“A la Santaninfara" is a beautiful ancient folk song from Sicily, arranged for classical guitar by the eclectic composer, painter, poet, piano player, guitar and other musical instruments player, Maestro Stefano Vivaldini:
www.stefanovivaldini.com
The present piece dates back to Alberto Favara's "Canti del mare e della terra di Sicilia," a collection of traditional songs gathered across the island in the early years of 1900. Stefano Vivaldini as he wrote in his own website, found the melody in Favara’s collection and decided to transfer it on the guitar and thanks to his outstanding talent, in this transcription he succeeded keeping that sense of a voice singing underneath the notes. The title means that the song originates from Santa Ninfa, a municipality in the Trapani area (western area of Sicily).
In Favara's Corpus, many songs begin with the incipit: "Vogghiu cantari a"...I wish to song to…or for…somebody or something…Singing is innate in human nature; it is sung in every part of the world. Favara himself states that singing came before words, and that verses adapt to singing, not vice-versa. Singing is a natural instinct, and even in Sicily, people sing at work, at play, in love, or simply for pleasure, as in this song.
Alberto Favara (Salemi, March 1, 1863 – Palermo, September 29, 1923) was an Italian ethnomusicologist and composer. He studied at the Palermo Conservatory of Music. He was primarily attracted to the history of music, not as a narrative of musical events, but as a critical assessment of studies and works. This foundation later sparked his interest in folk music. In 1881, he moved to Milan to further his studies. In 1883, he entered a competition, organized by the editor “Casa Sonzogno”, for the composition of the music for Leopoldo Marenco's one-act opera “Marcellina”. The opera won the award and was performed the following year at the Teatro Dal Verme in Milan.
In 1891, Favara married Nina Lo Presti. In 1893, following a serious financial crisis in his family, he devoted himself to a musical career and in 1895 began teaching at the Palermo Conservatory. At the same time, he continued his musical studies and artistic activity.
In 1907, he published an anthology of songs entitled Canti della terra e del mare di Sicilia (Songs of the Land and Sea of Sicily) which includes the present song A LA SANTANINFARA, followed in 1921 by a second collection of Sicilian Popular Songs.
About the tone of this composition: Hypodorian D (Aeolian, specifically D minor with a B-flat key).
