danced to many melodies, and many composers have composed their own. The Tarantella is in a fast 6/8 meter, though this Primer version has been changed to 3/4 for ease of reading. Legend has it that dancing this strenuous dance would be an antidote to the tarantula’s bite.
