Recorded in 1954 by Alan Lomax and Diego Carpitella

Notes by Goffredo Plastino, Bruno Pianta, and Ellen Harold

Alan Lomax and Diego Carpitella’s historic 1954 recordings from Lombardy run the gamut of folk styles and traditions, from jovial wedding and carnival songs to characteristic Italian choral renderings of classic Child ballads, the enchanting calls of songbird hunters, and a panpipe orchestra playing marches, waltzes, and the overture to Verdi’s Rigoletto.  

“. . . maybe it slipped under your radar screen, but it certainly will raise an eyebrow. Chances are you’ve never heard this version of ‘La donna è mobile’ from the Verdi opera Rigoletto . . . played by pan-pipers from the region of Lombardy in northern Italy . . .   Amateur ornithologists beware. The collection also includes the sound of bird lures played by Italian hunters to imitate the calls of the local birds.” —The World, PRI / BBC

“A most enjoyable record.” —Musical Traditions