The Cities Of Italy

Just in time for the Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy, beginning in February of 2026, we bring you, "The Cities Of Italy"! This song is based on a catchy tune that you will very likely recognize called, "Tarantella Napoletana," written by Luigi Ricci in 1852. Our adaptation uses an authentic sounding Italian accompaniment, complete with solo clarinet, mandolin, accordion, winds, and strings. The lyrics name 18 different cities located in Italy (including Milan, of course). Keep in mind that we have used the English pronunciations of these cities. If you and your students are interested in how they are spoken in Italian, a trip to the Internet will provide some quick answers. For example, Rome is Roma, Milan is Milano, etc.

The fun and challenge with this song is in the tempos. It starts at a reasonable allegro. Even at this relatively calm pace, it takes a lot of concentration and enunciation to get all of the lyrics out clearly. But then, at measure 33, the tempo suddenly springs to presto. That's where the real challenge begins. It's all the same lyrics, but done at a much quicker clip. It's a really great chance for your singers to show off their skills in a concert, or, it can be used as an awesome warm-up in your music room. Be sure to let your classroom teachers know about this one as well. It's an excellent cross curricular tie-in to the upcoming Olympics, or a nice way to introduce a bit of history about Italy, where many famous classical music composers came from, by the way.

Most of the cities named in the lyrics have straightforward pronunciations, but here are a few that may need some clarification: Pisa – PEE-suh, Ferrara – feh-RAH-rah, Bari – BAH-ree, Bolzano – bol-ZAH-no, Siena – See-EH-nah, Livorno – lee-VOR-no. You can also listen to the performance track to get a good idea of how things are pronounced. We recommend the first time through (the slower tempo) for that. The spoken "Ciao!" at the end of the piece is pronounced, "Chow!"